I game, therefore I write

EDITOR'S NOTEfrom Eduardo Moutinho

We live in a new era of journalism where power truly lies at the keyboards of the people. Our Internet-centric world has redefined video-game discourse.

In the past, video-game journalism was clear cut. Professional writers and editors had exclusive access to game previews, interviews, and trade shows. They typically lived in the busiest areas related to the industry: California and New York.

Then the Internet came along and changed everything.

A new offshoot of journalism emerged -- led by those who commented from afar. Websites became a collection of one-liners, blurbs, and headlines. Being in Manitoba or southern Ohio no longer limited a person's ability to observe and respond.

Many of these new-school writers are wishful thinkers, reaching for a pipe dream. And some are seasoned journalists who interned, struggled, and worked their way up through the pulp and ink of the printed word.

As magazine and newspaper sales decline and the world of game writing changes, the barrier for entry remains intimidating for many of us.

I am never going to live in a busy, tech-based metropolitan area. I am never going to attend E3. I predict I will never sit down with Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto to discuss their absurdly brilliant visions.

Despite all this, do I consider myself a member of the gaming press?

Allow me to break my case down even further. I have a journalism-related degree, work in the newsroom of a major newspaper, and have a portfolio full of articles.

So am I a journalist?

I can only answer that question through my dedication. My passion for games has never faltered, contrary to my parents' wishes. In my writing, I attempt to provide a unique and honest point of view with some wit thrown in. Most important, I have the drive and will to keep trying.

As with any craft, a drive and ability to improve must exist. Stagnation sinks even the most talented people like a ship hitting a jagged coastline.

For now, I have the ambition to continue.

Until the day comes when writing becomes boring, I will keep trying to get better.

Originally written for and posted on www.digitalhippos.com/gaming.

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Jason Almenas

September 10, 2011

Interesting article, it's very hard to define games journalism, it's so different from what we know as actual journalism. My main gripe, is when video game reviewers call themselves games journalist. They are not, they are game critics, games journalism, rarely exist in this day and age, with the exception of someone like Patrick Klepek and a few others, who do the research and look into stories to get the truth behind them, many blogs who just wait for news to come to them do so behind the facade of "games journalism". Anyway I think speaking about it is a good thing and that's what your write up is attempting. Good job.

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Louis Garcia

September 13, 2011

I agree with this. Most of the time the writers are merely rewriting press releases. That's why I like to read and write feature stories -- you actually have to do some reporting and contact people for interviews.

Errol Burke-Horner

Good luck. I'm kind of glad the old way of videogame journalism is dead. I wouldn't have ever made it. I consider myself to be a gaming journalist. I've never had anything printed, but I have readers and people who are genuinely interested in what I wrtie. That has to count for something.

William Harrison

@Errol Hurrah. I've had some people in the newsroom I work at roll their eyes when I've mentioned in passing that I write about games (without even trying to allude that I felt like I was on the 'real journalists' level), but at least I can say that I write because it's fun. I consider it a victory.

Or course, I can't tell if I am dismissed because I write online, or if it's because the subject matter is video games.

It really is weird to be in a newspaper newsroom and tell people you write about games. Some people find it cool, and some people don't. I had professors that thought it was pretty cool, but also some that thought I'd wasted my college education. That's always fascinated me though, how so many video game journalists don't have degrees but just write well, or get lucky. Sometimes I think IGN ignores that write well part...

Jonathan Oyama

I wish that my journalism professors were more interested in video games. Many of them thought that my video game articles were too technical for the average person to handle.

I'm sure that they'll figure out that video games are really popular masterpieces. Someday, when they're not thinking deeply about politics or whatever other things that they're thinking about.

September 14, 2011

I think a lot of people have a hard time not thinking about gaming as Pac-man and Donkey Kong. It mostly may just be an age gap thing, but for the most part it seems like gossip writers get more respect 'out in the real world'.