Write for Game Related Websites and earn Good $+

No...this isn't a pitch or anything.

It's a simple method to make money writing copy for the gaming market that exists out there.

1) Search through google for the following terms: MMOG, MMORPG, RTS, FPS etc. These terms are as follow: MMOG -> Massive Multiplayer Online Game; or; MMORPG -> Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game; RTS stands for Real Time Strategy and FPS stands for First Person Shooter.

2)Then do a quick scan over the next several pages for sites like these:
http://top50.onrpg.com/ , http://www.mmorpglist.com/ etc. You are basically looking for any sites that would be a list or blogs that write about several games and have links to the actual websites.

3)Once you have compiled a thorough list of these sites that list all these online games, then go through them and list every official website. This will take some time but these are your leads.

4)Create your own site or have a sub-domain affiliated with a site you own and create a portfolio-type site. This is what these website/company owners would like to see.

*** You may think copywriting doesn't exist in these markets, but they do. These sites depend on good content that is written for their games. Often the first page of a browser-based/Online game is the most essential part and many game owners have absolutely no idea on how to present their games to potential people that would like to play it.

5)Go to your leads and start contacting the owners of these sites and ask if they would like to consider keeping you in mind for future or current work. Make sure you have AIM, MSN and YIM since these people usually communicate via these instant messengers. Some owners will require that you talk to them and for that you need XFire, Teamspeak or Ventrillo. These VoIP systems are easy to use and to speak to people. In the gaming world people use it to communicate all the time.

That is the easy 5 step plan to get some work in the gaming world.

"What about the actual copywriting?" you may ask.

Well the easiest jobs to find will be people that purchase browser-based or online games here in DigitalPoint. Alternatively you approach the people in your leads. There are dozens of sites that have the worst copy on their main page. If someone is creative enough, and you can use words to tell a story and intrigue people enough to be able to sign up for the game, then that is all you need.

Some owners will be starting out and have no capital outlay and others would have a fair bit.

Your portfolio is important here. If you can provide great examples of how you can write and how you could take a normal game with (crappy) copy and turn it into a beautiful swan with fairies and monsters all rolled into one, then you will have a winner. That was just me talking

Your imagination is the greatest key here. You cannot sell to gamers like you would do on a normal internet marketing type of product page. It simply won't work.

An example is this....

I had a browser-based game once called Kingdom of Shadows. I needed something great to get people to sign up.

I had a small introduction copy on the main page that told a story to draw people into signing up. After a few months I added a picture and you can see it here and what was written on it.

An extract from one of my intro's:

"It starts, as always, in the realm of legend. Ours reaches back to the time before the dawn of man. It was another world before man. It was governed by shadows, immaterial beings arising out of the age-old Heart of Sorcery. It was a time of change.

The descendants of the Shadow Gods had fallen before the Dawn of the New Era. And so it was that towards the end of the Age of Mystery, that the last of the immortals did gather for what would be their final battle in the Kingdom Of Shadows."

I rotated the copy on the website at least 3 times and everytime it changed, more people signed up.

As an example I found one of Outspark's games that you can see here:

http://www.mmozone.com/secret-of-the-solstice.html

Does that page inspire someone to play the game? Sure anime fans would... but a lot of people including me, need that extra bit more in order to make us sign up. That is where the gamer copywriter comes in. Your task is to take that page and make it seem more interesting with words as an example.

If you could get one or two companies like that under your belt, then you will start to see a whole world that will be open to you.

There are tons of oppotunities available out there in the entertainment industry. You just have to look!

 

Very well written with lots of good ideas. Pity I know absolutely zilch about games.

 

Nice post, I am just dipping my toe in the gaming world (PS3 though) but my writing skills aren't up to much at the min.

i will defo check this out though when I get a bit deeper and conquered some obstacles!

 

The most challenging world to enter is Gaming, Anime and Manga. It's only for people that love, play and understand those genres that will do well in it. Hence why I love it! Most people don't get what a person can get from playing games or watch anime.

Personally I feel it's like this:

A true gamer is the one individual that understands what it feels like to be a real sniper or heavy gunner defending their comrades that are in the line of fire. We see the determination of the medic that heals our fallen brothers and sisters and smile lightly before picking up our gun and taking down what rightfully belongs to us! We study and explore what makes our enemies tick and claw into the darkest points of our imagination. We have built worlds that cater for civilizations and great gods of the pharaohs even cater to our needs as we offer wine, barley and wheat to satisfy their arrogance. On an adventurous day we find ourselves immersed in the battle between what is considered good and evil. My hands weave a spell that most would consider dangerous as I summon legions to do my dark will. Where else could I fight a horde of darkness and use spiteful spirit and soul leech to grasp the very essence of their life and use it to heal myself and deal damage at the same time? On more relaxed days I find I am merely a Dhan from Par'Talucca, skillfully using my katars to kill those that unrightfully attack the innocent. When I am angry the fire of a true avenger flares within my soul to destroy those that oppose me! I have traversed the stars beyond any mortal's imagination and built dozens of fleets to conquer worlds and create new territories. I have laughed as Christmas came and Santa Claws played a wicked trick on me and my partner. Of course we took our revenge. Halloween we saw the dark ones rise as we sharpened our blades to retrieve our trick or treats! I have seen my pets beg for food, their cute eyes asking for some attention! Of course I cannot refuse and will feed my little dragon with some 'origin source' pet food.

I have smiled as I became a monster, guardian, sniper, heavy gunner, assassin, necromancer, pharaoh, healer, priest, ritualist, commander, pilot and soldier of the future! I am all that and so much more.

I live within a world only few would understand.

I am a gamer!

 

Great ideas. I want to write about the gaming world but I'm not so knowledgeable about it. Have to do a lot of research first.

 

OR

Just sign up at Brighthub and write for one of their many gaming channels. $10/article.

I can write about any game ever made pretty much but don't hold back if they are pieces of crap.

 

@ aphrodite: There is no research to be done... You either play games or you don't. Sure you can go and research it, but you won't get what the game is all about.

For example... I have had the pleasure to run my own browser-based game and used to play in it as well, hence it's easy to write about browser-based games. That wasn't the only one as well. I played Crimson Moon, and still play Darkthrone (I am an official beta, alpha, silver and gold user) and have played a few other games of interest.

As for online games I have played the following and some I do still play:

Guild Wars (Prophecy, Factions, Nightfall, Eye of the North)
Rohan Online: Bloodfeud (I own the wiki for it as well)
Archlord (Closed Beta User and current player)
2Moons Game
9Dragons (beta player)
Warhammer Online
World of Warcraft
Second Life (I worked for their company till I had enough of 12 hour shifts)

PC Games:

Freelancer
Doom III
Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls IV:Oblivion
F.E.A.R. (Haven't played the expansion yet)
Delta Force Black Hawk Down (+ expansion pack Team Sabre. I still play it all the time. Old favorite classic. I play the multiplayer online)
Orion III
Unreal Tournament 2001, 2002 and 2004
Starcraft
Half-Life and Half-Life II
Counter Strike Zero
Diablo II
Warcraft III
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Sniper
Impossible Creatures
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Dark Reign 2
Might and Magic 7
Delta Force Task Force Dagger
Devil May Cry 3
Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard
Duke Nukem 3d
Dune 2000
Dungeon Keeper
Kohan II: Kings of War
Legacy of Kain:Soul Reaver (played this on playstation first and then on pc)
Mortyr
Need for Speed II
NeverWinter Nights II
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (this was cute, and scary >< )
Pharaoh
Children of the Nile
Quake 3
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Sacred
Soul Reaver
Spellforce
Vampire: The Masquerade

Playstation:

Metal Gear Solid
Wipeout
Mortal Kombat
Soulblade
Virtua Fighters
Pandemonium
Populous
Sega Rally
Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3
Silent Hill
Tony Hawk 1,2 and 3

Plus there are a few more PC games upstairs in my bedroom that I played that I can't remember off heart right now. It irks me, but yeah these are the games that I have played and some of them are old... like 10-12 years old now.

If you want to write about games, play them, understand them and appreciate them.

 

There is no reason this method would be limited to the gaming niche. The same steps will work with other topics.

 

I could see you also making good money creating those "trick" books that teach players the tricks to beat the games. You know what I mean.....I haven't played a game since Ms. Pac Man was in the arcades! lol Congratulations on finding a niche you are passionate about!

 

Online Multiplayer Role-Playing games are THE frenzy right now.. as with any hot item, the money is there.. but, you have to know how to grab it.

Now, it's hard to become as geekie and freakie as needed to get into the gaming world just like that, if you're not there already.
Have to go through lots of info., get into the tech side of mmorpg as well, and then, it helps if you know what role-playing means.
I should know.. heh heh. nah, kidding.

 

Ha! I'd be afraid of becoming addicted to WoW and never writing if I tried out this niche, but great info! What do you use for grabbing imagery of the games you play that are console based for the articles?

 

WoW's articles have good sale in everywhere.........

 

Wow! Never thought I could pitch for new clients that way. Interesting thought... Thanks a ton