This is going to be a bit of an introspective  post I’m afraid but I have to get this out of my system. Its time for me to get a job, The Sprog has started going to nursery one morning a week and loves it so I feel like I’ll be able to leave him more often. Its funny really, we get to nursery and I bid him farewell at the door and he’s like “Yeah, OK, bye dad,” over his shoulder. If he was a teenager it would be a “Whatever” moment. My wee boy is growing up so fast, and its time I did the same.

I need to get a job. I’ve had a couple of interviews, the most promising being for the post of online reporter/web journalist for the company that publishes our local paper. I was very excited about this one but didn’t get it in the end. I did appreciate the fact that the Online Editor phoned me personally instead of sending a form letter. Apparently I was beaten by someone with qualifications in journalism, which is fair enough.

So I now have a choice, either I go all out to get some journalism qualifications or I get a soul destroying job that I can’t stand just to make ends meet. It would be fair to say that things are tight at the moment and me going back into full time education will only make them tighter. I really don’t want to get a job that I’m not going to enjoy. I’ve been there and done that, I would much rather get a part-time job and study towards getting some journalism qualifications.

after 15 years of trying to figure out what I want to do with my life I reckon I’ve finally figured it out and I’m going to go for it. I’ll be writing about my progress here of course and you may have noticed that the begging bowl has reverted to requests for money towards journalism course fees (please give generously :P)

I think thats enough introspection for the moment. Laters.

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As I sat in the coffee area provided, sipping an orange juice, I got the distinct feeling that I was overdressed in my suit (with a t-shirt, not shirt and tie). The various delegates, speakers and press came in in drips and drabs. The press were easy to spot, they were the ones hunting for somewhere to plug their laptops in. I’d left mine in the car, my first mistake, not to be made again, and so was left with my dictaphone and notepad as my only way of taking notes.

The feeling that this was my first day at a new job was quite distinct. People seemed to know other people here, of course the speakers and delegates would know quite a few people, its the industry they work in after all. The journos knew quite a few people too. I was all on my own, it was quite daunting. I got over it though. The first couple of presentations went without a hitch and I got copious (unreadable) notes from both.

To be honest though the content wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The EIF claims to be the only cultural festival for videogames, I didn’t see an awful lot of culture, what I did see was business. Many of the presentations were about how to exploit non-videogame culture for profit. Sony’s Singstar and Home on the PS3 are hoping to cash in on the surge in interest in downloadable music and things like Second Life.  So the focus was definitely outside the videogames industry and what the industry can do to make money from it. Some of the stuff about virtual societies was quite interesting, but the subject of censorship and getting games accepted as an art form was not discussed as much as I thought it would be.

The second day was really busy and I spent it hopping between presentations and game screenings, so didn’t have much of a chance to think about what was happening, I may have made an appearance as a vox pop on Sky but as I don’t get Sky I’ll never know. I did a little spiel in answer to a question about Second Life put to me by a journalist and trainee that didn’t have much of a clue about videogames, they were quite nice though. I can’t even remember what I said.

All in all I had a good time and know what I should be doing for next time out, which, if I can afford it, should be Game City in Nottingham in October. That’s a four day affair and will involve a lot of work, though now I know what to expect it shouldn’t come as much of a shock.

A couple of things to remember for next time:

1. Sort out internet access so you can post from absolutely anywhere, if there’s wi-fi use it, if not use your mobile, or if available a hard line.
2. Take notes with your laptop. I can’t read my own handwriting and the dictaphone works well in a one on one situation but not in a lecture hall when you’re sitting right at the back. Doing this will also improve your typing speed
3. Don’t try too hard to fit in, be yourself and if people want to talk to you they will. Also don’t be afraid to talk to complete strangers, that’s what you’re there for after all.
4. No more than two beers at any evening engagements.

Keeping these in mind should mean I can actually produce a greater volume of posts  during the conference rather than in fits and starts afterwards. Another thing to remember is to be prepared for a cold or other viral ailment, all those people from different places in close proximity spreading their unknown strains of various illnesses around almost guarantees one. I had one when I got back and have been feeling rotten since Wednesday.

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I had all this nervous energy floating around in my system and had to expend it somehow. So instead of rushing around in a flap at the last minute, I’m packed, I’ve got everything I need for the work I mean to do, I’ve got the majority my questions planned for my interview, I’ve planned out which talks I’m going to see.

In short I’ve run out of things to do but wait, and I still have a the twitches but this time don’t have the luxury of anything to do with them.

I’ll be sure to let you know how I get on, and you can judge how successfully I covered the event at Gaming Moments. For now though I’m going to play UT2004 to see if I can drain of some of this twitchyness.

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I went and bought a dictaphone, I’ve come up with some questions, but other than that I’m completely lost. I have no Idea about the etiquette for these affairs or the best way to go about making sure I get to ask all the things I want to in the time allotted.

I am aware of the need to prioritise questions, ask the ones that you definitely want answers to first. I also know that I may need to ad-lib some questions on the fly if the conversation heads in an interesting direction. Time will be limited, and I have to squeeze in a reader question (if I get any).

I’m going to be squeezing in a lot of research over the next week, both into the man himself and what he’s said previously about EVE, I don’t want to be asking questions that he’s been asked before.

Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

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This is the back of the business card, the front will have my contact details on it, I’ll be handing these out to anyone that’ll take one. I planon getting them from moo.com (I’m tempted to get stickers too but I think that may be a bit much).

This is the design for the t-shirt (preliminary draft) I’m going to get some someftware to put it into .svg format so I can get better quality printing on darker colours. Not sure where I’m going to get the t-shirt done yet I’m still pricing sources, am open to suggestions.

So your thoughts are welcome. I have a nagging feeling that there is a very similar design out there but as yet have been unable to find it, if anyone has seen this before somewhere I’d be grateful if you’d let me know. I’d like to get the design finalised and off to the printers ASAP. Comment in the box as usual.

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Of course I won’t be enjoying myself at all, I’ll be there for work. I have to get me some business cards printed, and figure out a way to take notes effectively, and work on my journalist’s face. I’m kind of glad that I got my hair cut now.

I’m so nervous right now I don’t know what to expect. I’m shitting myself, seriously.

What If I make a total ass of myself (I won’t be drinking so that’s not likely)? What If I get really nervous and clam up and don’t talk to anyone (this is what I’m most worried about)? What if…?

Sod it enough with the what ifs I’m going to go and enjoy the ride. Its the first time I’ve done anything like this and people will forgive me if I fuck up.

Any advice you care to give is most welcome. Messages of support or scare stories of your first time at something like this (needn’t be as press) are also welcome.

laters

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I’m planning on going to the Edinburgh Interactive Festival next month, if I can a) convince the wife that the £120 fee is worth it in the long run, or b) convince the organisers that I’m a member of the press (which I am).The thing is, I’m not sure if I need any kind of credentials, qualifications or certificates to say I’m a journalist. To many in the industry I’m sure their first thought is “Heh, another blogger,” and I can understand that attitude, I really can. There are thousands, no millions of us out there slogging at our keyboards, writing about our own pet passions. Writing our own news, from our own point of view. Without qualifications or experience, we write from our hearts for little or no money. Some write well, others not so well, but we work just as hard at it as our more mainstream colleagues.

I’m a gamer, or I would be if I had the time. What I mean is that I love video games. Its my passion. I’m lucky that I get paid (not very much at the moment, I’ll admit) to write about something I love. Games are a new artform, one whose possibilities defy even the foresight of those currently making games.  I grew up playing games and am part of the first generation who did so to have their own children. Thats something monumental right there. What is it about me, sitting at my PC writing about my passion, that makes me different from someone who does it for a newspaper, magazine, or a TV show?

I have written to the press contacts of various publishers and developers with no response. This was to get a comment for a story I was writing, I wanted to give a balanced view. That’s journalism. If I wanted to just publish my opinion I could have (and its what I did in the end, I had a deadline) but I sought balance. I wanted their opinion, I wanted all sides of the story.

There’s a quote from Babylon 5 which I think of when I’m writing;

Understanding is a three-edged sword. My side, your side, and the truth

I see this as the fundamental rule of journalism. The more opinions you gather about a story, the more information you get, the closer you can come to telling the truth.

Unfortunately the truth in this case is that bloggers aren’t taken seriously, unless they’ve already made a name for themselves. I’m in the process of making my name, take it from me, its bloody hard work.

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