Dear users (all umpteen million of ya),

I know y'all dont believe carefully-worded corporate press releases. Who does? But you want to know what's really happened, and what's really happening. So here's the real deal.

Chris Kirmse, rest his digital soul, has been the voice of Xfire since its birth. I was just a webdev, later promoted to lead that team. Now, so far as webdev goes - I am that team.

Bloody Monday, one week ago in 2 more hours. Xfire, as you know, imploded. We lost a lot of really solid, brilliant people. Though it's not as simple as the incoming king assassinating the old court. More like they saved as many as they could afford. All may not be as it appears to y'all.

Boiler-plate platitudes aside, it was a genuine honor to work with these fine ladies and gentlemen. You cant buy an education like that, not for any tuition. And it was a family too, with all the love and hate that goes therewith.

When Chad Walker handed me his webdev managerial crown over 2 years ago that he might wander our earth as Xfire's resident ninja-at-large to focus where he was most needed, I was told by both him and Kirmse that I now stood on the shoulders of giants. I knew it to be true; now, more than ever.

Is Xfire going to change? In many ways, damn skippy. There's big plans on the table.

Will you all lose your free Xfires? No, Im fairly certain at this point your world will not quake so. Will your pages fall victim to a biblical plague of ads for mortgages and womens' underwear? Maybe on April Fools, for old times' sake. Maybe Ill photoshop something lacy onto the Hoff, if some of you dont behave yourselves.

Which is not to say there arent risks ahead, but really my advice is sit down, shut up, and hang on tight. I think it's gonna be an interesting ride. Titan are not the corporate raiders I suspected them to be, one week ago. They're bringing change, but not all of it bad - and not all of it scary. Some of it I welcome!

Kirmse and his blog are no longer the voice...