This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Editor’s note: Michael fears that gaming journalism may soon be overrun by an influx of young writers. He is concerned that the industry will suffer if this next generation fails to bring enough innovation to the field. I hope that his worries don’t come true, and the content I read here on Bitmob gives me hope for the future. – Jay
I usually get my gaming news through podcasts such as The Gamespot UK Podcast, Giant Bombcast, the podcasts of the IGN Network, Out of the Game, A Life Well Wasted, 4 Guys 1UP, Retronauts, and Bitmob’s very own Mobcast. After I listened to The Gamespot UK Podcast this week, I realized that the bulk of their listeners seem to be aspiring video game journalists.
I clearly recall a time when I included myself in this group of hopefuls. Between late 2005 and early 2007, 1UP.com was filled with exuberance, personality, and — most important — alcohol-fueled podcasts. When I listened to the spirited Shane Bettenhausen, Garnett Lee, Luke Smith, and John Davison on the 1UP Yours podcast, I was optimistic about joining their ranks. It seemed like an easy and entertaining job.
Now, in 2009, 1UP Yours no longer exists and my hopes of becoming a video games journalist have soured. The closest current successor to 1UP Yours is 4 Guys 1UP, which is currently hosted by David Ellis. Mr. Ellis certainly provides us with an entertaining podcast, but I feel that 4 Guys 1UP lacks the magic of the earlier 1UP Yours.
This magic is also lacking in The Gamespot UK Podcast. This is why I fail to understand how the Gamespot UK crew can serve as an inspiration to young gamers as the hosts of the 1UP Yours podcast did for me. The Gamespot UK Podcast is one of the most dull and overly formal podcasts I have ever listened to.
Within the past two years, I’ve become more sensible and decided that writing about video games probably isn’t for me. My research shows that a person in this field makes approximately $25,000 to $55,000 per year. I’m concerned that a large influx of young writers will increase competition and decrease the earnings potential.
I currently see many writers and bloggers between the ages of 14 and 16 who submit content for various websites. It seems that these young potential journalists seek a way to distinguish themselves from the past generations. They don’t want to get stuck trudging through stacks of paperwork on a weekly basis — they want to feel happy, satisfied, and creative all at the same time, while playing and critiquing video games.
I can imagine that these young writers see games journalism as an escape from the mindless work they face at school. Most of them probably do not earn any money of their own. For them, receiving even a small amount of money to review and write about games seems an attractive possibility. My concern is that they will find out the hard way that this profession may not provide them enough money to be independent adults.
In the title of this article, I suggested that gaming journalism might soon become a saturated field. Recent events, such as the closing of EGM, demonstrate a lack of demand for new gaming-related publications. I have a feeling that a flood of people will soon be looking for work in the industry, but the number of available positions will not grow proportionally.
I don’t think we need any more average gaming journalists; the members of this group seem far too numerous already. What we do need is a group of revolutionaries: people willing to challenge the common practices of the industry and twist them in to something new and exciting. For example, we need to change the way interviews are conducted — they’re far too rote and predictable. Individual personalities should also be encouraged. We don’t need a horde of robots speaking in the same, familiar voice.
Gaming journalism needs to change a lot in order to stay relevant and interesting. I hope that all of the growth in this industry will lead to more innovation and clever integration of content. This field has already generated a long list of talented people such as John Davison, Dan Hsu, Crispin Boyer, Greg Miller, Matt Chandronait, James Mielke, Greg Ford, Luke Smith, Shane Bettenhausen, Jay Frechette, Brad Shoemaker, Geoff Keighly, Garnett Lee, Ryan O’Donnell, Jeff Green, Shawn Elliot, Ryan Scott, Robert Ashley, Mike Cruz, Jeremy Parish, Matt Leone, and David Ellis. For this profession to thrive, it needs a new generation of innovators to follow in the footsteps of these industry giants.