Staff Members :: Jay Semerad

Biography

I developed all my relevant life skills by playing video games, starting out with the earliest Nintendo handhelds and Atari consoles — as a relative old-timer here. I later transitioned into the earliest forms of computer gaming on the Commodore 64, where I learned the joys of dusty old classics like Maniac Mansion and Below the Root... This was where I also learned that most games cannot be completed without a strategy guide (or in subsequent years, repeated calls to the Nintendo Power hotline).

With extensive knowledge of how to shoot tank bullets around corners, how to avoid government agents by falling into inescapable pits, and how to put hamsters in a microwave (Thanks Ted!), I have found myself in Michigan for the 31st consecutive year, taking only occasional breaks from this earthly paradise to travel abroad and see more-earthly, more-paradisy-type places (of which there are many). I now enjoy the Nintendo DS and my massage chair, and I play the piano too whenever I muster up the creativity. I would play my Xbox more often if it weren't angrily flashing red rings at me every few minutes.

I listen to many types of music, and was raised on 8-bit love of Final Fantasy and other soundtracks throughout his life. In college, I pursued music technology as a way to bring myself closer to my field of choice. I was swept into the industry as a founder of G.A.N.G., a writer for Music4Games and Allgame, and a founder of my own freelance company, Red Leader Audio, which is in desperate need of a clever makeover. I am torn between wishing I was British and Japanese (or possibly Irish), but above all things, I am loyal to the color red.

Site Role

I am currently working on the Western game music section of the site along with several experienced writers. During my short time at SEMO, I've wrote reviews for several important series, interviewed a well-known television and film composer, and have attended special events as a site representative.

Contributed Reviews