DaBargainHunta
Member
I've noticed that we have a couple of writers posting here. What tips can you guys give for breaking into game magazine writing or major gaming sites? Thanks.
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Writing for game magazines or major gaming websites?
- Thread starter DaBargainHunta
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Littleberu
Banned
You need to wish your boyfriend was swass like him.
DaBargainHunta
Member
LOL. C'mon, guys...seriously. 
Put together a porfolio of good writing samples spanning the breadth of your expertise. Either get work as a volunteer for a fan site or post reviews at a gaming site that accepts user-submitted content (GameSpot does, for instance). Be flexible and open-minded in your writing style.
Study hard, read and write a lot, get good grades, and gain some practical experience working for some type of publication. Basically, be excellent. When you're ready, send your resume and some writing samples to the appropriate editors and show them you're skilled enough to work for them.
Do you have any specific questions?
Do you have any specific questions?
Kobun Heat
Member
What a cheap plug for GameSpot. You should be ashamed. GameSpot. The very idea.kasavin said:
EDIT: I suppose I should actually contribute.
As has been suggested, the best way to start writing is to start writing. You should be doing as much freelance, paid and unpaid, as you can manage. Start building up your resume as soon as possible.
ManDudeChild
Member
-Learn to stomatch the fluff in many press releases.
-Master the art of stealing news.
-Don't fact check unless you're called out on it.
With these three steps you can really kick ass
-Master the art of stealing news.
-Don't fact check unless you're called out on it.
With these three steps you can really kick ass
ScientificNinja
Member
Read as diverse a range of literature as you can and practice writing. There are some writers and wannabes who just spew the same boring old words and phrases over and over again. I also suggest practicing on games that nobody would want to review - obscure, dull games that aren't quite rubbish enough to even give a funny panning.
Kobun Heat
Member
"Stealing" is such a harsh word.kasavin said:
ManDudeChild
Member
Kobun Heat said:
You prefer the term borrowing as your euphemism of choice then?
Kobun Heat
Member
They can have it back when I'm done, yeah.ManDudeChild said:
JackFrost2012
Banned
the best way to become a game writer is to start writing about games. now. start a website or write for someone else's, or just post to GAF, but practice writing and developing your skills immediately. Though the gaming industry is seeming closed and hard to break into, it's really very open and egalitarian. The trick is that you don't "break" into it ... you just work your ass off doing what you want to do, and then one day someone decides you should be paid for it.
Kobun Heat
Member
You "borrowed" that from my post, didn't you.
Jonnyboy117
Member
Joining the staff of a reputable "fan" site will give you an opportunity to learn from other people who may have much more experience. Definitely soak up knowledge from whomever and wherever you can. Write like crazy and learn to edit your own work harshly.
ScientificNinja
Member
Personally I idolised Julian Rignall (while he still had hair, of course). Nothing has come close to the comedy genius of "Insult My Head"
start the GIA II. heaven knows we need it, with all the excellent RPGs these days.
make friends with editors. calling them OMG FAT on forums will probably hurt your chances of breaking into the industry. but don't be obsequious. it's even worse.
learn to write. read things besides game magazines to assist in doing this. find well written things, and read them. the most inspirational book i read for my writing in recent memory was nabokov's lolita. the writing is fucking unreal.
do not post everything you wrote just because you wrote it. keep things to yourself until you start to get some practice.
LEARN TO THINK. people don't think -- they don't think critically about games, they don't think about what they're writing, they don't think about their audience. think about ways you can make your writing more effective on every level. just running down a laundry list of features and then slapping a score on the end = ZZZZZ.
buy me a ferrari.
make friends with editors. calling them OMG FAT on forums will probably hurt your chances of breaking into the industry. but don't be obsequious. it's even worse.
learn to write. read things besides game magazines to assist in doing this. find well written things, and read them. the most inspirational book i read for my writing in recent memory was nabokov's lolita. the writing is fucking unreal.
do not post everything you wrote just because you wrote it. keep things to yourself until you start to get some practice.
LEARN TO THINK. people don't think -- they don't think critically about games, they don't think about what they're writing, they don't think about their audience. think about ways you can make your writing more effective on every level. just running down a laundry list of features and then slapping a score on the end = ZZZZZ.
buy me a ferrari.
fennec fox
ferrets ferrets ferrets ferrets FERRETS!!!
Hearing this question I think I begin to feel the way John Carmack does whenever someone goes up and asks to teach him how to code. As he'd probably say, the best way to do it is to do it.
Your first results may be bad, but hopefully it will be a springboard to a wonderful future for you, because games press needs good writers.
Your first results may be bad, but hopefully it will be a springboard to a wonderful future for you, because games press needs good writers.
JackFrost2012
Banned
ferricide said:
This is pretty much the best advice possible for ANY medium. Want to write great science fiction? DON'T READ ONLY SCIENCE FICTION! Want to make great Western movies? DON'T WATCH ONLY WESTERNS! Want to make video games? THEN DO SOMETHING ELSE ONCE IN A WHILE. Well-rounded people are the best at doing very specific things. If you focus exclusively on the medium you're interested in working in then your work is going to turn out like boring and terrible fanfiction.
ferricide said:
Also good advice. A lot of what goes on as "critical" writing in the game industry is little more than glorified buying advice. Everytime you write something, ask yourself WHY. Then explain why. The game looks good ... WHY? The game is fun ... WHY? Unsupported opinions are the bane of interesting writing.
Greenpanda
Banned
ferricide said:
actually, this is a GREAT way to break into game-related writing, I'm afraid
Practice, practice and more practice. Get you grades, but work as much as you can free or no. Try to offer the editor new things or very worked features. A lot of people can do great previews, but it's harder to write a well documeted feature about a compay or something about the industry, or spend 21 hours covering non stop the E3 from your computer for some magazine, something that shows that you are special and can be very useful for any magazine.
Listen to the others, check forums, blogs, whatever. It's important you learn to have you mind opened It's a little exhausting, but a lot of times you learn to see things in your review that you didn't noticie before.
Apart of that, there are a lot of good advices in this forum. Check newspaper, other type of magazines, books... whatever that help you to improve your writing skill. And learn to play videogames from a critic viewpoint (I usually found this part the hardest one to learn). Don´t let pass a day without writing something
Listen to the others, check forums, blogs, whatever. It's important you learn to have you mind opened It's a little exhausting, but a lot of times you learn to see things in your review that you didn't noticie before.
Apart of that, there are a lot of good advices in this forum. Check newspaper, other type of magazines, books... whatever that help you to improve your writing skill. And learn to play videogames from a critic viewpoint (I usually found this part the hardest one to learn). Don´t let pass a day without writing something
To continue on ferricide's (good) points, I'd like to say that you should read anything but games journalism. No offense to anyone, but most of it is pure crap and might make you think that's "how it's done". The industry doesn't need more people like that, if we're ever going to get better.
Reading (and writing) other stuff might help you develop your own style; your own writing personality. I think that's important, as most game writing (sadly) is of the fact-listing variety. I guess IGN has a big influence. But, also, it's important not to let your personality get in the way of the actual games. Striking a balance is important. Otherwise you might be Tim Rogers, and then I'll have to snipe you when I've completed my ninja training.
And last, but so very not least -- write other stuff than reviews. Everybody does reviews. Do some cool 9-page articles about something you know a lot about, but think most people don't. If you don't have knowledge like that, I suggest you obtain it before even thinking about starting to write.
Oh, no, this is the very last point: play a fuckload of games. Download every ROM set you can get your hands on and give them all a shot. No one needs an expert that doesn't know his shit.
Reading (and writing) other stuff might help you develop your own style; your own writing personality. I think that's important, as most game writing (sadly) is of the fact-listing variety. I guess IGN has a big influence. But, also, it's important not to let your personality get in the way of the actual games. Striking a balance is important. Otherwise you might be Tim Rogers, and then I'll have to snipe you when I've completed my ninja training.
And last, but so very not least -- write other stuff than reviews. Everybody does reviews. Do some cool 9-page articles about something you know a lot about, but think most people don't. If you don't have knowledge like that, I suggest you obtain it before even thinking about starting to write.
Oh, no, this is the very last point: play a fuckload of games. Download every ROM set you can get your hands on and give them all a shot. No one needs an expert that doesn't know his shit.
Even Winston Churchill had to learn some things before becoming Prime Minister...
And I´m not agree with aku:kiji. Developing your own style and that sounds great, but if you don´t read any other videogame text, you won´t know what you have to do to improve your text, and you will miss valuable lessons from good and experienced profesionals that you can find reading others text.
Myself read everything I can, and doen´t mean my style is influenced by others, but I think have been improving because all the lessons I have learnt from others.
I second, third, and fourth the practice and/or write for a fansite suggestions. Anytime you can just point someone to a body of work is a good thing. And that includes opinion articles, features, and previews too... mag editors love people that can do whatever work comes up (especially when it's games no one else wants to do).
Doesn't hurt to live near San Francisco.... (Ziff, IGN, GameSpot, GameSpy, most PR and game companies, etc)
Doesn't hurt to befriend one or two editors, producers, PR people, whomever, and just get used to bitching / woo-ing about games in their presence -- virtual or real. Lordy, I literally got into freelancing because I couldn't stop complaining about shitty games (or telling various people I'd like to do them up the butt).
Cash doesn't hurt either. Attend E3. Get in to Sony Gamer's day. Buy and play imports, and make sure you write about them. Half the people in the industry are alcoholics, so it can't hurt to buy 'em a couple drinks and then suggest to them that you're the Hemingway of gaming. I know a guy who parlayed a drunk bitch session with a Sony rep into a permanent spot on their "send goodies, fly in for Gamer's days" lists, and in turn, a couple long term stints with for-pay websites. I'll add to this sentiment by stating that it's also a great idea to have a decent day job while you try to "break in."
Energy, energy, energy. Once you think you're ready to go "big time", don't let rejections stop you. Keep applying. Keep sending in links to your work. And keep gunning for it. Exxy is a good example here -- sure, he can write and he has the dedication, but everyone knows he got his way into the industry because his will was only matched by his impressive afro *grin* Just like Parappa, you gotta believe.
Elements of Style, by Strunk & White -- live it, love it.
To add to Littleberu's comment, don't date a Bremelo... (mud ducks, hockey pucks, drivers of mack trucks...) and don't get caught doing the Squaredance Rap.
Doesn't hurt to live near San Francisco.... (Ziff, IGN, GameSpot, GameSpy, most PR and game companies, etc)
Doesn't hurt to befriend one or two editors, producers, PR people, whomever, and just get used to bitching / woo-ing about games in their presence -- virtual or real. Lordy, I literally got into freelancing because I couldn't stop complaining about shitty games (or telling various people I'd like to do them up the butt).
Cash doesn't hurt either. Attend E3. Get in to Sony Gamer's day. Buy and play imports, and make sure you write about them. Half the people in the industry are alcoholics, so it can't hurt to buy 'em a couple drinks and then suggest to them that you're the Hemingway of gaming. I know a guy who parlayed a drunk bitch session with a Sony rep into a permanent spot on their "send goodies, fly in for Gamer's days" lists, and in turn, a couple long term stints with for-pay websites. I'll add to this sentiment by stating that it's also a great idea to have a decent day job while you try to "break in."
Energy, energy, energy. Once you think you're ready to go "big time", don't let rejections stop you. Keep applying. Keep sending in links to your work. And keep gunning for it. Exxy is a good example here -- sure, he can write and he has the dedication, but everyone knows he got his way into the industry because his will was only matched by his impressive afro *grin* Just like Parappa, you gotta believe.
Elements of Style, by Strunk & White -- live it, love it.
To add to Littleberu's comment, don't date a Bremelo... (mud ducks, hockey pucks, drivers of mack trucks...) and don't get caught doing the Squaredance Rap.
San Francisco is definitely a good place to be. Gamespot and IGN are both up there, as well as Ziff Davis' game mags.
I like the idea of posting your writing/reviews on this board and getting feedback on them. There are a lot of bad game reviewers out there. If the community thinks you're good, we might be able to place you or at least get a freelance gig somewhere. There's a lot of industry insiders on this board.
I think the biggest thing to getting a game writing gig is luck. If you don't already know someone in the industry, you have to keep your eye open for openings. IGN and Gamespot hire occasionally. When you see the opening, you have to apply fast. It also helps to subscribe to every game magazine and look for openings there as well.
I like the idea of posting your writing/reviews on this board and getting feedback on them. There are a lot of bad game reviewers out there. If the community thinks you're good, we might be able to place you or at least get a freelance gig somewhere. There's a lot of industry insiders on this board.
I think the biggest thing to getting a game writing gig is luck. If you don't already know someone in the industry, you have to keep your eye open for openings. IGN and Gamespot hire occasionally. When you see the opening, you have to apply fast. It also helps to subscribe to every game magazine and look for openings there as well.
Patrick Klepek
furiously molesting tim burton
GG-Duo said:
the keys to success