Follow us on:
Why do they FAQing bother?
Why writing game guides is rewarding and soul destroying at the same time.
Date: Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Author: Matthew Reynolds

You can earn cash along the way

Well, some. Many websites offer prizes for submitting a full beginning-to-end guide for games that need covering, often up to fifty bucks. Others give out monthly awards for the best content - GameFAQs has given out over $21,000 in prize winnings from awards alone. It can also lead to freelance work and, for the extreme minority, a career in the video game industry. Cash in the FAQ-tic!

The Community

While individual games have die hard fans, due to the addictive nature of the hobby writers stick around for the long haul, many writing for a decade. They are incredibly helpful, providing critiques of your work, and host regular tournaments. You'll make a great set of cyber friends that wouldn't even dream of trying to get you on webcam. But a word to the wise: plagiarism is the number one crime to FAQ writers, and being caught will tarnish your image beyond recovery. It is a community that protects its rights and writers, and is proud because of it.

Others benefit from your work

Truth is, many writers do not write to help other people. They do it solely for themselves; a way of channeling their passion for the hobby through simple text documents. But you get more out of something by doing it properly, and going out of your way to get that extra bit of information helps more people—and it's a great feeling. It’s charity work for dexterity challenged!

The Ladies

Ok, maybe not.

Renegade Game Chair Review
This game chair offers a decent feature set at a more reasonable price than Ultimate Game Chair's other pricier offerings.
Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots Review
THQ's hand-held games provide youngsters with a heavy dose of Nicktoons themed fun.
Thank you Namco and Codo for bringing back the spirit of X-Com!
In its newest addition to the WarioWare line, Nintendo may just have outdone themselves.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is here for the Game Boy Advance and it is a first-rate Zelda adventure game that harkens back to the 2D origins of the series.
See what surprises await you for the rest of the year.
Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro brings new franchise to the worlds of TV, TCG, and online gaming.
Multi-platform MMO's from Spacetime Studios prove to be popular with people.
Another game joins the pay-what-you-want bundle for Android, Linux, Mac and Windows.
Super Robot Wars: Original Generation Preview
GameShark takes a deeper look at Atlus' Mecha-powered tactical strategy RPG for the Game Boy Advance.
Summon Night Swordcraft Story Preview
GameShark takes a closer look at Flight Plan's upcoming game Boy Advance action RPG.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for Game Boy Advanced delivers high quality action and graphics optimized for GBA.
Castlevania is coming to Game Boy Advance. Aria of Sorrow takes players through an all-new demon-hunting saga!