Community Management Chat

 

cigmedia: For the first round of chats, we have the best and brightest community managers out there, we are very fortunate to have Jen, Christian, and Alan with us today, they have taken the time out of their schedules to answer our questions and imbue us with wisdom, so let the chat commence!

cigmedia: I would like to have our special guests take a moment to introduce themselves…

Brenlo-SOE: Howdy Folks! I am Alan Crosby, occasionally known as Brenlo!. I am the Director of Community Relations for Sony Online Entertainment.

Brenlo-SOE: I am also a very avid MMO player

Brenlo-SOE: Don't let my X-Fire times fool you, this is my work machine =)

[Reakktor]Christian: Hi folks,

nice to see you all here for the todays chat. I am Christian Schuett from Reakktor Media, Germany. I am the responsible Community Manager at Reakktor Media and also doing Game Design for our current MMOG "Neocron".

I hope we will have a nice time here, so let the show begin. ;)

NCsoft JenBolton: Hi all! I'm Jen Bolton, and I manage community teams for NCsoft Europe. Great to be here! It's pretty late over here right now, but I'll do the best I can with your questions. :)

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Do you work with the web designers to make a fun, intresting way to present your forums, game info, etc?

Answer: Yes we do work closely with our web design teams. They work on art and layour and we do the content. Often we collaborate on both

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: DJ RBK: What kinds of experience do game companies look for in CMs?

Answer: Writing, is the main ingredient. You have to be able to express yourself and the interests of your company and game team in text

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: -]cG[-Gen.SplitterSide: When highering new people, does the company look in favor to people that have been active already in their games community?

Answer: Absolutely - that's the first thing I look for. Other important things are length of experience with the game, attention to detail and grace under pressure. A sense of humor always helps too!

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: How did you get your start being a community manager? Did you major in anything in particular in college?

Answer: In my case I did not had an explicit apprenticeship or college for community management. In my educational background I have several years of sociology, psychology and pedagogics and mixed together with my passion for computer games I got the chance to start my job at Reakktor Media. First as Lead Gamemaster and later on as Community Manager.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Air_Storm: Please explain the basis of Community management?

Answer: Community management is about encouraing players to build strong social bonds. With each other or your team. It is about bringing the fun of games outside the game and into thier lives as well

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Vossk: How do you deal with player 'riots', such as with Star Wars Galaxies' NGE?

Answer: The NGE was a tough time. We made changes that in retospect should have been handled better. How do you handle it? You listen, you try and keep order and you let people vent. Most people just want to get that frustration out and you have to step back and let them as long as they are witthin the rules and guidelines of your community

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: I myself am a rather avid author, looking to get into game design and game script writing, though I don't think any company would hire me for both. Currently I am in the eighth grade and I am looking to explore gaming careers. What should I do to become successful like you guys?

Answer: Of course you need a passion for computer games and a good feeling for what players like to play. Especially in your case as you want to establish yourself as an author or game designer. A very good entry into the games industry is always by working as a voluntary, either in the game's forums or even as quality assurance helper. Working experience is everything.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: whîsp: This is towards all of the guests: With online communities not seeing eachother face to face, racism, disrespect and immaturity are rampant with nothing to hold people back. How do you as online managers deal with this and try to make people more humane online?

Answer: At SOE we try to highlight our players and developers, showing their human side. It is important for folks to understand that we are all not faceless automatons. We use things like the SOE podcast to really drive home that we are just fun loving gamers at heart

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: [Xfire] Brinstar: Community management is more than just managing forums. Could you tell us a little of what else goes on in the life of a Community Manager?

Answer: Web design, events, content writing, influencer programs, contests, promiotions, marketing, pr and liaision. In fact most of our community folks at SOE spend little time actually moderating forums

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Vossk: How do you feel about the backlash to SOE's Star Wars Galaxies NGE. Do you think they handled the change well? If not, what did they do wrong?

Answer: You guys and the NGE. =) We should have communicated better, from the start. More communication, earlier would have helped a great deal in smoothing over the NGE

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Tosh<3's Microsoft: In the Community management office, Is there any nerf gun battles that go on? Like in the Xfire offices we know they have huge 16 on 16 matchs?

Answer: Yes we have nerf battles all the time. As well as Koosh balls and whatever else is handy. For some reason we have some foam pool noodles laying around and those make great weapons

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: wat is involved in a community magement job?

Answer: The job of a Community Manager covers a lot of different and very diversified tasks. The main task is of course acting as the communication interface between the players and the development team. Getting the feedback from the players about the game and reporting it to the dev team for further evaluation. Then of course the communication and care of the games fan sites and you are very often in contact with several press media answering questions about the game or doing press tours inside the game. Besides that you also do a lot of event management regarding events with the comunity such as competitions, creative events and so on.

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: WNxWings<3Doom: NCsoft JenBolton: How hard is it to get the hype up for the next installments of guildwars and guildwars 2 when World of Warcraft is so huge in todays gaming industry?

Answer: (Sorry guys, it's 11 pm here and my little girl's apparently still awake and wandering in!) Not at all hard. Guild Wars has an amazing fan base and it's really different from everything else out there. Three's huge interest, and Guild Wars 2 will take MMO gaming to a whole new level, competition notwithstanding. :)

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Hellblazer: Do you go to E3 and other similar gaming conventions? If so, what do you do at those events?

Answer: Often we meet with Fan sites or media and we work with the dev teams to show the game. It really depends on what is needed. At SOE the community relations team often throws parties as well at the big events

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Fallen Angel: To all guest: what is the most rewarding part of being a community manager?

Answer: For me interacting with ofther gamers, I make a living talking about games and I love talking to fellow gamers.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: Ok, I've got one. To each respective speaker: What is the most serious/difficult-to-handle crisis you've ever faced in your field, if any, and how'd you get around it?

Answer: Can you say NGE? Apparently everyone else can. =P

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Vintage: Do you think the CMs job is more important before or after release of a title? Or do some points of interest as pertaining to your jobs merely shift?

Answer: In my opinion it is more important after launch. Players expectations shirft and managing those expectations becomes much more difficult.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Tosh<3's Microsoft: As managers of communitys and you need to get people Hyped about games, Do you get early reelases of games like Halo3 and the full version of CoD4?

Answer: Sometimes, it depends on who you know. =P

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: whîsp: This is towards all of the guests: With online communities not seeing eachother face to face, racism, disrespect and immaturity are rampant with nothing to hold people back. How do you as online managers deal with this and try to make people more humane online?

Answer: I think it's really important to set clear rules, maintain them firmly but kindly and set a good example. There will always be lively debate, but the goal is to keep the discussion as constructive as possible.

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: Ok, I've got one. To each respective speaker: What is the most serious/difficult-to-handle crisis you've ever faced in your field, if any, and how'd you get around it?

Answer: I think this was a two day downtime of our game servers caused by our data center provider where we had no influence on. I had to keep up the mood in the community during that time. Players who do not get their daily dosis of their favourite game can be kinda difficult in such cases. :)

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Fallen Angel: To Brenlo-SOE: how do you compete with free mmo’s?

Answer: Well you release a free MMO, we have one coming out in the near future. You also try and offer things to make a subscription fee worth it. A lot of value add stuff such as the free updates offered in EQII like Unrest and Neriak.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: SoK| Lizi: Life for women is difficult, especially in professional fields such as those related to computers. What would you say to a female interested in breaking the mold?

Answer: Actually the community relations field is doing very well with women to men. I would suggest you play games and write about them and you just might get noticed

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: Vintage: Do you feel that working so closely with games takes some of the enjoyment out of gaming for yourself?

Answer: I don't have as much time for gaming as I used to before joining NCsoft, which is kinda ironic really! But no, working for the company hasn't sucked any of the joy out of play for me, I'm happy to say,

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: -[ligs]- pfc. Knight ZeRo: what do you like most about the company you work for?

Answer: SOE is a lot of fun and I have a great team. They are fun to work with and I do actually looking forward to working with them daily. Except for Gordon. I hope he is not reading this

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: Vintage: Do you feel that working so closely with games takes some of the enjoyment out of gaming for yourself?

Answer: A good question. On the one hand I am eager to see all new games out there, as I am a passionate gamer but on the other hand you definetly have days where you can't see games anymore when you have worked on your own game the whole day.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: burningmunk: Question: Having worked for companies like SOE and NCsoft do any of you immediately look down on a game from a smaller company?

Answer: Not at all. That small company may make the next blockbuster. Take Flying Labs for example, small companty making a super fun MMO with Pirates of the Burning Sea

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: TehSoM: To All: I have often heard that blogging is a great way to get into the business. What is your experience with finding new people from blog posts? Do you often look around the major sites like Gamespot for accomplished bloggers?

Answer: Blogging can be a way in. Depends on where you do it and what you right. I would get the attention of the games community manager so they see your blog and see what develops from there

Brenlo-SOE: Err write. Darn typing =P

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: ｷﾀ━━━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━━━ !!: Do you guys feel that with the help of marketing, hype, advertising, all that stuff, as well as the increasing player base of gamers, that it could possibly one day take over the music / movie industry.

Answer: That would be nice! hehe but not being a futurist it is hard to say. Perhaps a melding of the three might be more reasonable.

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: Lizi: Life for women is difficult, especially in professional fields such as those related to computers. What would you say to a female interested in breaking the mold?

Answer: I'd say it's a better time now than it's ever been for women in the games industry. There's an increasing number of women supporting NCsoft games both in the US and in Europe, which is just awesome to see. If you want to break in, I'd echo Brenlo's great advice: play loads, be active in your game's communities and talk to the community reps. Get involved and don't be shy!

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: t0mbst0n3: What is the promotion structure like for a CM? Are there instances where you are unable to move up and must move laterally for more pay?

Answer: Differs by company. We have progression paths within Community Relations here, other companies may not

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Wombat The Mad: When it comes to NCSoft and SOE, how do you handle the juggling act that comes with multiple titles? Is there a team for each title making sure the community is taken care of, or is the CM team an umbrella for the whole library of titles, and their communities?

Answer: We have folks assigned to each game. They manage nearly all aspects for thier title. We then also have some shared resources that help out where they can.

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: whîsp: This question is for Christian: With an educational background involving social sciences ie no realy programming or coding how did you break through into the job you have now? Did you do programming in your free time or self educate in the areas you were lacking in your formal education?

Answer: It is not necessary to be a programmer if you work as a Community Manager, in my opinion. Of course a good knowledge of how game development works is very important to understand the all processes. Especially as you have report the feedback from the players to the dev team in an efficient way. Most things I have learned in the past was self educated by actively watching, listening and of course taking part in the game development as a game designer.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: ｷﾀ━━━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━━━ !!: Is there a CM team for older titles, such as EQ1?

Answer: There sure is. We have a dedicated Community Manager and a shared Rep for that title

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: -]cG[-Gen.SplitterSide: Where is the best place to post work written about games so that you can become noticed, game forums perhaps?

Answer: Sure! Forums, fansites, blogs... any and everywhere you like. Just make sure you use tags and RSS so it's easy for your stuff to get scooped up.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: DJ RBK: How much do you work with other game sites and communities, such as Internet radio and blogs?

Answer: A lot! we love bloggers, podcasters and other "alternative media" if you are constructive, we will work with you

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: ClockworkRobot: As a CM you're typically the figurehead of your company within the community, is it frustrating to get the blame for decisions that, I assume, you have little input in?

Answer: If you have a strong relationship with your dev team, you probably do have input. It comes with the territory though. Can it suck? Sometimes, but in the long run the greater payoff is there,. There are far more upsides to dealing with a community than downsides

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: ]cG[-Gen.SplitterSide: How many CM's does a single game have working on it a one time?

Answer: Depends on the game and the company really. To my knowledge there is no set standard

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Vossk: Do you ever experience times when your hated by everyone? Idolized by everyone?

Answer: NGE =P

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: ClockworkRobot: As a CM you're typically the figurehead of your company within the community, is it frustrating to get the blame for decisions that, I assume, you have little input in?

Answers: It can be difficult sometimes as you are directly at the front, receiving all the anger of the players if something goes wrong. But it is important to not take any of that personal and keep calm. But even with that in mind I do love my job and I do love to work with our players.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: AdDiCt: after an alpha or beta is released, do you become the voice of the community inside your respecitve companies? Do the devs take your opinions and ideas more seriously then?

Answer: It really depends on the person. Community Relations is often all about relationship building, internally and externally and it depends on the relationships you have built.

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: WNxWings<3Doom: Question for JenBolton: How hard is it managing the GuildWars community?

Answer: We take a different approach to community management for Guild Wars than for our other games, and work hand-in-hand with ArenaNet to look after European players. Given that ArenaNet work on PST and we're on GMT serving several Euro timezones, there are challenges but it's all good. Guild Wars is huge over here, so there are very few dull moments for our team!

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Namdas: Brenlo - At about what age do companies start hiring people for community manager? What kind of college degrees does this take? With the proper background and referrals, can someone who has not even graduated from college become a community master?

Answer: There is no set age. Degrees I look for are journalism or mass market communications. Background in writing or English helps. Yes you can break into this industry without a degree but a degree always helps

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: ｷﾀ━━━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━━━ !!: Do you guys listen to the community on game decisions at all?

Answer: Yes, just not you because we cannot say your name.

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: WNxWings<3Doom: Christian: How hard is it for someone like me in america to get a job for reakktor since it is a foreign company?

Answer: As we are based in Germany, one of the main requirements would of course be to speak basic german and to relocate to Germany.. We have several foreign employees and the development language is english but is always helpful to speak in the native language to get a better understanding of things.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: ｷﾀ━━━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━━━ !!: Do you guys try to market more towards casual gamers compared to hardcore gamers in today's world?

Answer: I am not in marketing but I think I can safely say that it depends on the game and who it lends itself to. How do you pronounce that name anyway?

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Fallen Angel: To Brenlo-SOE: how do you recover from a hit like the star wars galaxy patch which didn’t go over well with the community?

Answer: Vodka . . . That and patience and listening. Making changes for the better and letting the players know about those changes in advance. Communication is key. That is what Community Relations is all about. That and relationships. Oh and vodka

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: AdDiCt: how many red bull/cups of coffee/monster/energy drinks do you drink in a day?

Answer: A lot. This much personality comes at a high price =P

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: ｷﾀ━━━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━━━ !!: Do you guys feel that having a sense of humor is big plus to becoming a CM?

Answer: I think Jen already stated this but YES it is one of your best tools and helps to keep you sane on a long day.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: WNxWings<3Doom: Brenlo-SOE: Do you plan to get better relations with the Linux Community in order to provide quality games for linux soon? Pc Magazine and Maximum pc describe that more people are switching to linux after windows vista, so do you plan to extend an arm to these people or treat them like NGE?

Answer: Is Linux that guy from the Peanuts?

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: What department of game production do you work with closer than the others? What would help make this work easier?

Answer: Here we work most closely with the Dev Team, Marketing and PR. IN fact we are the hub, so to speak, of the groups.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Orako. Add herotime: To all guests: - How would you recommend someone advertise/get hits for a blog. In other words, what do you feel is the best way to aquire a fan base?

Answer: Write often and consistently.

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question from the man with the !!: Do you guys listen to the community on game decisions at all?

Answer: We see it as a very important point to listen to our players. Especially with our last game update Neocron Evolution 2.2 we had very much intensive discussion with our players about how they want to see things realised or adjusted. But of course the final decision about the games development is still up to the development team.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Vossk: How do you feel about all these questions? Is this anything compared to your work days?

Answer: It is exactly like my normal day. Just a little more fast pace

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: Question: Wombat The Mad: To all guests: When you recieve a complaint from the community; say a generally disliked game mechanic, what are some of the first steps you take to apease the community?

Answer: The first thing we do is listen. Relaying feedback between the community and devs is one of our key functions. We can't force the 'community line' on development issues, but we can communicate in a straightfoward manner with both sides to sort things out.

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: G2Wolf: What kind of cars do you guys drive?

Answer: Hynudai Sonata

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: Vossk: How do you feel about all these questions? Is this anything compared to your work days?

Answer: This is a major part of the job, yes. Of course not that much questions at one time as you mainly communicate via the forums and you have more time to answer. And I am feeling ok with it. :)

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: How important do you find it to push yourself away from the desk and spend a couple hours away from games and game-related issues occasionally?

Answer: Those times come, it is not as important to take them as it is to realize you need them. Stay in touch with yourself, search your feelings and know when you need to take a break

 

NCsoft JenBolton: Question: -]cG[-Gen.SplitterSide: How many CM's does a single game have working on it a one time?

Answer: At NCsoft Europe we generally have teams of three: one each for English, French and German language.

 

[Reakktor]Christian: Question: Fallen Angel: To Christian: who’s better ninjas or pirates?

Answer: Government denies any knowledge. ;)

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: Fallen Angel: To Brenlo-SOE: is it possible to get a job at SOE?

Answer: Absolutely! We have job openings all the time. Check the website and see if you think you are a good fit for anything

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: [Fx]ĠŦ: Although You guys do play lots of games do CM's ever get time to go out and do physical activities?

Answer: I play too manyt games but I do go out often. I am an amateur photographer and spend time taking nature shots

 

Brenlo-SOE: Question: -]cG[-Gen.SplitterSide: Where would have to be located to work at SOE?

Answer: San Diego, Austin, Seattle, Denver, LA and Taiwan

 

cigmedia: Great questions, but we are all out of time here, we hope everyone learned a lot and had fun doing so. The Chat for Journalism in the game industry will begin shortly. Thanks again to our guests, the following 5 winners should pm me for instructions on how to claim prizes.

 

Yo-yo

]cG[-Gen.SplitterSide

G2Wolf:

whîsp:

Kyuusai

 

 

 

 

 

Journalists Chat

 

 

cigmedia: For the second round of chats, we have two top editors, we are extremely lucky to have Russ Pitts from the Escapist and Michael Zenke from Slashdot; they have taken the time out of their schedules to answer our questions and imbue us with wisdom, so let the chat commence!

cigmedia: I would like to have our special guests take a moment to introduce themselves…

[Slashdot] Michael: Hi there. My name is Michael Zenke, and I'm the games editor over at Slashdot. I also blog at MMOGNation.com, and freelance at 1up, and for this other guy.

* [Slashdot] Michael points his finger at Russ.

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Hello. I'm Russ Pitts, Associate Editor of The Escapist.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Edguardo the Milk Bandit: I much prefer reading games magazines than browsing through websites such as Gamespot, however it seems that printed journalism is slowly being pushed aside by the internet. Do you feel that magazines will soon become a thing of the past? The internet obviously has its advantages, but Which media do you prefer?

Answer: I don't think print media is going anywhere. Obviously the print folks have to get a little bit smarter about how they serve up their content, since these days you can get just about anything you wnat on the web, for free, but the need for print media will never go away. You still need something to take ... on the bus ... with you.

But I obviously prefer online. It's more immediate, you can take more chances and it's far, far simpler to get your stuff in front of an audience. That said, I still prefer work with some thought put into it.

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Whether print or online.

[Slashdot] Michael: I would agree. Print offers a number of different things that online can't match up. I am personally a big fan of Edge, and the quality of the paper, the quality of the writing exhibited there. It's not something you can get online at the moment.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: -Yoda-: Question: How is gaming journalism different that say Television writing or Newspaper writing. I know television is shorter and to the point, so how would gaming journalism compare to these medias?

Journalism is journalism is journalism. The best way to become a game journalist is to learn journalism. If you're a journalist, you can write about anything.

As of now, though, I think the differences are in what's expected. You can get away with a lot lower quality work in games, and I don't necessarily think that's a good thing.

[Slashdot] Michael: I also think print is 'safer' for publishers at this point, still. Online is still some sort of wild west for a lot of older business guys.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Michael: How fun is it working for companines like 1up?

Answer: It's much like freelancing anywhere else, really. :) The folks at 1up are awesome, don't get me wrong, but freelancing for one group is much the same as another.

[Slashdot] Michael: You pitch an idea, you see if the other end likes it, and then you write it and hand it in before your deadline.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Hellblazer: How did you get into the industry writing about video games?

Answer: I've been writing my whole life (I'm 30-something). I've written for film, TV, theater and on the internet. I've also played games my whole life. UNtil recently, however, it didn't occure to me to mix the two. ONce I decided I wanted to write about games I searched for a publication I wanted ot write for (The Escapist) and submitted material to them. They accepted, I got printed, then took a job there as editor. It was fairly simple, if you don't count the decades I spent learning the ropes ;)

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: whîsp: To all: What education would you recommend other then journalism and english majors to become a gaming or computer related journalist? Any specialty subjects to study?

Answer: Study journalism. After that, you can write about whatever interests you.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: That ties in kind of nicely with whîsp: To all: What education would you recommend other then journalism and english majors to become a gaming or computer related journalist? Any specialty subjects to study?

Answer: My only real recommendation would be to get a college degree of some kind. College will give you a breadth of experience that is hard to beat. Above and beyond that, though, there are several skills they won't teach you in undergraduate studies. Pitching articles to editors, dealing with unhappy PR folks, talking loudly enough to be heard at parties you don't want to be at ...

[Slashdot] Michael: These are all useful skills as well.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Namdas: Question for all: I'm a thirteen year old Kansan kid who is paler than a ghost because I spend so much time indoors on the computer. I like to write game reviews and read game reviews, and often they have determined whether or not I would purchase a game. I want to get into gaming-journalism, but I would like to know: What does it take to make it to the big-time game sites like IGN and GameSpot?

Answer: When I find out, I'll let you know :)

But seriously, work hard, write well and be honest. Good work floats to the top. If you hvae integrity and are good at what you do, people will notice.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: -Yoda-: Do you work extensively with developers, or do you work mainly on your own for the articles that you write?

Answer: Little of bnoth. For some articles I want to write about an exsperience free of any "spin" from the devs or PR folks. For others I need all the help they can give me. It depends on the story, the developer and my mood, honestly.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Namdas: Question for all: I'm a thirteen year old Kansan kid who is paler than a ghost because I spend so much time indoors on the computer. I like to write game reviews and read game reviews, and often they have determined whether or not I would purchase a game. I want to get into gaming-journalism, but I would like to know: What does it take to make it to the big-time game sites like IGN and GameSpot?

Answer: I totally agree with Russ. If you have the chops, the folks you're pitching articles to will let you know in a hurry. The key, I think, is to realize that just like with any other industry you have to pay your dues. It's hard to land a full-time games reporting gig because there are a lot of really good people (who have been doing this for a while) looking for those jobs as well. Don't feel bad about freelancing for a while before you try for one of the big names.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: DJ RBK: How do you cultivate relationships with game companies, especially when your site is just starting out?

Answer: Introduce yourself to everyone. Go to a gamje company's website, look for their press release section and scan the press releases for names and email addresses. These are the people who are hired to answer your questions. Also, go to conventions. I've made some of my best contacts at game conventions.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Yoda-: Do you work extensively with developers, or do you work mainly on your own for the articles that you write?

Answer: For what I do, I have almost no contact with developers. Which is not to say I never see or talk to them, they're just not a part of what I do on a day-to-day basis.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: BrotherJohn: Have you ever just picked up a game and played one and just thought, wow must give review or is it strictly write about what ure given?

Answer: Both. I'm lucky in my position at The Escapist in that I get to choose my assignments the majority of the time, but not everyone is so lucky. And when I do get an assignment I work as hard as if it were something I was passionate about. That's what it means to be a professional.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: DJ RBK: How do you cultivate relationships with game companies, especially when your site is just starting out?

Answer: "It's not what you know, it's who you know." is a definite truth. Conventions are *the* best way to get folks talking to you. If all you need to do is walk up to a booth and put out your hand, you'll be shocked by how easy it is to make a new contact/friend.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Fallen Angel: To Russ Pitts: what’s involved in writing for a magazine?

Answer: All magazines have someone who's job is to search for njew content. That's my job at The Escapist. Writing for a magzine is as simple and as hard as sending them a story pitch and waiting for a response. The trick is to pitch to magazines that print the kind of stories you want to write, and in a styel compatible with your own. Then be patient and persistent.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Hellblazer: General question: How did you get into the industry writing about video games?

Answer: I volunteered at a site called MMORPGDot.com, where I wrote about Massively Multiplayer games for free. Putting my name out there with that site led me to talk to Simon Carless, then-editor of Slashdot Games and now the EIC of Gamasutra/Game Developer. When he left Slashdot I was on the short list he handed my boss, and I guess I fooled him. This month marks three years I've been with the site.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: [Fx]ĠŦ: My question Is how would you try to get more readers back into magazines? And how would you Deal with the Online Articles Would you support them or not?

Answer: If I were in print media right now I would ... drink a lot ... more

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: then I would focus on provindg something in the print version that wasn't available online, and ensuring that both streams complimented each other.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: [Fx]ĠŦ: To Russ: Do you ever talk about topics like System Wars and being a Journalist Do you get to try out Betas and other online activities?

Answer: Console wars are the go-to for when I have nothing better to write about. There just isn't enough that can be said about which platform is better than which other. It's an endless debate, and people love to read that stuff.

I do get Betas invites and review copies and such. PR folks believe that sending us stuff is a good way to ensure we'll feel obligated ot write something - and they're right.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: How difficult is it to break into the field without a degree, assuming one is a fairly talented writer with a good knowledge of the gaming industry?

Answer: Not. Your writing is ultimately what people will look at. It helps to have the degree on there because it proves you can work hard ... or at least make people think you can work hard. My personal opinion is that what your degree is in matters less than that you have one.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: How difficult is it to break into the field without a degree, assuming one is a fairly talented writer with a good knowledge of the gaming industry?

Answer: I agree with Michael. You don't need a degree. It helps, and I would certainly not recommend to anyone that they skip college, but hard work and determination (I know, I know) are what matters most.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: [Xfire] Brinstar: What do you think about David Gornoski's (Videogame Media Watch) assertion that the "corruption and taint" in the game media stem from dependency on publisher exclusives? Have you ever been pressured by companies to skew your articles positively? If so, how did you deal with that pressure?

Answer: I've never had to deal with the exclusives problem, but I can understand where he's coming from. I like VMW a lot, actually. (and not just because he said nice things about me.) I don't really care whether an article is an exclusive or not; I care whether it's well written or not. People ask me what the secret to getting on Slashdot is, and there you go: write good.

[Slashdot] Michael: As for feeling pressure, even on my little corner of the internet I've felt the burn. I can honestly say I've never written a review that wasn't 100% what I felt, though. My report cards when I was a kid said I had problems playing well with others. If you can garner a reputation for being brutally honest, you'll scare some PR folks. I think it's worth it.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: SoK| Lizi: I've been told that having an English degree will hurt my chances in getting into the publishing world. I'm more interested in English than Journalism or Mass Communications though. What can I do to better my chances?

Answer: Listen to this advice. You can study literature without going for a literature degree, but learning to be a journlaist is a lot harder without the hands on experience you'll gain from the degree. Put it this way, studying journalism will not ruin your appreciation or aptitude for literature.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: [Xfire] Brinstar: What do you think about David Gornoski's (Videogame Media Watch) assertion that the "corruption and taint" in the game media stem from dependency on publisher exclusives? Have you ever been pressured by companies to skew your articles positively? If so, how did you deal with that pressure?

Answer: Agree with Mike. I know that people do get pressure like this, but I think the instances are the rare exceptions.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Namdas: What sequel-less game do you think most deserves a sequel..?

Answer: That's an easy one. Shiny's Sacrifice.

[Slashdot] Michael: First-person RTS FTW.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Fallen Angel: To anyone: what is your favorite article you have written? And what was it on?

Answer: (I promise I'm not sucking up to Russ here.) It was, hands down, this one: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_71/409-Game-Journalists-on-Game-Journalism (Seems very appropriate for this chat, too.)

[Slashdot] Michael: The responses were just *so* on, the article fell together like buttah.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: I keep a review blog in my free time. If I were to get serious and write regularly and often, what would you reccommend I do in order to get more hits?

Answer: I think my advice to this is the same IO'd offer anyone starting any business: find a vaccuum in the market and fill it. Offer something no one else is offering. Stand out. In whatever way possible.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Fallen Angel: To anyone: what is your favorite article you have written? And what was it on?

Answer: I'm really fond of the one I just wrote for this week's The Escapist.

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_114/1474-Sociolotron-How-the-Other-Half-Plays

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Vossk: Do you look up to or admire anyone elses work?

Answer: Absolutely. Unfortunately, being a writer, I'm unable to muster the sleflessness to mutter their names.

But check out Rock, Paper, Shotgun for some stuff on PC gaming by some of my favorite writers.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Vossk: Do you look up to or admire anyone elses work?

Answer: I look up to a ton of people's work: Allen Varney, Scott Sharkey, Simon Carless, Yahtzee Croshaw, John Davison, Jim Rossignol, Luke Smith (when he was doing it) ...

[Slashdot] Michael: I also really like a lot of MMOG Bloggers: Van Hemlock, AFK Gamer, Brent from VirginWorlds, etc. (though they're not technically journalists, they're great writers.)

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Edguardo the Milk Bandit: Russ & Michael: 'New Games Journalism' has allowed a much different perspective for reviewing games than traditional games journalism, allowing the author to write as more of a travel journalist visiting the game's world than a writer reviewing a piece of software. Do you think there is a future in this style of games journalism? Have you written a piece of NGJ yourself? What do you feel are the pros and cons of NGJ?

Answer: I think NGJ is interesting, and will ultimately end up as one of many tools employed by game writers. I admire the balls of the folks who pioneered the effort, but I think we can and should go far beyond what NGJ signifies.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Edguardo the Milk Bandit: Russ & Michael: 'New Games Journalism' has allowed a much different perspective for reviewing games than traditional games journalism, allowing the author to write as more of a travel journalist visiting the game's world than a writer reviewing a piece of software. Do you think there is a future in this style of games journalism? Have you written a piece of NGJ yourself? What do you feel are the pros and cons of NGJ?

Answer: I haven't written any NGJ stuff myself, but I do think there is a future for it. I think the NGJ ... dang, Russ just took my answer.

[Slashdot] Michael: I'll add that anyone that can write a NGJ piece that is as good as this deserves to write that way: http://www.alwaysblack.com/blackbox/bownigger.html

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: burningmunk: What do you think about the mass media's spin on gaming as a childrens field and not taking much of anything seriously?

Answer: Gaah politicians are idiots.

[Slashdot] Michael: It's like the monsters in the Simpsons. The less you pay attention to them, the less power they have. "Just don't look, Just don't look."

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: space-meat.com | PorkLord: Most content for journalism seems to be delivered direct from publishers. Do you worry about their opinion on something like a bad review? Are publishers less generous to those who poorly review their titles? Or do they sill prefer their products name be delivered to your audience?

Answer: I think it's important for the consumer to be aware of where their information is coming from. Blogs like ThreeSpeech blur the line between journalism and PR, and I think that's a bad thing in general. But I'm glad the developers are so active in attempting to get their messages out. They should be. And it makes my job easier in a lot of ways. But I never take anyone's word for anything.

I've heard of publishers being rude to outlets that give bad reviews, but I don';t think this is wide spread. I think they get more annoyed when you don't write anything at all.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Vossk: Do you feel that the PC gaming is really dying? Many are saying consoles are winning over the PC and killing it off, do you agree?

Answer: Anyone who has seen World of Warcraft's sales figures will tell you the PC isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Massive games are the biggest reason to play on PC today. Even as MMOGs start to push onto consoles more, I think you're going to see a lot of folks who refuse to give up their keyboard and mouse for FPS titles.

[Slashdot] Michael: I'm not worried about PC gaming; I think analysts are the only ones who are.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: burningmunk: What do you think about the mass media's spin on gaming as a childrens field and not taking much of anything seriously?

Answer: It sucks. I've been gaming my whole life, my significant other games, and we both still get dirty looks when we're gaming in public or wearing game Tees or whatever. I'm making a living at it (a good one) but somehow it's not a serious pursuit? I don't get that. It's unavoidable, considwering the nature of the medium, but I don't get it. Although I suppose it's a fair trade considering the dirty looks I give people who do stupid stuff I don't agree with - like watch hockey.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: How many articles, on average, do you pump out in a month's time?

Answer: "Pump out." You make it sound so filthy. I do an article every other week for the Escapist, plus a weekly column for 1up, plus between 4 and 5 blog posts a week for MMOGNation. All of those I count as articles. I also do about about 4-7 posts to Slashdot every day.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: And Hey! Hockey rules. :)

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: How many articles, on average, do you pump out in a month's time?

Answer: I have a salaried position, so my income isn't directly tied to my output. That said, I'd still be doing alright if it were. I produce about two feature articles per month, and twice that many editorials/reviews.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Edguardo the Milk Bandit: I consider myself a good writer, but quite often find myself struggling to meet deadlines and such. What advice could you give to speed up the writing process?

Answer: Don't. Budget your time to make sure you give every article the breathing room it needs. I'm sorry I don't have any good answers, but sometimes life sucks. :) I have this problem all the time. "Do I play a game or write about a game I've already played?"

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Edguardo the Milk Bandit: I consider myself a good writer, but quite often find myself struggling to meet deadlines and such. What advice could you give to speed up the writing process?

Answer: Slow down. Get organized. Stop taking on work until you can get into a system that works. If writing is your job, you shoudl work it as a job and write 6-8 hours per day. If you can't do that, you're in the wrong business :(

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Namdas: How do you feel about rereleases or remakes of old games, specifically targetting games like "Super Mario 64 DS" which entirely ruined the original game for me.

Answer: I don't mind so long as they're fun. Sometimes we put too much pressure on games. Remakes even more so.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: whîsp: To All: Is it hard for you as journalists writing reviews to remain as objective as possible or are you allowed by your editors to be subjective?

Answer: There is no such thing as an objective review. The key is to be as honest as possible. If you don't like RTSes, and you're reviewing an RTS, say so in your opening statement that RTSes are not your cup of tea. An informed reader will be able to see between the lines and figure out where you're coming from.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: -Yoda-: Is there a specific field of journalism to get into? My school offers emphasis in News Editorial, Telecommunications, and PR. The classes are cross compadible but is there a specific one I should try to get into?

Answer: Whichever interests you most. If you're engaged, you'll learn better. (real english, folks)

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Namdas: How do you feel about rereleases or remakes of old games, specifically targetting games like "Super Mario 64 DS" which entirely ruined the original game for me.

Answer: Fun! Yes, they must be fun. Why would you let a new game ruin an old game for you? Did Mario DS beat up Super Mario Bros. until he wouldn't jump anymore?

[Slashdot] Michael: I'm still waiting for a Super Mario Bros. 2 DS. I loved our version of Doki Doki Panic.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: whîsp: To All: Is it hard for you as journalists writing reviews to remain as objective as possible or are you allowed by your editors to be subjective?

Answer: Agree with Mike. Objectivity in reviews is a myth. Be honest, and don't try to review a gem if you hate the genre.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Air_Storm: Does Plagarism exist in Game journalism? What are the consequences?

Answer: Shootings in the main square at dawn. The ugly truth is that a lot of people write about pretty much the same stuff. Eventually, someone is going to call Halo 3 "innovative" or "sparkly" or whatever. Just because it shows up in another review doesn't mean it's plagarism. That said (especially amongst bloggers) cutting and pasting seems to be a really easy way to "report". I always always always always make sure it's clear where I'm getting news when I post it.

[Slashdot] Michael: The consequences, unfortunately, are not very severe. They're definitely not what they should be. There have been, though, some high-profile instances of plagarising bloggers getting sacked for doing it, and most of the folks I know hate the idea as much as I do. I think a lot of times it's just plain old fashioned laziness. "Oh, it's not that big a deal" is a slippery slope.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: AdDiCt: Has there ever been a story or project so big that you volunteerily gave up your personal life to get the story/scoop/gig/whatever?

Answer: Um ... every convention ever? I hate traveling, but I go to conventions because A) it's a great place to meet people and B) it's a great place to get content.

Just this past weekend I gave up 7 hours of my life to go see Richard Garriott's house because I wanted ot have a story to tell. It was worth it. Parts of it sucked, but it was worth it.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: [Fx]ĠŦ: Russ Or Michael: have any of you ever turned to fans of games or family to help you write an article. Do you post there opinions?

Answer: No. I'll occasionally lean on my SO to help me fine tune a piece I'm having trouble with, but I'm very serious about my words being my words, and not influenced by anyone else. At the end of the day, all you have is your integrity.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: AdDiCt: Has there ever been a story or project so big that you volunteerily gave up your personal life to get the story/scoop/gig/whatever?

Answer: I just got done with: a two day trip to Seattle to see a game company, Gen Con, PAX, and GDC Austin. Kill me. Kill me now.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Fx]ĠŦ: Russ Or Michael: have any of you ever turned to fans of games or family to help you write an article. Do you post there opinions?

Answer: The only person who touches my words besides me is my editor. Having an editor is a luxury I think everyone who writes should have. the interplay between two people working to make a set of sentences into something not crap is a lot of fun ... even if sometimes you want to make with the stabbings.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: space-meat.com | PorkLord: Personally I try to avoid reading other material on a game/piece I am also writing for, I fear it may skew or influence my own article in some way. Do you also avoid this, or do you like to evaluate the opinions of others?

Answer: I wish I could. As acquisitions editor I see almost every piece of content we run. I try very, very hard to wall off the pafrt of my brain that creates words when i'm reading other people's. But ultimately every perspective I'm privvy to informs my own. I've read articles in major publications I knew were inspired by articles I'd written, and that's OK, really. We all have voices and our minds take us in unique places. We all inspire each other. However that happens is OK. So long as we're not outright stealing from each other.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: Here's one I've always wondered about: Which do you consider to be a more successful form of writing, humorous or serious? I like to 'funny up' my writing, but will that hurt me?

Answer: It's possible to be serious about writing and still be funny. The audience is the key here. As long as you're writing for them, funny or straight doesn't matter. If it gets your point across, use what works.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Jantempler: What do you find is the best sort of game to be working an article on, which genre do you find to work on most is better?

Answer: A stock answer I give a lot is "Write what you're passionate about." That's why I write about Massively Multiplayer games so much. I love the things. They're teh hawesome, and I find I can pretty much spout nonse- ... say meaningful, insightful things about them all day long. That's why, in big game journalism shops, people get known as 'the guy' for something. "Oh, he's our Final Fantasy guy" or "Oh, he reviews all the Metroid games." The best thing to do is have one of those (who is obviously passionate about the genre/game series) and a total newb. Then you get the best of both worlds.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: How often do you find yourself up at 4am struggling with writer's block?

Answer: Not so much writer's block, but 4am? All the time. The best part of working at home is that you don't have to travel to work. The worst part about working from home is that YOU ARE ALWAYS WORKING. The key there is to make sure you have a space where you WORK, and little else. Having a home office is like a tiny bit of heaven.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: {IW} MNET: How did you get inrtoduced into the game journalism industry anway? How did you get there? Any helpful hints?

Answer: I was very lucky to stumble on a community site seeking writers a while back. I worked with them for a while before trying to get anything published. I must have written for a year or two (weekly) for no pay before I submitted to a game magazine. This experience was invaluable.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Fallen Angel: To all guests: what can I do to increase my chances of getting a job in journalism for major publishings such as the ones that you are in?

Answer: My advice is to start small. (also, I'm not a 'major' anything. :) Pitch an article to someplace that relies on Freelancers, and go from there.

[Slashdot] Michael: The best thing to do is get your foot in your door somewhere (anywhere) and then consistently be the best written, friendliest, timeliest, smartest, funniest, most eloquent writer an editor has ever seen before.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Dr. Richard Kimble: How often do you find yourself up at 4am struggling with writer's block? ;D

Answer: Not much, actually. Part of my checkered past was writing for a daily, live TV show. Having to deliver a script on time, every time, every day was an excellent experience. You learn ways to stimulate your mind to deliver when failure is not an option. One suggestion is to write about anything your mind goes to. When you're blocked ona story, write about something else. You may find itw ill lead ot a breakthough on the block.

 

[Slashdot] Michael: Question: Air_Storm: Pirates or Ninjas.

Answer: Pirates. ARRRR!

 

[Slashdot] Michael: And nowigottago.

cigmedia: Great questions, but we are all out of time here, we hope everyone learned a lot and had fun doing so. Thanks again to Russ and Michael, the following 5 winners should pm me for instructions on how to claim prizes.

 

Vossk

Jantempler

Spce-meat.com | Pork Lord

TehSoM

Yoda

[Slashdot] Michael: I'm off to do a tabletop session. :) <- nerd.

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: space-meat.com | PorkLord: How do you find the time to review BIG games? Wouldn't each review/article on a game be worth the same artistically and financially? If so, how do you differ your time between playing through a 5 hour game, or say a 80 hour Final Fantasy romp?

Answer: Unless you're determined to get all the way through an 80+ hour game before writing about it, it's not necessary to finish. You had a good idea 10 hours into FF if it was a good game or not. Write abotu that. And if you absolutely HAVE to know how it ends to write about it, buy the Prima guide :).

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: woo!

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: So many unanswered questions ... :(

 

[Escapist] Russ Pitts: Question: Air_Storm: Pirates or Ninjas.

Answer: Pirates all the way, baby.