Bitmob.com

I didn't write from day one, but I've always been around Shoe and Linn's project. I may not have the dream job from it (yet) that I thought it would help me obtain, but it's been very helpful, frustrating (in an OK way), fun, and beneficial. I really enjoy the people I've met and stayed in touch with via Twitter and Facebook -- especially Shums, Samir, and Shoe.

I'll be over at GamesBeat to keep on writing, but it will be harder with a new focus on freelancing developing, and some other doors that have possibly opened thanks to Bitmob.

I know you get this a lot, Shoe, but you and EGM are the reasons I do what I do, earned a college degree, and all that jazz.

Thank you.

(For Samir)"

The only writers who have responded to me when I point out grammar or factual errors that I don't have at least a bit of a relationship with are the reporters and editors at Polygon. I am amazed at how hard it is to contact video game journalists (a few are great with this, but a lot more aren't). Maybe more people contact them because they want to break into the business, but I could contact any newspaper or magazine journalist pretty easily or quickly. That difference in responding to people has always been odd to me. I'm the editor of a newspaper, I answer every inquiry, and have found great interns that way. If I had a bigger budget I would have hired them both.

I also find other things kind of silly like the lack of AP Style (even Polygon doesn't always use this, though it's stated that they do), and some of the basic reporter dos and don'ts.

I'm also unsure of the audience reading the stories. Polygon, and others who write great features, are correct in the belief that people want more. They write the features I write and want to write for a living. But as someone who writes researched features with good sources, I sometimes wonder about that. Sometimes the audience doesn't want good reporting and writing. Sometimes a simple list gets more hits. Sometimes they want a review as quickly as possible. And to respond to you, I have heard and seen reviewers not get very far in games while in the review process. You probably don't need to beat every game -- and couldn't for deadline -- but I know where you're coming from. 

Side note: I'm a newspaper and magazine journalist, so I can't comment too much on video game journalism having not done it professionally. I just notice copy isn't as clean, and it's a bit different from what I'm used to. Some sites are better than others.

There are a lot of good writers out there, but fewer great reporters. I have read maybe two reviews in the past five years or so, and only some features keep my interest, so I don't see many of the same problems as some people. I mostly avoid everything but features."