Interview: Johann Aldazábal | Editor In Chief, Gamecored

We had a great time speaking with Johann Aldazábal, a psychologist yet very passionate for video games and most importantly Editor in chief at Gamecored. We had a great time chatting with Johann and learned so much from his work and experience from this industry. Let’s hear what Johann had to say about being part of the games industry!

 

Ron: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Johann Aldazábal: Well, I'm from Lima, Perú, I’m a psychologist specializing in the clinical field. I studied at PUCP and worked quite a long time in the area of my profession. This year I’ll turn 35 years old and I got married in 2017, I still don't have children but it is definitely among the plans.

It was only in 2014 that the idea and the option of Gamecored appeared. I have always been very passionate about videogames, which have accompanied me during many moments of my life.

There are so many elements that come into play in the experience with a video game that I could define it as a special type of art that allows you to develop skills and confront many personal issues. That's probably one of the reasons I find it so exciting to get into the gaming industry, through content creation and as part of the press.

 

Ron: What are your duties at Gamecored?

Johann Aldazábal: I'm the Editorial Director (Editor in chief) at Gamecored. I am basically in charge of managing, supervising and creating most of the content that appears on the web.

But, apart from that, I'm also in charge of public relations at Gamecored. In that sense, I have to be in constant communication with brand representatives, publishers or video game developers.

Another aspect in my area is the editing of videos that we usually share through our fanpage on FB and our YouTube channel. Although this is not my specialty, I think with time and trial and error, it's something I've been able to improve little by little.

In addition, the creation of content is something recurrent. I must be monitoring the daily news in order for it to appear on the web, through me or my collaborators. The same work is done for game reviews, movies or technological devices.

 

Ron: Being a Director Editorial, what trends have you noticed in the gaming industry recently? Do you support where it’s heading?

Johann Aldazábal: One thing that has caught my attention is that lately this has become a fashion, something that many opportunists have taken advantage of. It's as if the whole issue of videogames and the quality of content you create has taken a back seat, by giving greater importance to the superficiality of who plays. In that sense, what is relevant has been transformed and passed on to who can provide you content with the least clothing possible.

But don't misunderstand me either, I'm very much in favor of streaming as a means to continue massifying information, but I feel we've reached a point where this has derailed a bit.

That's probably what I don't like in this current trend, since the effort made to provide quality content is sometimes left out by the most practical and easy to go out in front of the camera showing a little more skin, or doing quirky things on the Internet.

On the other hand, I also see a quite important trend that has turned towards esports. The current attention that has been given is really surprising and very positive because it dignifies video games, which before have always been loaded with many stigmas and myths.

Now it is being shown that esports are a good way to provide another type of window to videogames. A window that is more socially accepted for all the good it brings with it.

Similarly, it is sad the latest developments in America and the massive shootings and threats that have resulted in human loss. And just as bad is the way the American government is trying to deal with the problem. Many point to video games as responsible for these kinds of acts, without bothering to look for investigations that demystify all these charges.

As a mental health specialist, I can say that there is no direct and significant relationship between violent behavior and video games. It is likely that by focusing on that, you are setting aside and covering up other elements that may have a greater link. Here, in my country, the video game movement is quite strong, and we have never had situations similar to those in the United States.

 

Ron: Esports focuses on its social aspect a lot these days. Do you think there’s a lot more potential in terms of the social aspect of Esports than there currently is?

Johann Aldazábal: Definitely, the current social aspect of esports has made the discipline to resonate very strongly. In my country titles like Dota or League of Legends are elements that are much more commented than before.

Before, many people did not know what was The International, or about these associations that train athletes to participate in these millionaire tournaments.

In that sense, this is helping to open the eyes of many people and giving an opportunity to discipline as a serious profession.

In the same way, not everything is fun. It also shows that our representatives really sacrifice a lot of things in trying to achieve their individual, and team, goals.

 

Ron: What is an effective approach to prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability? Have supervise others in doing this?

Johann Aldazábal: What we do at Gamecored is that each of our posts contains a lot of the author's style, humor, seriousness and essence. I think that, first of all, it is very important to start providing something unique in terms of content.

And yes, sometimes you have to rewrite a lot of things, it has happened to me in some reviews that I had to delete entire paragraphs just because I came up with a better way to express my experience with the game or film in question.

I think that writing is not complicated, the difficult thing is to try to get your personality embodied in what you've written, without falling into inconsistencies or understanding something very different from what you wanted to convey.

Yes, we have a program of collaborators where many send their own articles. There are many authors whom I remember very fondly, but there are also others whose writing level could be quite low. The idea was to help them put their ideas in order, since on paper not everything sounds the same as you had it structured in your head.

With the intention of wanting to maintain the author's personality as much as possible, what we try to do is to respect the grammatical issues and give space to his writings. The importance of a comma or a dot.

 

Ron: What is the most challenging part of writing, especially when it comes to editorials and reviews?

Johann Aldazábal: Just what I was saying a moment ago, to find the best way to express our ideas and to understand how we originally structured it in our heads.

I remember that the first time I did a review it cost me a lot, because there were so many elements (inside a videogame) to take into account that it was a little difficult to discern the information.

Nowadays people read a lot less, in that sense it helps a lot to learn to be more concise. You don't need to make a 20-page will to show your appreciations about a movie or a video game.

I think there are some basic elements that we do need to elaborate on, as they depend a lot on the enjoyment of a game. But apart from that, I think the most important thing is to emphasize why a game works (because of some specific feature), or why it doesn't meet expectations.

In addition to the technical part, there's also a more internal element based on what a game can make you feel. For example, games that are shorter and technically less structured, than other triple A games, can have very special and more powerful elements in terms of message. That I think is very important to keep in mind.

 

Ron: Have you ever gone above and beyond the "call of duty" for publishing any piece?

Johann Aldazábal: Oh yes! I probably felt less before because I was younger and had much more time in my hands. But now that I am a married person with plans to extend my family, things have changed a bit and I must try to keep providing the same quality space to all aspects of my life.

Obviously I don't always get it, but my wife is great and supports me a lot.

In some reviews, I had to play sooooo many hours straight in order to reach the date of the embargo. There are definitely games much harder to analyze than others. But hey, everything must be taken with a good sense of humor.

 

Ron: Have you ever received negative feedback on a piece of writing? What was your response?

Johann Aldazábal: Haaaa, where do we start? Definitely not everyone will always share your opinion and that's fine, it helps create debate.

I'm a big believer in communication and I try to talk a lot and respond. There are many times when comments refuting my opinions can be very well structured, with arguments that, in effect, invite us to have a debate in which both sides can learn a lot from each other.

However, I have also had many more unpleasant experiences, with unpleasant messages that attempt to attack rather than argue. I used to respond as well, always asking for a valid opinion on which to talk and put forward different ideas. Sometimes they work well, but many times they don't. So sometimes I prefer to just ignore them.

 

Ron: What have you found to be the best way to monitor the performance of your work and/or the work of your team?

Johann Aldazábal: I usually have two people to go to constantly. To my wife whom I ask you to read my stuff before putting them on the web and to my good friend and my business partner Hary Bauer, whom I have known for a long time now and I respect quite a lot.

But anyway, I feel that there is a good teamwork in Gamecored, the idea is to support each other in order to avoid mistakes to the fullest. Everyone has a definite task, but that does not prevent us from shaking hands when we need it.

 

Ron: Can you tell us about a time when you developed your own way of doing things other than following others?

Johann Aldazábal: I will be very sincere, although I consider myself a team player, I have noticed that it is complicated for me to follow guidelines that I feel do not fit with the idea I have of Gamecored in my mind. As Editorial Director I feel that there is a lot of my style on the web and, therefore, I am a little maniacal in terms of the type of content and quality of our articles, without affecting the personality of the authors in their writings.

But I also like to contemplate what other ways we can improve, I am very open to hear opinions and, if I feel that it can help us improve, then welcome.

For example, we are planning a Podcast program from Gamecored, but I have realized that I can no longer (nor want to) have any more responsibilities, for which I will not be in charge of this new project. It will be my good friend Alejandro "Benito" who will be the producer. I am very excited about this idea, since it is also important to consider new approaches and styles that continue to improve our brand. I am sure that this new project will be well received.

I trust in my friends and business partners.

 

Ron: We all have experienced this at least once. Will you share an experience when your ethics and patience were tested? How did you keep your emotions in check?

Johann Aldazábal: Yes, I have an experience. When Gamecored started we all committed ourselves to try to make the web grow as quickly as possible. Although they were quite enjoyable years, I feel that one of my biggest frustrations was to see that the work was not equitable.

Ron: Despite repeated conversations and planning we could not reach an agreement regarding the work with one of our partners at the time. Then we decided to take separate paths from him.

I try to take frustrations for what they are, challenges that don't always find a solution but we need to deal with it and learn. I don't always find success in that, but what I have learned is that if you want to start a project, any type of project, you must get together with the right people.

And I think that's Gamecored right now, a group of friends who understand each other well enough and that make our future plans brighter.

 

Ron: What in gaming excites you the most? Outside of work, how much time do you spend playing video games in an average week?

Johann Aldazábal: Despite not being very talented in many games, I think I stand out in others. Always a part of me, I assume for my academic training, focuses a lot on the sensations of video games.

I enjoy a great story and games that immerse me and make me bet on their characters. I also like more immediate things, like a game in Call of Duty or some races in Crash Team Racing. It's a matter of catching everything a little.

As for the hours, there we are complicated, with all the responsibilities that I must take into account, I think I play around 20 hours a week. Sometimes a little more or sometimes a little less.

 

Ron: What experiences would you personally like video games to deliver in the future?

Johann Aldazábal: The point we have reached, in technical matters, is impressive. But I feel that, despite some really impressive titles, I want to see more development in the VR area. I want to see myself completely immersed in this world of which I am not yet a close fan. I want you to convince me and invite me to lose myself in another dimension.

 

Ron: As a Director Editorial, you get a lot of developers trying to get your attention and to play their games, but they may not know the best ways. Do you have any tips that you can impart to make their pitches towards you and other journalists more effective?

Johann Aldazábal: I have not had bad experiences in that area. That is, yes, we receive many emails from people who want us to try and play what they offer.

Unfortunately, we cannot always accept them for a single reason: Lack of time. If it were for me, I would receive everything and we would try happily, but unfortunately it is impossible.

In that sense, what makes me lead more to one game than another, is how much of that game I can see in the emails they send. Not only do I mean gameplay, but also in the way they compose their emails. I want to feel invite and feel the game from the first moment I read the mail.

It has happened to me that sometimes I have opted more into that than in the trending games. It's all about knowing how to sell.

 

Ron: With so many gaming websites and independent journalists trying to reach the same target audience segment, do you think the correct messages are being spread across?

Johann Aldazábal: There are a lot of websites and influencers now. Just as I said in the first question, I think there is much that is being distorted in favor of easy and superficial content.

I think we have the responsibility of being able to build something better and more solid, so that if someone wants to launch their own website in the future, they always think about quality.

And another tip, do not repeat what the websites always do, try to provide some novelty, a differential. I think that is the best way to find fans and build something good. It will suddenly take you a little more time, planning and effort, but I'm sure you will live your life without regrets.

 

Ron: Why is it important for gamers to maintain a healthy lifestyle? What advice would you have for a gamer looking to take the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle?

Johann Aldazábal: A little secret, before starting fully in the videogame industry, I took care of myself much more, went to the gym and was careful with my diet.

Between I got married and started with videogames I think I lost a bit of the notion of that. But I said enough, I currently have a better lifestyle that has improved my eating habits and the desire to do more physical activities. All in order to maintain a healthy life and to be able to live many more years with my family.

This is definitely an important issue that I think will serve not only gamers, but anyone, to know how to plan and order their lives.

 

Ron: What are the future plans for Johann Aldazábal?

Johann Aldazábal: I have a lot in my head, and if I think about everything I want to do, it could frustrate me. I think you have to be patient and keep working little by little, in order to see most of your goals.

For now, I have plans for a PR agency, a podcast program, and many more trips with my family and children, and I am suddenly moving to another country.

There is much to consider, but I think, basically, I will always put my family first and Gamecored in second place. This year we were considered as part of the official jury of the E3, something I could never have imagined. I want more of that, I have plenty of ambition.

Big thanks to Johann for doing the interview with us. We wish him all the very best with all of his ventures.