“the era of websites was in full swing, transforming video games coverage into something that moved at a much faster pace than in the magazine days. Games journalism widened, with the boards and forums of the early internet paving the way for a new generation of writers with their own blogs and podcasts. I was one of the many who voraciously consumed 1UP content and posted on forums like Parish’s Talking Time, fueling starry-eyed dreams of becoming a games journalist. Esports and content creation would soon follow, but at the time, games journalism was the most visible way to become a professional gamer. Enthusiast blogs sprouted like pimples on the face of a rapidly growing industry, many of which popped just as quickly after their owners got bored, realized writing – even with free video games involved – is work, and/or used a blog to secure E3 press credentials and discovered that it wasn’t as exciting as advertised”
https://aftermath.site/games-journalism-game-development-ign-kotaku