Pixels to Pages: The Story of Electronic Gaming Monthly premiered December 3, 2025 on YouTube via Game Sack and My Life in Gaming channels, delivering a comprehensive 76-minute documentary about the legendary video game magazine that ran from 1989 until its closure in 2014. The film features interviews with founding Editor-In-Chief Ed Semrad, the late editor Martin Alessi, managing editor and mysterious reviewer Sushi-X (Ken Williams), and numerous other staff members who shaped EGM during its influential years before the Ziff Davis acquisition changed the publication’s direction. Frank Cifaldi from the Video Game History Foundation provides historical context about what made EGM stand out from competitors like GamePro and Nintendo Power. The documentary covers EGM’s founding under Sendai Publications, its association with the U.S. National Video Game Team, Ed Semrad’s legendary ability to capture screenshots of unreleased games at trade shows, the Review Crew format that influenced gaming criticism for decades, and the April Fools pranks including the infamous Sheng Long hoax that fooled Street Fighter II players worldwide.
What Made EGM Special
Electronic Gaming Monthly launched in 1989 as a monthly American video game magazine under Sendai Publications, distinguishing itself from competitors through multi-editor reviews, comprehensive event coverage, and willingness to criticize games honestly rather than functioning as marketing mouthpieces. The Review Crew format featured four different critics scoring each game, providing diverse perspectives that acknowledged subjective preferences rather than pretending one universal opinion existed. This approach influenced gaming journalism for decades, with outlets still using multiple reviewers or acknowledging subjectivity in assessments.
The magazine’s credibility stemmed partly from its independence during the Sendai era, when editorial decisions prioritized readers over publisher relationships. EGM would give low scores to hyped games from major publishers, call out misleading marketing, and use April Fools pranks to playfully critique industry hype cycles. This editorial stance contrasted with Nintendo Power’s role as essentially Nintendo marketing and GamePro’s closer relationship with game publishers. Frank Cifaldi’s commentary in the documentary emphasizes how EGM’s skepticism and journalistic rigor elevated gaming criticism during an era when most coverage functioned as enthusiastic promotion.
Ed Semrad’s Screenshot Magic
One of the documentary’s most fascinating segments covers Ed Semrad’s legendary ability to capture high-quality screenshots of unreleased games at trade shows and industry events. Before digital photography and press kit distribution became standard, getting clear images of upcoming games required physically photographing CRT monitors at conventions where lighting was terrible and developers didn’t want competitors stealing ideas. Semrad mastered the technical and social skills required to get exclusive shots, often capturing games that never released or changed dramatically before launch.
These exclusive screenshots gave EGM credibility as the magazine showing games first and most accurately, driving newsstand sales from readers wanting to see the future of gaming before anyone else. The documentary includes examples of screenshots featuring cancelled games or early builds that differ dramatically from final versions, creating unintentional historical documentation of development processes. Semrad’s photography skill became so legendary that developers would seek him out at events, understanding that EGM coverage could make or break a game’s hype cycle before launch.
The Sushi-X Mystery
Managing editor Ken Williams reviewed games under the pseudonym Sushi-X, becoming one of gaming journalism’s most recognizable bylines despite maintaining anonymity for years. The Sushi-X persona represented EGM’s playful approach to gaming culture, using a mysterious identity to generate reader speculation and community engagement around who the masked reviewer really was. The documentary finally reveals Williams as Sushi-X, explaining the reasoning behind the pseudonym and how it affected his reviewing philosophy.
Williams’ Sushi-X reviews often skewed harsher than his Review Crew colleagues, establishing a reputation for critical skepticism that made high scores from him particularly meaningful. The mystique around Sushi-X’s identity created reader investment in his opinions, with fans debating whether he was too harsh or appropriately critical compared to more enthusiastic reviewers. This tension between critical rigor and enthusiast excitement defined much of EGM’s editorial balance, with the Review Crew format allowing multiple perspectives to coexist rather than imposing false consensus.
The Ziff Davis Era
After 83 issues from October 1989 through June 1996, EGM switched publishers from Sendai Publications to Ziff Davis, fundamentally altering the magazine’s tone and editorial direction. The documentary addresses how the corporate media company’s ownership affected editorial independence, review scores, and coverage priorities as Ziff Davis integrated EGM into its portfolio alongside PC Magazine, GamePro, and other gaming publications. Many original staff members felt the magazine lost some of its irreverent personality and critical edge under corporate oversight focused on maintaining publisher relationships.
The Ziff Davis era also brought professionalization that some viewed positively, with increased resources for coverage, better printing quality, and integration with the 1UP.com network that expanded EGM’s digital presence. However, this came at the cost of editorial autonomy, with corporate policies restricting controversial content and discouraging the April Fools pranks that defined earlier years. The magazine continued until Ziff Davis discontinued it in January 2009 following the sale of 1UP.com to UGO Networks, ending the print run after 20 years of monthly issues.
The Sheng Long Hoax
EGM’s most infamous April Fools prank came in its April 1992 issue, claiming that Street Fighter II: The World Warrior featured a secret character named Sheng Long who could be fought after meeting specific conditions. The elaborate hoax included doctored screenshots and detailed instructions for encountering the non-existent character, fooling countless players who spent hours attempting to unlock Sheng Long. The prank became gaming folklore, referenced in subsequent Street Fighter games and cited as evidence of EGM’s cultural influence.
The documentary explores the creation and aftermath of the Sheng Long hoax, including reader reactions ranging from delight at being fooled to anger at wasted time. The hoax demonstrated EGM’s willingness to blur lines between journalism and entertainment, using the magazine’s credibility to pull off elaborate jokes that functioned as commentary on gaming culture’s susceptibility to rumors and hype. Whether this represented harmless fun or irresponsible journalism remains debated, but the Sheng Long hoax undeniably cemented EGM’s place in gaming history beyond just reviews and previews.
FAQs
Where can I watch Pixels to Pages?
Pixels to Pages: The Story of Electronic Gaming Monthly is free to watch on YouTube via Game Sack and My Life in Gaming channels. The 76-minute documentary premiered December 3, 2025.
Who made the EGM documentary?
Game Sack’s Joe Redifer directed and edited Pixels to Pages in collaboration with My Life in Gaming’s Coury Carlson and Marc Duddleson. The documentary features interviews with former EGM staff and Video Game History Foundation director Frank Cifaldi.
When did Electronic Gaming Monthly start?
EGM launched in 1989 under Sendai Publications after a brief run as U.S. National Video Game Team’s Electronic Gaming Monthly in 1988. The magazine ran until 2014 with several ownership changes and relaunches.
Who was Sushi-X?
Sushi-X was the pseudonym of managing editor Ken Williams, one of EGM’s Review Crew members known for critical reviews and harsh scores. The documentary reveals his identity and discusses the reasoning behind the mysterious persona.
What was the Sheng Long hoax?
EGM’s April 1992 issue claimed Street Fighter II featured a secret character named Sheng Long accessible through specific conditions. The elaborate April Fools prank included fake screenshots and instructions, fooling countless players.
Is there an EGM book coming out?
Yes. The Electronic Gaming Monthly Compendium Kickstarter launched in October 2024, reaching its $35,000 funding goal in under 24 hours. The retrospective book will celebrate EGM’s legacy.
What happened to Electronic Gaming Monthly?
Ziff Davis discontinued EGM in January 2009 after selling 1UP.com to UGO Networks. Founder Steve Harris relaunched it in 2010 through EGM Media LLC, but it ceased print publication in 2014. A web-only version launched in 2019.
Conclusion
Pixels to Pages: The Story of Electronic Gaming Monthly serves as essential viewing for anyone who grew up reading game magazines or cares about gaming journalism history. The documentary captures a time when print publications shaped gaming discourse, influenced purchasing decisions, and created communities around shared enthusiasm for an emerging medium. EGM’s legacy extends beyond specific reviews or articles to include pioneering multi-perspective criticism, maintaining editorial independence against publisher pressure, and using April Fools pranks as cultural commentary on gaming hype. The interviews with Ed Semrad, Ken Williams, and other original staff provide firsthand accounts of magazine creation before the internet democratized gaming coverage, revealing both the magic and frustrations of monthly deadlines, screenshot hunting at trade shows, and balancing enthusiasm with critical rigor. For younger audiences who only know gaming coverage through YouTube, Twitch, and social media, the documentary illustrates how magazines once fulfilled all those roles simultaneously through monthly print issues that readers treasured and debated until the next one arrived. Whether you remember buying EGM at bookstores or never experienced print gaming journalism, Pixels to Pages offers fascinating insight into how a single magazine helped define what gaming criticism could be.