What does it take to become a video game Journalist?
Nothing, all you have to do is write about video games. To get paid to write about video games it helps to have a degree in Journalism but it's one of the least necessary things in this waking world. What you really need to do is know someone who works there, have opinions that you are willing to massage if asked, make sure the right people like you, and enjoy video games but not enough to take it easy on the people that actually make them.
This is of course untrue for games journalists en masse. There's a baby's handful of real deal reporters out there filing stories and married to the truth. They are easy to identify. They work from home whenever possible and don't like spending time with their coworkers because in their words they "Take up all the oxygen with circlejerk bullshit." They don't attend many industry functions because they aren't friends with many industry people. For them the only things that matter are the reader and the games. Full stop.
You don't need credentials or experience to do anything these days.Want to be an entertainer? Hit up Twitch. Want to be a game developer? Hit up Kickstarter. Want to be a cab driver? Hit up Lyft or Uber. I would say that it's weird that people are so chill with trusting complete rando's who's only qualifications are charisma, an ok idea, or GPS on their phone, but it's not.
It's easier for people to act on their fear of the macro over the micro. Giving your money to a Nigerian prince is a hell no situation, giving your money to a mid-twenties guy in a plaid shirt that has never held a job in his life but promises his holographic sock technology is going to revolutionize the holographic sock industry is a no brainier. That's an investment.
Put a system around anything and people will invariably think that system will protect them. But when it comes to I2I (Individual to Individual) based systems the responsibility is on the individual to protect themselves. Yeah, good luck with that.
Video Games Journalism is an I2I system, and there is a difference between a blogger and a reporter. It is the responsibility of the reader to recognize the difference. Shout to the makers of the things. Don't take the yellow journalism personal, it's not you it's click-thru, fish gotta swim.
I hope information rocks out with their crops out tonight. It's probably what you think it is. Long story. Also shout's to The Almighty Savo, sup with my commish bruh? Also JERBZ.
The Protoculture Mixtape : Issue : People : Buried Lead
