Have you ever thought about making money by reviewing games? Are you good at playing games, and do you enjoy doing math? Well, maybe game reviewing is a job for you. The gaming community has created a niche that allows you to work from home, share your opinions and experiences, connect with like-minded people, and make some extra money!
Gaming Reviewer may sound like a dream job, but it’s also a lot of work. It’s not as simple as playing a game and writing about it. There are many things you need to know before you can get started.
Hone your writing skills
Learning how to write is as important as having something to say. Experienced writers hone their skills through practice and study. There are many books on writing, such as William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well,” that can teach you basic techniques like how to structure your work, how different sentence structures affect the reader, how to avoid common grammar mistakes, and other aspects of good writing. And if you want professional help, going online will give you information on Peachy Essay. Remember, practice makes perfect!
Also, consider reading other people’s reviews. Read professional reviews from sites like IGN or GameSpot and read user reviews from places like Amazon or Steam. Take notes on what kinds of things they praise or criticize about each game.
What do they highlight in the games they like? What do they say about the ones they don’t? This will help you understand what readers want from reviews and what makes a good review stand out from a bad one.
Experience Playing
You must be experienced in playing video games regularly. Before you start writing about video games, you need to gain enough experience playing them. You cannot review a video game just by reading its description or watching some videos online.
You need to play the same video game for several hours or even days until you know what makes it different from other video games. You should know the game’s story and how it plays before you can write something meaningful about it.
Game reviewing is a way to earn money by sharing your opinion of games, but it’s also a way to get more out of video games as well. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you start.
Choose a Platform
The first thing you need to do is decide what platform you will focus on. While most games are multi-platform, each version of the game is slightly different, and there’s no point in reviewing a game on a console you don’t own.
Choosing a platform also allows you to pick the one you are comfortable with. Note that platforms will vary, and some are more difficult than others. You might want to start with a popular platform like PC or Xbox if you’re starting out.
You can review games on whatever platform you have, but it’s better to focus on one or two specific media so people can find your reviews easily.
Find an Outlet for Your Reviews
Before you start taking the time to write and publish your reviews, you must find a venue for them. Otherwise, you’ll be writing for yourself — not the world.
You might be able to find an opening at a major publication or website, but these jobs are rare and highly coveted. A better bet is starting small and working your way up the ladder. Think about which websites or magazines you read regularly and pitch your idea for a review column or section.
And if you’re already a member of a review site, work on building up your reputation there. If not, consider joining one of the following:
Amazon Vine: If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can apply for the Vine program, which provides access to free games and products that are shipped directly from Amazon in exchange for honest reviews.
Metacritic: This is where gamers come to get information about new releases, so it’s the perfect place for game reviews.
GameFAQs: This long-running website provides plenty of forums for gamers looking for information about all types of gaming-related topics — but don’t count on making any money from this outlet.
As a writer, it’s crucial to have an established reputation before getting hired as a paid game reviewer. It’s also important that your reputation stands out among other writers in the same industry.
Find a Niche
You need to remember that this is a competitive field, and you have to find your niche. Finding a place can help you stand out from the crowd.
Some prospective reviewers focus on a specific genre, such as RPGs or first-person shooters. Others might target a particular platform, such as mobile titles or games designed for the Nintendo Wii. If your favorite type of game is one that few others write about, that’s even better. This can help you gain an audience that values your insight and expertise.
As long as you can stand out from the crowd with something unique about your approach, you’ll be able to find an audience for your work.
Find Your Target Audience
Think of your target audience. Each game has a different target because each genre has a specific target. You might want to include the age range of people who would like to play this game or read your review about it.
For example, if it’s a sports game, your audience will be young people who like sports such as football and basketball. And if it’s an RPG (role-playing game) or MMO (massively multiplayer online), your audience will be people who like to explore things inside the virtual world.
Take Away
To be a good game reviews writer, you need to have solid writing skills and some experience on your hands. You also need to be familiar with the platform you’ll be using for publishing your review write-ups before you commit to the job. It’s not enough that you can write a good review, but you must be able to do it consistently.
Don’t forget to be true to yourself. There is no fun in reading a review that reads like someone’s trying to cash in on a trend or did not believe in the product they were reviewing. Readers can see through that, and they might even turn against your site.
