Press X To Journalism

For the longest time, games were something I had to beg friends, distant cousins, or even neighbors to let me play. My first splash into the colorful world of Nintendo came not through my eventual Game Boy Advance, but a sort-of-friend's SNES, taking turns watching each other die mercilessly on Donkey Kong Country's infamous mine cart levels. There was the infinitely cooler teenager across the street who'd let me play Crazy Taxi before his mother shooed me out of the house, and fittingly enough, the Offspring's punk anthem "All I Want" that accompanied the chaos came to define my relationship with the medium.

Whatever or whoever I was pursuing, it quickly became evident that I'd do almost anything to get my hands on video games, even if I had to beg. Eventually, my parents, who profess to only having played a round of original Donkey Kong at some bowling alley or shake shack (that was a thing, right?) ended up buying me a Nintendo 64, along with an array of games that included Donkey Kong 64 (you'll notice a trend), Excitebike 64, Pokémon Snap (the greatest mouse-hunting photography game), and Super Smash Bros.

It grew to the point that even turning away from a game was a herculean task; evenings spent shooting Diddy Kong out of barrels while mom cut my hair, blowing all my chore money on Hey You, Pikachu, or working for an entire summer to save up for my very first "mature" console, the PlayStation 2.

Like so many others, eventually video game journalism became a way to satisfy that playground craze in between releases. I still remember stumbling upon the Resident Evil Zero issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly at the salon my mom would drag me to. The close-up of that zombie's face emerged from the pile of soccer-mom-hairstyle previews like a terrifying savior. I couldn't believe people were paid to write about games, and the rest is a far more succinct history.

High school was the initial spark for turning my talents in media into something tangible, resulting in a 25-minute short film about the zombification of my senior year friends. Don't worry; it's hideous and hidden well enough. In community college, left to wander aimlessly without the structure of a more established school, I ended up blogging about progressive metal and indie music under the name "K.O. Joe" with a bit of success. By the time I moved to Ball State in Indiana, I knew I had to make a push for my true passion, game journalism. A similarly-minded friend and I ran a weekly radio show all about video game news and reviews, which eventually morphed into our own publication, BYTE. With the help of some really talented students and professors, we ended up turning that two-man show into a full staff of 30, and the publication still exists as the newest cornerstone of Ball State's journalism program. Make no mistake, it was an uphill battle between the doubts of others and ourselves, but the experience was one I'd never trade for anything in the world.

Since graduating, I've freelanced for a couple gaming outlets, including PC Gamer and Playboy (sorry, grandma) and managed to make lots of incredible friends in the freelance sphere. I count myself lucky to know every last one of them and learn from them. I also act as Good Games Writing's outreach director, attempting to emulate the success of BYTE and give young writers a leg up in this competitive world. If nothing else, making a difference in those lives means as much as seeing my byline pop up on a site.

So come say hello on Twitter @JosephKnoop and follow the string of news, previews, and features I'll be writing for your eyes only. I like talking about progressive metal, Japanese ambient hip-hop, New York-style pizza, comics, and indie games mostly. I'm currently sneaking my way through Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Team D-Dog) and weighing my wallet against Destiny's sudden resurgence in popularity. If it's a stealth, horror, platformer, or indie game, you can bet I'm probably playing it. See you out there in the ether!