Pixel Byte just celebrated 3 years of covering video games, big and small. Here are a few thoughts on what it means for us and the future.
Last night I was watching the documentary Mr. Scorsese. In it, the legendary filmmaker of Goodfellas tells the story of his life. Something that stuck with me is how, when he was 18, he was going to enter business school. In the 1950s, it was expected. “Filmmaking? Son, you are out of your mind,” he recalls. But suddenly a friend of his passed away from cancer that year. As any brush with death usually does, he found a renewed passion for what he really wanted to do with his life. He started going to NYU to meet with fellow cinephiles, and well, the rest is history. This is how I feel about Pixel Byte.
Pixel Byte just turned three years old this past August 8th. When I first joined in late March of 2025, it was a desperate move on my part. I felt that my career as a video game writer was dwindling, with few opportunities from other outlets. The website that I had been writing from 2023 to early 2026 simply told me one day I was no longer needed. They would start focusing on guides to become profitable, and game reviewers were out of the picture. Last time I checked, they were still publishing reviews.
The Beginning
I do not quite remember how I connected with Zach Barbieri AKA the owner of the site. What I do remember is telling him that I was all in on this project. I would not waver, stall, or distract myself. Week in and week out, I would publish articles worth reading. And so I have. I have over 170 reviews, guides, news, opinion pieces, and features on the site. Of course, this is not about me. To the new writers who have joined us, to all the people who have clicked on the links, and to the PR companies that have answered our emails: thank you.
Metrics are not something I would like to care about, but I have. What a pleasant surprise to see healthy numbers on the site monthly. It might not be the thousands that legacy gaming outlets reach every time, but I choose to believe it’s a positive sign. Being recently admitted into OpenCritic certainly motivated us more than we care to admit. Beyond talking about hard numbers, what has reaffirmed that rallying my efforts on Pixel Byte is the people we have resonated with since.
Last year an unassuming video game by the name of The Knighling moved me like no other. Inspired by The Legend of Zelda, The Witcher, and Horizon, it delivered something unique. In my conversation with its creative director, Matthijs van Der Laar, he said that my 10 out of 10 review helped validate their game. I do not really know how many people I was able to influence with my words, but I can say that I led with my heart writing about it.
Lasting Thoughts
There could not be a weirder time to start writing about video games. On the one hand, you have consistently great independent games such as Desktop Explorer, Denshattack!, or Deer & Boy releasing every week. On the other hand, the nonexistent ad revenue, as every site is culled for the sake of Google’s AI Gemini, means we all do this for the love of the game. Literally and figuratively, you bet we do. I cannot think of myself doing anything else that brings me so much joy. Much like Mr. Scorsese, our burning passion will continue to propel us in covering video games for as long as we feasibly can.
Thank you for three years of Pixel Byte.
