Games Journalism Or Bust!

Console contracts: should gaming subscribe to this?

The news that Microsoft is trialling a subscription-based Xbox 360 bundle is very interesting. This is not just another price promotion or retail bundle designed to reach out to those who have yet to buy the console – it’s potentially the first taste of how we could be buying consoles in the generations to come.

For those who haven’t heard the news, US gamers are now able to buy a 4GB Xbox 360 and Kinect for just $99 at Microsoft stores. The catch? The price comes with a $14.99 monthly Gold subscription to Xbox Live. A subscription that is fixed for two years and comes with an early cancellation fee if the user decides they no longer want the online extras Microsoft provide.

Now in the long run, as many have observed, you’re spending roughly $458, which is essentially the same as buying the console, Kinect and a two-year subscription at the counter. But the fact that this cost is spread over two years gives the perception that it is more affordable. Let’s face it – it is. In the current economic climate, how many of us have £400-£500 sitting idle, waiting to be spent on luxury gizmos?

And as many others have observed, it’s nothing new to shoppers. Smartphones come with a fixed contract, with the reward of a ‘free’ iPhone to those who sign up. Media packages – Sky, Virgin, etc – are paid for monthly, while the actual set-top box is installed for free.

So it’s nothing new – but it’s new to games. With the exception of mobile platforms such as the NGage, no dedicated gaming machine has been offered on a subscription basis. Perhaps more should.

Read the rest of this entry »

How to licence your games

A feature discussing the best ways to make the most of video games IPs when merchandising. It was first published in MCV 679 on Friday, March 16th and subsequently published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

The death of the disc

An analysis into the potential impact of a disc-less Xbox on video games retail. It was first published in MCV 679 on Friday, March 16th and subsequently published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

A few questions about games journalism

The other week, I received an email request from Juliette Desforges, a student at Norwich University. She has been working on a project looking at video games journalism and asked me to chip in with my thoughts on the workload and what the media’s place is in the industry. This is what I told her…

Please explain briefly what’s your current job.
I’m staff writer for MCV, the UK’s video games trade publication. I research and write news stories and features for a weekly magazine, as well as its website.

What is your educational background and did you study specifically to get a job in journalism?
I have a degree in Journalism from Middlesex University.

What is your employment history? Were you always working in jobs related to the games industry? Or were you always in the journalistic field then specialized in games journalism?
I’ve always planned to go into games journalism. Halfway through university I began an internship at another trade magazine, a monthly title called In Stock Magazine, which I continued through the last year of my degree. After graduating, this became a full-time internship until I was offered a permanent job in November 2007. I worked there as a staff writer until the magazine was closed in 2008. After that, I moved to MCV.

Before my internship at In Stock, I also did a week’s worth of work experience at PC Gamer and Official PS2 Magazine.

What do you think the definition of a game journalist is?
A games journalist is no different to any other journalist – they just happen to write about video games. Those that work on monthly consumer magazines are no different to journalists who write for Total Film, Empire, NME or other entertainment titles. Those that write online for the likes of GameSpot and IGN are also very similar to other online entertainment journalists. And trade journalists like myself have similar workloads and responsibilities as journalists that work on other business to business papers or weekly publications.

A games journalist is a journalist that researches and reports on the news within the games industry, and often offers insight and opinion via previews, reviews and other features.

How would you describe the job?
Not what people would expect. It’s hard work and low pay – not just playing games, getting lots of freebies and being taken on free trips abroad. Games journalists work just as hard as those in other fields – particularly us trade journalists – and that hard work can be really rewarding when you put together a piece you’re particularly proud of. Breaking news stories before rival outlets has the same thrill it would in other fields, and the freedom and creativity you have when it comes to features makes them a pleasure to write.

Read the rest of this entry »

Vita: New life for retail

An interview with SCE UK MD Fergal Gara and GAME marketing director Anna-Marie Mason at the UK launch of PlayStation Vita. It was first published in MCV 677 on Friday, March 2nd and subsequently published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Reading between the lines

A analysis piece exploring how games magazine brands expand to other areas despite falling readerships. It was first published in MCV 676 on Friday, February 24th and subsequently published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Rising Star and stripes

An article looking at the fitness gaming market and whether or not the genre has reached its limits. It was published in MCV 673 on Friday, February 3rd 2012 and later published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Does Gaming Need 3D?

An roundtable asking games industry experts whether 3D is a passing fad or the next step in gaming’s evolution. It was published in MCV 671 on Friday, January 20th 2012 and later published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Working knowledge

An article offering advice on how to start a career in different sectors of the games industry. It was published in MCV 670 on Friday, January 13th 2012 and later published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Stepping up

An article looking at the fitness gaming market and whether or not the genre has reached its limits. It was published in MCV 669 on Friday, January 6th 2012 and later published on MCVuk.com.

Read the rest of this entry »