Hey Fediverse -
I’ve been seeing a lot of discussion around the lack of game outlets that people like to follow nowadays. I used to follow a decent amount, but with how many of them have changed - Giant Bomb, PC Gamer, RockPaperShotgun, Game Informer - I also have been looking for a new outlet/community.
I’ve been working towards starting an outlet myself, and I’m wondering what folks would like to see out of one. My list:
- Independent, or more so. Referral links make it hard to trust an outlet being unbiased if they have a financial incentive to promote things.
- Discourse focused: Modern coverage, especially from influencers, is a lot of a singular person speaking. Giant Bomb especially had great dynamics between the various perspectives when covering a game.
- Diverse Coverage: By this I mean, not just focused on AAA titles and the yearly release calendar. Covering mods, older titles, different communities (speedrunners, small multiplayer communities, etc.)
Other questions:
- Would you be interested in supporting an outlet financially? Would you even if all content was available freely, eg. public media as opposed to “premium access.”
- Do you have any preferred platforms? Would you be interested in an outlet that prioritizes the Fediverse over Twitch, Youtube, etc.?
- Do you have a preference between written content, video, audio?
I’d be interested in an outlet that has reviewers actually finish the game before writing their review. I get the perceived need to release a review as early as possible, but personally I’m willing to wait if it means a more accurate, thorough review (I’m more of a “patient gamer” these days anyway).
Inviting guest reviewers could also be a good idea I think. Always good to get different perspectives and voices.
As for mediums, I prefer video for reviews as it allows for demonstrations of different aspects of the game. This is especially helpful when talking about a game’s performance and artistic direction.