Aspiring video game journalists listen up – The Newsroom spoke to some professionals about breaking into the industry.
“Free work, get some words up on a website and be open-minded to a lot of genres of games … you need to be well-rounded and have a knowledge of games as a whole,” says Adam Mathew, editor of Official Playstation Magazine Australia.
His words echo those of Chad D’Cruze, creative producer of the Dusty Cartridge website. “If anyone approaches you with a game, even if it’s crappy or something you don’t like, always say yes, never say no,” he said.
Writing about games and getting paid is a dream for many, but for such a small industry the competition is tough. Video Game Journalism Jobs is a website devoted to just that, offering volunteer positions with only a handful of paid ones. A paid position from website BuyPoe.com seeks people to write two or three pieces per week with a $2 payout for each article published.
Dennis Scimeca from G4TV.com believes there’s a better way to secure employment. “If you can consistently write solid, well-researched features with unique angles, you will find work in this business, and once you have a reputation as a dependable feature writer, it’s just a matter of waiting for the right position to open up,” he said.
It is important to be able to network, pitch stories and do the job before you land a full-time position, Dennis explained, “We’re reviewers, critics, previewers, live event reporters, bloggers, interviewers, and columnists.”
Technical skills are also considered important. Chad recommends HTML programming and video and photo editing as a way to set yourself apart from the crowd. If you do strike gold with employment, he says, always put out quality work and make sure it’s in on time.
– Story and photos by Martin Gladstone
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