Some sad news, Mike passed recently. I had read that he had suffered another medical event in the spring, and the complications were the last bit. It’s a weird thing to mourn a person you’ve never met.

Mike was an old-guard of the gaming blogosphere, and was the only reason I kept with Kotaku over the years. He had a quirky sense of humour, and a calming “uncle” vibe that was always entertaining and safe. He was the old geek we aspired to be, and felt like the final bastion of corporate takeover of gaming media.

He wasn’t a serious journalist by any means, just that friend who liked stuff and you wanted to hear what he had to say. Snacktaku in particular was a highlight of the very odd things that people put in their bellies. His participation in the various Kotaku podcasts were always entertaining because he genuinely liked the people he was working with and had no podium to stand upon.

It’s a tough loss for the community, and moreso for his family.