* Credit to spyrde for his great work!
IT'S HERE GUYS!!
I'm very pleased to announce the next phase of our community project: Community Opinions. We want to bridge the gap between PSU and the community. That continues with your thoughts on anything and everything. Be it something about next-gen consoles, developers, technology or rumors. Community Opinions is about expressing your thoughts about our favorite hobby with the community and a chance to see your work on the front page of PSU!
This section is also a proving ground for would be writers, so those that are interested have a chance at more than just front page news. More on that soon enough. For some inspirational ideas on what kind of articles we are looking for, here are some examples from PSU on how you could write your opinion piece:
Why Assassin's Creed needs to visit Victorian London
3 reasons why Raiden is just as badass as Solid Snake
Defiance: Can an MMO/TV show hybrid really work?
Square Enix wasted a console generation, but it's not too late for redemption
Guidelines:
Now, there has to be some order for this to work. We want to see your efforts in a fun, structured setting that doesn't take itself too seriously but has some general rules to keep order. It's pretty simple, just post a new thread in this section and follow these basic guidelines. Don't worry about needing to be some super writer, this section is for everybody. A community spotlight for anyone to chime in with their thoughts.
For Kyle, an awesome PSU editor who might consider what will be front page material, PSU will be looking for three core values labeled P S U. Those aiming to make their mark on the front page, adhere to this sick acronym that only the gods could have created:
Personality: We want to hear every argument, every opinion, every editorial - but no one likes to read something that's totally dry. Let your personality shine through your words, the most interesting opinions are the enthusiastic ones. It's no coincidence that they are also the most fun to read.
Style: Good grammar and spelling is important, but so is your mastery of writing conventions that help build a convincing piece. There's plenty of leeway here, but in general, you want to establish a clear, strong thesis (argument) early on, and use the rest of your text to support it. Support can come through evidence, anecdotes, statistics, personal experience - really anything! Creativity is welcomed.
Unafraid: This is probably the most important factor of all. Any gaming claim, no matter how insane it may seem at first glance, can be reasonably presented with a back-to-basics approach that addresses your audience's doubts (and even finds some common ground!). It's important to think about how readers will receive your opinion - is it racy? Scandalous? If so, that's great! Just make sure you're unafraid of the impact, and use any backlash you anticipate as incentive to strengthen your writing and present your case in a logical, meaningful way.
Style: Good grammar and spelling is important, but so is your mastery of writing conventions that help build a convincing piece. There's plenty of leeway here, but in general, you want to establish a clear, strong thesis (argument) early on, and use the rest of your text to support it. Support can come through evidence, anecdotes, statistics, personal experience - really anything! Creativity is welcomed.
Unafraid: This is probably the most important factor of all. Any gaming claim, no matter how insane it may seem at first glance, can be reasonably presented with a back-to-basics approach that addresses your audience's doubts (and even finds some common ground!). It's important to think about how readers will receive your opinion - is it racy? Scandalous? If so, that's great! Just make sure you're unafraid of the impact, and use any backlash you anticipate as incentive to strengthen your writing and present your case in a logical, meaningful way.
Keep in mind P S U is not mandatory to write an opinion piece, merely a reference.
Thread Title: Very important. Make it stick out, but make sure it's explaining what the article is about. Don't try to mislead the reader. Use [OPINION] followed by your personal title.
i.e. [OPINION] Graphics aren't everything
If it's a rumor, use [RUMOR]. There isn't any crazy rules here, just make it catchy. Look at the examples from PSU above to get an idea.
Word Count: Aim for 500-2000 words. If it's a little over, no big deal. If you go below 500, it won't be added.
Graphics: Not mandatory, but a few pics can really spruce up a piece. Especially if you are trying to discuss rumors or explain different parts of hardware. Never hurts if talking about Kojima and his master plans to find one of his many awesome mug shots to compliment your work.
Conclusion: Make sure to wrap up your thoughts with a nice end that really pops. Given that these are here to discuss your opinion, ending with a question is a viable option. It gives the reader a chance to give their input to your work and potentially generate a great thread.
Database: Because opinion pieces can vary from PS4 to individual developers, the database will feature article by date posted followed by author. You can find the database here, housing one day some of the greatest pieces of writing ever conceived. Each will be a link to their thread, with the thread title clearly stated. For those wondering how it will look (primarily my indexers), here's an example:
February 2013
Will Sony show off more games before E3? - Sir_Scud
Keys for Microsoft to beat Sony this year - DeviousOne
Wii U's third party support in question - Lethal_NFS
March 2013
Blizzard's attempts are underwhelming -DarkVincent07
This is the setup for now. When the year passes, it will be in spoiler tags making room for 2014.
Community Rank:
Each piece you write gives you a chance to rank up. This rank will coincide with the Community Reviews section, so either option can earn you a new tier in the rankings. This way people have a shot at beating Lethal to be the first Whale, Shark or maybe even Crab. There won't be a Hall of Fame here, but if you write a lot of opinion pieces you can still be added to the other guideline thread as the first person to reach a rank that was not Lethal.
bros of the primordial ooze
single cell organism (1 review/article)
plankton (3 reviews/articles)
sea horse (5 reviews/articles)
lil fishy (10 reviews/articles)
Denizens Of The Deep
Deadly Pirahna Swarm (15 reviews/articles)
Mega Stingray (20 reviews/articles)
Cold Killer Whale (25 reviews/articles)
Great White Shark (30 reviews/articles)
MONSTERS OF THE ABYSS
GIANT ENEMY CRAB (40 reviews)/articles)
KRAKEN KING (50 reviews/articles)
MEGALADON GHOST (60 reviews/articles)
LEGENDARY LEVIATHAN (75 reviews/articles)
D0LPH1NS OF T3H UND3RW4T3R C4V3
D0LPH1N (100 reviews/articles)
Keep in mind this is the early goings, there's a lot more to cover. With this section in beta form, expect changes every now and then. This thread alone will have some alterations soon enough, but with that said start posting your opinions!
I'll keep this thread open for discussion and thoughts. Changes can still be made to the process, but this means you can start posting new threads and I'll add them to the database! I'm very excited to see what the PSU community has to say!
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