A coursemate of mine blogged about the shared passion that brings the gaming community together, and I got to thinking.

Games journalism, and, to a certain extent, journalism in general, is definitely not something people get into for money. Hell, the last time I flicked through a university guide, those with a journalism degree were among the worst paid graduates in the whole of Britain. (If I had a pound for every bitter joke I've heard from underpaid games journalists...) It's also not exactly the best choice of stepping stone if you're aspiring to do something else later - the reality is, unfortunately, that people who work in the games industry are still often seen as nerds who just don't want to grow up and get a real job. Although this is slowly changing, the amount of discouraging feedback I've already gotten from lecturers, teachers, relatives and so forth is ridiculous, and I'm not even close to graduating yet.

However, without these hardships, the incredible, immense love everyone involved demonstrates for their craft wouldn't be as evident in the industry as it is now. Personally, this is what has always drawn me to games journalism - gaming journalists are gamers themselves, they are their own audience. There is an amazing degree of interaction between professionals, amateurs and readers, and that's something you rarely see in other fields. On the internet and in conventions, more often than not it is a matter of gamers meeting other gamers, not of journalists mingling with customers. Of course, this is a sweeping generalization, but I have yet to come across a quality publication that gives off a different impression.

Another factor that contributes to this is that the industry is still young, so there are a lot of players in the field who simply do it as a hobby. Both of my all-time favourite podcasts are done on a completely voluntary basis, but they are still absolutely committed to providing the highest possible quality entertainment. When I started to read my favourite magazine around ten years ago, I don't think they even had a proper office. They're now one of the biggest players in Finnish games journalism and have learned so much, but the drive and passion that was present a decade ago hasn't diminished one bit. And god, the things you can find on the internet. Message boards, blogs, YouTube channels...The number of games journalists who've worked their way up from the depths of the web is quite impressive and, for me, these success stories are a huge inspiration. To be willing to put so much effort into something without getting much back requires determination and affection for what you're doing.

This is actually something a Finnish podcast I listened to recently discussed in depth. The sweat and blood one needs to put into their work is completely disproportionate to the results one gets in such a competitive industry full of people who love it just as much as you do, and that is why you need to be absolutely sure you want to do it. Their message was basically "If you're looking for praise or pay, do something more constructive", and I have to say I completely agree. I'm not saying that games journalism is a completely thankless job, and I'm sure that's not what they meant either - it's just a fact that it's nature calls for absolute devotion. I'm quite sure that's why you regularly see people switching from games, be it journalism or production, to so-called greener fields: putting everything into something really tires you out. In a way, love for your job is thus both a blessing and a curse - it makes for a magnificent experience, but really cranks up what is required of you.

I notice I'm sort of starting to go off on a tangent here due to the sort of stream of consciousness style I wrote this entry in, so I'll just finish up by saying that despite, and first and foremost, BECAUSE of everything I talked about in this entry, games and gaming journalism are something that has stuck with me throughout almost two decades of waning and changing interests. It's very hard not to look up to people who work so hard to be able to do what they enjoy the most. And while I'm still far away from where my idols are right now, I'd like to think I have, or will eventually develop, what it takes to do the same. I, too, love this industry and everyone in it, and even though that alone may not be enough, it's a decent starting point.

To somehow sum up this sprawling, confusing mess of an entry, I thought it would be fitting to quote the slogan of the aforementioned Finnish magazine: "For the love of gaming."

(P.S. Day 17: The games journalist I talked about last time still hasn't unfollowed me on Twitter. This is going better than expected. I have also made direct contact with others and haven't spontaneously combusted as of yet. Wow.)