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Bloodworth’s Role is Changing
🕑 Added 2025-11-19 16:35:38 +0000 UTCAfter 30 years of covering games, 18 of them at GameTrailers and Easy Allies, it’s time for me to try something new. This December, I will be joining the team at Ukiyo Studios and moving to more of a background role at Easy Allies.
I’ve been on the job hunt for quite a while, talking to dozens of people throughout the industry to explore my options. By this summer, it started to feel like I was narrowing in on what I’d want to do and getting into the right circles. Then at PAX West, I met On Takahashi from Ukiyo, and he was the one who told me I should find a way to get to Tokyo Game Show where he could introduce me to some folks I’d been trying to get in touch with.
On and I hit it off right away. He helped me pick the right hotel and get to the right parties, and even after TGS, we kept chatting multiple times a week as he continued to introduce me to new people and I gave him feedback on things he was planning for next year. I jealously prodded him about how things were looking on the ground at gamescom Asia, and then one day, I realized that what Ukiyo is doing actually fits in with my goals even better than many of the jobs I’d applied to. I brought it up with On, and soon we were discussing plans for what I’ll be doing on the team.
Ukiyo Studios is somewhat of a Swiss Army Knife of promotional services for independent publishers and developers. The biggest element of that (and how I found them) is that they put together booths at conventions such as PAX, TGS, and Bitsummit, hosting demos for games from various teams, including Critical Reflex, New Blood, and Black Lantern Collective. Remember when I came back from TGS and showed off that cool version of No, I’m Not Human that you play with a real door? It was the team at Ukiyo that got all the pieces in place to make that happen. In addition to event support, though, they also do public relations in Japan, help with localization, keep an eye out for promising indie projects for publishers, and have a range of other services, which you can learn about at their website.
For me, I’ll be able to join them at these different conventions, including shows I’ve never been to before like Bitsummit and PAX Australia, since there just aren’t major publishers flying US journalists out to cover those shows. I’ll be helping to improve the experience and effectiveness of their demos, getting more feedback from attendees to the developers, supporting sick publishers like Critical Reflex, and building up Ukiyo’s PR presence with western media. Ukiyo has a really strong foundation among Japanese companies, and this will help them to serve as a bridge, giving Asian teams more reach in the west, and also improving awareness of western games with Asian audiences. There’s a lot for me to learn on the PR side, but to put it simply, I’ll be sending codes to a lot more people now. So if you’re a writer, streamer, or podcaster interested in covering indie games, get in touch at pr@ukiyostudios.com
Ok, so what does this mean for Easy Allies?
Ukiyo will be my full time job. I don’t have to leave Easy Allies, but I also won’t be able to manage as much as I have in the past. So, I will no longer be producing the podcast every week, I won’t be leading company meetings, and I won’t be weighing in too heavily on what the team should or shouldn’t do. Also, to avoid conflicts of interest, I won’t be giving any games a definitive score or participating in awards discussions, and if we cover games I’m specifically working on, we’ll make that clear.
One way to frame this is to think of me like the “night manager.” You might see me flushing a raccoon out of a vent from time to time, but much of what I’m doing for Easy Allies will be from the back office. That said, once I get my sea legs, I probably will hop on the podcast desk once in a while. I’d still like to attend the occasional preview event. And when I’m out at shows like PAX East, I might make some EZA appointments to cover a few games on the side. Also, depending on my schedule, I could still be at group streams now and then.
There’s a lot that we’re still figuring out, and much of that will only come once I actually start doing the job. The rest of the Allies will keep the good times rolling here, and I’ve got their backs in case they need help with the paperwork or finding the right people to ask for codes. In any case, I’m excited to get out there and use my experience to support developers in new ways.
It’s a new era, but as always, I want to thank you so much for backing Easy Allies over the years. I definitely wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t been out on the road covering these shows, which was only possible thanks to your generous and ongoing support. And, hey, now that I’m traveling to new places, maybe I’ll finally get to see some of you who haven’t had the chance to come to a meetup before.
-Daniel Bloodworth
Comments
Stephen Thomas
Congrats 👏🏾 Blood! All the best for the future 😁
HeyManNiceShots
Best of luck, it sounds like one hell of an exciting challenge!
LukeW
Thank you for everything, it's been amazing. I'm sad that you're (mostly) leaving but of course wish you the best of luck!
Izaya
Hey Blood, Massive congrats on the new role! They'll be lucky to have you. L&R
Lauri Laivo
Congrats Blood. I always felt a bit that your talent wasn't getting fully utilized in EZA alone so, good luck with this endeavour!
Jason Flood
Congratulations on the new opportunity Blood! It sound interesting. I hope you like, and I'm sure you'll do a great job. Also: "... You might see me flushing a raccoon out of a vent from time to time..." which tier do we have to subscribe to to see that? asking for a friend...
David Rey
Mazel Tov Bloodworth! All the best!
Torben Lindström
Huge Congratulations Blood! It's been a joy to get to know you through Gametrailers.com and follow your unrelenting spirit through these years with the Allies. Looking forward to see you jump in on the podcast from time to time and as a game developer myself you've always felt like a vital part of my roadmap to whats new and what's news in the industry. Never could attend meetups or live streams as I'm tied to the southern part of Sweden so just want to send you a mental handshake and thank you for all your service and wisdow. Love and Respect
Callum Langstroth
Congratulations Blood!
Karl Williams
Congrats Blood!
Andreas Risberg
Congratulations Blood!
Erik
So happy for you Blood! I sense the passion in your words. It’s wise to follow where it leads you, regardless of anxiety. I will miss you on the show, but I’m proud of you for taking the leap
Doug Chomicz
Congrats Blood!
Easy Allies
lol, but I'm not moving. -Bloodworth
Marco Hernandez
Isla needs to get to work on a Bloodbot whenever Blood joins remotely.
Cyber6x
Congratulations, Blood! Please post about if you're headed to PAX Australia - would love to meet you in person!
Nimbus
Congratulations Blood! This sounds like a really unique opportunity and I know you're gonna be amazing at it. Thank you for all of the tireless work that you've done for the community over the years. EZA would have never had anywhere near the success it did without you there to guide the way. Best of luck on your new adventures
Sage_Mode_Q
Congrats Blood! While I’m nervous about the future of EZA as a whole, you deserve all the success in the world! I’m with EZA and all its members until the end 🫡 L&R❤️
David Warren
The blood moon is rising in the east!
JHK
I'm so happy to read this. They are lucky to have you. Best of luck, and hopefully, this is only the start of the amazing next chapter.
Eggmond
Congratulations Blood! You may or may not remember, but I did the Melbourne Cafe/Indie Game guessing game for the podcast a few weeks ago. If you do find your way to PAX Aus next year and need some recommendations of cool things to do, places to eat etc - please reach out - you can find me on Bsky https://bsky.app/profile/eggmond.bsky.social
MrMattatee
Congratulations, Blood! Hopefully after you start your new gig, we'll really see you before the next blood moon rises. Either way, I'm excited at the idea of your rare talent being challenged in a fresh way that puts you more inside the industry.
iDens
Congratulations 🎉. Thanks for all the fun stories and industry insights overs the years. I am glad that now others can benefit from your skills. It’s wonderful to see that you found a place to be and to do what you want to do; to explore new skills and impacting the industry in other ways. You deserve it. L&R
danny betkowski
Congrats Blood, well deserved! I hope you enjoy the new role, and I hope EZA is able to continue on without you. You guys seem to be bleeding members lately, and it's a real bummer.
Joe Varnum
Happy for you, but sad to see you going as well. Been a fan of all of you since the GT days. Good luck!
Tim Bechen
So awesome dude. Congratulations. Very happy for you. Hopefully we will see each other again at Gamescom:)
Matthew Palling
Congrats on the Job and being able too sometimes be around for easy a stuff. Makes it hit a little less harder then gone completely. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity and thanks for the hard work all these years.
Steven Jenner
1) Congratulations and good luck! 2) Will EZA be backfilling your position?
stoperArt
Best of luck with the new endeavor, Blood.
stonecoldmiracle
Congrats blood, it genuinely sounds like a fun and great opportunity, L&R
Tim Goemans
Godspeed Bloodworth! L&R
CptCobblePot
Best of luck Blood, amazing opportunity for you! Rooting for you and EZA
Dan Sebring
Congratulations Blood! Excited for you!
Matt Currin
Best of luck Blood!
Mellow Felloh
Congrats Blood! Super super proud of you and hope nothing but the best! L&R
dtenchi
Congrats, Blood!
Easy Allies
It's funny timing, but literally the only reason I posted that was because my mom was fooling around with photos that morning. lol -Bloodworth
Joseph Caruso
I thought maybe something was up when you shared that post about 30 years of gaming journalism on bluesky. Congratulations Blood! 30 years is a long time, so while I'm sure it's as bittersweet for you as it is for us, finally taking on a different role in the videogame industry is exciting and invigorating. I wish you all the success and luck in the world. The podcast won't be the same without your level-headedness. Thanks for all the tireless work over the years. Love & Respect!
Tertaros
Congratulations Blood 🎉
Michael
Bloooooood! Awesome news! I look forward to seeing what the future holds for you. Good luck!
Michael Wong
Congratulations and best of luck on your new journey!
Somestranger-_-
Wow Blood, what an opportunity. I miss the fully staffed East Allies, but I'm happy it's members are doing things they are trully passionate about. Love and Respect
Cabbagelad
Congratulations Blood! Don't be a stranger!
Stackhouse
Congrats, Blood! Really excited for you and the great things to come.
Easy Allies
Yeah, I hope so. I haven't gotten anywhere in South America yet, and I know Brazil has some big shows. -Bloodworth
Ultan O'Connell
Congrats Blood, an excellent opportunity
Kendall Newman
Congratulations Blood, praying for an amazing journey at the new job!
SoulCaster
Congrats Blood and best of luck to you on your new journey.
Felipe Fonseca
Congrats, Blood! Hope to meet you here in São Paulo someday. It's bittersweet, I won't deny it. But I'm really happy for you. :)
Ridnarhtim
Sounds like an amazing opportunity, congrats and all the best!
Zorgla
Congrats Bloodworth!
Harrison Holt
Congratulations!
Tyler Travis
Wow, congrats, Blood!!!
Yes Cheese
Best of luck Blood!! Excited for the new journey and opportunities ahead. Been following you since the early GT days. Really enjoyed all that you've done - from your journalism to your perspective on the business. Thank you so much for everything.
Steven “MXAGhost” Oz
Congratulations, Blood! While it is bittersweet, we love to see you finding that role you love! Never forget us and we will never forget you!
Ryan Thomas Reynolds
Love and respect
2am Media
Congratulations Blood!
PantheonLive
Congratulations Blood! Going to miss seeing you as often but so happy for you and this opportunity! I know you're going to kill it!
Axel Gullstrand
The biggest of congratulations to you! While it's sad that you won't be involved with EZA as much as before, there is no one who is more deserving of things falling into place like this for them. You big time deserve it, and I'm incredibly excited for you. I've been listening/watching since the early days of Invisible Walls, and I'll very much miss your takes on all things video games. Thank you for everything you've done. Love and Respect 💖
James Fouhey
Sounds like a great fit! Congrats!
GW Fawkes
Best of luck Bloodworth! Sounds like a great new step forward for you.
JLunaarS
😤 Thank you for everything.
Brainfreeze
Congrats Blood!
Eric Jackson
That’s great news, Blood! We who love the ongoing dynamics of the Allies will miss your presence. All the streams with you in the chat, all the late nights editing scripts, everything has been so enriching and building on the skills you’ve demonstrated such great execution in. We wish you the very best going forward!
Matt Preston
Congrats and good luck on the new adventure, Blood!
John McCullough
Congratulations, Blood! We'll obviously miss seeing/hearing you as often, but this is so exciting, best of luck to you!!
Alexander Zyryanov
Congratulations and best of luck!
Shout_Out_To_Yoko_Taro
Congratulations!
Joebeezer
Wow. Congrats Blood!
Renki
Sounds good, best of luck in your new job! You're very talented and it's great to see you've found something that interests you. I know you'll do well.
zak wojnar
Blood 4Ever!
