Print media may indeed be on their last legs right now – the latest and arguably greatest victims of our digital world. But that certainly doesn’t equate to the death of journalism in general.
We still need to get our news and opinion, probably more than ever, from reputable sources and journalists who know their subject inside out.
The world of gaming is one in which both news and opinions abound. So it comes as no surprise that a number of leading lights have arisen in gaming journalism. Some might focus on reviews of new games or even on sites like the Golden Nugget Online Casino. Others will specialize in think pieces about the state of the industry or take a broader look at the economic and sociological impacts of gaming.
This list of the magnificent seven covers many of these bases and plenty more. So, when you come across a piece by any of them, please read and enjoy it.
Anita Sarkeesian
Let’s start with a journalist doing far more than looking at games and gaming. Anita Sarkeesian set up the entity known as Feminist Frequency, so it hardly comes as much of a surprise that she takes a distinctively feminist approach to her analysis of games and gaming.
Often critical of the patrimony that sees misogynist tropes appearing all too often in video games, one of her particularly memorable takedowns was a critique of the many games that see helpless female characters relying on a male protagonist for their salvation.
George Weidman a.k.a Super Bunnyhop
There can’t be many gaming fans who are still unfamiliar with George Weidman’s work, though he may be better known by his nom de plume. He regularly posts on Twitch and YouTube, sharing his idiosyncratic opinions about the latest game releases and old favorites. Alongside these pieces, he often analyzes industry trends and how things seem to be headed gaming-wise in the US.
Meg Turney
Meg is a new media personality with her finger in many pies. Not only is she a leading commentator on all things esports, but she’s also a model, cosplayer, and high-profile vlogger. Not content with frequently posting to her adoring fans, she’s also been a regular at many Comic-Con events where they meet her in person – although a disturbing incident back in 2018 has meant she’s kept a lower public profile since then.
Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw
Croshaw is one of the biggest business names, not just for his journalism. Among the many other strings to his talented bow are as a novelist, humorist, and video game creator. He has a great deal of in-person knowledge of the esports world’s inner workings, which lends great credibility to his journalism. You’ll find his words of wisdom in his video game review series The Escapist’s Zero Punctuation and Judging By The Cover. To check out his longer-form writing, track down some of his six novels, including Will Save The Galaxy For Food and its companion piece Will Destroy The Galaxy For Cash.
Naomi Kyle
Naomi Kyle is another journalist who has spread her net far beyond just writing and talking about video games. First and foremost, she’s an actress and a model whose previous credits include photo shoots for brands such as Guess and Adidas. Her movie credits include The Devil’s Dolls, Mad Families, and Dead Rising: End Game. For nine years, she has also fronted The Daily Fix for IGN Entertainment and won many awards.
Jeff Gerstmann
Gerstmann is a true veteran of the gaming world, first sharing his thoughts with his audience in 1996. His long career has included stints with Gamespot, and up until 2022, he was involved in Game Bomb. Since leaving Game Bomb, he has had his own Patreon-funded show called, originally enough, The Jeff Gerstmann Show.
Andrea Rene
Although she’s probably best known for her podcast What’s Good Games, Andrea has also contributed a great deal to programs from IGN and Gamespot in the past. In addition to her activities as a gaming journalist, she has a number of producer credits to her name. She is also a very vocal supporter of the female gamer community and an accomplished interviewer of big names in the industry.
So there they are—seven of the brightest stars in the firmament of video gaming. Listen to any of them, and you can be sure you’ll get great advice, observations, and knowledge. And that’s got to help you enjoy your games and gaming.