Blog Post #1 – Carving Out My Niche?

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I decided to start blogging to make this space a bit more personal and also because I feel sort of lost. It’s been hard to make reviews not only due to life, but also because I’m exhausted from trying to be overly professional. Trying to play the newest games, write reviews, all in order to become recognized by readers and developers has become kind of tiring.

Maybe I dreamed too big, but regardless I feel like my heart is slipping away from something I thoroughly enjoy. The atmosphere surrounding video games has changed so much, that I feel like an old head. The way everyone is discussing games, and the type of content being pumped out in general, I can’t get down with it.

Not sure when it happened, but the gaming press became less about information and more about constantly entertaining people. Reaction videos, misleading headlines, chasing leaks, culture wars, milking topics, that just isn’t me. Nowadays it all seems necessary in order to not to get buried by the algorithm.

I don’t want to be an influencer. I don’t want to be caught in between having to validate fan opinions while being afraid to say anything critical of a product out of fear of being black balled. I wanted to be the next Reggie-Fils-Aimè.

I envisioned myself not only endorsing games, but also providing input to make them better. Even if it isn’t done on the big stage, I’d gladly do it behind the scenes. I just want to play a role in process of helping deliver games that put a smile on people’s faces.

However, the ecosystem has changed so much. A lot of people associate the hobby with their whole identity, and you have to know everything about a game, excel at it, hype it to extremes or even sometimes deny its flaws in order for your opinion to be taken seriously. How can I carve out my niche and find my place in a medium now taken so seriously?

12 responses to “Blog Post #1 – Carving Out My Niche?”

  1. Adam Meadows Avatar
    Adam Meadows

    Are you thinking about giving up?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Hello Adam. No, I’d still like to pursue my goal. I do think that it’s time to rethink my approach and execution. I love writing and talking about the hobby, maybe that can eventually translate into marketing.

      It’s just frustrating looking at the state of gaming journalism, because while I take pride in my style it doesn’t seem to fit in this current landscape. I try to be thorough and informative and today it’s about churning out content as fast as possible. Thinking a bit smaller will probably help too, since I’m only one person.

      I really appreciate you reading. Even the simple comments such as yours help motivate me.

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      1. Adam Meadows Avatar
        Adam Meadows

        I’m in a somewhat similar bind. My blog is electricworlds.net

        if you want to talk games and writing, by all means hit me up on the email associated with this comment.

        Like

      2. Cory Avatar
        Cory

        Sure I’d love to. Sent an email your way.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. doomfan1 Avatar
    doomfan1

    “Not sure when it happened, but the gaming press became less about information and more about constantly entertaining people. Reaction videos, misleading headlines, chasing leaks, culture wars, milking topics, that just isn’t me. Nowadays it all seems necessary in order to not to get buried by the algorithm.”

    The current state of the video game industry agitates me also, and especially the culture war bullshit. Personally, I feel the video game industry needs a massive shakeup in multiple areas (do not forget about crunch, general workplace culture, pay to win nonsense, etc.), especially in how game developers are treated (whether by companies or the “fans”). One thing that agitates me to no end is when developers get threatened by “fans” (mainly people who watch the culture war bullshit videos).

    Palworld Devs Are Getting Death Threats

    The Harassment of Game Developers — End of a Species

    Baldur’s Gate 3 developer asks fans to “please stop” sending threats over upcoming mod support | Eurogamer.net

    7 instances when gamers threatened to kill their favorite game developers | GamesRadar+

    STALKER 2 Developers Threatened by Russian Fans After Data Breach; GSC Issues Response

    Despite $500,000 win against abusive ‘fan,’ Destiny 2 developers are still being harassed ‘just because they work at Bungie’ | PC Gamer

    The Last Of Us Part II Abby actor claims fans threatened her child | VGC

    Cyberpunk 2077 Developer Decries Death Threats, Reminds Fans Devs Are People Too

    I do hope the state of gaming and gaming culture improves one day. But I feel I am too optimistic at times. It’s sad because gaming is genuinely a blast, and I have basically recaptured all the love I have for the medium after I stopped paying attention to the culture war bullshit a few years ago. I mean, people literally called the Super Mario Brothers Movie “woke” because of Peach taking a commanding role (the movie was basically Mario’s origin story, so the fish out of water trope works) during the movie and because RAINBOW ROAD was in the movie. I think social media is also a significant problem because it gives people a false sense of bravado.

    Perhaps you can talk about the games you like that you have played already (tying into your comment about marketing above). That’s basically what I’ve been doing. The newest game I have reviewed (minus any mods/modifications or what Nintendo fans call ROM Hacks) came out in 2018 (Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon).

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      I completely agree. It’s also refreshing to hear someone else hold the gaming community accountable. I do not think companies, developers, or journalists are perfect, but there’s definitely a double standard when it comes to how some people in community handle themselves. Curse of the Moon was brilliant and I think your approach is the way to go.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. electricworlds.net Avatar
    electricworlds.net

    Hi Cory – sorry to be a pain. Can you forward your email to arjmfreelance@gmail.com? Not sure where your email has landed strangely.

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    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Hello Adam, I apologize for the late response the past month has been hectic and I also work overnights for the time being. I’m sending you another email now. It’ll be from cory@gamingresurged.com

      Edit:
      I just saw your reply Adam. You can Disregard the second message.

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  4. Rohan Kumar Avatar
    Rohan Kumar

    This really resonated with me. The way you described feeling exhausted from trying to be “overly professional” and chasing recognition is something a lot of creators go through but rarely talk about openly.

    I especially liked your point about how gaming content has shifted more toward constant entertainment, reaction-style content, and algorithm-chasing rather than honest perspectives. It does feel like authenticity sometimes gets buried under trends.

    I think carving out a niche today might actually come from doing the opposite—leaning into your genuine voice instead of competing with the noise. There’s definitely still an audience for thoughtful, honest takes on games.

    Curious—do you think focusing on more personal or reflective content (like this post) could actually help you stand out more than traditional reviews?

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Hello Rohan,

      Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I think the problem is rarely discussed because gaming journalism has shifted heavily towards content creation, which heavily requires maintaining a persona.

      Aside from here I don’t really consume content because there’s no in-between in the current climate. Things are over hyped or over hated. I do believe that personal, reflective, and more genuine content in general will stand out. I think the issue is what you mentioned, that this type of content gets buried so deep.

      You also mentioned “constant” engagement and that is major problem with things now. I remember when sites like IGN, Gamespot, etc had days where they didn’t post anything because there was simply nothing to report on. Gaming isn’t the news where people cover daily occurrences like crime, weather, or traffic jams.

      Games(especially bigger releases) have long development cycles where months/years can go by without a trailer or any details at all. Yet, we have people reporting on leaks, even downright lying in order to post multiple pieces of content daily? Sad part is that it works.

      Maybe it’s the age of social media, but viewers have to constantly be entertained. Nobody can “wait” anymore or just appreciate the silence on the slow days.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Mukesh Sharma Avatar
    Mukesh Sharma

    I really relate to what you said about the shift in gaming culture—it’s not just content creators feeling this pressure, even the industry side has become heavily performance-driven. A lot of decisions today are influenced by traffic, engagement, and monetization models rather than pure passion.

    Even in areas like iGaming, the focus has shifted toward acquiring high-intent users through structured strategies (like choosing the right traffic sources for casino and sports betting campaigns), which shows how deeply algorithms and data are shaping the space.

    I think carving out a niche today isn’t about competing with noise, but about staying authentic while understanding how the ecosystem actually works behind the scenes.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Hello Mukesh,
      I appreciate you stopping by. I agree with you, specifically your last paragraph. I have been thinking about returning to writing often lately, and I think being authentic is my greatest strength.
      I did use to worry about the negativity that naturally comes with putting yourself out there, but even that doesn’t deter me anymore. I’d be content with just creating a group of ten people who even if the don’t agree on everything, provide genuine critiques and discussion about gaming. That would be far more satisfying than just going through the motions to simply entertain a group of thousands who just want a show pony and not anything truly meaningful.

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