How a Game Magazine works

[Omni]

Originally posted by MechDeus
Honestly, this is one of the best reviews I've ever read in my life. Yes, that's IGN.

Hahahaha that's funny. Nice slap in the face to Midway.

I'd think most sites wouldn't have the balls to do something like that. Mark one down in the IGN column.

[Master]

Just wanted to say I was and am a huge WW fan. If anybody has them backed up, I'd love to get ahold of them.

PM me.

[thray-walsh]

Originally posted by mattvanstone
Well, the question invariably becomes "How do I get into this?", and, for that, there really is no easy answer.
I would think, the best thing to do is to talk to actual editors now, like Thray and a few others and see how they got in, and what they did and all that.

The industry is actually pretty different than it was just a few years ago, when fansites and irc channels were often instant meal tickets into the journalism side of the industry. These days, (at least where I work) getting inside is an equation of about 90% writing talent/experience and 10% who you know/dumb luck. Getting a degree is an excellent start, so is writing game reviews for whoever will publish them.

[Timber]

I was trying to think of something to ask you about the biz Matt and I've come to a conclusion. I don't care... odd, if this were 9th grade and I was still a.. bigger nerd than I am now I've of jizzed all over this opp. GF was my gaming bible in yonder years

So how's the x-com goin Matt? God Damned addiction to Mechassault kinda killed me playing much lately

[MVS]

Hah..haven't played in like a month.

I got 6 bases, 6 avengers, all with HWD, and shot have to hit 2 Supply ships and 2 Mother Ships, and a base.

Too much time to put into it right now.

[Nikorasu]

Hi Matt,

If I may, I thought I'd add a little extra info from the English side of the pond. I work for a gadget mag, which also reviews videogames, and I freelance from time to time for videogame mags.

Originally posted by mattvanstone

Work load: Simpliest way to put it is 'do 400 words on this by the day after tomorrow' and so on. 400 a day is about a page, and, from what I hear, pretty standard on expected work.

I wish! For me it's half the mag - you've got a month, which also includes sourcing all the gadgets and things, images, proof reading etc. Though some days I struggle to write 400 words.


Screenshots: You take them, via the computer, generally last, after the editorial deadline has arrived and the artists, busy doing layouts, have finalized them (leaving spots open for the shots).

The only exception to this is when doing a guide - you play the game through once, then on the second run take grabs as you go. Often you take two similar grabs of the same point in the game, so the guide can run in two mags.

It seems these days that magazine take less and less of their own grabs these days. Particularly noticable in the lame pictures of fighting games in most (English anyway) mags.

PR Trips: =Perks, and such. Companies float almost the entire bill, and tailor it to the game. ATV riding for ATV Off Road Fury, Gun Shooting for a Gun Game or, one time, boxing against other jounalists for a Boxing game.

They pay:
airfare to wherever.
hotel room.
provide food.
show the game or whatever.
usually a good dinner/booze (always a plus).

It's all good!

You really only need money for expenses, or drugs. No, I'm not kidding about that last one, but, it's kept on the down low.

He's right folks.

That's it, any questions?