Many gamers these days have become distrustful of video game reviews from the big sites. They can’t exactly be blamed for this considering how many writers use game reviews as a platform to spout their ideology on the reader. Then of course we have games that get favorable reviews because the author has a personal relationship with the developer/publisher. Gamers want more honest reviews and that is where BasedGamer comes in.
The idea for BasedGamer comes from Jennie Bharaj who was already a successful YouTube personality before reaching new heights of fame due to being one of the key voices of the #GamerGate movement (a movement that started because gamers were fed up with gaming outlets’ corruption and condescending attitude toward their readers). BasedGamer will be a video game aggregate site like Rotten Tomatoes. It will be community-driven and have an easy to understand scoring method and a community rating system.
Jennie had this to say on her personal blog:
I am making sure BasedGamer is a success. Not for me, but for all of us. My vision for BasedGamer has always been to support its community and to give back by providing honesty and strength to my fellow gamers. It is important that all of you know how dedicated my team and I are to building something that we can all be proud of. Combined, we have already endured 1000+ hours of sleepless nights for the development of BasedGamer. We are working very hard. We want your voice heard in the industry. We want to make sure that happens.
Though BasedGamer managed to pull in an impressive $52,619 on Indiegogo when all was said and done, the road there wasn’t easy. The campaign to raise funds was started on November 13 but due to skepticism from #GamerGate supporters, funding stopped. This led to the campaign being extended by 15 days. To assure people that BasedGamer was a viable endeavor and to clear the air about how it would operate, the team went to places like Reddit, the Sun News Network, and to their own site where they published multiple reports. It was by reaching out to family and friends who helped donate $10,000 that funding for BasedGamer resumed and eventually met and exceed its goal of $50,000 with contributions from #GamerGate supporters, and close networks.
This is great news for the BasedGamer team and the industry as a whole. The old ways are slowly becoming extinct and people are seeking out new venues for them to get the game reviews and coverage that they want. We want to congratulate Jennie Bharaj and her team for achieving their goal and we also wish them luck on this journey they’ve started.
If you want to register with BasedGamer, make sure to follow this link.
[alert type=”green”] Full disclosure: Jennie Bharaj is a former member of The Koalition. The author (me) is also a good friend of hers. [/alert]
