Telum Talks To… Nicolo Manaloto, Editor at Ungeek.ph
Interview

Telum Talks To… Nicolo Manaloto, Editor at Ungeek.ph

By George Putong

Nicolo was surrounded by encyclopaedias and almanacs when he was young. This penchant for reading mixed with his love of video games has levelled up into an enriching career as an Editor for a popular gaming publication in the Philippines. Let’s see what inspires him and what his tips are for PRs seeking to collaborate.

Tell us more about Ungeek.ph and what your day-to-day looks like for the online publication.
While my day-to-day seems to be just me sitting in front of the computer most of the day, my work days are dynamic. On a typical day, I do a mix of looking up the latest video games and anime news. I also write and edit articles, while coordinating with contributors. I also squeeze in time to work on longer articles such as game and tech reviews, or I attend events and interviews if there are any.

Generally, I start work in the afternoon as video game news usually gets released in the morning, U.S. time. Scheduling is not easy given the range of tasks I need to finish. Though, in a way, the range of things to do means I’m almost never bored.

It must be a dream to have something you’re passionate about work hand-in-hand with your writing skills, what inspired you to write?
I feel lucky that I get to cover video games, anime, and tech for my work. As for what inspired me to write, there’s no main inspiration. Growing up, I was surrounded by books like encyclopaedias and almanacs. I spent a lot of my childhood summers reading. I was fortunate to pick up how to write thanks to these, and this skill was further honed by great teachers I had from my elementary school days up until college.

Gaming, tech, and entertainment are loaded with big events like E3 and the Tokyo Game Show - which event is a personal favourite to cover and why?
If I could only pick one, it would have to be the Tokyo Game Show. Most of my favourite games are developed by Japanese game studios, so the Tokyo Game Show is usually the event where they are revealed. Plus, the impressive booths and sheer energy on the convention floor (before the pandemic, that is) is something that I can’t get enough of.

What are some of Ungeek.ph’s upcoming plans?
Aside from continuing to write about the latest in anything and everything geek, bolstering our YouTube content is one of the things that we’re working on right now in terms of creating more unique and creative content. Of course, growing our editorial team is also on our pipeline. And there are also some other ventures that we’re still cooking up, so watch out for that.

What types of press materials and story pitches is Ungeek.ph open to receiving?
The latest on video games, anime, and consumer tech (smartphone and laptops) are our main priority when it comes to press materials from brands and agencies. Though we are also very much open to all sorts of stories, so long as it’s 'geeky'. After all, fashion labels and lifestyle brands are breaking into the geek sphere.

One thing that we don’t really cover much is B2B stories given that our focus is on interesting geek stories for the general audience.

Speaking of press materials, what will catch your attention from PRs? How should they pitch the story to you?
We always appreciate it when PRs send over stories or materials that have straightforward pitches. As we sift through lots of releases from various categories, having direct-to-the-point releases makes our job much easier, giving us additional time to create more interesting content. We also appreciate it when PRs send over high resolution assets to accompany their stories as these lend a good visual support for our articles.

If you could interview anyone 1:1 in the world for Ungeek.ph, who would that be?
It would have to be Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series and Death Stranding. This is because Kojima is the foremost auteur in the video game industry, so I have a lot of questions for him regarding his approach to creation. Plus, I’m a big fan of his work; Metal Gear is still my favourite game series of all time, and his recent Death Stranding is one of the most incomparable and moving games I have ever experienced.

Read some of Nicolo's work at Ungeek.ph here.

Telum Media gives journalists a platform to share their experiences in the newsroom and out in the field. If you would like to share your story or nominate someone to be featured, email us at philippinesalert@telummedia.com

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