How I Feel About Wanting To Be A Video Game Journalist

For several years, video game journalism, in general, has been referred to as “a joke”, “useless”, “dead” and “irrelevant” [16] [21]. As a writer, I had a constant, yet infrequent fear of being bitterly labelled as “an SJW”, “hateable”, “pathetic”, “stupid”, “worthless”, “useless”, “a feminist”, “an urinalist” and “a talentless hack” as I continued my passion for writing gaming-related articles for my blogs [3] [12] [14] [24] [28] [30]. It even unnerved me before I even started my blog as it would be a somewhat rehash of how I felt during numerous controversies surrounding the creepypasta community during my third and fourth years of college [2] [23] [26] [37]. Nonetheless, I just went ahead of began my hobby in late 2017 due to how unhappy I was after my year at university and the urge to make five years of studying games design and interactive media lead to something I could find enjoyable to collide with my ambitions in writing and creativity [42]. It eventually became a hobby for also reviewing and analysing cartoons, most notably Helluva Boss [31] [32] [36] [45] [46] [47]. It was not until December 2021 I sensed a breaking point within a stream of monthly motivations. Furthermore, I would like to inform my dear readers that I might not be up for writing any more gaming-related articles for a while.

The following is not to gain false sympathy from anyone, but it is just an expression on why I might not continue the gaming-related aspects of my blogging for a fairly short while [29]. I have been wanting to write an article like this for quite some time. It is not the only time I have felt ambushed just for trying to be a good person online [17]. [13]

Why does this issue affect me, you ask? Recently, I have been verbally attacked for just stating my thoughts on a woman wanting to normalise facial hair on women in a polite and open-minded manner, regarding her perspective. Being told that what I would love to be is “not a real person” and that my opinions are automatically disregarded really affected me [1] [4] [18]. Moreover, I am entirely unsure if I want to continue blogging about upcoming video games because I KNEW such mockery would happen to me eventually. At least I have never named and shamed anyone for a measly reason in my blogs and I would not dare go as far as to make highly disproportionate and extreme comparisons, such as comparing the faults of Cyberpunk 2077 to Adolf Hitler back in late 2020 [20]. I have worked hard on my own independent gaming blog for four years…and this is the return I get [29]? Writing articles for my blog has helped me find a purpose and cope throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and it deeply saddens me how I would automatically be degraded and not taken seriously solely for one of my aspiring occupations.

I parodied “’Twas The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore in my gaming blogs last year [22] [34] [35], yet I still got ridiculed for what I am notable for online this year. [Williams, 2021]

In conclusion, I am entirely unsure if I want to continue writing articles related to video games [5] [11] [25] [38]. It is absolutely infuriating and discouraging how gaming journalism is the easiest profession I can turn to, yet it is bombarded with ridicule and bitter generalisation due to mistakes that were made [8] [9] [10] [27] [39]. Nonetheless, I am still willing to take any constructive criticism on my gaming-related articles, whether it will be any inaccuracy, not enough research on a topic or a simple spelling error in terms of nouns within a fictional universe. I am grateful for those who have supported me throughout almost a lustrum of my passion for video game journalism [6] [7] [15] [19], which will, unfortunately, have to be hopefully temporarily paused. Furthermore, please do not go and verbally attack anyone for a negative opinion on the subject in general. I only wrote this short piece to express how hurt and discouraged I have been feeling without bashing anyone else’s thoughts. After all, I do not want to end up being that kind of person as I just want to keep evolving as another kind of person [38] [43] [44]. Until then, I shall choose creativity and kindness over vengeance as I will keep on following my passion for other forms of writing, such as spoofing songs [33] [40].

I can always stick to reviewing cartoons for my blogs in the meantime [43] [44]. Have a safe and festive Christmas break, fellow gamers. [40]

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