Sunday Thoughts: Games Journalism 101

I have been writing about games for the best part of seven years. During that time, one of the most commonly asked questions I have had is: “I have set up my own website, now how do I get games.”

My response to the above question is usually to just ignore it. After all, when I set up my first website (wonderwallweb.com), it wasn’t my intention do so for the benefit of free games; it was because I had a love and passion for this industry and I thought that going it by myself would be a great way to express my own opinion on the things that mattered to me. I would like to think that the fact that I eventually made contacts (and friends) in the industry, and had the benefit of reviewing games, was through hard work and nothing more.

So what would I say to all those people who email me asking how they get free games? Simply don’t even bother. It is my opinion that anyone looking to create a website just for free games is wasting both their own time and that of publishers’ PR departments. Games companies get thousands of emails everyday, and although they generally try to reply to everyone, if you are just begging for a game for your new website which has one line on the front page then you may as well not bother.

Anyone creating a gaming website should be doing so because they have the commitment to do it. As anyone who works for TheSixthAxis will tell you, it’s a hard slog and not something that you should go into lightly. If you are truly serious about doing so then you should be committed and willing to put in more hours than you do to your day-time job. Even then, with all the other websites out there, you are really going to have to do something truly special to stand out from the crowd.

Having your website become successful is a wonderful feeling; when people recognise you and comment on your work it’s great, and who would ever forget their first press event? This doesn’t happen for everyone though, only those who show the commitment that is required to be successful.

So what advice would I give to those looking to take their first step into the world of games journalism? I would say don’t create your own website. If you are truly serious about working in gaming then do it for someone else - there are plenty of sites out there who are looking for someone to write for them on a voluntary basis and this is a great way to get experience and also a feel for what is required.

You never know, you might just end up working in the industry full time. Now wouldn’t that be nice?

If this subject interests you then you may want to check out our Decline of Journalism series from last year.