Tips & tricks on how to get started with your own video game site

The document before you holds thoughts and experiences from an industry veteran who started and operated several video game sites over the course of more than half a decade. Due to the sites being under new ownership and no longer providing an accurate representation of their previous selves, names and titles are not mentioned.

Table of Contents

Intro


I first got my feet wet in the mid-2000s when I started a fan site for an upcoming game based on a popular TV show. Although the game never saw the light of day and the studio developing it was eventually shut down due to mismanagment, the site I'd built had become the most popular fan-operated resource that existed for the game. After the cancellation, I decided to keep going and build upon that foundation.

The site went through a redesign and began covering not one but several upcoming games, which were picked based on feedback from our userbase. Since they were involved in the entire process, it was actually a fairly smooth transition and much of the community stayed intact.

A year or so later, the site shifted focus once more and ambitiously began covering the entire video game industy. At its peak, we had just shy of 20 writers and reviewers, several of whom went on to write for sites like GameSpot, Destructoid, Xbox Achievements and work for PR companies in the industry. We went to all the biggest events like the E3 Expo and GamesCom armed with press passes, were invited to preview events, interviewed countless developers and met industry giants. A large company even offered to purchase us and bring us into their network of sites.

Long story short, my experiences in starting and operating these sites is what this document is based on. If you're just starting out with your own site, hopefully it will give you a nudge in the right direction and help you cut a few corners.

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Doing it alone or as a group?


If you're planning on running your site as a solo act, it is certainly possible. You won't be able to cover as much content as a site that has 10 writers, however there's something to be said about carving out a niche and putting everything you have into it. With several successful platform-specific sites and the rise of gaming personalities on YouTube and Twitch, this approach has proven incredibly effective for a number of people. Whether you decide to focus on a genre, a franchise or platform, just be sure you truly love researching and writing about the subject.

If you wish to involve multiple people however, well, the more the merrier of course. Personally, I didn't have any friends who were as into video games as I was, so at first I went at it alone. But a few months later, once the site was at a spot where I felt it was ready to bring on more people, essentially all it took was placing a "Writers wanted!" link into the site's header to attract contributors. You'd be surprised how many people want to write about the medium they love yet may not have the time or desire to set up and operate their own site.

When outlining the kind of writers you're looking for, be sure to offer flexibility. Have positions for daily but also weekend writers, which is more suitable for people in the 9-5 workforce. And offer incentives; point out that once a writer has proven themselves with consistent and quality contributions, you can offer them free games in the form of review copies, press passes to industry events and other such benefits. When doing an interview via email for example, also give all contributors a chance to throw their questions into the mix.

To get through the process, we asked applicants to turn a number of press releases into news stories to see how well they translated the overzealous PR nonsense that press releases often hold. This approach also served as a great glimpse into each applicant's personality.

In our case, we ended up welcoming about 50% of the applicants, and they came from all walks of life; aspiring journalists, students, grown-ups with jobs, stay-at-home moms and dads, all brought together by their love for games and the video game industry. Thanks to speaking with each other daily -- often via email, but also via group chat software where many writers hung out all day, every day -- we all ended up forming a pretty close group, many of whom are friends to this day.

To sum up, my final suggestion would be that whether you go at it alone or with a group, make sure everyone contributes content about something they are truly passionate about. Someone tumbling their way through a story with no real knowledge on the subject will be sniffed out a mile away.

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Creating unique content


Covering that latest record-breaking AAA sequel is of course important, but instead of being a follower and only writing about what other sites have already published, make sure to put in the effort to get out as much original content as possible. Covering the essentials is good, but the original content is what gets you the attention and traffic. Sites that only rely on republishing content that readers can get from any other site will never really take off, as they're a dime a dozen with nothing setting them apart.

News conferences


Pretty much all the noteworthy press conferences are streamed online these days, so even if you lack the means to be at an event physically you can still cover them extremely effectively. Perhaps even more so as you don't have to deal with the chaotic surroundings and everything that goes along with it.

Simply put, watch any and all press events you can and always be ready to publish content and immediately submit it to news aggregator to sites like N4G.com. This can be difficult during huge events like the E3 when dozens of other sites are trying to beat each other for that traffic. But this is where really paying attention can pay off; instead of just covering the big announcements, pay close attention to the smaller things as well. For example, sometimes a developer says something during a presentation that can be turned into its own news story separate from the thing that they're actually announcing and presenting.

Earnings calls


Listen in on earnings calls. It's where sales numbers get reported and CEOs, CFOs etc. answer questions about essentially everything to do with the company, their upcoming games and services, sometimes games that haven't even been announced yet. These types of calls may get boring at times but can also be an absolute gold mine for news.

For example, several years ago back when the game wasn't announced yet, Take-Two's Chairman of the Board Strauss Zelnick was asked about the possible announcement strategy for Grand Theft Auto V. He answered hilariously: "So we’re not going to announce it, we’re not going to announce when we are going to announce it, and we are not going to announce a strategy about announcing it or about when we are going to announce it either, or about the announcement strategy surrounding the announcement of the strategy."

This was the time where excitement and rumors surrounding GTA5 were reaching fever pitch, so you can imagine how quickly that quote spread all around the web.

You can find out when earnings calls take place and how to listen in on them in the PR sections of a company's website. Or you can google something like "Ubisoft earnings call" to find your way.

Developer livestreams


It's becoming increasingly popular that developers have online events where they introduce their games through livestreams while answering fan questions. Keep track of when such events occur and watch them. Often times they reveal a juicy tidbit that can be turned into an interesting news story.

Interviews


You may not be able to secure interviews with the biggest players in the industry right away, so start with the smaller ones. You'd be surprised how open and welcoming developers of lesser known games can be. When you do secure an interview, ask sincere questions about the studio and their game, but also slip in a question or two about current events in the industry which they may be well-equipped to comment on. If they say something interesting about the subject, turn it into a stand-alone news story that can be picked up by other sites; not only will that deliver backlinks and traffic, but also serves as an advertisement for the full interview.

Review units


As is the case with interviews, getting review copies from big companies like Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft, Activision etc. can be difficult for up and coming game sites as they usually require the site to have a certain amount of monthly visitors. Some companies like Sony also look at the Alexa rating of a site and require for it to be at a certain level. In our case, it took a good year and a half of hard work to start getting review copies from these companies.

So while the industry giants may be out of reach for a gaming site that's just starting out, smaller developers who are eager to get the word out about their game most certainly are not. When contacting them, you may also suggest the idea of multiple copies, which you can then use for a giveaway or a contest. This is a great way to build your community and also great for the developer as they get even more exposure.

A similar approach can be used for miscellaneous gaming gear as well. First ask to review a product and then have a giveaway or a contest for the review unit (always inform and coordinate your plans with the company that provided the item though, just so everyone is on the same page).

As for giveaway ideas, it can be anything from asking visitors to follow the site's Twitter account and joining the mailing list to requiring more active participation.

Original features


Try and come up with some original, regular features. Something that will make your visitors take note and want to come back time and time again.

For example, make it a regular thing to publish a 'launch coverage' post for interesting games. Include the essential information about what the game is all about, some of the biggest headlines, a small collection of screenshots, trailers, gameplay videos etc. As the game launches and reviews begin pouring in, update the post with review scores and quotes from each review.

Doing this for games that people may not be that familiar with and giving them all the essential information on a silver platter is likely to be much appreciated and helps users discover games they might have otherwise missed.

PR lists


Finally, let the news come to you by getting yourself added to the PR lists of as many developers and publishers as you can. That way you'll get the news, trailers and screenshots at the same time as even the biggest sites. To do this, simply visit the developers' and publishers' websites; usually they have a dedicated section for PR inquiries through which you can contact them and ask to be on their PR mailing lists. In some cases you may need to contact a PR person directly, and in some cases there are automated signup forms that allow you to get updates only on the games/platforms you're interested in.

Additionally, you may find that publishers and developers often also have their own PR asset banks which you can register for and may want to keep an extra eye on during big events as that's when they're usually updated most frequently.

You can also sign up to GamesPress.com which publishes press releases and media daily and has a database of PR contacts available for registered users.

A quick suggestion: set up an email like press@yoursite.com, which comes off as far more professional than bobcat723@gmail.com.

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General tips


Some of these tips and suggestions may seem very basic but since there are so many sites out there that just ignore these points, they're worth pointing out.

Become a streamer


If you're not a streamer already, become one. It takes minimal effort to get started but can yield solid results in community building as it will in a very direct way introduce you to your audience.

You can also get creative and arrange fun giveaways during the stream. If you do that, be sure to alert your readers beforehand so they know to show up at a specific time and participate.

Streaming can also serve as another source of content for your site as you can always publish the recorded video afterwards, allowing people who missed it to catch up. And if you or a team member can edit video, you can create fun 5-10 minute "best of" compilations of previous streams.

If you opt to play via Twitch, you can use our free "Stream Status for Twitch" plugin to drive traffic to the stream by alerting your site visitors when you're streaming.

Avoid clickbait and don't make users work for the content


No one likes to be cheated. Not only is this an ineffective way to build a following, it will actively work against the effort as people will remember cheap tactics such as this. And when submitting your content to news aggregator sites, this is a also good way to earn the scorn of the community on these sites as well as the moderators who regularly change titles of submitted stories to accurately reflect the content.

And if you publish content like top lists, never place each point on a separate page (unless each point is of notable length). It may seem like a tempting idea to get more page views by breaking up content into small chunks, but again, it's a horrible approach to build a community as visitors absolutely hate loading a new page unless justified.

If you want visitors to like and remeber your site in a positive light, it's best to avoid these kinds of approaches and truly focus on interesting and quality content.

Encourage discussion


Always try to engage your audience and make it a dialogue instead of a monologue. Pose questions to your visitors, always respond when someone comments and be ok with being challenged.

Begin highlighting the best comments of the week or month and have a monthly giveaway or draw for most active community members.

Get our the word about your content


A lot of sites have news tip submission forms or news tip email addresses. When you've put out some great unique content -- like a newsworthy quote from an interview you've conducted -- don't only submit it to news aggregators but also send it other video game sites. A lot of sites are happy to cover great content and will give you a backlink at the same time. When sites contact you with the same request, of course repay the favor whenever appropriate.

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Final words


If you'd like to see additions to this document, don't hesitate getting in touch with us via BonfireThemes.com and sending us your ideas, suggestions and questions. We're always happy to hear from our customers and taking your feedback into account!

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