Pinoy PlayStation

Hi PinoyPS!

My name's Alex Co, and I'm the Editor-in-Chief of PlayStation LifeStyle. More importantly (I think), I'm based here in Manila and we're looking to expand our Asian gaming coverage. =)

For reference, PlayStation LifeStyle (or PSLS) is a US-based publication that's under the Crave Online (Evolve Media) network of sites that include Craveonline.com, Actiontrip, Coming Soon, Game Revolution and a LOT more. As the name implies, we focus on PlayStation-related news that I think is a good fit with the PinoyPS. Regarding traffic, we average a few million views per month, which is no small feat -- especially if you consider that we only report on PS stuff. Most of it come from the US and UK. As you can see, me being here in Manila, I want our Asian audiences to be in that same loop as well.

I'm posting now not only to ask PinoyPS people to visit the site, but to also ask feedback on what the forum's readers want to see from a PlayStation-focused site. For E3, we previewed a ton of games, even got to do an on-cam interview with Shuhei Yoshida and Visceral for Battlefield: Hardline and tons more. Presently, we have a lot more interviews lined up, as well as giveaways and even a few features/regular columns that I think people will like.

Just in case you want to check it out:

http://www.playStationlifestyle.net (Site)
https://twitter.com/PSLifeStyle (Twitter)
https://www.facebook.com/PlaystationLifestyle (Facebook)

As for me personally, I've been writing professionally for US-based gaming websites for a few years now with outlets ranging from VGchartz, Gameranx, MP1st and a few others. I was the EIC of Pixel Enemy in 2013, before I transitioned to being the network's General Manager in early 2014. I vacated the post mid-May in good standing and was recruited by PSLS to spearhead the site's new direction starting last month. Oh, and I also write news for The Escapist Magazine (non-gaming due to my contract to PSLS). If ever you want to chat, send me a PM here or via Twitter (https://twitter.com/excaliburps) and I promise, I'll do my best to reply.

I'm also hoping that "games journalism" (I hate that term) is something we can expand in the country. I don't see any reason why Singapore/HK and other Asian countries have legit journalists who cover games and get paid, while the Philippines does not (from what I know, every magazine and site went kaput). So, if ever you're considering to be a games writer, contact me and I'll do my best to help out. Just be prepared since the job is not as fun as you think it is.

Hope to hear from everyone in PinoyPS!

Thanks, mods for letting me post this! =)
Alex

So what are the requirements?

Khrysler Jerikho wrote:So what are the requirements?

Mostly, knowing what your forte is and the knowledge to write well. Learning AP (Associated Press) US Style is very, very beneficial since you can use that to "sell" yourself.

Once you've been published under a reputable site/publication, it gets easier. That's the same with building contacts for review copies, and interviews as well. I'd really love to help people since i know some of 'em see this as their "dream job" of sorts. And people should remember that unless you've built a portfolio, don't expect huge sums of money right away. That's the thing, most sites take advantage of writers and just offer pennies or review copies in exchange for work.

I think this WILL be a very engaging thread in the future. For sure there'll be people who would be interested in doing this as a profession, too.

MAD PROPS, sir /salute

Alex: hope you don't mind that i forwarded this link to 2 folks i know from another forum that do this on a semi, if not professional basis.

Hi Alex. I'm a lawyer and I also teach Legal Writing in one of the city-run law schools here in the metro.

I have no background in AP style writing. Where do you suggest I start?

I also frequently visit PSLS. Nice work!

Somnambulist wrote: I have no background in AP style writing. Where do you suggest I start?

Sorry to budge, but this might help:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2664713/Assoc ... the-basics

Thanks bro. I have that already.

What I was asking is really how to start (where to get topics, what to write, where to get published). I don't mind not getting paid.

Wow! Wasn't expecting this many replies right away.

Khrysler Jerikho wrote:I think this WILL be a very engaging thread in the future. For sure there'll be people who would be interested in doing this as a profession, too.

MAD PROPS, sir /salute

Thanks, sir! =) I think part of me wants to broaden the games media presence here in the country, and the same time, I do want people to talk to when it comes to these things.

Important thing to note is: it's a slog to do this as a career. When I first started, I was getting paid pocket change in exchange for experience. But once you gain enough experience, contacts and such, it can be very rewarding. =)

xgh0st12x wrote:Alex: hope you don't mind that i forwarded this link to 2 folks i know from another forum that do this on a semi, if not professional basis.

Sure. I don't think I mind. My Twitter and name can already be seen everywhere Heck, my real pic can be seen on the staff page http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/staff/ =) PM me where you sent it, though, so I know if someone contacts me and such. By you saying it's "semi," you mean they sometimes get paid and sometimes do it for free?

Somnambulist wrote:Hi Alex. I'm a lawyer and I also teach Legal Writing in one of the city-run law schools here in the metro.

I have no background in AP style writing. Where do you suggest I start?

I also frequently visit PSLS. Nice work!

Thanks! I used to have a co-worker who was the head of IT in a prominent school in Singapore. He was older than me, too. Games are an attraction to all professions and age groups these days, no?

AP writing and legal writing are two very different things -- same with writing for news, and features. My advice? Aside from reading through links for pointers, read sites that practice AP. Some of these include The Escapist, Kotaku (to some degree), Polygon, and a few others.

ChardPurple wrote:

Somnambulist wrote: I have no background in AP style writing. Where do you suggest I start?

Sorry to budge, but this might help:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2664713/Assoc ... the-basics

Yep, this should help; but the main teacher is experience. Once you get published somewhere (especially if it's a good site), then it's much easier to have people pay for your work. =)

Somnambulist wrote:Thanks bro. I have that already.

What I was asking is really how to start (where to get topics, what to write, where to get published). I don't mind not getting paid.

Depends on what you want to write about. News, features or reviews? I find that reviews are the ones that take the most time. I honestly don't like doing reviews since it's so time consuming. I do get review copies, though, which is a very nice bonus to have. =) News are more strict when it comes to structure, and such, compared to features where you can "wing it" sometimes since it's more free-flowing.

---

Right. I'll let the board in on something we're cooking up at PSLS. Starting this month (I hope), we will be doing a community-driven feature where the best submissions will not only get its own post on the site (and thus be read by over 2 million people), but will also get something from us. =) I'll link to it once it's live since we haven't announced this just yet. We have a few regular columns and features in the pipeline that I hope readers will love (I admit, some readers of the site can be quite er, rude, when it comes to fanboy-ism).

I completely agree that the games media deserves a stronger presence here. Thank you Alex for reaching out to the Philippine community to get the ball rolling. We have a huge community of passionate gamers in all platforms, and I'm quite surprised past sites and magazines just slowly disappeared.

I have a huge passion for the video game industry and I've been writing for a few years through a blog on the side to get some practice. I Will definitely throw you a PM via Twitter.

Been visiting the PSLifestyle site since the PS3 days, glad to see the EIC here and a Filipino too, hopefully this will be start of something bigger

clos22 wrote:I completely agree that the games media deserves a stronger presence here. Thank you Alex for reaching out to the Philippine community to get the ball rolling. We have a huge community of passionate gamers in all platforms, and I'm quite surprised past sites and magazines just slowly disappeared.

I have a huge passion for the video game industry and I've been writing for a few years through a blog on the side to get some practice. I Will definitely throw you a PM via Twitter.

Yeah, not only a bigger presence, but seen as actual "media" as well. I can't even tell you how many times I've gotten strange looks from relatives and people. They always say, "people actually pay you to PLAY games?" I go, "yes," and then they ask "why?"

For past publications, I'd say the market wasn't ripe enough yet and they were solely targeting MMOs, which, in this country, isn't where the money is. Console gamers are more willing to spend cash, and thus, be targeted more. Just my observation. Sounds good! Tweet away! I'm always online.

darkwing_uop wrote:Been visiting the PSLifestyle site since the PS3 days, glad to see the EIC here and a Filipino too, hopefully this will be start of something bigger

Thanks, man! FYI: PSLS was the one who leaked The Last Guardian gameplay video (Google it) which caused a massive PR blow to the site when it came to Sony. I'll tell you all about it one of these days. There's a bunch of "insider" stuff and whatnot that never gets published that I'm hoping sees the light at some point.

Also, I posted here before when I was at Gameranx. I was the Lead News Writer/Managing Editor there. Gameranx isn't as big as PSLS, but still gains significant ground. VGChartz is, of course, well-known, but the site I wrote for (gamrFeed) is no longer active.

Let me know what you guys want to see in PSLS. I even made a forum thread there asking readers for feedback and such http://forums.playstationlifestyle.net/ ... ates.1703/ (mods, feel free to let me know if I'm breaking rules). At the same time, I'm very happy to answer any questions anyone has regarding games writing and pushing for it as your full-time job. =)

excaliburps wrote:

clos22 wrote:I completely agree that the games media deserves a stronger presence here. Thank you Alex for reaching out to the Philippine community to get the ball rolling. We have a huge community of passionate gamers in all platforms, and I'm quite surprised past sites and magazines just slowly disappeared.

I have a huge passion for the video game industry and I've been writing for a few years through a blog on the side to get some practice. I Will definitely throw you a PM via Twitter.

Yeah, not only a bigger presence, but seen as actual "media" as well. I can't even tell you how many times I've gotten strange looks from relatives and people. They always say, "people actually pay you to PLAY games?" I go, "yes," and then they ask "why?"

For past publications, I'd say the market wasn't ripe enough yet and they were solely targeting MMOs, which, in this country, isn't where the money is. Console gamers are more willing to spend cash, and thus, be targeted more. Just my observation. Sounds good! Tweet away! I'm always online.

I'm not sure if everyone else sees it, but there's still a negative connotation for anything gaming here locally. The mainstream media won't really pick a gaming-related story unless there's some sort of crime associated to it (like DotA-related killings).

Even with the advent of eSports, gaming isn't really on the top of anyone's lists. Does anyone know that a Filipino dude topped the SEA Majors for Blazblue Chrono Phantasma last month? Probably not. Same goes with cl. Filipino Champ, dude's repping Pinoy Pride and all (daw) and yet no one cares in the mainstream media

Khrysler Jerikho wrote:
Yeah, not only a bigger presence, but seen as actual "media" as well. I can't even tell you how many times I've gotten strange looks from relatives and people. They always say, "people actually pay you to PLAY games?" I go, "yes," and then they ask "why?"

For past publications, I'd say the market wasn't ripe enough yet and they were solely targeting MMOs, which, in this country, isn't where the money is. Console gamers are more willing to spend cash, and thus, be targeted more. Just my observation. Sounds good! Tweet away! I'm always online.

I'm not sure if everyone else sees it, but there's still a negative connotation for anything gaming here locally. The mainstream media won't really pick a gaming-related story unless there's some sort of crime associated to it (like DotA-related killings).

Even with the advent of eSports, gaming isn't really on the top of anyone's lists. Does anyone know that a Filipino dude topped the SEA Majors for Blazblue Chrono Phantasma last month? Probably not. Same goes with cl. Filipino Champ, dude's repping Pinoy Pride and all (daw) and yet no one cares in the mainstream media [/quote]

I think mainstream media covering games won't be happening soon. It's the same in the US, unless it's something bad they can pin on video games. I do want more people to test the waters and such when it comes to games writing. Everyone is just a post away from being a "pro" (being paid). As long as your writing is sound, the rest will (hopefully) follow. =)

Are we looking at an online site here? Or do you guys have plans to go to print as well?

Khrysler Jerikho wrote:Are we looking at an online site here? Or do you guys have plans to go to print as well?

You mean PSLS or something else? I'm mostly talking about online sites, since print is a dying format.

From what I know,we have no plans to go print, since it's almost suicide from a financial standpoint at this point. Same reason why I never worked for print mags within the country; the pay wouldn't be enough.

I agree with Alex that console gaming, or even PC gaming is where the money is at. MMOs and MOBAs are HUGE in this country, but we are talking about games in the Free-To-Play business model(Crossfire, Dota 2, LoL, whatever Korean MMO). Buying games legit is not cheap at all and I applaud everybody who supports the industry considering how piracy is what it is here. We have people willing to order for a Collector's Edition or some PSN card to buy something online.

From what I've experienced since the previous generation, console gaming is quiet but big. We still see lines when a big release hits shelves(GTA V), tons of gamers in retail looking for their next fix(Sundays), so I'm surprised there's no big media catering to them in a big way. I think the strongest catering to such a community are forums like PinoyPS.

Price drops, sales, release dates, it's mostly being carried through social media channels from retailers or word of mouth. PinoyPS and other forums are actually one of the best sources for anything local.

Maybe someone can help me with this one? Because I remember refreshing the Final Fantasy XIII thread way back because I was anxiously waiting for the release here. Since retailers are not so transparent and will only announce when they have it, I found myself checking the thread constantly if someone has got confirmation that the copies have arrived and is ready for purchase. Maybe I'm the only one? But that's what I experienced. Point is - Coverage is very minimal, and I hope we see a change in a few years.

Another thing is the E-Sports and big events happening locally. We have talented players here and they deserve all the coverage they can get.

clos22 wrote:I agree with Alex that console gaming, or even PC gaming is where the money is at. MMOs and MOBAs are HUGE in this country, but we are talking about games in the Free-To-Play business model(Crossfire, Dota 2, LoL, whatever Korean MMO). Buying games legit is not cheap at all and I applaud everybody who supports the industry considering how piracy is what it is here. We have people willing to order for a Collector's Edition or some PSN card to buy something online.

From what I've experienced since the previous generation, console gaming is quiet but big. We still see lines when a big release hits shelves(GTA V), tons of gamers in retail looking for their next fix(Sundays), so I'm surprised there's no big media catering to them in a big way. I think the strongest catering to such a community are forums like PinoyPS.

Price drops, sales, release dates, it's mostly being carried through social media channels from retailers or word of mouth. PinoyPS and other forums are actually one of the best sources for anything local.

Maybe someone can help me with this one? Because I remember refreshing the Final Fantasy XIII thread way back because I was anxiously waiting for the release here. Since retailers are not so transparent and will only announce when they have it, I found myself checking the thread constantly if someone has got confirmation that the copies have arrived and is ready for purchase. Maybe I'm the only one? But that's what I experienced. Point is - Coverage is very minimal, and I hope we see a change in a few years.

Another thing is the E-Sports and big events happening locally. We have talented players here and they deserve all the coverage they can get.

Yes, while F2P games are bigger here, the market (spending one that is) are heavily leaning on the console sector. We're aiming to factor in gaming news that will affect Asian markets, but seeing as we're PS-focused, it will be limited.

On another note, someone on the forums messaged me on Twitter and asked if I can meet him (them?) over coffee on Friday to talk about the industry. If anyone wants to join, feel free to do so. It's going to be in Makati, and we can talk about games journalism. Should help a bit especially those who want to "break in." =)

Hopefully you could also visit our booth at the upcoming Gaming Quest event as well

#shamelessplugging

Khrysler Jerikho wrote:Hopefully you could also visit our booth at the upcoming Gaming Quest event as well

#shamelessplugging

Saw the banner. Is it worth covering for PSLS? Not sure what focus it will be. I might ask them if I can come as media, too.