@BenKuchera

Ben Kuchera

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Do you mind people asking you to read/retweet something they wrote? Especially if you don't know them.

I don't mind it, but I very rarely do it. It's hard to find time to look into the content, and sometimes I've been skeptical about whether the fundraising stuff is real. Plus if you get a reputation for doing it, you get people asking ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I do, but it's the exception that proves the rule.
It's also a courtesy to people who follow you on Twitter: I try not to spam them, and that's often what it feels like. I go on rants often, and that's probably annoying enough, but random RT requests I try to keep to the absolutely minimum.

What's for dinner tonight?

The kids want pasta, so we'll probably do that. With five kids anything that you can make a lot of in a short amount of time is a bonus. Grilled cheese, pancakes, french toast, pasta, and sometimes pizza are all good choices. You know, all the good healthy stuff.
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What's your favorite game/type of game to play in the dead of winter when buried in typical Ohio snow?

I like to play something online with my friends, in my warm office, with a root beer. It's one of my favorite ways to spend an evening. We're still trying to enjoy Loadout, but the technical issues make it hard. DayZ and Rust are way up there. I'm counting down the days until Titanfal and inFamous: Second Son as well.

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Xander C

When the machines come for us, where will you hide?

I have a nice concrete room in the basement. It's gotta at least help.

What do you think needs to happen for games to come out of the "toy" corner, and finally be recognized as a significant cultural medium beyond just pure entertainment?

More voices telling more stories. More games that don't rely on guns and explosions. A more relaxed attitude towards sex, and a more giving attitude towards love. A better picture of the human experience.

How often do you think developers hurt their games with their own marketing practices, NDAs, attempts to massage coverage, etc?

These days most games are just trying to get coverage. It's kind of a buyer's market.

Can you clarify what happened at a particular event regarding EA's debut of SimCity? I seem to remember yourself and others chiding the way it was revealed. There were some walk-outs?

It was just awkward. Almost no information about the game, a long interview with a hollywood director... the whole thing was a waste of time. Many writers I know got up and left, myself included. I don't have time for that kind of bullshit.

How does working at Polygon compare to Ars?

The systems and work flow are a little different, but both sites have insanely smart people working their ass off to create a great site. I feel really blessed to have worked at this job for so long in general, and to have employed by such great sites.

At one point during your PA Report editorship, I considered cold-emailing you about contributing articles. Did I miss my shot to work for you now that you've moved on? Did you ever even get to the point of hiring out freelancers?

Yeah, I run some freelance pieces, but honestly it's usually writers I know and know I can rely on. The best thing to do is to spend some time on your own blog and build up some good writing samples, spend a few years writing daily and finding your voice. Competition for work is brutal, and it's very hard to break through as a new voice. Even well-known writers sometimes flake on assignments, and that can ruin your schedule. Trusting new people is very, very hard.

How likely do you think Fallout 4 will be set in Boston? Is the Kotaku rumour credible?

I honestly have no idea. Any next-gen Fallout would make me happy, to be honest.

Do you have any thoughts about the article John Walker at RPS wrote about how long copyrights should last? Seems like he's stirred up a bit of a hornets best with that one ...

I think it's a really thorny problem. I think people who create things should be able to make money off those things, but eternal copyright seems insane to me. Our system right now isn't great, but I honestly don't know how to fix it to make everyone happy. It's a big question.

I remember Assassins creed 3 came out and everyone I talked to mostly hated it. But I really enjoyed it, I loved the storytelling and world. I remember you said you liked it, which was refreshing to read. But did you ever love a game and have the exact opposite reaction from everyone else?

That game was great, and it's not the first time I really liked a game that no one else cared for. I'm a big fan of Ryse, for one. It's important to stand up and admit that you like unpopular things, because someone else out there likely loves the same stuff, and it's good to know you're not alone. The point of this hobby is to have fun, after all, so why get angry about what people like? Stand up for the stuff you enjoy!

Do you think it's possible for a games journalist to ask the 'hard hitting questions' and report honestly with integrity about problems in the industry, or is the loss of contacts and early-access too big of a risk?

I'm going to let you in on a secret that may be hard to believe: This is pretty much the standard order of things. Most people believe there's some grand conspiracy, that some companies really are evil and they're just waiting for a crusading journalist to rip the cover off the whole mess, but the reality is that the gaming industry is mostly made up of good people trying their best to do good work. Villains are few and far between.
I've written a ton of things that have pissed people off, and I've written things that have gotten people fired before. The reality is that they may be mad for a bit, and it may cost you an early review copy here and there, but they need you more than you need them. Life goes on, and it's rare that companies punish you for the long term.
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Is industry drama as prevalent as I hear it is? Stories lead me to believe there's a lot of catty, backstabbing activity among journalists, and that makes me sad. How can everyone be so mad when you get to write about video games for money?

It's exactly the opposite. There are only a limited number of professional writers in this business, so almost everyone is respectful and pleasant to be around. You see the same people at the big events, which makes this world seem very small. Pissing people off or being an asshole will work against you, and very quickly. There are definitely people I personally like more than others, sure, but there is a basic level of courtesy that keeps really bad feelings from brewing.

If you could speed up the release of a new game and get it today, which would it be?

Titanfall, definitely. Or maybe the entire first season of Wolf Among Us, which would destroy the point I was making in today's editorial.

Are you going to keep up the reviews of Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, King of the Nerds, etc somewhere? I'm guessing Polygon is not a good fit for it ;)

A bunch of people have asked me this, and honestly Polygon isn't a great fit for this kind of story and I'm trying to fix my work / life balance a bit, so I'm not sure how much sense it makes to keep that up on the side. Maybe I'll revisit the idea in a few months, but for now I'll probably leave those behind for a bit. Sorry. :-(
Writing the TV coverage was great fun though, and it makes me really happy that so many people enjoyed it. These questions really brighten my day.

Quick thoughts on game design college programs?

I honestly have no idea, it's a broad topic. The best thing for getting into any creative field though is to make sure you have a killer portfolio and low debt. College is great, but going deep into debt when there are so many other ways to pick up the skills can be a killer. If you ask ten professional developers how they got into the business, you're going to get ten different answers. College is only one path.
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Ben, your last name is very Czech! Comes from "Kučera". Do you actually have any Czech predecessors you know of?

My grandfather!

Best snack food while gaming?

Fried Tofu. Doesn't get on your fingers, tastes great, and the place down the street delivers. And then you need a sixer of IBC Root Beer and you're having a good time.

Do you have any tips for indies to promote their new game?

If your game doesn't 1) Do something new 2) Do something better than everyone else or 3) Have an irresistible hook you may be sunk. The market is so packed with games, that you need something to stand out, and a good pitch will only get you halfway.

Do you feel that your positive interactions on Twitter with readers/fans outweigh all the negative junk/attacks that you get? Do you ever feel like you just want to quit social media for a while? I guess regardless of how you feel, it is important to your job though.

Oh gosh, the ratio to good stuff to bad stuff is insane. The support tends to drown out the negativity, which makes it easy to keep things in perspective.

Regarding the PS4, does it have an option to upgrade sub-accounts to allow them to use credit cards without needing to use the master account? Or to allow them to just use their own cards? Made the account when I was 15, I'm 22 now with a job and tired of having to go through my step-dad's account.

Huh, I'm not sure actually. That seems silly that there isn't an easy way to do this.

Could Rock Band or Guitar Hero make a successful comeback on this new generation's consoles (XBox One, PS4, Wii-U)? Would the same game formula work? Or would gamers only go for it if it was something totally new, different, and probably something we haven't even thought of yet?

I doubt rhythm games are going to make any kind of come back as we remember them. There will always be something new right around the corner, though.

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