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GAMES MEDIA FOCUS
running since 2006, making it far and away the longest-running major UK games podcast, which is reflected in high-charting positions on the iTunes Games and Hobbies charts, as well as our inaugural Games Media Award win. Likewise, our video show Start/Select combines features, previews, interviews and competitions and has been running now for over two years, and has over 70 episodes. ON WHAT TODAY’S GAMERS DEMAND FROM THEIR MEDIA... Patrick Garratt: The internet is now present in every aspect of gaming, including information – today’s gamer wants services, not publications: we see the site as a service. VG247 answers the question ‘What’s going on?’ That’s a big draw for the serious gamer and enthusiastic industry employee. In reality, very few sites do what we do.
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The internet is now present in every aspect of gaming. Today’s gamer wants services, not publications. Pat Garratt, VG247
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Adam Doree, Director, Kikizo: I don’t think the games media is going to change drastically over the coming years, there’s so much variety out there right now. My business is concerned with catering to those who want to talk to gamers. Addressing their marketing needs is the key to making sure we stay around to tell gamers why Virtua Fighter’s better than Tekken. Alex Simmons: The way we all consume information has changed over the last five years and the rise of Twitter, blogs and other methods of communication has led to a desire for more immediacy. Providing daily updates simply isn’t enough any more and the hunger for more information delivered in a timely fashion has led to the way IGN thinks about – and delivers – round-the clock news and opinion.
Adam McCann: What’s been very clear to me is an increasing expectation by users to easily find content that’s relevant to them. Long gone are read-only style websites, in order to stay ahead of the curve now publishers need to embrace customisation and user generated content. Facebook has done a wonderful job of showing us what is possible from a user interface perspective, and I think we’re going to be seeing some fantastic revolutions in the way video game sites cater for their audiences in the coming years. Damian Butt, Managing Director, Imagine Publishing: I don’t think the needs of gamers have changed fundamentally – they still want reviews and opinion they can trust, written well, and by professionals who have direct contact with the developers of