About

For the longest time I swore I wouldn’t get involved in this blogging thing. I don’t read many blogs, and those that I do often irritate me. There’s something annoyingly egocentric about many blogs and bloggers that put me off the whole thing. Yet, my passion for video games and my desire to write about them again far exceeds any distate for the blogging medium. As former features editor for N-Europe.com, I was honoured to work with a lot of committed and dedicated people united by their passion for videogames. I had the opportunity to interview the developers of non-descript DS games that never actually got released, as well as superstars like Goichi Suda, of Killer7 and No More Heroes fame. I helped liveblogthe E3 conference for several years running, and in between my editorial duties I was given the opportunity to do N-Europe’s review of landmark games like Super Mario Galaxy. I have since parted ways with N-Europe due to other committments. But the fire hasn’t gone out, and just as I continue to play games in some form every day, I still want to write about them.

Rather than join (or lead) another editorial team, and get involved in something I may not be able to commit enough time to, I’ve decided instead to commit my thoughts and opinions to a blog. I don’t expect many will read it- maybe a few friends, and google searchers looking for food products containing no artifical sweeteners. So, while you won’t find many posts about my choice of condiments for breakfast in this blog, you will find some hopefully insightful and interesting comments on various facets of the world of gaming.

And the name?

I’ve long felt that too much of the video games media has a tendency to veer towards fanboyish sycophantism, manifesting itself in a narrow range of topics covered to closed-mindedness about new genres and new gaming experiences.  Games journalism is still in its infancy, just as the medium of videogames. It’s an exciting time to be a gamer. In this new world of digital distribution, revitalised indie game development, and a multiplicity of successful, viable consoles, both handheld and TV-based, gaming has truly entered the mainstream. Due largely to Nintendo’s efforts (for better or for ill), gaming is no longer the  exclusive preserve of teenage boys. Indeed, the first generation of adults proud to be gamers is emerging. No Added Sugar is about saccharine-free, upfront and honest commentary. As a long-time Nintendo fan, the coverage will have a focus on the house of Mario- but that doesn’t mean I’ll be ignoring other trends,changes and events concerning the other big players in the world of gaming.

Happy reading.