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I liked Sonic games as a kid, played Halo with high school friends, and picked up the newest Pokémon editions every few years. Like many, I attended college because watching anime and playing Super Smash Bros. wouldn't be enough to round out my resume.
You could say I was an average Joe — an average Joe who right-clicked to save a podcast at just the right time.
After I started listening to podcasts, I realized something. The people talking were happy to work every day. They belonged to a field most considered immature, and they were proud of it. I opened up magazines like Game Informer and saw folks at industry events drinking, socializing, and talking about video games.
This life existed?
A few months later, I decided to join the game industry. But I didn't know how to do it, and I wasn't into programming. I remembered, however, many editors mentioning that they didn't have journalism or English degrees. So I thought writing could be an option.
Though I knew little about the industry, podcasts gave me a primer. I learned about developers and why I should care that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 isn't being made by Infinity Ward. These shows caught me up on gaming history, and taught me about the biggest names in electronic entertainment.
I changed my major from economics to web design, so I could develop skills that would serve me well as an Internet journalist. And I also moved to San Francisco because many studios and media sites were in that area.
My studying paid off, and I somehow found myself attending E3. I drank, socialized, and talked with others about video games — just like the people in those magazines I read.
Was it luck? No, I owe my college too much money for it to be luck.
The podcasts gave me a dream to shoot for, and I got to where I am today because of my perseverance. I continue to write, learn, and improve, and I will keep doing so until I reach my goal.