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Over the past few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of video game journalism: the meaning it holds to myself, friends, and family as well as the industry as a whole. This has all come from a recent conversation I had during the very celebration of tech and games journalism right here in Australia. Before we begin, let me give you some background.

Over the weekend I had the wonderful honour to represent Press Start Australia at the IT journalism awards, more affectionately referred to as ‘The Lizzies’. These awards are the highest honour for tech and games media as they recognise the best of tech journalism and media in Australia and New Zealand for the previous year.

Among the numerous categories was ‘best gaming coverage’, which Press Start was nominated for along with a host of other well-known and respected video game news outlets. These included Game Informer, Good Game, Stevivor, Vooks, IGN, Kotaku Australia, Point & Clickbait and many more.

Now, I want to take a brief moment to celebrate what is a significant milestone for our site. To see how far we have come, the fantastic and passionate audience we have grown, and also to have been nominated for the Lizzies for best gaming coverage this year, is a huge achievement. Trying to start a game news website and break into the mainstream in this current age is a nearly impossible feat and the whole team should be proud of their efforts.

But I digress; the Lizzies were a fantastic occasion to celebrate the incredible journalists and websites which are an integral part of the video game industry. I was very grateful for an opportunity to mingle with our fellow writers and passionate gamers too, who make up Australian games media.

At one point, I had the chance to meet and chat to one particular games journalist, whose work I had grown to respect and appreciate a great deal in recent years. Being able to meet them in person (and not just through Twitter where the games industry largely lives in the online world) was incredibly gratifying, more so to express my respect and love for their work.

Although our conversation was short, they said something which took me aback. I didn’t say anything in response in the moment, but it has been rattling around in my mind ever since.

It was said in such a matter-of-fact way, which made the statement seem all the more dismissive. The statement was, that games journalism didn’t matter, shouldn’t be taken serious and most pointedly, it wasn’t important.

Now in the short time I’ve been writing about games, whether through my own blogs, through student media or through large video game news websites such as Only Single Player or Press Start AU, I have been told numerous times how ridiculous the endeavor of becoming a professional video game journalist is.

Many have exclaimed in disbelief at the idea of it even being a career, let alone the point or legitimacy of the profession. As we all know, both of these are questioned on a regular basis by readers and fellow writers alike which can be frustrating at the best of times. Worst of all, I’ve been told how useless games journalism is in comparison to other professions in life, which was exactly where this journalist was coming from in their statements.

Of course, it is a stance and point of view I do understand to a degree. There will always be more important things in life than video games and more specifically the coverage of video games. Furthermore, there are more significant ways to improve the lives of others more directly in your career.

But all too often I have come across many individuals who have become incredibly cynical, not only about games journalism, but of the industry as a whole. This is another stance I have come to understand to a greater extent in the past year.

The video game industry, like any creative industry, can and will chew you up and spit you out. It can be shallow, unrewarding and brutal, which has left many of my friends, colleagues and idols cynical about it and disconnected from it.

So it didn’t surprise me to hear this, but it did hit home for me just that much more since it was from someone I consider a talented games journalist, who has inspired me.

But I couldn’t disagree more with what they said.

I’ve been lucky enough to work in the video games industry not only as a journalist, but also at a consumer level at EB Games (a fantastic and passionate company filled with wonderful individuals) and at a games and tech public relations/marketing agency. I’ve also, through my passion, become friends with numerous game developers from all levels. Students, hobbyists, and professionals, some of whom have hit the big time.

All of these experiences and relationships have given me many insights, during what I know is still an incredibly young career, into an industry which I care so  deeply about. All of these combined have given me greater perspective on why video game journalism is important.

Just look at Kotaku’s extensive coverage of gamers and the communities in video games, Eurogamer’s absolute dedication to cover the industry in the most traditional/factual news-based fashion, or Waypoint and Glixel with their deeper dives into the meaning and intricate elements of games. These are interesting, professional and most crucially, important pieces of work being done in video game journalism.

Video games journalism is important to your everyday gamer, who enjoys games in their spare time, to escape the more boring or even depressing elements of life, and who appreciate stories in what I believe to be the most immersive and technically challenging medium to create for.

It is important to developers, to share the dedication and craft of writers, artists, programmers etc., who are telling stories, creating interesting and meaningful experiences and regularly pushing technology further through innovation. 

It is important to writers such as myself, who love talking about a medium which inspires, invigorates and makes us excited! To dissect stories and mechanics, to discuss themes and ideas and to inform consumers with expert opinions.

It is far more than just reproducing press releases from huge corporations or endless giveaways, regardless of how often it may seem like it. Hence why we were gathered to celebrate tech and games journalism over the weekend; for the human side/element of video games.

This is not aimed at the journalist who made these statements or an attempt to attack them. My point here is to reflect on why video game journalism is important and why video games are important.

No industry is perfect, and never truly will be, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t many wonderful people and incredible things being done which are worth fighting for to make it better. We should not be dismissing it as irrelevant and pointless.

Video games are important to people for various reasons and so is the coverage of them. Despite what anyone says, or how many people dismiss it as a real or meaningful profession, I will argue otherwise.

That is until I become overly cynical and detached from the video game industry myself… Though, somehow I doubt that will happen any time soon.