Tales of a Scorched Earth: year three

Indulge me as I embark on my yearly retrospective.

As most long time readers know, if there's anything I want out of this website it's thoughtful discussion on games. And I have to admit that requiring commenters to register has ensured that - for the most part. I've also learned that it's almost impossible for me to write short posts. They just feel...incomplete. I love the details. In some cases I'm sure I've bored someone to tears before they even get a chance to comment. But that's beside the point.

Allow me to share some observations and commentary after writing a gaming weblog over the past three years:

• A question every weblogger, not just a games weblogger, has to ask themselves: Do you like to write, or do you like attention? This is kind of a rhetorical question. Everyone who has a website wants attention. Otherwise it wouldn't be there. The important thing to remember is that this need for approval is kept under control. Let the content speak for itself. Producing content for someone else to read can be a really gratifying experience. It can also be an extremely gratuitous one. If you're selling adspace, I'm pretty sure you're going with option #2. But don't expect anyone to take your opinion seriously once the steady commentary becomes incessant droning for clickthroughs. I'd like to think that this surge of interest in games writing over the past year has done well to promote sharing the love of the hobby, while taking it under serious consideration in intelligent discussion. But I don't think it's working - there's too much antagonism towards print media. It sucks, I get it. So do most high profile gaming sites. There's also some serious backlash for the games weblogging community. It's annoying. Let's move on and talk about games.

• Never apologize for a lack of updates. Unless you're being paid for it. But then you should be apologizing to whoever hired you that is paying for you to produce content. Not your readers who are consuming it for free. I keep seeing this phenomenon. I'm pretty sure I've done it once or twice in the past. I have no idea why. There are hundreds of gaming weblogs out there. The news will be picked up somewhere else - it's not a big deal. If you have something interesting to say, sit on it. Make it better. Chances are some correction will be issued in the next couple of days anyway and you don't look like so many other twitch bloggers. There's really no need to post something if you have nothing to report. You have a life. It's ok. Posting something about not posting is insulting to the reader who expects real content.

• The siren call of a new release. Everyone feels it. A new game is out and we all want to be the first ones to report on it. The big gaming websites already had a leg up – they've been playing a gold master copy for weeks. But weblogs are (theoretically) different because they have a unique opinion that doesn't necessarily follow a standard outline of the game's features. It's important to have your own opinion – it's what makes weblogs interesting to read. But I find that some of them get caught up in carrying the hype. They don't want to seem like the party crasher. They don't trust their own opinion of the game and seek validation by joining the crowd. I've seen it time and again. Then a month or two later the "real" reviews start pouring in, saying the game was overhyped or isn't nearly as good as everyone first thought. It's a vicious cycle. Allow your thoughts to congeal. Take some time to formulate a cohesive argument. Take advantage of the format. Maybe it is that good, and you want to explain what makes it great. I absolutely cannot stomach reading reviews that are unsubstantiated, or are clearly rushed to simply get something out there. It's not doing anyone any favours, and carelessly squanders the concept of having a weblog that answers to no one.

• The Slashdot effect. Slashdot used to be a great place to get breaking tech news and decent commentary from the community. Not anymore, because it's competing with a hundred other sites doing the same thing. Similarly, the majority of game blogs seem to link to stuff with a quick opinion and let the comments section pick up the details. Which is fine, if the proprietors don't mind being interchangeable with each other.

• MMORPGs will ruin your life. Obviously an exaggeration and nothing to do with weblogging, but there's some truth to it. I played World of Warcraft on and off for 10 months before quitting in Februrary. It's a good game for a while, as long as you understand that nothing else in your life will matter. The social aspect is great - if you don't mind spending all of your spare time in the game. Trying to level just so you can quest with friends or guildmates is a huge pain in the ass. I'd rather play at my own pace. Though at that point it's a lonely experience, and I might as well be playing Oblivion. Despite what people may think, this game model is not going to change. It makes money and satisfies most of the customers that aren't screaming on the official forums. And that's ok - I just won't be playing.

• Fun fact: Most of what you read here starts out on actual paper. I keep a notebook accessible whenever possible, especially when playing a game. It makes it easier to remember points to visit in detail. The worst thing about coming up with a great topic to write about is having no place to record it.

• I enjoy writing full length articles. So much that I've accumulated way too many of them that are still sitting in an unfinished state, most of them reviews. Golden Sun, Knights of the Old Republic, Spider Man 2, Tales of Symphonia, Fire Emblem, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, Astro Boy: Omega Factor, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, Metroid Prime 2, Baten Kaitos, Brothers in Arms, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, F.E.A.R... the list goes on, unfortunately. But I don't have a problem with that. Some will see completion "when they're done" (to borrow from our beloved industry), and some will probably remain as collections of text from a time where my heart was in the right place but the writing just wasn't there.
  

So I continue to write when I feel like it, about games I have played, articles I have read or media I have consumed while trying to maintain a level of quality that doesn't make people feel like they're wasting their time. My only hope is that I can keep this up for three more years. Because it isn't getting any easier.