Writers of RockPaperShotgun, how did you come to progress to where you are now?

[MedinaRegal]

I'm just curious, I'm always fascinated by the talented writers here who write consistently above average articles.

[mpk]

Well, I know from playing EVE with Jim that he was raised in a pigeon loft by a mercenary group of freelance tabloid headline writers and had to produce copy for food* but I don't know about the rest of them.

*He says he's over that now.

[Rossignol]

Playing Quake 3 --> Applied for job at PC Gamer --> Didn't get it --> Wrote them an article about modems anyway --> Got a different job at PC Gamer --> reviewed Army Men games for three years --> Quit -->Wrote freelance for seven years ---> During that time RPS was set up ---> worked full time on RPS.

[mpk]

omg you lied

[Tom OBedlam]

I came to RPS on discovering that Jim and Kieron were here, having bought PCG exclusively for their features and reviews. When you ex-PCG types say things like "reviewed Army Men games for three years", I assume that mostly a joke, but how much of that is a real bitterness about it?

[Rossignol]

There's no bitterness. It was the best job in the world. RPS is, in part, my attempt to recreate that.

[thomwong]

I thoroughly recommend Jim's book This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities for an explanation of how he got started in games journalism, and why games matter.

[Web Cole]

I thoroughly recommend Jim's book This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities for an explanation of how he got started in games journalism, and why games matter.

I thoroughly second this recommendation.

[Schaulustiger]

I third this. It shows the kind of passion that - I think - still fuels Jim's writing. Plus, it's an entertaining and well-written book.

[tomeoftom]

Yeah, it's dope.

[Bonzrat]

Work experience at PC Format > Job at PC Format > Freelancing for various games mags (inc. PC Gamer) while at Future > Leaving Future because they don't nurture writers and instead try to force staff down managerial routes > Going freelance > Making wild plans in a pub with Messrs Rossignol, Gillen and Walker > Tada.

[duffster]

I third this. It shows the kind of passion that - I think - still fuels Jim's writing. Plus, it's an entertaining and well-written book.

£16 on amazon for the paperback!

[Ice-Fyre]

£16 on amazon for the paperback!

Read it for free online

http://www.digitalculture.org/books/this-gaming-life

Click the bit on the left

[Anthile]

Playing Quake 3 --> Applied for job at PC Gamer --> Didn't get it --> Wrote them an article about modems anyway --> Got a different job at PC Gamer --> reviewed Army Men games for three years --> Quit -->Wrote freelance for seven years ---> During that time RPS was set up ---> worked full time on RPS.

I'm curious, what is your favourite Army Men game? I remember they made a ton of different games in different genres, but I only liked the original.

[KieronGillen]

Left bedroom --> Went to office ---> Start writing.

<drumroll>Okay.

Reading Amiga Power --> Writing letters to Amiga Power --> One of AP's regular letter crazy folk --> Approached by AP writer in club and asked to do tips and stuff for them --> Pay for 2nd year of university --> AP Dies :( :( :( --> Finish degree --> Working bars, filling in job applications, writing zines -->Apply to PCG Tips --> Don't get the job --> Working bars, filling in job applications, writing zines --> Apply to PCG --> Do get the job --> Stay until become Dep Ed and leave --> Freelancer, forever, for everyone --> NGJ --> laughing, more freelancer --> Move in with Jim and he talks me into RPS --> MAKE RPS AND ENORMOUS SUCCESS --> Leave to write the X-men.

KG</drumroll>

[patricij]

Read it for free online

http://www.digitalculture.org/books/this-gaming-life

Click the bit on the left

Or get it for 11 pounds (shipping included)
from BookDepository.co.uk just as I did:
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/This-Gaming-Life-Jim-Rossignol/9780472033973

Well worth the price!

[Bongo_clive]

Left bedroom --> Went to office ---> Start writing.

<drumroll>Okay.

Reading Amiga Power --> Writing letters to Amiga Power --> One of AP's regular letter crazy folk --> Approached by AP writer in club and asked to do tips and stuff for them --> Pay for 2nd year of university --> AP Dies :( :( :( --> Finish degree --> Working bars, filling in job applications, writing zines -->Apply to PCG Tips --> Don't get the job --> Working bars, filling in job applications, writing zines --> Apply to PCG --> Do get the job --> Stay until become Dep Ed and leave --> Freelancer, forever, for everyone --> NGJ --> laughing, more freelancer --> Move in with Jim and he talks me into RPS --> MAKE RPS AND ENORMOUS SUCCESS --> Leave to write the X-men.

KG</drumroll>

Amiga Power love love love

[keely]

Hi, I'm a big fan of the site!

Just registered to ask this somewhat related question:

You seem to have a very unified style of writing and to be honest it often feels like every article is written by same person. I don't mind it and I think it's very cool. Is there a some sort of editorial system that leads to this sort of outcome or are the articles always written solely by the author?

[SMiD]

Hi, I'm a big fan of the site!

Just registered to ask this somewhat related question:

You seem to have a very unified style of writing and to be honest it often feels like every article is written by same person. I don't mind it and I think it's very cool. Is there a some sort of editorial system that leads to this sort of outcome or are the articles always written solely by the author?

.Hivemind.

[Lewie Procter]

Go on then.

Went to Uni to study business -> realised that just getting a degree probably wasn't enough to easilly get a fun, interesting and worthwhile job, so started SavyGamer as a side project in first year -> a friend of a friend saw on twitter that RPS were thinking about doing a weekly deal roundup, and I was terrified of the competition, so emailed them, and convinced them that I was better equipped to do it than they were -> after second year, I dropped out of uni to focus on SavyGamer full time - > was hideously poor for several years -> worked pretty hard for several years -> tricked RPS into letting me do other stuff too -> started earning liveable salary from SavyGamer earlier on this year.

[spindaden]

You seem to have a very unified style of writing and to be honest it often feels like every article is written by same person. I don't mind it and I think it's very cool. Is there a some sort of editorial system that leads to this sort of outcome or are the articles always written solely by the author?

I disagree with that actually, maybe I've been here too long, but I always found it easy to tell a Walker from a Meer or a Rossignol from a Gillen, admittedly the the writer can often be identified from the subject as much from the writing though.

This new boy Smith I haven't quite pegged yet, sometimes I mistake him for one of the oldies, but whenever i'm not quite sure who wrote it it's normally him.

[P7uen]

Yes, new boy Smith. I quite like the writing, seems a bit restrained maybe? Don't hold back on the personal style, go nuts!

Also, is it a real human or a pseudonym/rogue AI/cloned amalgam of all other RPS writers?