Invader is celebrating a whopping 18 years of existence this year, which is equal parts reason for boastful celebrations and an utterly humbling experience for everyone involved. As the outlet, itself, is quick to point out, this remarkable milestone is primarily a testament to its readership.
Granted, this level of longevity would imply the editorial team isn’t half-bad, either. But it’s hardly a surprise that Invader is choosing to focus on its loyal core instead of stopping to rest on some hard-earned laurels for even a second.
Media outlets have, after all, lived and died by the loyalty of their readership since way back when. And that simple fact remains true to this very date. In fact, given the historic levels of competition across the digital media business, you could argue this dependency on an engaged audience is more consequential than ever before.
Still, you know what they say: the first 18 years of dancing across razor-thin margins are the hardest… or something like that. OK, even if that’s not a real adage, the fact remains that we’d much sooner bet on Invader being here another 18 years from now than whatever – or whomever – the current weekly flavor of an opinion maker is.
If for no other reason, then because the general public is a fickle crowd, especially when it comes to the entertainment industry. And so, while opinions and trends can change at a whim, quality reporting has a tendency to remain relevant for much longer. As evidence by the fact Invader is now of voting age.
So, here is to hoping this isn’t my last opportunity for a pretentious op-ed in which I feign to be wiser than a group of hardened reporters who managed to remain relevant in one of the most cutthroat content niches there is – 21st-century gaming media. Not to mention they have been doing that for longer than the last Fortnite World Champion-turned-millionaire has been alive.