We’ve seen the future of PlayStation, but for this article I’d like to let you know about the future of PSLS, as part of an ongoing series of Editor’s Letters. Each letter will let you know about the state of PSLS (should you care) to help improve the transparency of the site, as well as giving you somewhere to share some feedback.
It has been a few months since I became EIC, and the experience can only be described as hectic. With the PlayStation industry in the middle of a massive upheaval, it’s an insanely busy time for PSLS, but it’s also the perfect time to improve. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been building up a list of what you have asked for, what staff members have asked for, and what I personally want to change. The list boiled down to one simple word – “More”. More news, more features, more unique content, more trophy guides. More. So now we have Chandler (and a bit of Dan) doing trophy guides, Dan experimenting with wallpapers, and we’ve had a record amount of news covered this month (mostly thanks to Jason), we’ve brought in Ask PSLS and other features, all while Daily Reaction continues to insult everyone. It’s a start, but not the end.
We’re currently looking for more feature writers, more trophy guide writers, and one or two more news writers (if interested, email me at sebastian@playstationlifestyle.net). I’ve talked to a bunch of applicants already, and will slowly work my way through the emails now that the PS Meeting is over and normal life can resume. Hopefully you’ll see a few more names on the site in the coming weeks and months, but don’t worry, you won’t lose any names. As we grow, expect faster news, uniquer stories, earlier reviews, hundreds of Kaz pics and, simply, more.
But, while the future seems bright, it’s always important to be cautious. Just last week, IGN saw layoffs, while 1UP and GameSpy closed. These are huge sites that bring in considerably higher numbers of visitors, have people that “oversee the monetization”, run ads on Google, and have existed far longer than PSLS. It’s something to always be conscious of – we don’t sell anything, we’re simply a free website that exists off of the money made from the small amount of ads that everyone ignores anyway – our existence is fragile. Every games website, no matter how large or small, is at the mercy of the whims of the market.
It’s frightening, but it’s also a constant reminder about why we should strive for quality. In a frank goodbye, 1UP’s EIC admitted that the site had suffered in quality, that “most people have regarded recent 1UP as a mere shadow of its former self.” Jeremy Parish added:
1UP has fallen victim to the same industry-wide malaise that’s affecting practically everyone out there: The games industry continues to evolve in ways that have marginalized the press. Everyone’s out here is trying to scrape by, and 1UP simply had the ill fortune to be a secondary concern for its past few owners. Everyone who has taken hold of 1UP, I sincerely believe, has done so with the best of intentions — but when the market turns down, as it has consistently ever since that foolish boast about it being a recession-proof industry, the belts tighten and the lion’s share of attention goes to the first child.
I’m glad to say that PSLS doesn’t suffer from these problems. Our owners are hands-off, but that’s the way we want it. Our content is what guarantees our success – or doesn’t. If we stop producing good content, you’ll stop reading this site, and that’s the way it should be.
I titled this post “The Next Generation of PlayStation LifeStyle” because we’re bringing on new people and making a bunch of changes, but you won’t have to wait another 6 years for more changes. PSLS will continue to evolve, constantly, and hopefully for the better. I’ve let you know why I started writing about games, and soon Dan will too. Content will be more unique, more personalized, and more personal.
Please share your thoughts and comments on the site, what you think of our coverage of the PS4 announcement, and let us know your own stories about your gaming lifestyle that you want to share.
