Talk to many video game bloggers (cautious about using the word journalist) and they will likely tell you that their AdSense revenue has plunged—and likely their daily visitors too. Consequently, some are either shutting down or exploring alternative sources of income to keep their platforms alive. However, not all of them have been lucky.
Earlier this month, Game Informer magazine was shut down after operating for 33 years. While the magazine operated, it was famous for revealing dozens of games. In 2022, GameStop, the parent company of the magazine laid off several employees from its magazine operation.
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“After 33 thrilling years of bringing you the latest news, reviews, and insights from the ever-evolving world of gaming, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Game Informer,” is the message that greets fans who try to visit the website.
“From the early days of pixelated adventures to today’s immersive virtual realms, we’ve been honored to share this incredible journey with you, our loyal readers. While our presses may stop, the passion for gaming that we’ve cultivated together will continue to live on.”
Many former veterans of the company have since moved on. The former editor of the magazine Andy McNamara now works with EA while Dan Ryckert and Ben Hanson now work with Giant Bomb and MinnMax respectively.
Besides Game Informer, Video Game Chronicles (VGC) has opened a Patreon account promising extra content for fans that support them through that channel. The UK-based digital magazine is promising two new monthly podcasts, a newsletter, a Discord server, special commenting privileges on their website articles, and more to their Patreon subscribers.
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The platform mentioned that one of the reasons why it has taken that step was to ensure the sustainability of the website. Several other video game bloggers are fighting a similar battle of survival now—and GameBaba Universe is not an exception. But what exactly are the reasons why game bloggers are struggling for survival?
Reasons why video game bloggers are struggling
Google’s March 2024 update and a change in consumer behavior are partly some of the reasons why video game bloggers are struggling. On one end, there is also one of the most controversial tools currently available; AI.
#1. March Google Update
At the beginning of March 2024, Google carried out one of its biggest updates yet that was targeted at “spammy, low-quality content on search”. In simple words, Google’s update sought to demote websites it claimed had low-quality content so that they don’t appear at the top of search results. The update lasted over a month.
Google claimed people no longer get useful answers when they use Search which necessitated the update. In a blog post by the director of product management Elizabeth Tucker, the company said they are “making algorithmic enhancements to our core ranking systems to ensure we surface the most helpful information on the web and reduce unoriginal content in search results”—and keep spammy content out of Search.
Unfortunately, websites with high-quality content were also impacted by the update. For example, Gamebaba Universe saw its daily visitors from organic search sink from over 200 to below 50. It was a traumatizing experience that has yet to improve four months after the update.
#2. Changing consumer behavior
The world is becoming noisier and busier, making it harder for readers to focus and read. Therefore, some are turning to video and audio content to get the information they need. That has partially led to a spike in the number of YouTube users as well as the time people spend on the platform.
Since 2020, the number of YouTube users has grown from 2.3 billion to around 2.7 billion. YouTube has become the second most visited website in the world. Around 12.1% of YouTube’s global audience are males between 25 and 34 years while around 9.4% of females are in the same age bracket, according to Statista. These are also the age brackets that make up the most enthusiastic blog readers.
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In terms of time, Statista also reported that global YouTube users spent around 28 hours on the YouTube mobile app monthly. Viewers watch 1 billion hours on YouTube on average daily. South Korean users spent around 45 hours and 49 minutes engaging with video content on the YouTube app. The more time people spend on YouTube, the less time they’ll have to read blog posts.
#3. Advertisers are following the audience
Ad spending in TV and Video in 2024 is projected to hit $337.5 billion. The digital video advertising is expected to gulp the bulk of that money ($189.6 billion). Also, the average ad spending per user is expected to reach $33.29 in 2024.
The increasing spending on video ads means blogs are getting less attention from advertisers or attracting low-spending advertisers. The outcome is that bloggers are seeing a sharp drop in their AdSense revenue compared to 2020 and 2021.
#4. The elephant in the room: AI
AI remains one of the biggest controversial tools that has partly contributed to video game bloggers shedding daily visitors. Google Search users who have turned on Labs will get an AI overview for some questions. In simple terms, they will get the answers they are looking for right there on Search so they don’t have to visit any website. That is so not cool because the answers are culled from websites.
How video game bloggers can stay afloat
It is a tough season in the video game industry but it is not entirely hopeless. Following the VGC route of creating a Patreon account is one of the ways that video game bloggers can make up for the shortfall in Ad revenue. However, other steps will ensure that more video game bloggers don’t get shuttered.
#1. Serve your readers in the form they love
Consider creating video content that will complement your blog content. In other words, serve your audience through the medium they enjoy the most. This will also ensure that visitors spend more time on your website, a metric that is good for Google’s algorithm. Eventually, you can grow big enough to join the YouTube partner program and expand your earnings potential.
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#2. Make your website more accessible
Consider incorporating tools that read webpages into your website. Tools like “Read Aloud” and “Speechify” can help your visitors listen to your posts through their headphones when they are in transit or in a place where reading may not be possible.
#3. Promote affiliate products through reviews
Publishing breaking news on your website can provide bursts of traffic. However, breaking news doesn’t break every day. Also, the traffic from breaking news easily burns out. Consider diversifying your media team with some tasked with creating reviews of products or listicles that will include affiliate links. Earnings from affiliate links can go a long way to improve your running capital.
#4. Sponsored posts
If you are not already accepting sponsored posts, consider changing your stance on it. Many companies are eager to gain backlinks or expose their products to a larger audience by leveraging websites already seeing a large traffic. With over 500 unique daily visitors, you can charge between $50 and $100 per sponsored post.
#5. Newsletter / build a community
There is no better time to build a community of followers than now. Build your newsletter subscribers so that you can directly send them links to new posts when you publish them. This way you are directly in control of your audience and have a chance of ensuring your daily visitors don’t fall below a certain threshold.
#6. Social media content marketing
Stop over-reliance on organic traffic and take your destiny into your own hands by sharing your content on different social media platforms. Grow your followers on the different social media platforms and share your content. The more visitors you can pull into your website, the higher your chance of increasing your AdSense revenue.
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It may get worse before it gets better
Just when you think the layoffs in the video game industry are over, you get hit by another barrage of layoffs. The entire atmosphere in the video game industry is largely unpredictable—and no one is spared. It will likely get worse before it starts getting better. While we eagerly anticipate greener fields, the tips highlighted can make the difference between staying afloat and adding to the growing statistics of shuttered organizations.
