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Tim Palmieri is Ready to Brief You on the Gaming and Esports Industry

This month, we simply cannot get away from installments to our blog that showcase the unique insights, perspectives, and talents of our network of industry professionals- and across a variety of industries. We tapped into industries, including the worlds of advertising, media, beauty and cosmetics, and retail, but there is one industry that has yet to make the list: the Gaming and esports Industry. We have just the right person, the expert if you will, of this unique industry right here at revelation: Tim Palmieri.

Palmieri, who is the client-based Content Manager of Gaming at revelation, is here to give us some riveting insights into such a niche industry with a truly unique business model. Ever wonder exactly what a gaming professional does on a daily basis? You’re about to find out!

Who is Tim Palmieri?

Palmieri’s background, and area of expertise, is rooted in production, journalism, and editing. And what is the perfect way to describe him professionally? Palmieri told us, “My handle on social and in the world of gaming is TheNewYorkTims. I work in media, my name is Tim, and I am from New York. The perfect pun to describe me perfectly.” Now, what is the perfect way to describe him personally? Palmieri added, “Hobbies include cooking, hiking, and walking through stores without buying anything.” Too relatable.

What Attracted Palmieri to revelation?

Even prior to joining the revelation team, Palmieri knew that he always wanted to work in the games industry. To start, he began as a freelance producer for Scientific American, a magazine rooted in content concerning scientific and technological advancements and the impact that these advancements have on our own perceptions and philosophies. He is forever grateful for the time that Scientific American had given him and, most importantly, the resources that it provided him. This experience equipped him with the resources for leveraging his writing and video skills. According to Palmieri, “My writing and video skills wouldn’t be what they are today without my experience and mentors at Scientific American.”

It was in his free time, however, that he involved himself in the gaming industry, editing news and reviews for a niche online gaming company. When reflecting on this experience, he boasted, “It didn’t matter that the work was unpaid because it didn’t feel like work. I loved it. So I started scanning job boards like Linkedln and Indeed for full-time opportunities.”

Although he was, and continues to be, thankful for the way that Scientific American had developed his professional skills, he held his interest he had in the gaming industry close to his heart and decision surrounding what his next move would be. He described this transition period of his career to use when he stated…

“I knew it was time to take the next step when I saw the job post for a new gaming team at revelation. I got lucky checking for jobs multiple times a day. Occasionally, I doubted if I’d ever be able to break into the industry, although I kept pushing forward with determination. Keep trying and never lose hope even when your desired outcome seems unlikely.”

A Glimpse Into Palmieri’s Work Week

According to Palmieri, “When it comes to my week to week, you can quote the Lego Movie and say, ‘Everything is Awesome!'” The awesomeness of his job can be rooted in how much it varies on a weekly basis. When you work in such a niche industry, especially the gaming or media industries, you truly never know how sudden external events or trends will impact the content you produce, your perspective on hot topics of conversation, strategy formulation, and so much more. Given the dynamic nature of the industry, he says that there plenty spur of the moment responsibilities. Palmieri described these spur of the moment responsibilities for us…

“They are similar to updates for your favorite game. Sometimes they surprise you and other times they require pushback, yet at the end of the day, you’re happy for the extra content and wouldn’t want it any other way.”

In addition to the element of surprise that comes more times than not, he also broke down exactly what the “awesomeness” of his week is comprised of on a daily basis. Mondays are for writing recaps of major weekend tournaments, game guides, or industry news coverage. Tuesdays consist of editing the team’s weekly Competition Center Show script, writing social copy, and giving feedback to his remote video freelancers. Although it is primarily remote work, Palmieri and his team maintain close communication with the video team in L.A., where you can find him reviewing and creating titles for the videos produced by the LA team on Wednesdays. And what exactly does Palmieri do for the remainder of the week. He gave us the run-down…

“Friday we throw trivia murder parties in Jackbox, rage at Blue Shells in Mario Kart, and play other games like FIFA all day. Kidding. I plan our weekend coverage and schedule for the next week in order to ensure the team is prepared to publish the proper streams and content at the right time.”

Palmieri’s Favorite Types of Articles and Topics to Write About

Palmieri says that his favorite article that he has written to-date featured an interview series with John Boble, the Coach of the New York Subliners. He certainly recognizes and sees a great amount of value in interviews as a form of content. In fact, he is currently working on new types of interview content and formats for his client’s website and he cannot wait to leverage and apply these ideas to his work in the near future. This is certainly something for all of us the keep a close eye on. Palmieri described the value in interviews when he stated…

“Interviews are a wonderful ride. You get to help influential figures and compelling characters weave together an interesting narrative. It’s like being Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Interviewers get to be the wingman anytime. They ask the right questions and pick up on the subject’s reactions to steer the conversation in the best possible direction. When you stick the landing you immediately know the audience is going to enjoy the interview just as much as you did piloting it.”

The Best Part About Creating Content in the Gaming Industry is…

In its simplest form, Palmieri believes that the best part about creating content in the gaming industry, and in general, is the way that it challenges and inspires you to pick your brain and process information from a different perspective that you would not normally adopt. Putting yourself in the mind of your audience and diversifying your point of view is critical for strategizing exactly how information can be crafted and innovated in a way that is unique to anything else that the reader has ever read. There is a tremendous amount of value in creating content according to a variety of unique angles or tidbits of what the reader would never discover at another publication. According to Palmieri, “It’s about giving the reader key information they’re looking for and information they didn’t know they wanted. “

So, how does he pull this off? In order to approach the information with a new, unique angle that allows readers to unlock and engage in content that they did not even know they wanted, Palmieri says that it is all in the little details. Just like how he sees a tremendous amount of value in the interview-based content, Palmieri sees great value in catching and retaining the attention of his audience with small details, rather a “big buzzwords.” By taking this approach to content creation, he has the ability to evoke a greater response and more emotions. He went on, “Finding these angles is trickier than simply reporting the facts, but the challenge and pay off are part of the fun.”

Palmieri even gives a specific example of using this approach to content creation. In doing so, he stated…

“Say we’re covering Final Kombat 2020. SonicFox reset the bracket against Ninjakilla then won another set in Grand Finals with Joker to take home first place and a lot of money. Every outlet will cover that, so we include a breakdown of every player’s main and secondary in the tournament to show the most popular characters in addition to detailing every player’s final placement, prize money, and set counts.”

The bottom line? When strategizing exactly how you will differentiate your content from the rest, assessing exactly what angles every other outlet will take is critical. Take the standard angle that other publications are taking and make it unique, introduce and challenge the audience to a new perspectives through small, but impactful details.

For Those of You Trying to Break Into the Gaming Industry, Listen Up….

If you’re interested in breaking into the gaming industry, Palmieri is here to tell you…

“Pursue a career in this industry if you’re passionate and love video games. It’s not about being good at the games. You can be terrible, enjoy them, and excel in the industry. What matters is the ability to eloquently discuss things like mechanics, maneuvers, and mentalities.”

If you are anything like me, you thought that in order to be successful in the industry, you at least need to be able to win every game that you play. Palmieri is here to break this notion, and certainly provided us with a refreshing outlook on how you can be successful in such a niche industry without having to excel in every aspect of it. In light of this, he recommends those who are trying to break into the industry do the following:

  1. Create a signature style that you can differentiate yourself from your own competitors with.
  2. Stay as close to the industry as possible and as if “every aspect is a different daily quest.”
  3. Create content constantly in order to build a portfolio “similar to slaying enemies for rare materials.”
  4. Work with party members, or colleagues, friends, and family to hone your craft.
  5. Accept constructive criticism to improve your technique and tactics.
  6. Gain enough experience points through dedication to master your class and reach your desired level, or position.

And all of this goes back to very first reason that he believes you should enter the industry- because of your passion. While passion should be at the root of what drives anyone to do their job, regardless of the industry, this passion is especially valuable and important in such a niche industry. So, if you have the passion, it’s time to leverage it in a way that helps you professionally (and personally) develop. Palmieri explained this notion when he stated,

“Passion can only get you so far without grinding to progress your skill tree. Once your passion is exercised and leveraged, other people will begin to celebrate and recognize it, giving you an opportunity to truly shine and preserve in the industry.”

If you could not already tell (for some odd reason), Palmieri is a true master when it comes to exploring the unique angles that we can create and consume content in a way that is universally appealing to all types of people, all types of gamers. He certainly took a unique angle in describing exactly how people like him can create content that effectively connects a diverse audience, with different levels of knowledge about gaming and different reasons for consuming gaming content.

“This position is comparable to opening a window to the inside of the esports industry. People unfamiliar with or outside of the industry approach your window to get a glimpse of competitive gaming through your work. Will they climb inside and become spectators? Maybe they’ll strive to succeed on the stage. Your content is the gateway to another side of gaming, enticing casual and competitive gamers to peruse your publication. It’s time to create content and chew bubble gum… and you’re all out of bubble gum.”

Again, if you are like me, you went into this article questioning your fluency of the gaming language and industry model, only understanding competitive gaming through the glimpse that Palmieri suggested. It is people like him, however, who aim to innovate, to bridge the gap between those who casually understand and see the industry through a glimpse, versus those who are much more competitive. Content connects and when created in a strategic manner, it has the power to connect a diverse range of communities.

A Look Into Palmieri’s Life, Outside the Office

In addition to cooking, hiking and walking through stores without buying anything (again, so relatable), he enjoys playing board games, such as The Resistance, planning intricate events, such as a 14 hour long Amazing Race through Manhattan, and traveling to experience new cultures. His first initial response, however, was playing video games- which he joked “sounds like cheating.”

Did You Know This?

Palmieri recently conquered his irrational fear of baby coasters and rode the Slinky Dog Dash coaster at Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. Although he is making baby steps, he disclosed, “I will forever remain fearful of flipping crazy coasters.” And while we are on the topic of coasters, he is ready to share a bonus tip for you Mario Kart players. Here is it: “I slow down when in first place during Mario Kart so the Blue Shell only hits the person in second.” And there you have it.

The Coolest Trend in the Gaming Industry Today Is…

The insights into and knowledge of this industry that Palmieri has is certainly riveting and, in many ways, inspirational. So, what does think is the coolest trend we see in the industry today? He told us it’s Virtual Reality. Although he credits this trend as being the coolest, he does believe that it has a “long way to go.” Only time will show us exactly how this trend will pan out. Palmieri, however, is already predicting that “if it ends up working as well as it does in some of the fictional films, then we are destined for a revolution.” In the meantime, he joked, “Let’s just hope we don’t get trapped in an MMO with no way to escape other than completing the adventure.”

Sure, the glitzy technological advancements and innovations that we are watching unfold are fascinating, but he will always continue to see the most value in the most basic elements of gaming. He gave us the rundown on what he believes the best parts of gaming might always be…

“Call me old fashioned but the best parts about gaming might always be the gameplay. Titles are timeless thanks to tight controls and mesmerizing mechanics. Graphics are not guaranteed to look

as aesthetically pleasing in the future depending on the art style.”

The “old fashioned” insights and perspective that Palmieri has, especially in an industry that seems to be advancing at a significant speed, is certainly refreshing and inspiring.

The Future of the Gaming Industry Is…

In addition to Virtual Reality, streaming and cloud gaming will be kept on the Palmieri’s radar when assessing exactly how the landscape of the gaming industry will evolve in the future. He explained the timeline associated with this notion when he stated, “Streaming will play a bigger role in future generations, just not as soon as people think. Google Stadia has shown the world is not yet ready for cloud gaming.” Although he believes we are far off from Virtual Reality and cloud gaming, the unexpectedness of what will happen excites him. He reflected on the evolution of the industry thus far and recalled, “I remember when the Wii came out of nowhere and transformed the landscape of the industry with motion controls. It is a very exciting time to be a gamer with the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles coming later this year.”

At a high level, watching how the gaming industry (and all related industries) will evolve in the future will be extremely valuable as we look to adapt our strategies and create content in a way that is innovative and relevant to the times.