Gaming Anyone been in magazines?

[Guest Zoid Fighter]

Has anyone been in the magazine industry for like PS2 stuff... if you are .. are you considered journalists? I like the jobs of people from PS2 magazines who get to go to TGC (Tokyo Game Convention.. i think) and E3..

[James]

[color=royalblue]Interesting question. :)

Some people here know that I write for a website called N-Sider. N-Sider is perhaps the most in-depth Nintendo-based site in the world.

Even though it's not a Sony site, there isn't much difference in terms of general content and such.

On the whole though, I've been involved in the gaming media for about two and a half years now. I've written and contributed to quite a few sites in that time and I will be contributing to a magazine called Nintendo Gamer (Aussie mag) in the near future.

So, I guess I'm primarily a freelance writer. I am the Australian Content Editor over at N-Sider, but occasionally I freelance and contribute columns to other sites (such as GCAdvanced, CloudChaser Nintendo [now XenGamers.com], Gamer's Pulse and many more).

Apart from receiving games from publishers (which is always great, but is a double edged sword if you have to review something like Turok -_-), there are some really cool perks to working in the industry.

One of them is the ability to meet the people you admire and to work with some of the world's most famous companies.

For example, I recently wrote a feature about Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario, Donkey Kong, Luigi and many others). I was lucky enough to meet him in his hotel room when he came down here to Australia to promote Super Mario Sunshine. And on that day, N-Sider was given special access by Nintendo for our coverage. So that was great; we had greater access than PlanetGameCube or any other media source at the time.

I even had Dan Hsu (Editor in Chief of EGM) email N-Sider and provide comments on one of my articles. That was a high point, considering that the comments were really positive. :)

I have never been to E3 or TGS, however. Though the main reason for that is simply that I've either not had the time or I've not been able to come up with the plane ticket costs quickly enough. However, I do have full time access to Nintendo's media-only resources and I am usually able to watch a live (or pre-recorded) broadcast of the various events at E3.

Hopefully I'll be able to go next year, with any luck! :)

As far as being considered journalists...I guess that depends who you talk to. I see some really bad fansites/gaming sites out there and some of the writers would not be journalists, in my opinion. Journalists are usually bound by journalistic ethics and such...and quite a few writers don't follow those principles.

I actually wrote an editorial for N-Sider recently (it's still on the main page) called Fostering Fanboyism. That kind of covers what I'm referring to. :)

But generally, game companies consider myself and my colleagues journalists. I mean, we do get certain access and have certain relations that the general public don't have. And of course, our work is published. But many in the gaming media (even those who write for major magazines) have not had formal training -- many are simply people who have built their careers based on experience and a love for the industry.

So, yeah...that's a kind of long winded response. And it's not PS2 specific...but I hope it's of some interest to you. :)[/color]

[ZeroBlade]

James... I envy you....

*runs into a corner and cries*

[RicoTranzrig]

Well, being in magazines...I used to write to EGM a lot and my letters get published (I go as different names). Then PSM filmed the prescreening of Kingdom Hearts at the Metreon in San Francisco...they interviewed a lot of the people waiting in line, I wonder if my opinions made it through the CD or magazine.

It's definately a profession that I'm thinking of taking up later on in life when I get better at writing articles.

[James]

[color=royalblue]Rico, I really can't recommend gaming journalism enough.

The video game industry is just so creative and dynamic; it's great to be a part of, on any level. And when you meet Mario (CM) and others...you just can't help but be awestruck by the creativity in the industry as a whole.

It's certainly a great way of developing your writing as well :)[/color]

[electra]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by RicoTranzrig [/i]
[B]Well, being in magazines...I used to write to EGM a lot and my letters get published (I go as different names). [/B][/QUOTE]

Man, you wouldn't believe how many times I've tried that, and I still haven't gotten in. They always put some other guy who has the same question as me... :mad:

[Charles]

I would actually consider getting involved with magazines, but they're [I]so[/I] far away, lol. I look at articles and reviews and know that I could write them, but most magazines are located across the country in California. Oh well. :whoops:

[Spikey]

[COLOR=blue]I sent one in and they sent back a letter and said that they wouldn't except it. I really don't remember the magazine though. So I never wrote one there again.

I have been wanting to be a journalist since I was a 7. But I just do't think that the compinies I sent in the articals to have a dislike of me, or my articals.

In school we have a little newspaper for the fourth grade. I write articals in it. Bassicaly it updates what we have been doing the past week. My teacher admires my writing skills, but obvuissally the magizene people don't.[/color]

[Guest Musahi]

[size=1]Well, Spikey I am in no way trying to be mean here, but it is probably because of some minor spelling errors. I am 13 and I still uncountable ones, all over the place. Hell, I am probably writing one right now. But, remember rejection just give more fuel to the fire, I am sure if you keep working at it, when your older you can accomplish anything you want. :)

I have looked into that, I used to write for a little gaming site that no longer exists. But that is all done now. Being an 8th grader I am still not really sure what I want to do with my live, but I have loved writing and games since I was very young so who knows.

Ah, James it's nice to hear that you shall be a published writer. Good job, I hope it serves you well in the future. ;)[/size]