Ask a Wombat! 031

The Grim Lord asks. . .

Okay, let me completely honest with you. I started reviewing music back in 2014. There wasn’t much money in it, but I worked with dozens of bands and labels around the world. Politics got into the music, so I thought about a review I did for Monster Girl Quest Complete years ago, which had a higher view count than any major album reviews or big band interviews I had done on my site. I decided to change the whole focus to covering more hentai games, in the hope that I may be able to get a following and maybe make a little bit of money this time. Well, I’ve spent around $500 so far getting all of this together now and upon looking for a cover image for Evening Starter, I found your site. I have no intention of competing with you, you’ve got it pretty well taken care of here, as well as a massive archive of review history. My honest question is, that despite all the money I’ve spent on the website (thegrimtower.com) should I continue? I mean, if people are going to you for their reviews, they don’t need me, and you actually seem to have the time to complete most of these games. I’ve always respected an honest opinion, so just let me know what you think.

DatWombat says. . .

This is a loaded question, and you seem like someone that’d appreciate a loaded response. 

You sent me a wall of text — I raise you six walls of text!

Mixing two distinctly genres (music and “hentai games”) on the same platform is an awful idea. That’d be like if I decided to use the Wombat Trap to write essays on global warming climate change. I’m sure a few of my readers would be interested, but anybody that’s here for the boobs would be alienated — and they’d probably stop my site (unless they were following a direct link). Anybody interested in my new content (climate change) would be turned away (mortified, probably) by the rest of my articles. If I ever decided to change my “whole focus”, I’d reboot my viewership on social media. You should start with an established platform, before making your own.

Believe it or not, people consider clicking-off social media a chore. You to convince them you’re worth the work.

I have a question for you, and I want you to be honest with yourself. Are you writing about games for money and/or viewership, or for your own personal enjoyment? Because if you enjoy writing about them, please please continue! If playing hentai games is something that brings joy to your life, don’t let me stop you. I doubt “everybody goes to [me] for their reviews”. I’m an option. My reviews are not necessarily better than yours; they’re my opinions, not yours. No two writers are the same. We have different backgrounds and passions, and our writing reflects these. We have different values and comedy. What I find funny — and hot — is not the same as you.

It’s like going out for a bite. Everybody has their preferences.

If you write for profit, maybe it’s time to reconsider your business. I’m about to get real with you, and you might not like what I have to say. Since personal computers, artists have never been more prolific. They’re a dime a dozen. Unfortunately, writing happens to be the cheapest, most widely available artform on the internet. You and I are minnows in the ocean. Paid writing is an arduous journey of sleepless nights and blind perseverance. That “massive archive” of mine is the result of writing full-time every week since early 2020; when I come home from my other job, I sit down, and I write until my eyes betray my ambition.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t pursue writing for profit. You just need to bleed some more.

Part of getting paid is providing competitive services. I’m your competition — but so is anybody that publishes reviews. But guess what? Competition is good; competition drives innovation. For example, my essay-style content is a far cry from the one-liner trash that pervades Steam reviews. I write reliable, regular reviews for new and upcoming adult games. I strive to produce articles to entertain everybody, even if they have no intention of buying the games I write about. To stay ahead of the competition, I aggressively hone my creative talents. Unfortunately, reviews are free — I doubt anyone would be interested in purchasing reviews, so you have to discover round-about ways to earn your money. I receive donations from fans and developers alike, and I sell my visual art beside my review content.

You mentioned that I “seem to have the time to complete most of these games.” I’m glad you brought that up.

Good reviews take time. Lots of time. Unlike creative writing, you can’t just make shit up. The problem with reviewing games is that you have to play them (preferably to completion). In a sense, you have to gather research before you can write. I used to only play games for a few hours before reviewing them, but now I try my best to only review games I’ve completed. Back then, I was more interested in quantity over quality. Some gameplay, such as pay walls, progression and story-telling can only be accurately portrayed (in writing) once they have been experienced. If you can’t find the time to play the games you want to review, you’ve made a terrible mistake with your career choice.

This is gonna sound cheesy, but follow your heart.

But seriously, follow your heart. As one reviewer to another, I don’t think you should stop writing. I want the adult “genre” to continue to flourish, and I want it to be taken more seriously. There’s a stigma tied to adult games, and it takes a certain kind of courage to write about them. Porn-games aren’t going away anytime soon, and adult critics have the power to shape their future. I guess I could have been a “normal person” and reviewed safe-for-work games, but they aren’t as fun to write about — I’m sure you’d agree with me. This is gonna sound weird, but it makes me happy knowing how many people have fapped because of me.

I guess It’s how I choose to make the world a happier place?

I fear my thoughts have been reduced to to senseless rambling — I desperately need to sleep.

If you write for funsies, keep it up — but if you write for profit, rethink your strategy!

Now have a wonderful day (or night, whatever).