Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Now Gamer

Hey guys,

Just a quick update. In order to help push my 'career', I've volunteered to be a blogger for NowGamer, the new website from Imagine Publishing. I'll to make sure I won't neglect this place either (although it is sort of on hold whilst I get my website up and running), but if you're into gaming and gaming related topics, do check me out at:

http://www.nowgamer.com/blogs/

Should be fun.

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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Testing, Testing

Those of you who pay attention to such things may have noticed that the URL of this blog as now changed.

Long story short, I'm designing my own website, and I think I just successfully got it to transfer over to it, we'll see. I'll be fiddling with things as I go along, as it's not finished yet. Should this disappear or anything, you'll know why.

More details to come.

Ciao.

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Sunday, March 01, 2009

Soap Box



If there's one thing that I've picked up in the ~8 months since I started my freelancing, it's that you can't beat a good old fashioned boxed copy.
Despite various pundits trying to herald in the future of PC Gaming by bigging up the various digital platforms such as GamersGate, Steam, Impulse etc, as a reviewer, I prefer getting my games the traditional way.

Let me tell you why:

Empire: Total War, the next game in a series by English-based developer Creative Assembly (they're from Surrey, don'cha know), is due out on March 3rd/4th. Judging by videos, previews etc... This is without a doubt going to be the biggest and best game in the series, and could probably be a contender for Game of the Year. Amongst the triad of new technologies and developments being used in this title, SEGA (who own the publishing rights for Creative Assembly) have decided to make this game even more special by tying it to Valve's Steam platform.

For the uninitiated, Steam is one of the few 'pioneers' if you will of the Post-Digital Era. An independent company, Valve's Steam program serves as a hosting platform for scores of developers, and scores of titles. As well as acting as a marketplace where you can purchase PC games, Steam also hosts various multiplayer servers, videos and has its own budding online community. It also takes a slightly different approach to Digital Rights Management (DRM), and so is seen as a bit of a 'champion' of sorts. Of course, as is with all things, there's also a fair few people who hate the program with a passion, but there you go.

Back to Empire: If I were to say that I was excited about this game, then I would probably win the understatement of the year award. I know for some this would call into question my objectivity as a journalist, but to be quite honest, I'm more likely to be objective with a game I really like, as opposed to a game I really hate.

Working for an online publication as I do, it’s not uncommon for me to receive review code through digital distribution as opposed to a CD in the post. (Although, as it happens, I've received more games through the post then I have via the internet.) Whilst I do take a certain secret pleasure in receiving games through the post, especially when the publisher has been generous enough to provide a full retail copy, at the end of the day, I don't mind how I get my game, so long as I get it.

With Empire, it soon became apparent that SEGA was going to try and milk the whole Steam angle for all it was worth, and was forcing the majority of online publications, especially the 'not so big ones' like mine, to obtain their code from Steam. Fine, ok. I can deal with that. I would have preffered a nice shiny boxed copy, but whatever.



So rewind to last Wednesday. I was chatting to my editor, as we do, and eventually we get our serial code from Sega for our copy of Empire. Huzzah! Overflowing with anticipation, I eagerly open up Steam, go the Activation's section, and type in my code. Crash.

...Wait? What?

I re-open the program, type in the code again. Crash.

...Fuck.

No matter how many times I try, the Steam client always crashes whenever I type in the key. Which means I can't download Empire. Which means I can't play Empire... oh God.

As you can imagine, I was a tad distressed by these turn of events. The moment I had been waiting for had been snatched from me by some karmic twist of fate, and I could not play the game I'd been waiting many a -month for. After frantically informing my editor of the situation, we both desperately tried to find a solution to the problem, which to this day has yet to be found.

Although we now know what the cause of the problem is. A combination of a final release version being chosen, Steam's set-up for purchasing Empire online, and some sort of password algorithm (I'm a bit fuzzy over that bit), means that the Steam client can't find what it's looking for, and so shuts down in confusion and fear. Despite several emails to Sega, Valve, and whoever else we thought could help, the best we got was that they were 'working on it', and as the weekend approached, it was clear that I wouldn't be getting a review copy until Monday, at the earliest. Considering they're releasing it on Tuesday and Wednesday, it's quite possible that normal people are going to get to play this game before I do. Unprecedented, and totally unacceptable.

The only good point to come out of all this is that it happened to everyone else as well, as there are only 2/3 reviews actually online so far. Still, I'm over it now. Extremely disappointed, but over it. I know I'll be getting my hands on this game sooner or later, but the experience will be tainted ever so slightly.

And so we come back to the original point of this rant: the boxed copy. If SEGA had only stopped trying to be hip, or had made sure that the keys were set up properly, I wouldn't be here. Whilst I fully realise that digital distribution was probably the easiest way to get us our code, the fact that they didn't even check to see if it was working properly is embarrassing, and the fact that they didn't just send us out boxed copies as replacements is unfortunate.

I will say this though, in their defence: all of this I have deduced from talking to other people, or working it out on my own. Perhaps there was a more reasonable explanation for what happened, but Sega haven't exactly been talkative since this the initial event. That's public relations for you.

At the end of the day though, nothing beats a boxed copy of a game... Apart from maybe the Royal Mail.


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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Resume: Games Journalism

Hello,

My name is Joe Robinson and I'm looking for paid freelance work to add to my portfolio. My ultimate aim is break into the videogames journalism industry and nab a full-time position somewhere amongst the leading names in this profession.

For now though, I'm content with working at home on a part-time basis. I am capable of performing a variety of roles including news, reviews and features. I am currently based in Bournemouth, UK.

Platforms owned

* Xbox 360
* Nintendo Wii
* Gaming orientated PC (custom built) + Laptop (Specs available on request)

Experience

Since the beginning of summer, I have been freelancing for a number of different websites, and have already built up an extensive portfolio. However, I'm always looking for more work as i need as much experience as possible.

Games TM

For two weeks at the beginning of October, I did a work placement at one of the UK's leading multi-format magazines - Games TM. During my time, I helped out with a variety of tasks, and got several items published in Issues 76 and 77 of the magazine. These included a two-page 'Discuss' feature on Digital Rights Management, and a one-page review of Trackmania (DS). Due to Games TM's credit policy, my name is not directly attributed on the articles, but Rick Porter (the editor of Games Tm) can confirm my involvement.

(Note: Due to a printing error, my name is not actually in the contributors section for Issue 76, but it is there in Issue 77. Again, the Editor can confirm all of this.)

strategyinformer.com

This is the main website that I freelance for, and they currently pay me on per-article basis plus extras if the situation calls for it. I won't disclose the amount publicly, but if you wish to hire me you will have to at least match this rate. Here is a selection of articles that I have written for them:

Review: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (360)

Review: Dreamlords - The Reawakening (PC)

Preview: Lego Batman (360)

Interview: Pete Hines & Fallout 3

Preview: Fallout 3 (Multi)

Review: Unreal Tournament III (360)

Interview: Denis Dyack & Too Human

Review: Too Human (360)

Review: Fable II (360)

Review: Mount & Blade (PC)

News sample

xbox360achievements.org

x360a.org was the other main website I worked for, however it is on a voluntary basis. I mainly helped them with their daily news coverage, whilst also doing the odd review for them. I have since left, but here is a sample of the work I did for them:

Review: Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution (360)

News sample 1

News sample 2

News sample 3

Other Past Work

I used to write for a number of smaller websites to gain practice and experience. I no longer work for these websites now, as my situation has forced me to concentrate on my paid work, but here are some samples:

Review: Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)

Preview: Dungeon Hero (Multi)

News sample

Feature: The Joys of Having a Girlfriend Gamer: Love and War

News sample

E3 2008

During this year's E3 Media and Business Conference, I helped various websites with their E3 coverage by watching/reading the live feeds that were available.

Some examples include:

Gameslave: Nintendo Press Conference Round-Up

Strategy Informer: Yoichi Wada announces FF XIII for 360

Strategy Informer: Xbox Live Update Announcement

Leipzig GDC 2008

This year I also attended the Leipzig Games Convention on behalf of Strategy Informer and x360a. I was there for a total of seven days, and I was present for the whole convention from Wednesday (which was the press only day) through to Sunday and gave coverage through out. Some of the work that came out of Leipzig included:

Feature: Leipzig GC '08 - First Impressions

Interview: EVE Online

Preview: Empire - Total War

Report: Age of Conan

Preview: Call of Duty - World at War

Preview: Hearts of Iron III

Preview: Alpha Protocol

Preview: Aion - Tower of Eternity

Preview: Rise of the Argonauts

Extra Information

In September of this year (2008), I shall be entering the third and final year of my Journalism Degree. By Summer of 2009, I shall have a BA(Hons) in Multi-Media Journalism. I should also be fully NCTJ qualified.

Other skills include:

* Editorial Experience & Website design/management - I am Online Editor for my university's student news website,
The Wire
* Experience with Photoshop, Dreamweaver & InDesign (Examples available on request)
* NCTJ approved 80 wpm shorthand
* Experience with several multi-media devices including video cameras and voice recorders. (Sample Podcast available on request)
* Knowledge of Media Law & a variety of media theories

I also have a full valid UK's Drivers license, as well as a discount rail card and I am willing to travel. I consider myself to be friendly, and capable of working together with other people in a team.

All of this information can be provided in a formal CV, which is available on request.

Contact Details

Email: joe-robinson@tiscali.co.uk
Mobile: 07879640305
PM: Feel free to PM me on this forum, as I check regularly

If you need any more information, do not hesitate to ask. I look forward to hearing from you.

Joe Robinson
Freelance Journalist

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