A sad day
I'm always a bit conflicted about things like this. Half of me thinks "What a greedy shower of twats", given that The Onion has been free to read online for years and has still managed to make enough money to run an entire TV channel off, so it's hard to believe they need to start doing this to survive.
The other half says "Hey, maybe this means people will come to stop thinking that all online writing – in fact, any kind of writing – should be free", and that there might still be some hope of reversing the trend of the last decade or so and being able to make a living out of it.
My other half is pretty naive, it should be said. But it's always nice to have a little glimmer of hope, I guess.
August 8, 2011 at 10:35 pm
The value of the written word has diminished. Which is a shame. I get far more enjoyment out of a £6 paperback than I do out of a £50 videogame, but then what do I know?
I wouldn't mind making a living as a writer online, though. Indeed, I've just launched a new website with a view to doing just that.
August 8, 2011 at 11:51 pm
Stu, is the Future Publishing ban still in place? Even if it is, I find it hard to believe that you can't find full time employment either online or in print.
Your blog alone should be more than enough to convince would-be employers, let alone the years of full time work you've already had.
August 9, 2011 at 10:13 am
Future Publishings magazines are all rubbish these days. And the pay is worse than it was 20 years ago. I'm sure Stu would still be writing for Retrogamer regularly if it was worth his while.
August 9, 2011 at 11:53 am
No writing! We need Stu to have constant focus on Free App Hero so I don't have to trawl through the dreck on the App Store!
My pet name for it is 'Fapp Hero'. There's possibility for a whole other app in that name itself, probably.
August 9, 2011 at 5:24 pm
“The value of the written word has diminished. Which is a shame. I get far more enjoyment out of a £6 paperback than I do out of a £50 videogame, but then what do I know?”
I would love to see prices set for spiritual worth as well, if only because then the best artists would be sure to make money.
However, games are priced due to the immense cost of making them, ‘cos everything is spectacle now.