This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.

Bitmob

We're seeing a ton of new faces — well, new names, anyway — around the ol' Mob these days. That might be because of our acquisition by VentureBeat earlier this year. Or it might be because we're just that awesome.

Regardless of the reason that brought you to our fair land, we want you to feel at home here. So I thought I'd take a moment to explain a few of the features that make Bitmob different from other game-centric websites.

The biggest thing you should know is that Bitmob is for writing. From the longest-tenured staff member to the lurkiest lurker, more than anything, we want Bitmob to be a place where you feel comfortable posting your thoughts on video games.

We do have full-time staff members, but we're not as worried about up-to-the-second breaking news as some sites. (For that, you'll want the GamesBeat section of VentureBeat.) Most of our staff is here to share a different take on gaming…and help Bitmob community members to do the same.

To that end, here are a few of the semi-regular features we promote:

 
  • Bitmob Writing Challenges: We do these prompts every month, under the direction of moderator Chris Hoadley. Chris chooses a topic and accepts submissions all month long, publishing the collection soon thereafter. Past topics have included gaming's effect on the real world, in-game economies, and writing about randomly-generated headlines.
     
  • Bitmob Wants You: These are more frequent, shorter-term prompts, usually based around big game releases. We've covered Diablo III, Mass Effect 3, Skyrim, and more. (And when there aren't any notable titles coming out…we write about game music.)
     
  • Spotlights and Reviews Spotlights: As a staff, we don't do formal game reviews at Bitmob. (Again, you'll want to check out GamesBeat for those.) But our community members are more than welcome to write them, and our own Mike Minotti collects them regularly. And for non-reviews, I put together a weekly collection of community articles that didn't quite make our front page.
     
  • Tweetbook Q&As: If you're active on social media, you'll want to keep an eye out for these features, where we ask one or two questions and take responses from our followers on Facebook and Twitter. Bitmob staff members often chime in, too. It's a great way to communicate with your favorite writers outside of the 'Mob.
     
  • Meet the Mob: These are my favorites. If you're new to Bitmob (or just haven't gotten around to it yet), you should consider writing a Meet the Mob post introducing yourself, your favorite games, and anything else you want the community to know. Also, when it comes time to choose a site member as our monthly Featured Community Writer, a Meet the Mob article will increase your chances of getting picked.
     

Keep an eye out for these features, and make sure you join in. And remember, articles that hit the front page of Bitmob also appear on GamesBeat. So welcome aboard, and get writing!