I'm Jason Schreier, Press Sneak Fuck and author of the new book Press Reset - ask me anything

[jschreier]

Hi! I'm Jason Schreier, an author and journalist who's been covering the world of video games for 12 years now. I'm a reporter at Bloomberg News, a podcaster at the Triple Click Podcast, and the author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, a book about how games are made. My new book, Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry, comes out tomorrow (May 11). It's a book about what happens to people when studios shut down, based on firsthand interviews with dozens of developers. It includes studio closure stories such as Irrational (BioShock), Visceral (Dead Space), and Junction Point (Epic Mickey) and is full of colorful personalities like Curt Schilling and Warren Spector. It's a bleak but optimistic book that tackles some of the video game industry's biggest problems and presents some potential solutions.

I'm very proud of the book and think it will resonate with most ResetEra readers. So hey here we go - ask me anything!

 

[AuthenticM]

Hey Jason,
Could you tell us how you got the "Press Sneak Fuck" nickname? Also, could you share how you initially reacted to getting called that?

Thank you

 

[Aimi]

Hey Jason! I'd like to say Blood, Sweat and Pixels was a genuinely refreshing insight into the inner workings of the industry and how stressful it all could be sometimes. Informative and enthralling. And I can't wait to pick up Press Reset tomorrow!

My Questions below, please feel free to answer whatever you'd like or even all four if you'd like to! :)

• As someone who loves gobbling up investigative stories, I have a secret list of works I've read that I'd like to see come to life on the big screen and Blood, Sweat and Pixels is high up on the list. But the bigger question is do you ever see your work ending up in a movie/documentary like in a festival spotlight etc. or would you even like it to? Have you ever been approached about this in the past?
• Who is the most impressive game developer you have talked to?

Optional:

• Your five favorite games. Any five!
• Light theme or Dark theme gang here on ERA?

 

[Sublime Hysteric]

Hey Jason,

Other than unionization and the normalization of remote work post-pandemic, what changes have to occur in the video game industry to improve working conditions, reduce burnout, and give workers more of a voice? Also, is there anything game enthusiasts can do to make those changes a reality?

Congratulations on your new book and thanks for your time!

 

[dgamemaster]

Howdy Jason! It's a pleasure to have you being here answering questions. I have three big ones, you can pick which one you might feel more comfortable answering.

• In today's era of forums and social media, a lot of the discourse surrounding leaks and "hype culture" seem to have resulted in a negative connotation being associated as a leaker. We've seen it happen multiple times with other leakers/journalists, (such as Liam Robertson or Jeff Grubb) and I'm sure you have received some degree of hate for your own breaks. Do you think that there are better ways to have conversations surrounding leaked information? If so, do you think the source of these problems comes from the way leakers leak information, or how social media sites and forums like ERA interpret the information?
• As someone with an interest in getting into the game journalism industry, I understand that you probably get some benefits but also a lot of work and hardships to overcome. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced across your game journalism career, and what advice would you give to any aspiring game journalists on overcoming said obstacle?
• One of the big causes I've seen you champion is a desire to showcase a more human side to game development, especially in your pushback against crunch culture. Many large companies have had a culture of crunch established, and radically changing said culture is something that needs to be done. If you were placed in charge of a studio that has a history of crunch culture (such as Naughty Dog or Rockstar), what changes would you implement (both immediately and in the long term) to prevent crunch culture from becoming prevalent again?

Once again, thanks for reading all of our questions, and hopefully you have a nice day!

 

[Norsuchamp]

Hey Jason and greetings from Finland. Love your work and can't wait for the new book.

Question: What have been the scoops/cases where you have received the most backlash from? Most positive and the most whine-y?

 

[Zan]

Icebreaker question here, what would be your favourite video game of all time?

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Hi Jason,

Some studios and companies seem worse than others in terms of employee burnout. For studios with stronger talent retention than average, what is it that they do differently? Are employees generally happy at those studios, or are things simply better than the worst case scenario? Or is the whole industry about the same and any perceived differences from the outside are an illusion?

 

[MrKlaw]

Do you find any interesting parallels or contrasts between games development and working in press or writing books?

Your Book doesn't appear to be out until June in the UK so wondered if that is sometimes planned or so you prefer a global needless to maximise marketing impact?

 

[Perkin_Warbeck]

Thanks for taking the questions Jason.

It's been interesting seeing your work at Bloomberg and also the Launcher at the Washington Post. Do you think we're going to see continued expansion of game coverage at big MSM publications?

 

[Deleted member 81119]

I'm assuming that doing the kind of investigative journalism you do, with Japanese developers presents significant challenges. But are there any Japanese games you wish you could dive into the development of, if you could?

 

[Deleted member 67800]

Regarding the development of baldur's gate 3, has early access hindered the game's development? or is doing well even with the community looking forward to the next patch.

 

[Browser]

Thinking about all the reporting and stories you have done over the years, what is the trend or issue that you see seems to be the most common in derailing game development and leading to crunch? Are there any trends you were able to identify?

 

[Logan Hardy]

Sorry don't mean to offend you but -
1. Is Sony's big E3 style summer event before or after E3.
2. Do you happen to know about the last of us part 2 's updated sales figures.
Thank you
Also , congratulations on the book can't wait to read it.🙂🙂

 

[TinTuba47]

How has working for Bloomberg affected your ability to do exposes? Do you feel like people take you more seriously now with that name behind you? Do you have people that can assist you with fact checking and research, or is does your day to day job look much the same as it did at Kotaku?

 

[bbq of doom]

I've been under the impression that FROM is fairly..."efficient"...under Miyazaki when it comes to releasing (mostly finished) games.

Do you think COVID is the sole reason for lack of word re: Elden Ring, or do you think--or know--of anything behind the scenes that's contributing to the silence/lack of updates?

 

[Outrun]

Hi Jason,

When are you dropping that Halo Infinite piece? I am sure it will be a fascinating read :)

 

[Ales34]

Hi Jason,

Do you have any ideas what Microsoft plans to do with the Fallout IP? Do you expect BGS to keep working on it or do you think they'd be glad to hand the IP to InXile or Obsidian and work on the IPs they created themselves (TES and Starfield)?

Thanks.

 

[the7egend]

Hey Jason,

What's it feel like having Prince Noctis (Ray Chase) narrate both of your books?

Loved Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, looking forward to giving Press Reset a listen, Thanks!

 

[Chippewa Barr]

Congrats on the book, will def be grabbing it! Been following you for a few years now and impressed with your reporting!

My questions are more based on your view on business trends in the industry...

1. What major publishers do you feel are declining/improving rapidly?
2. What major (mostly unchanged historically) IPs do you feel will experience a huge shakeup in the future?
3. Would you be able to dedicate a full book to the Halo Infinite development? Or I guess, which game development would be able to fill a book singlehandedly lol. I feel there's a few.
4. When is there gonna be a god damn sequel to Ogre Battle 64?!

 

[SuiQuan]

What are, in your opinion and according to the info that you have, examples of good game studios that are well managed and present its workers with a good work/life balance? In what ways do these studios differ from others?

 

[Remark]

What it do.

My question is: Has there been a situation where a publisher contacted you when one of your articles dropped threatening a C&D or something? Also without giving examples of course, has anyone high up in a company ever gave you a scoop or something?

Thats all. Congrats on the book might cop 😎

 

[Cruxist]

Hi Jason! First, just wanted to chime in and say I've appreciated your openness about questions in other places. I noticed some of the Reddit questions got pretty deep into inter-personal stuff and you didn't really have to answer, but you did.

My question for you is, as your writing has shifted away from previews/reviews/Destiny travelogues and more towards the business side of things, has your relationship with games changed at all? On Triple Click, you guys mention "reviewer brain" and having similar thoughts as you play. Do you still feel that? And can you ever shut it off/do you want to shut it off? Looking forward to the book!

 

[Lashley]

Hi, Jason.

Sweet or savoury?

 

[Windu]

Happy Birthday

 

[jschreier]

Hey Jason,
Could you tell us how you got the "Press Sneak Fuck" nickname? Also, could you share how you initially reacted to getting called that?

Thank you

Click to shrink...

It's a fun story. In May of 2013, I reported that the ill-fated Prey franchise had fallen into Arkane's hands following a whole lot of complicated drama involving its original creator, Human Head. Shortly afterwards, journalists asked Bethesda PR boss Pete Hines if Arkane was doing a new Prey. He said "No." Turns out he was lying. So I published a couple emails proving that he was lying, including this one: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/images/13/aug/colon1.jpg

It's not directly referring to me, but the name stuck. I always found it amusing and have since talked to Raphael Colantonio pretty extensively (including on an episode of Kotaku Splitscreen a while back) about it. Later that year, I was blacklisted by Bethesda, and remain so to this day.

 

[Yerffej]

Hey Jason, good luck with the book! Of the big three, and knowing what you know, which one's output are you most excited by? Thanks

 

[En-ou]

Hi Jason, hope you're well.
If there is one developer/team you'd like to do a 1:1 with, who would it be and what's the main question you'd pose?

 

[Artifice]

Congrats on the book!

My question:

Some companies (Naughty Dog comes to mind along with recent 343I news) do not have mandatory crunch, but rely on their work culture riding coattails on "perfection" and "delivery" for the same. Developers who do not want to do crunch are disadvantaged by peer pressure. Is there any end in sight? Are companies doing anything to change this culture?

 

[Trago]

Hello Jason,

Now that you have two books under your belt, what sort of subjects would you like to explore next for a potential third book?

 

[jschreier]

Hey Jason! I'd like to say Blood, Sweat and Pixels was a genuinely refreshing insight into the inner workings of the industry and how stressful it all could be sometimes. Informative and enthralling. And I can't wait to pick up Press Reset tomorrow!

My Questions below, please feel free to answer whatever you'd like or even all four if you'd like to! :)

• As someone who loves gobbling up investigative stories, I have a secret list of works I've read that I'd like to see come to life on the big screen and Blood, Sweat and Pixels is high up on the list. But the bigger question is do you ever see your work ending up in a movie/documentary like in a festival spotlight etc. or would you even like it to? Have you ever been approached about this in the past?
• Who is the most impressive game developer you have talked to?

Optional:

• Your five favorite games. Any five!
• Light theme or Dark theme gang here on ERA?

Click to shrink...

Thanks!

1) Yes, absolutely. I've had several conversations about Blood, Sweat, and Pixels turning into something on the screen but nothing has come to fruition just yet. Here's hoping. I'd very much like to get my hands dirty with some documentary storytelling in gaming.

2) I'm impressed by anyone who manages to finish a game.

3) This is just randomly off the top of my head and not an official list, but: StarCraft II, Baldur's Gate 2, Suikoden II, Diablo 2, Lunar 2... holy crap how did these all wind up being 2s?

4) I just use whatever's default and haven't bothered changing it.

 

[John Caboose]

Really looking forward to your book Jason, I have it pre-ordered on audible.

During all your reporting, what have you encountered that really surprised you? Any particular anecdote or phenomena which made you rethink your understanding of video games or the people working on them?

 

[Burly]

Any weird stories or details that you couldn't report on at the time, but enough time has passed that you are willing to talk about now?

 

[Qwark]

Do you receive many threatening emails/dms from company people that are mad you've shared something? Or from fanboys that are upset you've shared some negative news about their favorite console?

 

[MGPanda]

Hi Jason, thanks for doing this!

So as someone who knows about the huge amounts of issues with the industry, has read your first book, and yet is still interested in working on it because of pure passion towards the medium... Do you have any recommendation? Any sort of "don't ever do this" or "if they do this to you, fight against it"? It's an intimidating world and I can't think of anyone better to help me out than you, heh.

 

[Scrappy-Fan92]

Hello, Mr. Schreier, and congratulations on the new book.

There have been many concerns over the supply chains of electronics manufacturers. What do you believe is one of the most effective ways for regular consumers to get companies' attention on this matter?

 

[zma1013]

Do you think the games industry can ever solve their crunch issues or is that the only way it can exist?

 

[Rosebud]

Hi, Jason.

Do you like indie games? If yes, what was the last one you played?

 

[7threst]

Hi Jason, congrats on your new book, I loved Blood, Sweat & Pixels so I should pick up Press Reset.

Question: in what way has being a journalist at your new outlet changed your view of the industry? Has the change in outlet reflected upon your work and your views on the industry?

 

[colorblindmode]

I'm a huge fan, Jason!

Though not something you'd normally cover, I was wondering if it would be possible to find out, exactly, what is going on with some of the MMO kickstarters that seem like scams. Sure, there is Star Citizen we all know about, but Camelot Unchained seems like a bigger scam than Star Citizen.

My question is: do you know what's going on with those, could you find out, and do you plan on covering things like Kickstarter failures/scams in a feature/another book at any point?

 

[HardRojo]

Do you know if there's any way to get the book in Peru locally? Very much interested in reading the previous one as well, plus reading more books in English (not my native language) is always a plus for me.

 

[PlatypusDude]

Hey Jason,

So my question concerns game journalism more broadly. With the recent departures at Giant Bomb there has been some comments about how few people remain covering games in the long run despite gaming growing in scope in all demographics. Know part of this is the broader trend of moving more to influencers and youtubers.

While Giant Bomb is more personality driven while you are more traditional reporting based, how do you see the nature of games coverage evolving and trying to maintain talent in the long run and in a changing landscape.

 

[jschreier]

Hey Jason,

Other than unionization and the normalization of remote work post-pandemic, what changes have to occur in the video game industry to improve working conditions, reduce burnout, and give workers more of a voice? Also, is there anything game enthusiasts can do to make those changes a reality?

Congratulations on your new book and thanks for your time!

Click to shrink...

Well you just named two of the things that I think could have the most significant impact!

I'm not sure that gamers can really do much other than be supportive, loud, and vocal about the need for change. Feel free to boycott games that you feel were made under unethical circumstances if you'd like, but individual action isn't going to have a ton of impact on systemic problems. I guess the best thing to do is just try to make it clear to companies and developers that you care about the people making games and not just the end product.

 

[angelgrievous]

Hi Jason,

I made a thread here awhile ago asking about getting a degree in journalism and you basically said it wouldn't be a good idea. Do you still believe that? If so could you elaborate just a bit?

Thanks!

 

[RedHeat]

Hello.

1. Did I waste my money buying a 1080p 144hz monitor at this stage?
2. How come the insider/leaker industry are so tepid to reveal/talk about anything PlayStation-related?

 

[Golden Darkness]

Aside from video game crunch and chaotic development issues, is there any other subjects regarding the video game industry you feel deserve more attention?

Which direction do you see video game development moving within today's social cultural, and political climate?

Do you think you'll report on something that the diametric opposite of the issues facing video game developers? Is there such a thing?

How do your fellow peers in gaming journalism think of your reporting? Have there been others who have been inspired to do similar reporting?

 

[Zukuu]

How does the process of writing an insider article usually look like - from leaking to vetting to confirmation to writing the article? Do insiders come to you nowadays or do you have to poke around?

 

[hydrophilic attack]

which is the best souls game, and why is it demon's souls

 

[MJForum Poster]

Hey Jason,

Have you heard of steps or initiatives taken by major publishers or even platform holders themselves to try and mitigate the effects that the last year and change have had on development? Are we due for a slew of remasters, for example, to help bridge the gap in the pipeline for big budget titles?

 

[eggroll]

Hi Jason. Loved Blood, Sweat and Pixels. I can't wait for Press Reset.
Since you talk about Irrational in the book, are there any details about where the core team are now ? Any new insights about what they're working on at Ghost Story Games ? All I know is they talked about some modular story concept.