The Story Behind The Nerd Castle: Social Journalism and the Gaming Community

This year, I had the opportunity to see and work with the gaming community through the eyes of a journalist.

While I have been part of both communities for years, I didn’t have the chance to combine my two passions until I arrived at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in New York City. I was part of the 2nd ever Social Journalism cohort to walk the halls of the former New York Herald-Tribune building.

We were tasked with selecting a community to work with and coming up with our own way to create some kind of impact within it. The point was to work with a community on a project as opposed to creating something and trying to find a good fit for it. Whether that means being online or offline, it’s about listening to the community you’re working with, even if your first idea isn’t what they want.

I took this challenge as an opportunity to showcase ways in which the video game community shines and to show other gamers ways in which we can improve from the inside. After all, the only thing that could rival my passion for journalism was my passion for gaming, anime and other aspects of nerd culture. Plus, I wanted to finally write about a topic that I had so much interest and passion for: gaming and technology. I don’t claim to be an expert by any means, but it was an opportunity to learn and to connect with other gamers on a different level.

All I could think at that moment was, “What could be more fun?”

From January to May, I spent time researching other publications, interviewing other gamers(officially or just asking questions in passing) and experimenting with different digital tools. From this, The Nerd Castle was born. It’s mission is simple and purposely broad: to have a place to explore, showcase and discuss the diversity (and it’s issues) that exist within the gaming community.

What I found from talking with other gamers was that listening was just as important as industry news and reviews. But that there was a huge lack of attention to actual gamers who actively participate and engage with each other. So instead of aiming to publish guides, game reviews or even walkthroughs, I decided to tell the stories of my fellow gamers and the variety that exists within the community (and its subsequent subcommunities).

Looking at all sides- the good, the bad and the ugly-and taking an honest look at ourselves as gamers is necessary if the community is to survive in the future. It doesn’t only hinge on what kinds of games or actions the industry members do. It also depends on what kind of community is formed from these games.

With that in mind, I pressed start and began level one- building a blog and its social media from scratch and figuring out how they will work together.

I began by brainstorming various topics I was interested in covering either directly or within the context of another story. They ranged from actions that have impacted the community to current events. I also asked the community itself to weigh in on topics that they care about and formed my decisions based on the responses I got.

I started writing about topics that were coming up in conversation from topics like mobile gaming to exploring what it means to be a competitive gamer.

Two of them gained attention away from The Nerd Castle. One article about how Latinx video game characters were being represented was published on the award-winning bilingual blog, El Mundo Tech. The other was a personal story about how my journey as a gamer started and was published in the New Voices section of the Orlando Sentinel.

Moving Forward…

I incorporated my newly gained skills in basic HTML, CSS and JavaScript that I learned in school into a fun quiz for The Nerd Castle (What Kind of Gamer are You?), which can be found here.

The project has led me to places like The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to cover a Pokemon Go Museum Hack event, the New York University Game Center in Brooklyn for a Killer Queen Arcade Tournament and even Anime Festival Orlando in Orlando, Florida.

By the end, I was able to publish 14 articles about ranging topics and provide social media coverage during events on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I asked other gamers for feedback on what I’ve accomplished so far. What I got was requests for more articles, to attend events and to collaborate with other blogs. Even the Orlando Sentinel was inviting me to write for their section again with a focus on gaming and technology.

I found followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more recently, Tumblr. I discovered that it was a featured publication on the Gaming tag on Medium and that people were finding me on Medium as well.

What I discovered was a hunger for gaming news with a community focus. While I’ve had my own frustrations and doubts with the project, I was encouraged by each like, retweet, comment and word-of-mouth recommendation to keep going.

There is a need for The Nerd Castle, so I decided to continue with the project. It could mean that I take on new writers. It could also mean that I expand to other areas of nerd culture outside of gaming.

Wherever it leads, I know I have the support of the gaming community with me. After all, it’s thanks to them that I’m here in the first place.

My hope is that The Nerd Castle becomes a conversation starter. A place where gamers can learn about the different things going on in their own community and see the faces behind the gamer tags, no matter where in the world they could be. Maybe they’ll even be encouraged to try something new.

Very soon, I’ll be graduating from the program that gave The Nerd Castle life and I’ll have to press start again. The Nerd Castle might look different. But it’s heart will stay the same. It’s a place about gamers, by gamers and for gamers or anyone with an interest in what’s happening in the gaming community.

It’s a chance for a brand new beginning.

What could be more fun?

The Nerd Castle is an ongoing master’s capstone project with the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism that will be used to explore and showcase diversity and the issues surrounding it within the gaming community. The Nerd Castle can also be found on Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr (@thenerdcastle).

Anna-Michelle can be found on Twitter @amlavandier.