Less than a year ago, I fervently wanted to work for 1up and Ziff Davis. Writing for a team that included folks like James “Milky” Mielke, Ryan Scott, Jeff Green, Shawn Elliot … right around the time I was thinking about leaving Slashdot, that would have been the bees knees. I even sat down with Sam Kennedy during GDC last year to talk to him about possibilities in the SFO area.

This is the part where I say I’m ultimately glad I didn’t get hired.

While Ziff-Davis CEO Jason Young’s message to his company — including current 1UP Network staff — today, along with coordinated press releases regarding 1UP’s sale to UGO, painted a picture of strength in (and growth of) the 1UP brand, we’ve begun to hear reports quite to the contrary. Several key members of the 1UP staff have announced their termination via Twitter messages and posts to the NeoGAF forums.

As Joystiq has pointed out, pretty much everybody that made 1up what it was has been let go as part of the UGO brand acquisition. They even fired Milky. How can you fucking fire Milky? Seriously? One of the only high level writers left on the games journo beat that “gets” MMOs, and you can him? What-ever.

My best hopes and well wishes go out to everyone I’ve had the chance to talk to over there, everyone who will now be denied the opportunity for freelance for a reputable name in games journalism, and all of us out here who now won’t get to enjoy the fruits of their game-loving labours. This sucks, and I hate it.

Thanks for all the good times, EGM. RIP 1up.

Additional: I want to add an extra good luck to the 1up staffers that are staying on to man the Marie Celeste, including Jeremy Parish, Sharky, and Sam.