Video Game Journalism: Why Quotes Are Important

We’ve previously looked at coming up with feature topic ideas but today we’ll be doing something a bit different. We’ll be looking at why you should be trying to obtain quotes for your article. A feature article without quotes isn’t going to be taken as seriously.

Why do I need quotes?

Working quotes into your articles is a great way to provide more credibility to your points and flesh out the writing. Getting quotes from industry professionals gives you credibility, especially if they’re well known by the community. Let’s face it though, there are very few ‘household names’ when it comes to game developers so for the most part you’ll be interviewing and obtaining quotes from specific members of a game development or publishing team. People who are most likely less well-known but that doesn’t mean they’re not credible. Any game developer or publisher is a credible source.

Having quotes that backup your points also makes your statements stronger. It makes them more convincing to readers. This is especially important in articles where you’re arguing a case or opinion. As a young games journalist, your opinion isn’t going to mean very much and most editors won’t even consider taking those sorts of articles. However, if your opinion is supported by some industry professionals then it stands a much better chance at being taken on by an editor.

So in short:

• Quotes provide more credibility
• They can support your opinion and statements
• They flesh out the writing and provide you with more to write about
• Quotes can make your statements stronger
• It can make your article more convincing to readers

Having quotes is important but not all of your articles will include quotes. Top 10 style articles don’t usually require quotes from developers or industry professionals for example. Next time we’ll be taking a look at how to obtain quotes.

This post was provided by Clare from Lunawolf Gaming