Let me preface this by saying this that I am not here to dunk on my colleagues' meal ticket. I am just here to talk about my own experiences.
I was a games journalist for the majority of my university life and 1.5 years into my career. Freelancer, features editor, managing editor... Did all that stuff in the largest video games news site in my country. I appeared on YouTube videos, wrote reviews, made interviews whatever you can think of. But I always knew that this wasn't going to be my career path.
I studied digital media as my master's and I wanted to work for a digital marketing agency. But coming back from another country after MA and trying to find a job in influencer marketing - digital media landscape in my country was a bit tough so I decided to work full time as a gaming journalist (already had 5 years of freelancer xp) and fucking hated most of it.
I've got a lot of young blood asking me how to join the industry, how to make a name etc and most of the time I tried to explain the realities of the situation without dunking on their dreams. Video game journalism landscape in my country is bad. There are a couple of news site and magazines you can work and they mostly a far cry from their counterparts in the US. The pay is dog shit. Not just for the place I worked in (mind you, it was the Gamespot of my country) but in every other place out there, and it is impossible to make a name for yourself if you are a small fish. The audience is a bit different from the US one where they don't actually care about your well thought out piece, they just want to see what score you gave to their favorite game so they can dunk on you without even reading it in the first place. And of course, the worst of all, fucking harassment. Constant mockery of your talents as a professional video game critic, attacks to your self and sometimes your family, and generally being a total dick to everyone that works in the industry. I realize the situation in the US isn't all that different but the size of the audience in there could compensate for it.
What I've wanted to with this thread is to ask industry veterans or newcomers about their own experiences working as video game journalists. Is it the same in your countries? Are you happy with your career choices? Do you think this line of work as a temporary one? And also young people who want to penetrate into the industry, are you sure about this? Do you think you can make a living out of it?
For me, I am glad that I noped the fuck out of there sooner than later. I loved writing news and reviews, still, do. But for me and 99% of the people in the industry that I know, there is no stable future in video games journalism. Now I have a lucrative career path, I can actually enjoy video games after years of constant pressure, and most importantly I am happy more than ever.
What are your thoughts?
I was a games journalist for the majority of my university life and 1.5 years into my career. Freelancer, features editor, managing editor... Did all that stuff in the largest video games news site in my country. I appeared on YouTube videos, wrote reviews, made interviews whatever you can think of. But I always knew that this wasn't going to be my career path.
I studied digital media as my master's and I wanted to work for a digital marketing agency. But coming back from another country after MA and trying to find a job in influencer marketing - digital media landscape in my country was a bit tough so I decided to work full time as a gaming journalist (already had 5 years of freelancer xp) and fucking hated most of it.
I've got a lot of young blood asking me how to join the industry, how to make a name etc and most of the time I tried to explain the realities of the situation without dunking on their dreams. Video game journalism landscape in my country is bad. There are a couple of news site and magazines you can work and they mostly a far cry from their counterparts in the US. The pay is dog shit. Not just for the place I worked in (mind you, it was the Gamespot of my country) but in every other place out there, and it is impossible to make a name for yourself if you are a small fish. The audience is a bit different from the US one where they don't actually care about your well thought out piece, they just want to see what score you gave to their favorite game so they can dunk on you without even reading it in the first place. And of course, the worst of all, fucking harassment. Constant mockery of your talents as a professional video game critic, attacks to your self and sometimes your family, and generally being a total dick to everyone that works in the industry. I realize the situation in the US isn't all that different but the size of the audience in there could compensate for it.
What I've wanted to with this thread is to ask industry veterans or newcomers about their own experiences working as video game journalists. Is it the same in your countries? Are you happy with your career choices? Do you think this line of work as a temporary one? And also young people who want to penetrate into the industry, are you sure about this? Do you think you can make a living out of it?
For me, I am glad that I noped the fuck out of there sooner than later. I loved writing news and reviews, still, do. But for me and 99% of the people in the industry that I know, there is no stable future in video games journalism. Now I have a lucrative career path, I can actually enjoy video games after years of constant pressure, and most importantly I am happy more than ever.
What are your thoughts?
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