Chris Kerr, a veteran games reporter with over 15 years of experience, has launched a new independent trade publication called Vertical Slice. Kerr, who most recently served as senior news editor at Game Developer, left the publication to pursue his vision of "fearless reporting" outside the constraints of a corporate-owned entity. He cites a desire to produce more impactful journalism, uninfluenced by potentially conflicting commercial interests.
Vertical Slice is positioned as a news-focused publication primarily serving game developers, eschewing guides and reviews. Kerr aims to break news daily, building on his previous work. The publication is funded through Kerr's personal savings and will operate on a lean, solo model initially, reducing overhead. He acknowledges the inherent risks but expresses a strong belief in the venture and its purpose.
"I feel like I can do my best work outside the confines of a publication that is owned by a globally traded corporation with wildly different commercial interests," Kerr stated. "Often those interests can overlap... I feel like in order to produce journalism that is as punchy as it can be, properly fearless, you need to potentially go it alone."
The majority of Vertical Slice's content will be paywalled, with a subscription model intended to mirror the daily purchase of a newspaper. A limited number of free articles will be available each week. The site also launches with a free library of design documents and pitch decks contributed by developers such as OuterSloth and Kitfox Games.
Kerr is passionate about the future of games media and aims to build a sustainable platform that gives workers a voice to speak out against misconduct and injustice. He envisions Vertical Slice eventually growing into a newsroom of five to ten employees, mentoring new talent and creating career pathways within the industry. He believes that supporting journalism through direct payment is crucial for its survival, especially in the face of AI-generated content and a general reluctance to pay for reporting.
"I think readers need to just start picking a lane," Kerr explained. "And it’s like, look at all the AI aggregation. We’re all being subjected to death by a thousand cuts because AI is going for our jobs, people are getting laid off. People don’t want to pay for reporting, you know what I mean? Like, we’ve got to figure out how to make this work. And I think there is a fairly simple equation, which is just, if you enjoy a journalist’s work, pay for it."
Kerr is confident that Vertical Slice can succeed where other independent publications have not, particularly in the trade space. He notes that a small fraction of the millions who have read his past work would be sufficient to achieve break-even, allowing for reinvestment into the site and potential expansion. While acknowledging the possibility of failure, Kerr is committed to trying to build something meaningful for both his career and the broader industry, stating that if it doesn't work, he may have to leave the industry altogether due to the lack of viable career prospects.