(Please note: Having spent the last seven or eight years working mostly behind the scenes in comms, consulting, and copywriting, the majority of my recent published work is not bylined, is attributed to a much more important person, and/or is under heavy-duty NDA—and is always heavily, heavily sanitized as well. As a result, please understand that few of the below clips are what one would call “fresh.”)
Games
(mostly)
Doubling Down: Army of Two Bets Big on the Concept of Teamwork
The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, Oct. 2006
Format: Cover Feature
Topic(s): Games, Politics
Summary: I use real-world geopolitics to introduce a game about private military corporations.
5 Key Moments in Arkane History
Bethesda.net, May 2020
Format: Feature-Length Blog Post
Topic(s): Games
Summary: This retrospective of a storied studio is a rare bylined example of my work in corporate communications.
MAG
GamePro, Feb. 2010
Format: Software Review, Long-Form
Topic(s): Games
Summary: This feature-length review combines storytelling with insightful critique.
In My Day: We Hope You Enjoyed Your Stay
The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, Jan. 2007
Format: Monthly Column
Topic(s): Games, Business
Summary: I had the honor of writing the farewell column for The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine‘s final issue.
Tech
(and usually also games)
Record “Real” Guitar with a Rock Band Controller
Mac|Life, Feb. 2011
Format: Tutorial
Topic(s): macOS, GarageBand, Games
Summary: This tutorial explains how to use a game peripheral as an actual instrument in Apple’s GarageBand.
The Incredible Shrinking Game Machine!
Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, June 2007
Format: Buyer’s Guide and Tutorial
Topic(s): PC Hardware, Games
Summary: The second part of a three-part series I did for GFW on how to buy, build, or tweak small PCs for gaming.
Acer Aspire One D250 Review
Liliputing, June 2009
Format: Hardware Review, Long-Form
Topic(s): Windows Laptops
Summary: An in-depth review of what is still a pretty remarkably designed tiny laptop.
Access Your To-Do List from Anywhere
Mac|Life, March 2009
Format: Tutorial
Topic(s): macOS, iOS, Windows, Web Apps
Summary: When the iPhone was still a baby, I devised a way to sync a to-do list across platforms for Mac|Life.
Other Topics
(that often involve games)
Inside Shangri-La: The Mythology of Far Cry 4
Xbox Wire, Nov. 2014
Format: Marketing Blog
Topic(s): Religion, Mythology, Games
Summary: I developed a new angle on a widely covered game by explaining its Buddhist and Hindu influences.
Plastic Axe: Bruised Egos and Bulging Wallets
GamePro, March 2010
Format: Monthly Column
Topic(s): Music, Music News, Games
Summary: My column about music games blended games industry insight with music industry news and gossip.
My Favorite Whatever of 2022
joerybicki.com, Jan. 2023
Format: Review Collection
Topic(s): Games, TV, Books, Music, Tech, Miscellany
Summary: A wide-ranging collection of conversational reviews of various consumer products and experiences.
On Grief
joerybicki.com, April 2017
Format: Advice Column
Topic(s): Loss, Bereavement
Summary: Thoughts on dealing with the death of a loved one, following the unexpected loss of one of my nephews.
Additional note: I’m in the process of updating this page to include more clips; in the meantime, if you’re looking for more examples of my writing, please feel free to check out the many links at higround.net/#bylines. And thanks for your interest.