About GamesFirst!

GamesFirst! was one of the earliest independent online videogame magazines, running from 1995 through 2007. Started by Zap Reiken from Cactus Computers in Moscow, Idaho, GF! grew into a vibrant publication covering games across every major platform of the era.

In 1998, Rick Fehrenbacher and Al Wildey (University of Idaho professors) purchased the site and hired Shawn Rider as console editor and Sarah Wichlacz for writing, design, and photography. Shawn and Sarah bought GamesFirst! in 2001 and ran it through its most active years until it went on hiatus in 2007.

GamesFirst! was a pioneer in many forms of game journalism: among the first to live-blog E3 with text, photos, and video from the show floor. The site produced podcasts, a TV show pilot, original comics, and covered everything from Dreamcast launches to Xbox 360 demos.

Timeline

1995 — Started by Zap Reiken from Cactus Computers in Moscow, Idaho. One of the first gaming sites on the web.

1996 — Listed on NCSA’s “What’s New” page — a remarkable early web honor.

1998 — Purchased by Rick Fehrenbacher and Al Wildey. Shawn Rider joins as Console Editor, Sarah Wichlacz for writing and design.

2001 — Shawn and Sarah purchase GamesFirst!

2004 — Transition from FrontPage flat-file HTML to PHP/MySQL CMS.

2005–06 — Peak output years: podcasts, GFTV pilot, live E3 moblog coverage, Xbox 360 launch.

2007 — GamesFirst! officially goes on hiatus.

About This Archive

This archive was assembled in 2026 from original server backups, database exports, and the Wayback Machine. Articles have been converted to modern web standards while preserving the original text, images, and metadata.

The archive includes over 3,100 articles across 54 author profiles, with game metadata enriched from multiple databases.