Your login information returned multiple users. Please select the user you would like to log in as and re-type in your password.
Before I start coming off as a complete downer, I'd like to preface this post by saying, going to E3 and doing reporting was and still is a dream job. I'm lucky enough to be able to travel and attend these trade shows and I wouldn't still be doing it if I didn't get some enjoyment out of it.
But I want people to know, it's not all new game announcements, gorgeous girls, and behind closed doors meetings. If anything, those meetings exist, we're the ones not being invited to them.
The single most frustrating things about E3 and what makes it possibly the worst experience about this job is the politics. It's the fact the internet is massive and one knows who you are. Unless you are a huge site with financial backing, you have to try to make yourself seem important to get ahead. At every closed doors event, every press conference, every developer interview, there is someone playing keymaster determining your video game reporting fate.
Now understand that this is a fact of life. We've all had to deal with being accepted or denied into groups from when we started having social interactions all the way up to when we eventually die. It's not something one can try to drastically alter, especially by themselves and overnight.
But imagine this scenario. You work for a small video game blog, paid/unpaid, it doesn't matter. You spend maybe a thousand dollars on plane tickets, hotels, rental car, food, and gas to attend for work. Mind you this is not a fan convention, but a Press Only Event. You've put effort in to your work to get where you've gotten and you're not just some starstruck fan trying to get free swag.
Your community is excited about a particular game. You're excited about that game. You want to relay that information by getting first hand opinions. In the best case scenario, you feel that you are the most qualified to handle this scenario. Take for example, Nick waiting in line for a Silent Hill game. Or Brad for a strategy RPG. You are the person with the most experience with the series. You are able to effectively critique the series and also the one who will probably have the most positive things to say about it.
My best example of this was last year at PAX. Brad walked up to the Diablo III booth. Watched someone playing the game for 15 minutes and then turned to me explaining in detail things they had changed about the Barbarian. I feel that is the best kind of reporting and the ones we should try to deliver.
The problem is that constantly, you are given the run around by some PR person who often comes off as knowing little to nothing about games. I could be wrong on this point. I know there are PR representatives that like/love their jobs. But I have certainly come across employees who had no idea what game they were representing and were only reading off a facts sheet.
What baffles my mind is that why are we attending a video game show, in which people are trying to build excitement about upcoming games by showing them off, but then being constantly met with resistance every turn of the way?
There is a filter in place. There are only so many hours in the day and with those only so many meetings that can be held and people seen. They're just trying to get the best possible picks out of their choices. I get that. But then shouldn't the people in charge of filtering out good shows and good sites from the bad ones be people who are actively involved with listening to shows and reading websites?
My problem is not necessarily with being denied. I've been denied before. For every email I got a response to and every meeting setup, there were at least five more that I didn't get. It's a fact of pursing through failures and not giving up when someone tells you no. If anything I think it's these things that make us a better site. The proof that we really want to do this. In a way, I like struggling through this.
What I can't stand is being denied by these seemingly random PR reps. They act interested when you're explaining the importance. They give you a fake smile. They give you a somewhat positive but cautious response. And then they tell you there's nothing that can be done. Come on. I've worked in retail. I know how the systems work. I know when things can and can't be returned, even when it's outside of the "store policy."
It's the same in this case. Sometimes you get somebody who just doesn't want to help you out. Maybe you didn't shave today. Maybe they're on some sort of power trip. Or maybe they just don't like the fact that you're wearing a Mario T-shirt instead of dressed up in something nice.
But isn't that the point? Aren't the most qualified people not the ones wearing the suits? Not wearing hundred dollars shades? Just in it for the games?
This is just something that I started thinking about recently. It's came up amidst all the E3 preparations and hoopla. It'll most likely continue throughout the week as we'll have plenty more problems. It starts tonight as we'll be trying to get into the Natal Event.
Thanks for listening,
David
Comments
13 years, 10 months ago
Dear 4playerpodcast,
This is Rmakulate from the 4playerpodcast forum. I should participate more in that site but my head has been relocated to school and YouTube. Anyway the ones who are true to gaming are the people who actually took the time to play the game, understand its concept, know what is good for the play and has prior experience from before. I have played many spontaneous games that I pick up out of the norm but they are hit titles. Btw, I love girls with abs they just make me go buhhhh O_O'. I hate how a PR person doesn't understand anything of the game and just basically lie to someone's face by not giving a crap. How did AVGN day it? "What a shit load of fuckness? What fuckness is not a word will it should be.
I'm just sharing my 2 cents,
Rodney King out
13 years, 10 months ago
Grass is always greener i suppose. E3 is still an amazing event and it is every gamers dream to go there, atleast for the ability to play games there but ya. Anyway, I guess the only thing that can be done is hope you guys, over time, can move up that ladder of E3 and start getting better and better presentations.
13 years, 10 months ago
Great post David,
I've not been to E3 before, but i managed to trek it out from England to Leipzig in 08 to go to that that show. I had a blast, and I wasn't writing/podcasting for any sites at that time. I just walked in with my casual clothes and instantly felt welcome. Was allowed to see all the games i tried to get in for, and play all of them in fact. Maybe I'm wrong, but the impression i got was that attitude within the 'industry' is very different outside of America and the UK...
Should be going to Gamescom in Cologne this summer as well, hopefully i have just as good an experience.
13 years, 10 months ago
Hmm well they can't entertain everyone's wants, but they should release some special information to the people there so people can post them on their sites and spread the info with the opinion of the site.
13 years, 10 months ago
Great post! I have not yet been to an E3 event (hopefully one day), but I see the point that although you get to go to an event that will have things that could blow your mind, its not as glamorous as it seems. It may all be there, but you have to impress someone to get the most out of it.
13 years, 10 months ago
They put the companies/people/websites/magazines that will give their games the most exposure infront of the ones that might not give their games the same vast exposure. Makes sense, if you think about it. And, yes, you are no doubt aware of it.
It's understandable that this sucks for guys like you, who are in many cases a lot more passionate, informed and enthusiastic about this shit than most of the big fish game editors/reporters. Especially if the person who's deciding on all of this is some douchey PR guy/girl who doesn't know anything about games.
But that's how it is. Maybe one day you'll grow into a big fish too and there will be no doubt for even the douchiest PR douche whether they should let you inside these closed doors or not.
You're definitely getting there. The new site is really nice and the community keeps growing.
13 years, 10 months ago
Awww...Thats not fair. This post is Beast...
13 years, 10 months ago
I understand completely how you fell. In the music industry (what I do) it's the same way. You are some new up and coming band trying to get to play a big event in your area (such as the I'm Thirsty Fest in Manchester, NH that I tried to get on) and some PR guy from it who knows nothing about you, your band, or half the bands at least on I'm Thirsty tells you sorry we are full already and can't possibly get anyone else on so you play nice and say we'll we are really interested and can bring a big crowd! If anything opens up give me a call at.... blah blah blah right? Right. Fact is then you see that 4 more bands (friends of that PR guy we came to find out) got on and they had maybe 1 song out and haven't even played a show. You guys are more qualified and would give a more accurate and passionate post than a lot of the people who will get in yes but it is all about who you know and who knows you in our business's. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and like you said fight through and keep trying and trying.
On the other hand if they did have PR people who knew what they were doing ie: Knew all about the game they were representing and listened to things like 4PP and other known and less known gaming review/podcasts/blogs they would have to pay them a lot more to do their job as well as they would have huge hours. Just something most companies aren't willing to do so the smaller people get walked all over really.
I feel for you and really do think this group is one of the best out there, you know what you are talking about in your genres and hell in the rest as well. You know all about the games, companies, histories all that and you have a phenomenal community behind you the whole way. Maybe you will get walked on now but I couldn't see this not becoming "respectable" eventually. Hell you already should be. Just keep at it and don't give up, dreams do come true haha.
Funny when I think about it the music industry and what you guys do aren't so different at all. Keep up the good work!
13 years, 10 months ago
I would love to go but David is right, put some money in the right guys pocket and maybe that Rpg where you play as a cow, Which would be destined to fail should it exist, will sail to the top as if by magic.