159: A Site To Call My Own

[Alan Au]

So please stop whining about how awful it is to be a game journalist with your own site, that is hypocrisy.

Actually, "whining" is part of the job description. Well, okay, maybe it's more of a perk.

- Alan

 

[Playbahnosh]

Actually, "whining" is part of the job description. Well, okay, maybe it's more of a perk.

- Alan

Yeah, "whining" about crappy games, and how the videogame industry sucks, developers selling out...etc, but NOT about the job. Methinks...

I personally never said a bad word about my job. It's tiring and sometimes unfullfilling, but it's never dull or boring. And this is what I wanted to do all my life, and I'm quite happy about that. Word.

 

[Hey Joe]

And since when has TIME printed anything about games?

Yeah, they like to do 'cyrstal ball' articles every so often where they get the chance to seem at the cutting edge and wot not instead of dusty academics in tweed jackets and have you. 'Video games you say? How quaint!'

Anyhow, it 'twas an informative article which presented a lot of the pitfalls, and as someone who's looking into developing a website along similaresque lines it was a great opportunity to gain some little insight into the job.

 

[sharp_as_a_cork]

While I've never visited GWJ, this article intrigued me enough to do so (it will be the next stop on my browser).
What Sean said is resonating with me all the more because I, too, am a gamer-with-a-job. I can (sort of) pride myself on being even worse off the GWJ, as I'm half of a team that produces a gaming podcast (and attached site) in Hebrew, to the vanishingly small population of Israeli gamers, which appears to be mostly teen-agers anyway. Talk about TENS of people caring what you think...

Anyway, hit-counts notwithstanding, I enjoy it very much, both from the fledgling community aspect and the still-new-to-me (we're now celebrating our first anniversary)jounalist pose.

Oh, and some shameless self promotion: http://hamishakia.co.il

 

[wordsmythe]

But one thin is certain: playing games is awesome, and playing games as work is even more awesome. Having your very own site is just the cherry on top. I know there is work to be done with sites like that, and many times the gain is less than the pain, but it's still yours.

It seems you might not be familiar with the noble profession of play testing. You could read more about that at this very site. (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_159/5065-Button-Mashing-Monkeys) I'd venture, further, that you have not had the privilege of having to deal with trolls and other forum undesirables to the extent that Sean has (and the GWJ staff have done an exemplary job in the endeavor). Neither job is easy, both receive precious little thanks.

But I won't begrudge you that there is something supremely wonderful about being able to play and write for a living, even if it doesn't in fact earn you anything close to a living wage.