The booming billion-dollar video games industry offers many fun and lucrative job opportunities. One of these rewarding jobs is video game journalism. Building a career in this field is both fun and lucrative, especially for those who love both journalism and video games. Although there are countless video game journalism jobs, getting into one needs more than just a passion for writing and video games. Here is an in-depth guide to help you understand the field and how to get a job as a video game journalist.

The focus of Video Game Journalism

Journalists in the video game industry basically cover news about video games. The focus is on games, game companies, and events in the video games industry. Some of the topics covered by video game journalists include:

Gaming events- covering of tournaments, conventions, media events, game launches, and others
Announcement- discuss the initial announcement of video games and video game systems, for instance, the title, plot, concept art, prospective release dates, system specs and company creatives and developers involved
Development- involves seeing or playing the demo version of the video game and then discussing the plot, characters, art, gameplay mechanics and system specs of the game before release
Updates- focuses on the updates and fixes on games and systems that were already released
Reviews- gaming publications provide reviews of the video games right before or soon after their release covering the story, characters, price-to-game value, gameplay difficulty, and others
Industry news- other news like company changes and community discourse

Video Game Journalism Types

Different publication methods give rise to various types of journalism in the videogame industry. You can pursue a career in the following video game journalism types.

Blogs and websites

Currently, there are numerous blogs and websites that focus on video game industry news. Blogs may be by a single writer blog or a community blog that is open to submissions. While starting off, you can work for some of these blogs. There are some websites that specialize in the news about video games. Some of these sites post online while others have periodic print publications.

Print

Perhaps the oldest and most resilient type of journalism is the use of print publications. Most of these companies specialize in games and have regular magazine publications on video games. Some have digital media publications. Here, you are not limited to specialized print companies as some of the general news publications have a section covering video games, including news, releases, and reviews.

Freelance

Video game journalists can also work as freelancers where they independently publish articles on blogs, community sites, or professional publications. It allows a journalist to diversify their publishing opportunities.

What Do You Do as a Video Game Journalist?

Perhaps one of the most popular questions is what is done in video game journalism jobs. First of all, you need to understand that the responsibilities are not that different from journalism in any other industry. Some of the roles and responsibilities of a video game journalist include:

Gathering information about in-production games by communicating with developers and creatives
Researching on the background of a game, company or developer which contextualizes the piece
Extensive research on the video games industry including its history
Playing video game demos and early releases so that they can provide a first-hand video gamer review
Writing articles, reviews, and blogs on updates and other industry news
Attending company launches and conventions to provide press for events
Pitching of article and blog ideas to the editors
Revision of journalism pieces in collaboration with editors before publishing

Video Game Journalism Job Salary

If you are wondering how much a video game journalist earns, then here is everything you need to know. The average annual salary as of 2020 is $49,490. However, that does not mean all video game journalists earn that amount. Some of the factors that determine how much you will earn include:

Journalism type whether freelance, blogging or working for professional publications
Size of the company you are working for
Level of experience
The country in which you are working
Niche

Educational Requirements for Video Game Journalism Jobs

One of the most controversial issues when it comes to journalism in this industry is the education level needed. There is no industry standard, and it varies from one employer to another. A bachelor’s degree in a subject like English or a language you will be using can be an added advantage; however, it is not always the case. Many great video game journalists don’t have a college degree. Starting as a freelancer or working on blogs and many websites often only need a passion for video games and a good command of language.

Qualities and Skills Needed

It will be easy building a successful career in the video games industry if you have the following qualities and skills:

Passion for both writing and video games
Open, inquisitive and cool under pressure
Networking skills
Tenaciousness and pro-activeness
Research skills
Patience and willingness to learn and grow

Pros and Cons of Video Game Journalism Jobs

Pros

Flexible working schedule
Working in an exciting industry
Early access to games for preview and review
Great upward mobility

Cons

Biased writing when writing for sponsored publications
Low pay as you start off
Lack of job stability as it is a volatile industry

How to Become a Video Games Journalist

Although the path into these careers varies from one person to another, here are the steps you may take to build a successful video game journalism career:

1. Earn a degree or gather deep and broad knowledge of video games

2. Develop your voice and cultivate a reputation by running a blog

3. Build a portfolio

4. Start pitching to editors and publications

5. Network in the video games community especially through events

Video Game Journalism Jobs

If you want a job right away, you can look for job listings in several places. You can start by ch.cking the job postings of your favorite video game publications. Other places you can find listings of video game journalism jobs include:

1. IGN

2. ZipRecruiter

3. Gamejournalismjobs.com

Conclusion

Video game journalism is an exciting career path that will allow you to utilize the two things you love, writing, and video games. It is a competitive field but offers a lot of opportunities for growth. You can start building your career today, and you will see impressive results in just months if you put in enough effort.