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Game journalism-age: being in-between jobs is not fun :(

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AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
if i were you i would use my connections with the UN to improve the console-war situation caused by pathetic fanboys all over the place (not just on GAF). forget journalism--most of that stuff is so biased it isn't even funny, and it only makes things worst. do something positive instead.
 

mosaic

go eat paint
I just wanted to post in this thread. Hehehe.

Dude, right now, you'll be lucky if you get "work" from a hobo with a hashpipe and an EEE PC. You see the way the economy is, what's happened to print and online publications the past 6 months?

Like everyone has hinted at: let your parents support your ass or get a crappy job like all 16 year olds do, and then do your game writing for free as many places as you can until you ride out this so-called downturn. There are SO many people looking for freelance and full-time writing work right now with experience and connections under their belt...
 

Patrick Klepek

furiously molesting tim burton
Rlan said:
Patrick Klepek wrote for websites when he was 16. Hell, got into E3 at 14.

Now he makes tough decisions like "What company hosted party should I get drunk at tonight?" :p

I don't think there are any hosted parties to go to this week, actually. Bummer.

It was a different world back when I started. It's crazy to think I'll be 24 next month.

In some ways, it's easier for young writers. There are a wealth of perfectly decent websites just begging for people to write for them. Plus, the explosion of blogs. I never had that. In other ways, it's much harder. The very things I just mentioned have lead to increased competition and visibility of talented writers. I do not envy people who are just starting out and waiting for someone to recognize them. But all successful writers were in that position at one point. If you work hard enough, it'll happen. Unfortunately, it's a bad market to be in right now. Video games, for the most part, may be recession proof -- video game writers are not.
 

Firestorm

Member
-Rogue5- said:
Are you speaking from experience? You're in Canada, right?
No. I'm talking about all the news we've been receiving lately about gaming publications and publishers laying off people. I'm ironically in a similar position to JSnake. Writing or doing video production for a games publication was my goal. I was laid off from a blog a few years back when I was in high school like him as well, but I just found another job unrelated to games for the time being and that's what I'd recommend as well. I've been taking courses related to the field in school (journalism and games). Would be a shame to find no jobs.

Gotta find me some internships.
 

Zapages

Member
I started my website back in 1999 and was only 14 years old... I did not go big until like 2003ish...

So it'll take time, its good hobby type of job. But for an actual job. I really do not recommend video game journalism as a profession unless you get semi big like IGN/Gamespot/Gamespy and keep your fanboyism to yourself when reviewing the games...

One thing I do miss from videogame journalism is creativity that is present in some of the online stuff right now like AVGN, podcasts, 1up shows, IGN and Gamespot's equivalents to them but they can't be reached in a written form now a days...
 
Awesome thread.

Just keep writing and sending your articles to different sites.

I come for feature articles, not reviews. Maybe work on that.
 
At least you still have your health.

I'm falling apart. Eyes aren't getting any better, my jaw makes these awesome clicking noises, everytime I move it's like I've spent the last 20 years in the trunk of car, I got hit by a car and my leg just acts up at random, my junk curves slightly to the left, hell I ain't even 30.

Oh and a bug bit my ear and everytime I scratch it hurts so badly.

btw OP you suck.
 

tokkun

Member
At age 16, if you are really serious about being a journalist, shouldn't you be thinking about which colleges have the best Journalism programs rather than worrying about where to find an industry job already?

With the current economic climate, you're better off gaining skills and training to differentiate yourself from the competition, and it wouldn't hurt to have some more videogame writers with formal training in journalistic ethics.
 

BobM

Member
Just understand that some of us who do have to work 8-12 hours a day to pay the bills, wince a bit when a 16 year old says they are in between jobs.

I am in a position right now where alot of us (where i work) are worried about job security as we see several similar publishing companies start to drop like flies in this shit economy. This is a seriously scary situation, and one you are not likely to understand for a long time. So please understand if some of us don't take the whole "i'm in between jobs" topic seriously.

If you want to become a game journalist, it is advisable to set oyur sights on a good writing college. You have to be a writer first, gamer second if you are going to make it in gaming journalism.

Other then that, keep writing. And enjoy the wonder years while they last...
 
Segata Sanshiro said:
Pat Klepek started young, too. Guys that started that young took razzing from all corners and suffered constant questioning of their credibility. They succeeded in spite of their age, not because of it, and they succeeded because all three of those guys were consummate professionals in all aspects.

Sadly, the difference in professional behaviour in public realms between you and those guys is as wide and deep as the Pacific Ocean, man.

The biggest barrier for most people in hiring someone as young as you is the worry about whether or not they can conduct themselves as professionals. You say the way you act on GAF isn't how you act with employers, but you fail to realize that many of your potential employers are members of GAF or read GAF, along with other forums you may or may not take part in. Even the ones that don't are perfectly willing and capable to do a Google search.

In short, you've got to stop acting like a forum retard as you tend to from time to time. I guarantee it's getting you tossed out of Rolodexes. Absolutely guarantee it.

lol, what? Chill out, this is a forum, not a job posting board.
 

ElyrionX

Member
You know, I'd strongly advise against giving out so much personal information (ie. your contacts, parents, etc) in a public forum especially when some of them are so high profile and visible. Some of your "contacts" might not appreciate being named in a post like yours and this just goes to show your complete lack of maturity with regards to conducting yourself professionally in the public realm. The lack of maturity is forgivable considering the fact that you're only 16 so you really should be doing some damage control here.
 

Firestorm

Member
Masta_Killah said:
lol, what? Chill out, this is a forum, not a job posting board.
Well, Mastah_Killah, if you make an ass in front of your employers you're going to feel the effects. It doesn't matter if it's on a message board that most of them read, on your Facebook profile, or in the real world. An impact is an impact.
 

Petrae

Member
mosaic said:
Like everyone has hinted at: let your parents support your ass or get a crappy job like all 16 year olds do, and then do your game writing for free as many places as you can until you ride out this so-called downturn. There are SO many people looking for freelance and full-time writing work right now with experience and connections under their belt...

Bingo. If writing is indeed a passion for you, then it's time to go back to your roots and take some unpaid gigs to stay sharp and continue to build your portfolio. Starting your own blog and just writing about whatever comes to mind is fine, too.

You're young and seem to have had practical experience. For now, ride things out by getting a part-time job (if you can find one, thanks to this economy) and write in your spare time. Hopefully things will turn around once again and we'll see another boom in the gaming press... but right now, things are tough all over.
 

M.J. Doja

Banned
good luck jsnake. the advantage you have is that youre young and you dont have bills. therefore working on your craft wont be any crazy ordeal.

every industry is bad because the economy is so shit, it seems. carry on.

Firestorm said:
Well, Mastah_Killah, if you make an ass in front of your employers you're going to feel the effects. It doesn't matter if it's on a message board that most of them read, on your Facebook profile, or in the real world. An impact is an impact.

i4e8t0.gif
 

bigswords

Member
ElyrionX said:
You know, I'd strongly advise against giving out so much personal information (ie. your contacts, parents, etc) in a public forum especially when some of them are so high profile and visible. Some of your "contacts" might not appreciate being named in a post like yours and this just goes to show your complete lack of maturity with regards to conducting yourself professionally in the public realm. The lack of maturity is forgivable considering the fact that you're only 16 so you really should be doing some damage control here.

Sorry JSnake I was about to give you a "job" at gamesfaq, but since you can't control yourself in gaf *tsk tsk*

I kid, but like most posters, it's not good to give out so much personal information to a public forum, especially that this is the industry you want to work in. I admire your determination, but I think you need abit of growing up first. The reason why those people made it into their field when they were young was A) Luck B) Had something that their employers can see. It takes awhile but everyone has a special something
 

Justin Bailey

------ ------
M.J. Doja said:
Firestorm said:
Well, Mastah_Killah, if you make an ass in front of your employers you're going to feel the effects. It doesn't matter if it's on a message board that most of them read, on your Facebook profile, or in the real world. An impact is an impact.

i4e8t0.gif
:lol
 
on the downside, you failed the "responding repeatedly in a thread and digging yourself in deeper" test.

on the upside, it sounds like you have a good amount of writing momentum for someone your age; keep at it, and don't worry about who you're writing for or who's seeing it for the time being. when the time comes to pursue it as a full-time gig, you should have some good stuff to show for yourself, regardless of who's read it before.

i'd be happy to have a look at a review sample and give you some feedback if you want to PM it to me.
 

ahoyhoy

Unconfirmed Member
Bpatrol said:
16 year olds are game journalists. This is the reason I will never take it seriously.

Yep. Matt Casammafuckit writes like a delirious, foaming-at-the-mouth teenager with a collection of Nintendo games keeping him warm at night.
 
Masta_Killah said:
lol, what? Chill out, this is a forum, not a job posting board.
It doesn't have to be. You think employers, particularly in as tech-savvy a position as *internet editor-in-chief*, don't go digging on the web for info on prospective employees? Hate to break it to you, m'man, but they do. Take it from someone who burnt a lot of bridges in his time, and sat in both chairs in the office.

As a freelancer, your reputation is your livelihood. There are thousands of people who will gladly do the jobs you want to do, and if you seem like a liability or an irresponsible hire, employers will easily take any of the multitudes of people who can act like a mature professional.

If you want to act like a douchebag on a very well-known message board, and don't care to keep yourself anonymous, you're more than welcome to do so, but don't be surprised if your words come back to bite you in the ass later.
 

TalonsOfJustice

Neo Member
:lol @tag

You should just blog some of your articles related to gaming, start off small. If you're 16, theres no need to go all out at such a young age. Just get a blog from a social networking site, or make a site of your own, and just post things. If you're good enough, you'll be recognized.
 

Zyzyxxz

Member
Well I'm jealous of your position.

Assuming your parents are actually smart being home schooled can have its advantages when the public school systems are so shitty these days.

At 16 you have already gotten published be proud of that. You have some experience already and that will really count. At your age you need to read and travel more though. One thing that will affect your writing is your experiences so while you are still young see more of the world and learn more from it and your writing may go to new levels.

I wouldn't really worry if I were young, I'm 22 just out of college and have only had part time job experience not relating to my field of study. So I'm in a deeper shit hole than you.
 
You're still young. You have plenty of time. It is a bit harder to move up with much more competition then in the past when you ran into the Geoff Keighley's etc.

Some of the mistakes you have made in the past (ie: VC thread, starting false rumors for Super Mario RPG, etc) can really burn you. You need to be more mindful on those things. If you do get a job at a reputable site - do not harass. It almost sounds like you are pinging the editors at Siliconera or something too much and they just stopped responding to you completely because they may think its aggravating?

Patience and work hard for it. Stay mature and stay focused. Don't ruin things because you have information from a publisher or something and think you can be the shining light on a forum or on the internet for a few minutes. What is worth it? A few hours of fame on a internet site because you know some info that shouldn't be told or make a silly request like your VC game review.. It isnt worth losing your possible future career. Don't make that mistake..
 
Thread title makes it sound like you were fired, have a kid at home, and cant even get a freelance paycheck.

But in reality....


Dude shouldnt even by buying M rated games
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
Holy crap I thought his tag was a joke.

RadarScope1 said:
I clicked the thread topic. Read a couple posts. Clicked the OP's tag. Went right back to where I was. :lol

Did the same exact thing. :lol
 
Not meaning to be rude, but at 16 the least a person should be worried about is looking for jobs as a journalist. You should be a lot more focussed on doing well at school, socialising with friends and preparing yourself for college. These things are a huge task in themselves and should form the basis of your daily life.

I'm not saying getting your name out there is a bad thing - getting writing experience asnd establishing some connections now will help later on - but your post makes you sound like a twenty-something year old whose worried he won't be able to pay the bills because he's out of a full-time job. You're only 16, you should be trying to live life to its fullest, not worry about trying to find a job as a journalist.
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
Bpatrol said:
16 year olds are game journalists. This is the reason I will never take it seriously.

Yeah, OP did more harm than good. I hope this thread doesn't hit any of the big sites, but this is GAF, of course it will. :(
 

ElyrionX

Member
Segata Sanshiro said:
It doesn't have to be. You think employers, particularly in as tech-savvy a position as *internet editor-in-chief*, don't go digging on the web for info on prospective employees? Hate to break it to you, m'man, but they do. Take it from someone who burnt a lot of bridges in his time, and sat in both chairs in the office.

As a freelancer, your reputation is your livelihood. There are thousands of people who will gladly do the jobs you want to do, and if you seem like a liability or an irresponsible hire, employers will easily take any of the multitudes of people who can act like a mature professional.

If you want to act like a douchebag on a very well-known message board, and don't care to keep yourself anonymous, you're more than welcome to do so, but don't be surprised if your words come back to bite you in the ass later.

So true. If the OP is serious about being a gaming industry journalist, this thread is going to haunt him again and again in the future.
 

deepbrown

Member
McBacon said:
Yeah, I'm in a similar situation over here in the UK. I've got the experience, but I'm not sure where to go from here.

I got offered an interview with one of the bigger publishing houses for Staff Writer, but the pay was faaaar too low.

I'm not sure where to look for positions either: any suggestions?


May I be as bold to ask how much the pay was?

And I suggest going on Journalism.co.uk and getting more print experience (if you haven't already) for publications outside of video game journalism.
 

McBacon

SHOOTY McRAD DICK
deepbrown said:
May I be as bold to ask how much the pay was?

And I suggest going on Journalism.co.uk and getting more print experience (if you haven't already) for publications outside of video game journalism.

I took out that line due to the solid advice of not being a jackass to potential employers. :p

The pay was ok, but it wouldn't be enough to support a flat. I can't imagine thats the same pay that everyone at the company gets, or they'll all be living with their parents.

Journalism.co.uk? Sounds great. I'll be riiight on it.
 
I'm just glad I'm not a freelancer right now but on one website only. And I managed to keep the job and hopefully keep it for a while too! But good luck man, I know it's hard. Not much work, but lots of people who want the job.

Edit: oh you're 16. I was writing for various amateur websites and blogs back then, and getting ready for an education in journalism. I wasn't making money back then. Don't worry, you live with your parents right? Just start your own little website, you don't have to make money right now, just experience and have fun.
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
I can't help but feel sorry for the OP.

But on the flipside, if he can't stay afloat on GAF then the real world is going to eat him alive.

Segata Sanshiro has some really good points. Read them. Remember them. Use them.
 
why dont you start writing for your schools newspaper. Will prepare you for a journalism major in college.

edit- Shit, forgot about the home schooled thing. Your parents suck = /
 
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