Introducing paid subscriptions to Infinite Lives

Everything you need to know. But don't worry, not a lot is changing.

I’m finally going for it. I’m introducing paid subscriptions for Infinite Lives. Some of you won't be surprised. I mentioned this was coming in Infinite Lives' one-year anniversary post.

But what may intrigue you is how I'm introducing it. And what it all means. I'm looking to do something a little different here.

So how will paid subscriptions work?

If you already get my emails, you likely won't notice the difference. But now you'll have the option to support me through Substack's paid subscription tools.

For clarity: Substack takes around 10% and Stripe takes 3% as a payment fee.

Here are the nuts and bolts:

All new editions of Infinite Lives will continue to be free to read. That's right—don't sweat it if you've just signed up. You'll continue to get up to two emails a week from me on gaming.

When I publish a new post, the previous one will be locked to paid subscribers. So the sooner you subscribe, the more of the archive you'll retain access to. The only articles that will never be locked are my Greatest In Gaming Substack collaboration series, as they exist to showcase other amazing writers on this platform.

Paid subscribers will get an additional quarterly update on the publication. You're investing in me—both me and Infinite Lives—and in the long term, the broader Australian gaming ecosystem. I want you to know how that's tracking. This is a starting point. Over time, I'll aim to roll out more perks and benefits for members.

As for my subscription, I'm setting it at $5.50 AUD ($3.50 USD) per month. It's the same price as if you bought me a Melbourne coffee each month.

There will also be an annual plan with a discount ($60 AUD, $38 USD per year) Over time I'll add more benefits to these offerings, but the goal for today is just to get subscriptions started. You can upgrade your subscription using the button below.

Where will the money go?

I'll be investing in the publication, focussing on a few areas:

Pay for more writers telling uniquely Australian gaming stories. The goal is to run at least one freelance piece on Infinite Lives before the end of 2025. The stretch goal is one per month. I'm missing stories due to a lack of contacts in the indie dev scene here, which I'm slowly building.

Become a Substack bestseller. That's reaching 100 paid subscribers. Substack is a private company, not a charity. Money talks. If gaming publications earn them enough revenue, they will prioritise them and proactively work to grow the ecosystem, rather than ignore it, as they somewhat have done previously.

Overhaul the AI art. A redesign of the site's logo and graphics. The AI art got me off the ground, but I think a human eye would do wonders for creating a memorable brand.

Invest in bringing a broader audience to the Substack games writing community, to benefit everyone here. I've seen many dabble with Reddit and other channels to get more people here. There are various paid mechanisms we can also use, and I happen to know some of the best marketers in the business to help me do it.

Support other quality, journalistic Substack gaming writers. I want to support writers who hold the same principles as me regarding accuracy, interviewing and doing—where you can—the legwork required for a story. Or others that add value to the ecosystem or have a unique viewpoint on the sector.

I’m a new subscriber. What does this all mean?

I've had a burst of subscribers this month (over 40), so I wanted to address new readers directly here.

You'll continue to get my emails for free. And I will be gradually locking my older articles over the course of the next month—giving you time to read them too (if that's of interest).

I recently went about categorising all of them on my homepage to make them easier to find. Here are a few that have stood the test of time quite well:

Explainer: Gaming’s great price correction. Why it’s suddenly getting so expensive to game

Gaming for your vote

Meet the gamers who couldn’t wait for the Steam Deck’s offical Australian launch

Australia is defying gaming's digital-only future

Polygon's sudden sale is another dire warning for games journalism's future

Explainer: How Australia nearly banned online games for under 16s

I’ve also sorted all of my articles into category sections on my homepage to make them a little easier to discover.

This will likely change design at some stage too, but notice the categories?

The standard playbook for paid subscriptions is to offer limited free articles and then put the majority behind a paywall. I'm trying something different here. I'm hoping it works, but it's been designed to reward older subscribers while still not locking out newer ones.

I can’t afford to subscribe. How can I still support you?

More than reasonable.

I genuinely appreciate everyone who takes the time to read, like and comment on my articles. It's also a great way to find other gaming-adjacent writers on here. I try my best to get back to each of you and, at a minimum, acknowledge your thoughts.

Forwarding my emails to a friend or sharing pieces on other platforms is a huge help for me in terms of getting the word out about my publication. Every link out helps.

Let me know what you think in the comments, especially if you're a long-time reader of my Substack. Thank you again for supporting me, and I hope Infinite Lives brings you as much joy as it brings me to write it each week!