Here we go...

Thoughts on going independent to cover the video game scene.

A scene from Horizon Forbidden West. Screenshot: Sony Interactive Entertainment (Captured by me)

Welcome to Game File. 

Some years ago, I got one of the best birthday presents I could ever hope for: a scoop about a fascinating thing that happened in a video game. 

I’d discovered that the people who made the latest Tomb Raider had accidentally shipped the game with the wrong ending, secretly switched it with a downloadable update that they thought no one would notice, and only got caught because a gamer living in a remote part of Japan had bad internet.

That’s the kind of stuff I’m here for, and that I hope you’re here for, too: serious journalism about the always fascinating and occasionally ridiculous world of video games.

Across a 20-year career, I’ve covered the business and culture of video games for MTV News, Kotaku, The New York Times and most recently for Axios, where I published a twice-weekly newsletter that mixed original reporting and a cheat-sheet about what’s happening in gaming.

In the last three years, I’ve interviewed the heads of PlayStation, Xbox, Epic, Ubisoft and leaders in The Pokémon Company, Activision, TikTok and EA (plus: the voice of Zelda). I’ve interviewed brilliant creators, highlighted the plight of laid-off workers, and given voice to developers unhappy with their leadership. I broke the news of a secret $2 billion Saudi gaming deal that collapsed and triggered a wave of industry layoffs. And I discovered a lost Xbox game that was canceled two decades ago. I spoke to experts about why 2023 was the best and worst year for video games. I’ve written about game developers creating accessibility options for people with phobias, about big-budget games letting more players play as trans characters, and about the quiet effort to track video game developers’ deaths. I reviewed Zelda and Mario, then turned to my kids to review WarioWare. I even wrote about video games for dogs.

Now I’m here on Substack with Game File, the new home for most of my gaming coverage.

Going independent is something I’ve considered for years while working for ad-supported media. I’m finally doing it with the launch of Game File, a Substack. It’s a simple concept deployed here and elsewhere, including by some incredible former colleagues and peers: I’m asking you, the reader of my reporting, to support my reporting, with a free subscription or even, if you can manage it, a monthly or yearly paid plan.

My goals are unchanged. I want to tell you the most interesting stories I can find about the video game scene. Some are stories you wanted to know, others may simply be ones you should know, always backed with reporting that respects your curiosity, your intelligence and your time.

I’ll tell these stories through interviews with a who’s who of people in gaming, with an ear listening for the voices that need to be heard and with an ever-careful eye on the fine print (I’ve got a rep for scouring financial filings and court records that I will maintain here).

Publishing plans: If you followed my work at Axios, you’ll be especially comfortable with what’s to come:

-   Three newsletters a week, each topped with a lead story, followed by a round-up of gaming news that can serve as a cheat sheet for those who want to keep up with the gaming scene quickly (My plan: Two of the three will be for paid subscribers.)

-   And for Axios readers who have enjoyed my interviews with my kids about the games they’re playing, don’t worry. That’ll be part of this, too, as long as they can fit me into their schedule.

From now until early January 8, Game File will be in soft launch. Anything I publish during this time will be free. I’ve got a trickle of stories planned, starting with a revisit of some of my older interviews (let’s see, there’s my first-ever chat with Satoru Iwata from 2004; there’s conversation I had with David Chase about the Sopranos game; and what’s this one labeled “David Hasselhoff”??)

On January 8, Game File kicks into its regular publishing cycle.

If you want to start paying now, I won’t object. It’ll help me determine if I can really make a living delivering my reporting this way.

Subscriptions will be $10/month, or $100/year. This is the first time in my career I’ve been able to ask readers to directly pay for my work. I’m not going to pretend that’s not intimidating, but I promise I’ll make it worth it.

P.S.: Please spread the word. Share news of this Substack with your friends or your co-workers who’ve need to know what’s going on in gaming and haven’t maxed out their expense accounts.

P.P.S: Drop me a line to tell me what you’d like me to cover—whether you’ve got a news tip to share, an interview suggestion or a question you’d love to get answered. 

I’ve always thought of my readership as the people I actually work for. That’s truer than ever. And I’m so very thankful for your interest and support.