Thursday 11 September 2014

Change Is Coming

"He who rejects change is the architect of decay."
- Harold Wilson

A few weeks ago, I made mention in this post that I received an invitation be a guest writer on a game-centric blog titled No Game No Talk. Thus far, I've had a good time working with the site's owner and have managed to contribute, to NGNT, a handful of features and reviews. Over the past weekend, we had a quick chat about the "future" and we reached a collaborative agreement of sorts where I'd hop on and write as part of NGNT's crew on a regular basis. Bearing all of that in mind, a few questions do rear their heads.


What does me writing for NGNT mean, exactly?
It is as I've written. I'll essentially be contributing content to NGNT. Also, as part of our new collaborative agreement, I'll be elevated to the status of an editor and will work with the site's owner in a partnership to expand the website's scope of content and pool of writers.



What are my goals for working with NGNT?
As always, my utmost priority is to gain exposure and to get in touch with the gaming community and industry at large. My blog and habits have always been very insular in nature (which is bad) so entering a professional partnership for NGNT will very likely mean good things for the future. In terms of NGNT, the website has a following as it is. However, we'd like to take it a step further and make it the go-to site for anything and everything to do with gaming in Singapore and in South East Asia.



What will happen to Mike Rambles About Stuff?
Essentially nothing. This blog will remain as it is, hopefully for many years to come. However, having to actively contribute to two separate blogs can get understandably taxing. As such, upon deep consideration, I've reached the decision to take Mike Rambles About Stuff down a different path.



A different path? What do you mean by that, exactly?
Post depression, my original intent for Mike Rambles About Stuff was for it to gradually evolve into a blog that features posts and blurbs on game design. However, as time passed, this evolution didn't quite take place. Instead, I ended up writing about anything and everything that I personally found post-worthy. Looking ahead, I intend to finally make a push towards turning Mike Rambles About Stuff into a blog that focuses more on game design and in-depth analyses whereas my standard slew of posts (reviews, opinions, guides, etc.) will instead be posted up on NGNT.



In terms on content, where can I find [insert topic/category/genre here] ?
As you may have surmised from the last question, the content that I churn out on a daily basis will be split between Mike Rambles About Stuff and NGNT. More specifically...

Mike Rambles About Stuff will feature...
...articles on game design, trends and methods.
...analyses of game content, mechanics, characters, etc.
...my opinions on various books, movies and television shows.
...random blurbs about my daily life

No Game No Talk will feature...
...game previews and reviews, long and short.
...game guides and pro-tips.
...opinion pieces on games, beta-tests, etc.
...regular columns on casual and nostalgic games (huge maybe here).
...coverage for gaming events and competitions.



What are your immediate plans for both blogs?
To start with, Mike Rambles About Stuff will probably see an initial decline in posting frequency. I'll very likely be taking some time to shift some things around, re-code certain features of the blog and, should I have the time, make changes to the blog's template.

For NGNT, I'll start actively contributing to the website (where I can) and work on a recruitment campaign. Speaking of which, if you have a knack for writing and have a passion or close affinity for games (of all kinds and mediums), feel free to hit me up for a writing position if you'd like your voice to be heard by fellows from the gaming community.



Will these questions never end?
They do in fact, right here. For now, this is as much information as I can offer.

With everything that I've written in this post, I genuinely hope that readers who regularly visit this blog will continue to support me regardless of where I write. For now, I shall take my leave and hopefully, with time, I'll see a few familiar faces over at No Game No Talk. See you later everybody and as always, thanks for your continued support!