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New Games Journalism: Ten Unmissable Articles
The excellent gamesblog at the Guardian has been doing pieces of late on the phenomenon known as New Games Journalism (a topic we've mentioned here in the past). They have an article listing ten unmissable pieces of New Games Journalism, articles that help to define the genre. From the article: "This is a varied bunch, but I think what connects them is emotion, insight, and often a narrative rather than methodical structure. Whatever, just read and enjoy."
A Rape in Cyberspace
Possessing Barbie
Dreaming in an empty room: a defense of Metal Gear Solid 2
Shoot Club: Saving Private Donny
ZangbandTK: Confessions of a Dungeon Hack
The Great Scam
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Going Planetside
Red Eye #114
Sex in Games: Rez + VibratorCreative Demolition
That's not even in the dictionary.
Being a Dictionary.com whore, I looked up the definition of "journalism" and as far as I can tell the articles linked in the main story would certainly fall under it. While #3 matches your requirements of presenting factual information, the rest seem equally as legitimate.
1. The collecting, writing, editing, and presenting of news or news articles in newspapers and magazines and in radio and television broadcasts.
2. Material written for publication in a newspaper or magazine or for broadcast.
3. The style of writing characteristic of material in newspapers and magazines, consisting of direct presentation of facts or occurrences with little attempt at analysis or interpretation.
4. Newspapers and magazines.
5. An academic course training students in journalism.
6. Written material of current interest or wide popular appeal.
these are good stories, NOT good journalism. believe me when i say that we do not want games criticism to fall into the deep intellectual abyss that is literary criticism and art criticism. i love the idea of serious academics taking on games as a medium and publishing their work in prestigous journals, but these New Games Journalism people are NOT those academics (they're not even worthy of the term academic). they are more akin to the stuffy, tweed-clad "theorists" lampooned in such movies as Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester (sucked, by the way). "Old Games Journalism" is simple, clear, and to-the-point, just like it should be. it serves a purpose. my only problem with the "Old Games Journalists" are the tendencies you mention. i don't know why games journalists have to be such pushovers (for example, cooperating in the hyping of a game that so obviously sucks ass, like Rainbow Six 4), but i guess that's the state of journalism in general these days.
And the infamous Asheron's Call Beta Log. This was amazing. Pretty much sums up MMMMMPORPPRPPRPPGS.
blarg.