What Is the Future of Video Game Journalism?

[StreamerDarkly]

tl;dr "Erik Kain".

Thank you.

I don't idolize game journalists as celebrities. I've probably only read 20 articles from Kain in my lifetime. If you prefer to fixate on individual authors while ignoring the fact that there is a clear pattern in the tone and content of games writing at the popular sites, that's your business.

#GG

Because Giant Bomb is primarily an entertainment website, is entertaining, and nobody gives a shit about the top ten lists of the staff much less the guests. The only time the rankings actually matter to users is the GOTY awards and that's just because the GOTYcasts are hours and hours of the staff audibly sharpening their knives.

So because nobody gives a shit, that makes it A-OK to allow paid propaganda without disclosing it as such? You must have low standards, or like the site enough to turn a blind eye to its unseemly dealings. I think that marketing should be confined to advertisements easily identified as such.

And why does your man Gerstmann censor any mention of the recent TechRaptor interview with Alistair Pinsof? This seems much more to do with GB being part of a certain clique than it does with their inclination towards being entertaining. Read the interview for yourself and judge how credible it is.

 

[StreamerDarkly]

#GG

You know what else? I only say it because you call me out as GG as if it's an insult.

The future of games journalism is, most decidedly, not picking a "trope" from the Sarkeesian checklist to lazily slag off every game that comes down the pipe. At least I hope not. The commitment of a games journalist to sanitizing the industry into some desired mold has little to do with whether they have any insight into what makes for a good game, or whether they're worth listening to at all.

In fact, if you hear a writer banging on about the importance of a specific title's story, such as with Gone Home, or preaching that so-and-so is an "vital voice in the industry", as we've seen in defense of Anita, Leigh, and Jenn Frank, they're almost invariably full of shit. That's just a blogger defending his sacred cow. It's all about conditioning the audience by the force of a thousand articles.

The tide is turning though. The extreme left had overplayed their hand, and the moderate left don't like the cult mentality that has been revealed. Shaming those who aren't sufficiently enthusiastic about social justice is losing its effect. The narrative pushing can only go on so long before reasonable people being to engage their brains and ask questions (admittedly, longer than one might think).

 

[FredTheUndead]

gibberish

I mean, when I think moderate, I don't think lengthy, raving manifestos about industrywide conspiracy theories but okay dude.

E: In fairness, Jeff is inarguably guilty of collusion with the filthy and scrupleless Team GFB.

 

[Cecilo]

gibberish

I mean, when I think moderate, I don't think lengthy, raving manifestos about industrywide conspiracy theories but okay dude.

E: In fairness, Jeff is inarguably guilty of collusion with the filthy and scrupleless Team GFB.

I generally let people who disagree with how I see things be, but seriously man, you are just being antagonistic here. If someone were to say something like that to you, but replacing "Raving Manifestos about Industrywide Conspiracy Theory" With "Raving Lunatic goes on insane Tirade about Culture and Country Spanning Privileges and secret cult of top men (Patriarchy)" How would you react to that?

It is blatantly obvious that many game "Journalists" At this point are trying to push an agenda. You can see it in what they cover and how they write. I will be the first from GG to admit Gone Home was a good game. (Good, Not perfect, certainly not 10/10, 7 or 8 maybe). And many other "Progressive Games" getting undue positive press. And ya-know if they want to push an ideology, that is fine. But you have to disclose that you are doing so, don't pretend that you aren't bias. Same thing goes for if you are friends with devs, or have an intimate relationship with a dev.

 

[FredTheUndead]

gibberish

I mean, when I think moderate, I don't think lengthy, raving manifestos about industrywide conspiracy theories but okay dude.

E: In fairness, Jeff is inarguably guilty of collusion with the filthy and scrupleless Team GFB.

I generally let people who disagree with how I see things be, but seriously man, you are just being antagonistic here. If someone were to say something like that to you, but replacing "Raving Manifestos about Industrywide Conspiracy Theory" With "Raving Lunatic goes on insane Tirade about Culture and Country Spanning Privileges and secret cult of top men (Patriarchy)" How would you react to that?

It is blatantly obvious that many game "Journalists" At this point are trying to push an agenda. You can see it in what they cover and how they write. I will be the first from GG to admit Gone Home was a good game. (Good, Not perfect, certainly not 10/10, 7 or 8 maybe). And many other "Progressive Games" getting undue positive press. And ya-know if they want to push an ideology, that is fine. But you have to disclose that you are doing so, don't pretend that you aren't bias. Same thing goes for if you are friends with devs, or have an intimate relationship with a dev.

I mean if you want to talk about how readings into the gender and politics of gaming rarely get past SOC101 level essays or how the industry is a might bit incestuous (though all industries are, you get jobs through networking, that's what it's for) then sure. It's the policy of doxxing people for having vaginas I object to.

It's also worth noting that while everyone is of course entitled to their political views and has every right to express them, nobody is obligated to respect you for having those opinions. You're allowed to be part of the KKK, and also welcome to the consequences of being a social pariah for it.

 

[StreamerDarkly]

I mean if you want to talk about how readings into the gender and politics of gaming rarely get past SOC101 level essays or how the industry is a might bit incestuous (though all industries are, you get jobs through networking, that's what it's for) then sure. It's the policy of doxxing people for having vaginas I object to.

It's also worth noting that while everyone is of course entitled to their political views and has every right to express them, nobody is obligated to respect you for having those opinions. You're allowed to be part of the KKK, and also welcome to the consequences of being a social pariah for it.

This entire comment is a collection of strawmen.

"Networking" is a far cry from the narrative crafting and peer pressuring that was happening in the GameJournoPros group. Did you forget how doggedly Kuchera was hounding Greg Tito? You won't find many people even bothering to complain about the sort of "networking" that allowed Grayson and Klepek to so easily slide into jobs at Kotaku. Base cronyism, yes, but pretty much expected once you're part of the club. What you will find are of lot of complaints about games media and industry gatekeepers (like Brandon Boyer) playing favorites with their friends and third rate developers like Brianna Wu and Zoe Quinn. How on earth can you take a supposed professional critic's word at face value when they fail to make such a basic disclosure as being good friends with the subject of their article? Worse still, are even plotting in secret to buy the developer a gift?

GG does not support doxing and never has. It has been proven time and time again to be the work of third party trolls. The number of prominent GGers, including women, who've been doxed or sent nasty things in the mail should be enough to convince any rational person of that. Oh wait though, only certain doxes and threats are widely publicized by the media ... big surprise.

As for your last comment, I've noticed the "free speech has consequences" line being frequently trotted out by social justice warriors to justify their bullying and mob mentality. It was the stock comment when Brendan Eich was being ostracized at Mozilla last year. What's remarkable though is how quick SJWs are to claim harassment and threats (that is, illegal speech) when it's their own actions and statements being challenged. Free speech for them but not for anyone else. Shut down any dissent by shouting MISOGYNY from the rooftops. Incredibly, this tactic continues to be effective.

 

[FredTheUndead]

snip

Yeah it's pretty easy to make accusations of misogynistic behavior stick to people being openly misogynistic. Weird, that.

 

[VVThoughtBox]

I think gaming journalism is going to become more opinionated and sensationalized in the future. Eventually, it's going to be bought out by the corporations and the news will be sanitized to keep the consumer in the dark about certain things.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

Is this GG/SJW fight thing still going on? I've dropped a lot of people on Twitter, and don't come to as many gaming sites as I used to becaus of it. but six months on, people are still fighting over it. True, it has died down a bit, it's just 2 people in this thread.

To quote myself elsewhere, Gamergate is fake. It was set up by indie devs and failing review sites.
They pick a random side and get an extreme view point. The result is the review sites get more views, the devs get a fan base of whichever side they decide to plant their flag.

Don't believe me? Who the fuck was Rogue Star, Brianna Wu, Zoe Quin or The Vanishing of Ethan Carter developer before all this started? I don't know, and thats the point.

may as well watch the Kardashians than follow that "debate"

On topic; sounds like Shamus is saying the landscape is changing. not a bad thing in my book

 

[Rozalia1]

Really big ones with lots of broad appeal... no doubt this is an attempt to push the escapist as being a part of that number what with the pushing of the "enthusiast" buzz word. However while that is said the escapist has for years pushed the community that it now has a reputation for which is limited and does not have broad appeal... that ain't changing so good luck with the surviving if requiring broad appeal is needed.

Basically until the escapist gets pops outside the IGC it'll never go down as an all time great. You can be as good in the ring as you want (something the escapist has really degraded in to me) but that doesn't matter squat if you can't draw.
To put it to the point there needs to be a gimmick change if that next level is going to be reached. Current gimmick is midcard 4 life at best.