Help keep Game File going
How Game File's partial paywall will work, and why I'm doing it
This is still an experiment, and I’m optimistic it’s going to work.
A little over a month ago, I launched Game File. It was—and is—a continuation of my two-decade career covering video games. It’s also a leap of faith that I can make a living doing the work that I love through direct support from the people reading it.
Part of that plan, mentioned since launch, involves a partial paywall, which goes into effect the week of February 5.
Once the paywall kicks in, one of my three posts a week will still be free to all subscribers. That will probably be the Monday edition most weeks, but we’ll see.
The other two editions, sent on Wednesday and Friday, will require a paid subscription to read in full. Free subscribers will receive paywalled previews of those editions, which will include an intro summary and the top of the lead article.
I’m hopeful that you can pay. But I also understand that you may not be able to.
I get it. Subscriptions are expensive, and the economy is rotten for a lot of people right now.
I’m asking for $10 a month or $100 a year when you’re likely already juggling subscriptions to other newsletters, publications, gaming services, streaming networks, etc. Or maybe you’re feeling the pinch when buying groceries or other essentials.
Since Game File launched, I’ve heard from readers who have followed my work at Axios, Kotaku and even back to the MTV News days. Some have told me they’d love to support me but can’t afford it. All good. You’re part of the reason I will still send previews of the paid editions, because I want as many people as possible to still feel looped in.
I don’t take the decision to charge for my work lightly.
At every reporting job I’ve had, I would say that I was working for the readers. I knew that it was the readers’ interest that made my work possible.
That is why I always will do all I can to deliver coverage that is worthy of my readers’ time, that tells you what you need to know, that engages your curiosity, respects your intelligence and hopefully does its own small part in helping us all understand a fascinating corner of society, culture and business.
I dream that at some point I can add even more value to Game File, maybe do well enough to pay for illustrations, data viz or copy-editing, or even bring another writer on board. Maybe build a subscriber base that is so eager to support Game File’s mission that we can make all the work free and payment optional.
For now, this is the plan that I think is necessary to turn my work covering games through Game File into a sustainable salary.
I want to be clear about what you’d be paying for.
My main focus is reporting (about games, of course). In each edition of the newsletter, I aim to give you a mix of original reporting and a cheat-sheet round-up of what’s happening in gaming.
For decades, I’ve been able to land a who’s who of interviews, something I am working hard to continue at Game File. January was slow for booking them, but I have some good ones lined up for February.
I aim to tell you stories you’re not going to find out about otherwise, to be more than an echo chamber and give you original insights, accounts and data.
I’ll sometimes dig back into my reporting files to bring older, relevant conversations into the present, as I did during Game File’s soft launch.
And, because I play a ton of games, I’m going to tell you about what’s new and worth playing.
I also intend to travel to at least a few gaming events this year, including DICE, Game Developers Conference and the E3-replacement Summer Games Fest. These trips, which are always prime opportunities for reporting, can each cost $1,000 or more for flight and hotels.
I am purely focused on reporting, with zero plans to take any paid junkets from game companies nor do any consulting or other non-journalism work. I expect to do a small amount of freelance reporting, but at least 95% of my work energy will be for Game File.
For 20 years, my ability to report on games full-time was dependent on the whims of big media companies.
At MTV News, I knew my job was at least partially dependent on the success of shows like Laguna Beach and the Hills.
At Kotaku, my amazing team’s success could be threatened by pivots to or away from video, by the vagaries of Facebook and Google algorithms, and by the arrival of private equity owners ready to inflict upon us their misunderstanding of journalism.
At Axios, my last port of call, I knew that the outlet had taken an amazing bet on me when I convinced them to launch gaming coverage. And I knew they might at some point shift priorities, as they did when they told me last summer that my beat wouldn’t be funded in 2024.
Here, with Game File, I’m free of that.
You’ve probably seen how rough the journalism business has been lately: layoffs, shutdowns, just a bundle of misery. More people than ever read all kinds of news, but the business models to sustain the work seem more uncertain than ever. That’s why I and so many others are hopeful that the reader-backed model can work.
I own Game File. And 87% of every paid subscription goes to funding my work. Early support from paid subscribers has been strong, but I’m not at a sustainable wage yet (The growth chart is pointing in the right direction. The goal is just a ways away. Don’t worry. I’m committed to this for quite a while!).
If you can become a paid subscriber, thank you. It means the world to me.
If you can’t, thank you for reading. If you like what you read, please tell others about Game File, too.
The first month of Game File has been a thrill. I’m excited to keep doing this for a long time to come.