Becoming a Professional Video Game Reviewer

[PlayMadness]

Dear GR (for I have missed the GR mailbag immensely),

As my high school years wind to a close, I suffer the typical crisis of the young adult: what the hell am I gonna do for the rest of my life?

Given my lifetime (literally) of video gaming experience, and my love of writing, I've been interested in pursuing a career in video game journalism. I was wondering if there was any way I could talk to anyone with GR about how I would go about this lofty goal? What kind of education it would require?

And to paraphrase one of my favorite reviewers (other than GR, of course): to balance out the extreme seriousness of this post:

BOINGO BOINGO WANGO KNICKERS.

Thanks!

 

[keepithowitis]

GI?

 

[PlayMadness]

GI?

What?

 

[keepithowitis]

Oh, you said GI instead of GR.. i see you edited it.
Carry on.

 

[De-Ting]

Sounds like somebody got GameRevolution confused with GameInformer. <_<

 

[LinksOcarina]

Good luck is all I can say dude, and if you are as good at writing as you say you are I hope you make it.

You got any examples for us to read off of, I would love to see your work.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

From what I've seen, journalism in any form takes drive. My wife has a cousin who writes advice articles for men. For her, it's been a slow, arduous process that requires tons of self-driven effort. You find anyone that will take you and work your way towards the job you want. I can only imagine it's the same, if not worse, in the video game review biz because there is probably a huge list of gamers who want in.

 

[LinksOcarina]

From what I've seen, journalism in any form takes drive. My wife has a cousin who writes advice articles for men. For her, it's been a slow, arduous process that requires tons of self-driven effort. You find anyone that will take you and work your way towards the job you want. I can only imagine it's the same, if not worse, in the video game review biz because there is probably a huge list of gamers who want in.

Who either can't write, or are trained to write, leaving the better authors out there in the dust without a journalism degree, I suspect.

 

[UghRochester]

Blake if you see this thread, I did NOT create this account to ask that (even though I did ask you before where I could find the info :wink: ).

With great luck to you PlayMadness, hope you succede

 

[De-Ting]

Ugh, I don't think anybody could confuse your grammar for something as good as his...unless you've secretly been playing us for fools this entire time...which I doubt immensely. ^_^

 

[Chris_Crime]

I won't trust a review written by some high school rugrat. You need some Road Rash II and Trojan time under your belt first young fella.
heck, if you were to ask me, anyone born after 1985 need not apply - enforced by law.
Sorry, buckaroos.

I imagine this is how Billy Mitchell and his crew roll, and I've decided that I'm okay with that.

Go save Sylvia from Mr. X first. Then 2600 Q*bert. Smash some TVs, why don't cha.. CONTRA, dammit! CONTRA!!
Until then, you can take those GOWMW2L4D2OMG reviews and stick them ... in the GR community reviews section.

 

[danielrbischoff]

I won't trust a review written by some high school rugrat. You need some Road Rash II and Trojan time under your belt first young fella.
heck, if you were to ask me, anyone born after 1985 need not apply - enforced by law.
Sorry, buckaroos.

I imagine this is how Billy Mitchell and his crew roll, and I've decided that I'm okay with that.

Go save Sylvia from Mr. X first. Then 2600 Q*bert. Smash some TVs, why don't cha.. CONTRA, dammit! CONTRA!!
Until then, you can take those GOWMW2L4D2OMG reviews and stick them ... in the GR community reviews section.

While I agree with Chris on the need for any aspiring games journalist to really know the history of games, I'd suggest the need to be a writer before a gamer. My experience so far has been that finding success as a writer (early on) requires a lot of flexibility and willingness to write on a vast spread of topics. Writing about books, movies, other forms of media, the news, politics, just writing in general is something you have to do on your own. No one is going to assign you a review right off the bat, so you should probably start publishing your writing to a forum or your own blog on a consistent basis. Just keep at it. Eventually, more and more people will see your stuff and things will look up.

And about the 1985 thing... don't worry. Someday, Chris will die. You can have his desk after that.

 

[Chris_Crime]

humbug... I'll continue to get my reviews the old fashioned way...
from Fat Ethnic Guy, found roaming the Gamestops in my village, a dark blue backpack in tow. Don't know much about his formal education... don't need to.
If you had been there for his Ikari Warriors / Iron Tank to Metal GearSolid: Peace Walker / Valkyria Chronicles 2 comparisons, you'd understand why.

not a dry eye in the house after his Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time review (the one where he cited Bubble Bobble)..... I can remember everything about that day.

 

[Chris_Crime]

Guys?... Fellas? I have a confession to make... I'm.. well, I'm Fat Ethnic Guy :crying4: / imp: (?)

 

[De-Ting]

A fat ethnic drunk guy. <_<