Games Media Awards Past Winners: VideoGamer

As we head towards the GMA 2016 Awards on October 10th MCV looks back on some of the key highlights of the event.

Here we speak to VideoGamer editor James Orry. His team picked up the coveted Best Video Team award in 2015.

How did you first get into the games media?

I lived with Adam McCann and Tom Orry at university down in Brighton. They were working on a new games website and I kind of wormed my way in whilst also watching many back-to-back episodes of America’s Next Top Model. We all worked for basically nothing for years to get to where we are now.

What advice would you give to someone currently looking at a career in games media?

If you really want it, then go for it, but have a plan in place for five years down the line when you realise your writer’s salary won’t support a family, copious amounts of Blu-rays and video games, and your need to buy all the latest tech. Or be prepared to sacrifice some of these things.

What’s been the best advice you’ve ever received?

As a teenager my snooker coach told me I was better than my brother and I shouldn’t feel bad about it. Never looked back.

What are you most proud of in your career to date?

We started with nothing and have been running the website (as Pro-G then VideoGamer) for over a decade. Also having discovered or raised the profiles of a host of really talented people in the industry.

And what has been your biggest challenge?

Figuring out if it’s pronounced Oobisoft or Youbisoft.

Which of your competitors do you most admire and why?

Eurogamer for achieving all it has without the backing of a major US media firm. Their independent success has also been something we have admired.

Who’s your favourite non-games writer/presenter?

The guy who does the voiceover for ITV2’s Love Island. I forget his name, but he’s a funny man.

If you weren’t working in games media, what would you be doing?

I’m a Software Engineer graduate so likely something the other side of the industry, or possibly teaching. I’ve always thought I had the right attributes to teach, having spent years explaining how to use a printer to my mother.

What are your best memories of the Games Media Awards?

In Cahoots. I’ve nothing more to say.

Who should win an award this year?

If it’s not me then I’d love to see the VideoGamer team rewarded for their efforts. Not Miller though, that guy’s out of control. I’m surprised he wasn’t banned from this year’s event.