Wednesday November 03, 2004
race for the prize
Written by gatmog at
08:56 PM
Categories:
gamingAs a form of media, games remain fairly young. Gaming criticism for the most part also shares this immaturity: the fact that we can still attribute numerical scores to an experience makes for an extremely shallow assessment of a game's quality. And the constant quest for free product places most game reviews firmly into the realm of advertorial content. There are of course the exceptions to this unfortunate rule, but the trick is to get the average gamer to read them. Evil Avatar brought up this topic for discussion, specifically dealing with giving the traditional game review an overhaul. The original poster was of course referring to what's been dubbed as "The New Games Journalism". Kieron Gillen, the author of the New Games Journalism manifesto, make an appearance in this discussion. And also Always_Black, arguably the creator of this new form of examining games. It was interesting to hear them weigh in about the subject, although there is still much left to discuss about the state of gaming journalism.
I've indirectly visited this subject in the past, in a vain attempt to justify my own writings. Certainly a lot has changed since then, as there are now more gaming-related weblogs than a year ago (and a place to find them!). Critical thinking by hobbyists beyond over-the-top graphics or a licensed soundtrack is a step towards avoiding game review conventions. Most importantly, though, it makes up an even-handed view that might make the difference between hype and substance.
they're just humans
I participated in that discussion (I'm i_aint_yer_pa on EA) and my hope is the critical thinking you mention at the end of your post. I had a similar experience with Fable. It's hard to see past the hype propagated by so many outlets and not be sucked in. Unfortunately, games often don't deliver on the promises. I see gaming blogs as a new way to vet all the fluff that is out there.
I think that the term New Games Journalism is just a label for the way a whole bunch of people are thinking/writing and the direction they want to take their work in. Those people don't necessarily think they are 'creating New Games Journalism', it's just the name of a smell in the wind.
It's a way of saying that not only is it /acceptable/ to stray outside of the lines of 'normal' games writing, it's actively appreciated by some of us.
Being appreciated by a few idealistic gaming enthusiasts is very different from being "acceptable". No offense intended, but the way things are set up now you are punished for not jerking the company wang by forever wallowing in obscurity. Just take a look at the incredibly top-heavy early reviews of Doom III, GTA: San Andreas and Halo 2.
Not that I'm complaining, because I say exactly what I feel about a game and I don't ever want to have to worry about upsetting a publisher that was "courteous" enough to give me an advance copy of a game. I've rejected advertisers for this same reason - they all come after the little guys thinking that their desperation will make an easy target for their cause. And if they don't resist, well, the chain remains unbroken. Some platform-specific and second-tier gaming sites have become infamous for this.
Excuse the venting, I appreciate you stopping by and posting.
Tools
Excerpt: I really doubt that is true.
Weblog: Tools
Tracked: April 25, 2007 04:18 AM
