This week, we talk writing tips, games journalism, EGM back issues, and GTA sales on DS. As always, send your letters to letters@bitmob.com — because the spam filter never lets our stuff get through. And away we go:
My boss and I were having a discussion about Flash-like minigames (Bejeweled, and other PopCap and Pogo games) becoming a huge hit within the last few years for various reasons. He alleges that these games are actually pulling graduating talent away from the higher-end gaming market. I argued that minigame developers are probably mostly self-taught designers without a ton of traditional education, and that people graduating from various schools are still going to larger companies like EA or Activision Blizzard. Who’s more right?
-SjSchoo
Bitmob: The answer is more in the middle. If you were talking indie games, then yeah, you’ll probably find a higher percentage of self-taught designers. But those casual Flash games? The companies behind those projects oftentimes put serious resources behind them. Remember, Pogo is part of EA, so the graduates are going there either way. The way we see it is that the graduates are going to whichever company will offer them a job.
I recently got my BA in journalism and have been writing regularly for my hometown paper, The Miami Herald, but here’s the thing: The beat I cover is a bore, and I spend much of my free time playing my PS3 and Nintendo Wii. I’ve been a gamer since the Atari 2600 days and haven’t stopped since. I read EGM back when it was as thick as an encyclopedia volume all the way to the bitter end. I really want to write about gaming, but, like most reporters I have a day job: managing a cinema, which eats up a lot of time.
Anyway, I wanted to know what you veteran game journos at Bitmob recommend for someone like me, who already has a background in journalism but wants start writing about what he loves and knows inside out (and hopefully get paid to do it). By the way, congratulations on the new site, it’s really inspiring to see you guys doing your own thing on your terms.
-Kyle
Bitmob: Congrats on the degree, Kyle, and sounds like you already have the makings of a good resume with The Miami Herald gig (and our fingers are crossed that it can be one of the newspapers that survives).
As for the games journalism route, you’ll hear a lot of people say a lot of luck and being in the right place at the right time is involved, and that’s true. But you can also increase your odds just by being an active participant on gaming websites and in their communities.
You probably have a good sense of what Bitmob can do for you, but in the end, it’s honing your abilities wherever you are. We can assure you that an assigning editor likes nothing better than getting a story in on deadline that doesn’t need much editing. If you’re reliable, creative, and talented, they probably won’t be able to keep you busy enough. And as you alluded to, yeah, you’ll have to work for little or no money when you get started, but that’s how you get your experience in. Good luck!
I’ve been writing recently on your site. I don’t necessarily consider myself the best writer, but a persistent one at least. I was curious if I could get some advice or tips on how to improve. I feel I have a lot I could improve and am completely open to suggestion. Keep up the great work.
Lewis
Bitmob: OK, last writing-based e-mail this week, we swear! The best advice we can give is to read good writing and write as much as you can, but here are a few other pointers:
- Mix up your sentence structure: Pepper some short, punchy sentences in with the long, drawn-out ones.
- Use active voice, not passive. Avoid "there is/there are" constructions.
- Reread everything — preferably out loud — before posting. You’ll be surprised at how much you catch that way.
Ever since I heard Robert Ashley’s A Life Well Wasted episode on the closing of EGM, I’ve become really nostalgic over the magazine’s history. I’ve been buying back issues by the pound (literally) trying to restore and rebuild the collection I once had as a kid. I don’t know why…other than the need to collect stupid shit, which defines being a 20-something-year-old. Please excuse the fact that this e-mail has read like a Twitter feed, because what I’m curious to ask is if the magazine will ever be collected and restored in some form?
I know many magazines go under and are never heard from again, but it seems different when it happens to one I like. Anyway, I’m curious where you stand on people collecting and storing EGM in electronic form. Of course I can do it without your permission, but I feel I should ask and also I’m just curious on how you feel on that issue.
Allistair P.
Bitmob: Well, seeing as Ziff Davis (the company that closed EGM) never released the last completed issue, even in electronic form, we’re not too hopeful that they’ll be releasing a complete collection anytime soon.
The only hope for something like that is if someone buys the rights to the brand, but even then, that’d happen with the intent to create new content, not repurposing old stuff. Your best bet is what you’re already doing: Buying back issues and keeping them safe. And though we’re not lawyers, the way we understand it is that you can back up your own purchases however you see fit — as long as they never get copied for financial gain.
While researching for my Nintendo DS-related site…I found an article containing the official data from the NPD Group via Kotaku but was VERY disappointed by the numbers. To put my thoughts briefly: Over 40 million U.S. gamers own a DS in any shape or form, yet only 89,000 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars cartridges have sold during the last three weeks of March.
What do you think about the sales numbers? Is this a sure sign that games with mature content just don’t have a place on Nintendo hardware as they once did (such as the Super NES)? Was there just not enough advertising for the game before launch? Or is it for the fact that there’s been such a crackdown on mature-rated games that some stores wish to avoid negative publicity by stocking the title? Is the demographic for both the DS and PSP so skewed toward underage boys that developers can only turn to consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PS3 for more story-based and development freedom?
What are your thoughts?
James W.
Bitmob: We were all set to research the hell out of this and give you a definitive answer, but we wasted away the whole day playing Chinatown Wars — for reals; that dope don’t peddle itself! What a good game. And yeah, it’s a shame it didn’t sell more, but of those 40 million DS owners, how many do you think are GTA gamers versus Nintendogs fans? Hasn’t Nintendo always been the Disney of the gaming industry? This isn’t a sure sign Mature-rated games won’t succeed on Nintendo hardware, but it’s certainly not encouraging. All we can do is support the games we like and hope they keep making them.
The ol’ BM mailbag was a little light this week — we know you can do better. Remember, keep your questions, comments, rants, and raves coming to letters@bitmob.com.