adminVertical Slice is a new, reader-funded publication focused on video game industry news, working conditions and the craft of game development. Founded by former Game Developer Senior Editor Chris Kerr, it aims to provide independent reporting for developers and industry leaders while offering a free archive of pitch and design documents.
Vertical Slice focuses on games industry reporting
The publication launched with a period of free access through November 2. After its paywall begins, most articles will require a subscription, while free readers will still be able to browse files in its document archive and read selected articles. Monthly subscriptions start at £7.45.
Kerr says the publication will cover a range of subjects, from funding initiatives and workers organising to expert analysis of current news and long-form investigations. It also plans to feature conversations with developers about their projects. The stated aim is to give industry workers a platform and scrutinise decision-makers through careful reporting.
Image credit: Vertical Slice
A free archive of pitch and design documents
Alongside its news and features, the site includes The Repository, an archive of game pitch and design documents intended as a resource for developers. These materials can offer practical examples for people developing projects or looking to understand how games are presented and designed.
Access to the archive is expected to remain free after the paywall launches. Its support may include contributions and sponsorships from partners interested in greater transparency in the video game industry. Kerr says a third-party sales agency will handle sponsorship discussions, keeping the publication’s reporters out of those negotiations.
Chris Kerr | Image credit: Vertical Slice
How the publication plans to fund its journalism
Kerr has funded the launch himself, with reader subscriptions expected to provide most of the publication’s income. His initial target is 500 monthly subscribers or 650 annual subscribers, which would bring in an amount equivalent to his previous salary. Once revenue covers his pay and operating costs, he intends to put additional income back into the publication.
Vertical Slice will not carry conventional advertising. Sponsorship is limited to the document database, with a planned separation between commercial arrangements and editorial work. This approach is designed to make the publication’s funding model clearer to readers.
Editorial plans and independent contributors
Kerr is the publication’s only staff member at launch, but plans to invest in editorial capacity once the business becomes sustainable. He has already commissioned freelance work from Nicole Carpenter, formerly a reporter at Polygon. He has also spoken with independent outlets including Aftermath, People Make Games, Game File and Manchester-based startup The Mill.
Kerr left Game Developer in September alongside several contributors and its editor-in-chief, Danielle Rindeau. Rindeau had emphasised the importance of editorial independence to honest reporting. Kerr has argued that in-depth journalism requires substantial work, including source conversations, document review and fact-checking, and that readers should recognise the value of that labour.
What Vertical Slice offers readers
For game developers, the publication combines industry reporting with an archive that can serve as a practical reference. Readers considering a subscription can weigh the cost against access to most of its articles, while the free Repository and selected stories provide an introduction to its coverage. Vertical Slice’s approach centres on reader funding, editorial separation from sponsorship and reporting that aims to represent workers across the games industry.
