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On Videogame Journalism

Posted by michael on from the and-other-oxymorons dept.

Michael_Blessed writes "The most incisive critique of games journalism currently out there. I would say that as I participated, but there's some real illuminating stuff in there. And it's all true - I should know, being a games 'journalist' myself." It's a whole long series - read all 11 parts.

5 of 255 comments (clear)

  1. Re: It's a whole long series - read all 11 parts. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    No.

  2. 11 Parts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is Slashdot, most people have trouble reading more than the headline.

  3. 11 parts? by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Interesting

    To paraphrase Frank Zappa:

    Game journalism is people who cant write, interviewing people who cant talk, for an audience that cant read.

    (He was talking about rock journalism but I think it applies here)

    There's no "game journalism" as I see it. Just text ads. I'm more likely to cruise various posting forums to see what the peanut gallery thinks about a game I'm interested in than to read a "professional review" from .

    And even then I tend to disagree with what's said most of the time. In fact, I think Metal Gear Solid, Halo, GTA3 and other popular titles are boring, yet I played Jak and Daxter for 8 hours solid until I'd 100% finished it. It entertained me, Halo didnt.

    So my answer? They're fucking games, just go play what you like and have fun and quit worrying about what other people think, only candy asses do that.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  4. Is it just me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Or was that one of the least incisive, most boring diatribes that has ever been written? It reads like it was written by a self-impressed thirteen year old who just discovered criticism. It's less about education than edification. Less about helping journalists than it is self-aggrandizement. He doesn't even offer any of his own work as an example of "goodness". It basically comes down to: "My work is better than yours, and your work proves it."

    Furthermore, it reads like an inside joke and in my opinion is much more likely to alienate journalists than give them a reason to think.

    I tried, but didn't gain anything from the article but a distaste for the author. Maybe it's just me.

  5. Re:Huh? by Talez · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a known fact that video games "journalists" are intellectual wankers. Sometimes just plain old wankers but most of the time they're huge intellectual wankers.

    Here's a brief rundown of how each video game house reviews games:

    IGN - Is the company advertising the game on IGN? Yes? Then add 5 to the score.

    Gamespot - Is this game popular? If yes, demolish the score by at least 20% and make sure to have completely unrealistic expectations of the game.

    Gamespy - THIS GAME IS SO COOL! GET THE DOWNLOAD NOW FROM FILEPLANET FOR ONLY $9.95/MONTH!!!!! MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT ONE OF OUR KEWL FEATURES DUDE!

    HTH. HAND.