dammitmattt
Banned
AstroLad said:
Has N'Gai ever really discussed game theory? I don't recall him ever going off unless it's about the "art of video games."
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N'Gai Croal - Internet Superstar
- Thread starter FirstInHell
- Start date
Has N'Gai ever really discussed game theory? I don't recall him ever going off unless it's about the "art of video games."
dammitmattt
Banned
kenta said:
I really like N'Gai and I look forward to reading his essays/posts and listening to him on podcasts, especially 1up Yours where he seems to really feel comfortable.
However, that doesn't mean that we can't be critical.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
I'm still trying to get over the fact until recently, games journalism was knocked as being juvenile and easily corrupted by industry influence on here, yet we get a guy with REAL journalism reputation and he's slammed for a large vocabulary and an intellectual view on gaming topics? Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't.
FirstInHell
Banned
So we can't be critical of N'Gai because he is a nice person? :lol
Because he ruins a podcast that I enjoy listening to and I get mad, I am a stalker? :lol
Because he ruins a podcast that I enjoy listening to and I get mad, I am a stalker? :lol
dammitmattt said:
I don't really follow him religiously; heard him a few times on 1UY and read a few of his Newsweek articles and Edge articles. If you read his most recent Edge piece on The Club, it most certainly gets into those kinds of game design/theory issues, and just from my memory and sense of his interests I'm sure there are many other examples. I'm not trying to knock the guy or claim that he's not an important voice, just maybe to lend some substance to some of the criticisms in a thread where dismissiveness is the norm.
HamPster PamPster
Member
N'Gai, Shane, Shawn, Garnett... why is gaf so obsessed with all these second rate game journalists?
How about Ryan Clements over at IGN, now theres a guy we can rally behind!!! Around the room around the room around the room around the room
Don't worry Ryan, you have a superfan here and I'll make sure all these gafers forget all about they losers the currently worship
How about Ryan Clements over at IGN, now theres a guy we can rally behind!!! Around the room around the room around the room around the room
Don't worry Ryan, you have a superfan here and I'll make sure all these gafers forget all about they losers the currently worship
Jonnyboy117
Member
I was never a fan of N'Gai's interviews with Miyamoto and other big names at E3s past, but I really enjoy him on 1up Yours and have come to respect him a lot more after hearing him outside of the interviewer role.
FirstInHell said:
Yeah he really ruined that podcast we paid so much for, it's just not fair, maybe if we write a long post on neogaf citing his flaws we will get our money back!
Wait... I'm now being informed that we don't actually pay for the podcast. Well let's just toss it to Brick Tamlin with your local weather... Brick?
I stopped reading your post after the third sentence -- there's a big difference between being slightly pretenious (which is often incredibly hard to avoid with something as elitest as videogames) and being smug/arrogant. You may not like the topics he writes about, but who the hell are you to call him arrogant? If anything, having no basis for your claims is an example of being incredibly arrogant yourself.
I've met N'Gai and he's one of the most unintimidating and (seemingly) down-to-earth people you can imagine. Not unlike sporsk, N'Gai is just this guy, you know? If the first thing he said was something like, "I've never heard of you (or gaming-age or gaf)" or "I only talk to journalists that have a degree in journalism?" or something else that exudes arrogance, then I can see where you're coming from. But my (real life) first impression of him is that he's a professional that conducts himself as a representative of Newsweek, while still willing to talk about videogames with just about anyone who actually likes games.
As for his appearences on podcasts; his ideas or whatever he talked about may not have been new, but he was the guest on those respective episodes. Maybe he didn't think that his views were "new" or "radical", but just wanted to set the record straight as to what he holds in high regard... If a host says, "what do you think about games as art/narrative/etc?" being the guest I'd imagine you'll talk about your opinion of those topics.
I've met N'Gai and he's one of the most unintimidating and (seemingly) down-to-earth people you can imagine. Not unlike sporsk, N'Gai is just this guy, you know? If the first thing he said was something like, "I've never heard of you (or gaming-age or gaf)" or "I only talk to journalists that have a degree in journalism?" or something else that exudes arrogance, then I can see where you're coming from. But my (real life) first impression of him is that he's a professional that conducts himself as a representative of Newsweek, while still willing to talk about videogames with just about anyone who actually likes games.
As for his appearences on podcasts; his ideas or whatever he talked about may not have been new, but he was the guest on those respective episodes. Maybe he didn't think that his views were "new" or "radical", but just wanted to set the record straight as to what he holds in high regard... If a host says, "what do you think about games as art/narrative/etc?" being the guest I'd imagine you'll talk about your opinion of those topics.
Pristine_Condition
Member
A lot of N'Gai haters in this thread seem to be harping that all this guy wants to talk about is art and storytelling and he doesn't care about gameplay...
Bull, and shit.
How do you reconcile that criticism with statements like this, from the Croal v. Totillo blog on Burnout Paradise:
If more of Croal's critics would actually read what the guy is writing, rather than making shit up based on what they think he's writing, this thread would be a lot shorter.
Bull, and shit.
How do you reconcile that criticism with statements like this, from the Croal v. Totillo blog on Burnout Paradise:
N'Gai Croal said:
If more of Croal's critics would actually read what the guy is writing, rather than making shit up based on what they think he's writing, this thread would be a lot shorter.
Metal Gear?!
Member
Read more. I don't even have the equivalent of a US University education and I know what those words mean.FirstInHell said:
Seriously, while the average person reading about videogames might indeed not know those words, he is writing for Newsweek, which I would hope maintains a slightly higher reading level than Readers Digest or the average newspaper.
KyanMehwulfe
Member
And there's value in that.AstroLad said:
Which I think is the better topic. It's really of little consequence whether some folks like or dislike him. It's not a popularity contest. The more telling topic would be if folks think the industry would be better without him. That's a much better indication of the value of a writers' work -- whether your work adds to the industry discourse and it would be missed -- not whether or not you're an 'internet superstar'.
Which segways to a more direct question: does a pretentious gaming journalist in a mainstream publication or its website not have value? Even at the cost of alienating a portion of gamers who feel as if he's talking down to them, if it means it makes a few non-gamers stop and take notice? "Why is this guy taking gaming so seriously? Since when did gaming journalists write so richly?"
I understand some of the criticisms here are much more specific, and perhaps those whom express said criticism support very complex and proud gaming journalism but rather simply dislike some of the nuances of Croal's style?
In which case, beggars can't be choosers. By which I mean, 'we' as an industry and community being the beggars. Perhaps in a century there may be well-written gaming journalists by the dozens and we can pick and choose between them, but until then, I'll take the few out there where I can get them, and easily forgive any dislikable nuances.
Pristine_Condition said:
I just read that he has poor taste in games. :lol
To have no interest in actually playing Spore is really quite odd to me though. In fact, that's my main "problem" with N'Gai I guess. I like the guy enough, he has interesting blog posts and things to say, but I can't get a gauge on what he actually likes. Admittedly though, I really haven't bothered to pursue that information because I don't really care enough. However, from his 1up Yours spots, it seems he like talking about games more than actually playing them.
N'Gai isn't above taking some snipes are review scores though. He claimed he couldn't understand why Mass Effect scored so well if it's game play was "broken" but defended a throughly average game like The Club to death.
So...he's just the same as the rest of those writing about games. Difference is, he's writing under a more powerful banner which allows him more access.
Shockgamer
Banned
What a hopemonger.
viewtiful_dru
Member
voltron said:
I know right! Obviously this guy has never heard an episode of Retronauts.
i'll never be able to take n'gai seriously after his argument with stephen totilo as to the degree of god of war 2's narrative brilliance -- all that verbiage occasioned by a game in which a mortal kombat character goes around killing the celebrities of greek myth like some kind of ultraviolent forrest gump
Ninja Scooter
Member
N'Gai on 1Up Yours drops names like he's ghostwriting for The Game.
Earthstrike
Member
FirstInHell said:
Go embrachtolate yourself.
MickeyKnox
Member
N'Gai is one of the few worth while people in the fucking enthusiast press, haters be damned.
The fact that people actually resent him for speaking proper English is even more :lol worthy.
The fact that people actually resent him for speaking proper English is even more :lol worthy.
lol@ the OP and the rest of you insecure/jealous types, hating on N'gai.
The guy is possibly the coolest game journalist @ this present time who shows no petty fanboyism traits and is extremely well articulated (plus he's got dreads).
Anyone who feels any sort of ingrown resentment for N'gai has got some serious issues and should honestly take a hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why?
The guy is possibly the coolest game journalist @ this present time who shows no petty fanboyism traits and is extremely well articulated (plus he's got dreads).
Anyone who feels any sort of ingrown resentment for N'gai has got some serious issues and should honestly take a hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why?
MWS Natural
Member
Past:Madman said:
Future:
We can only hope.
to the OP ... do u like shawn on 1up ... he's just as prone to launch in to high brow bull shit game-play lectures at the expense of being grounded in reality ..
as for N'Gai , i like him ... the 1up yours pod cast is different from most of the others out there because it takes a industry view, i love it, because it's what i'm interested in ... gaming isn't just a past time, it's an interest.
as for N'Gai , i like him ... the 1up yours pod cast is different from most of the others out there because it takes a industry view, i love it, because it's what i'm interested in ... gaming isn't just a past time, it's an interest.
TheGreatDave
Banned
I did have some "issues" (so to speak) with N'Gai before the last two 1Up Yours episodes he was on, because I thought he had a tendency to overlook flaws in games and focus on silly perceptions of what is "art". But I was totally out of line with that, because after reading some of his Edge articles, hearing him on 1Up Yours that last two weeks and reading some of his own stuff he seems like a knowledgeable, intelligent guy who doesn't pander to the kind of shit I expect most game "journalists" to write about.
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
I'm sorry, but if you want to hate on someone actively contributing to elevating games journalism to something more than just scores, previews and fanboy-esque diatribes, then I beleive GameFAQ's is that way ----->
I'd take 100 N'Gai's over the dirth of shite we call games journalism these days.
I'd take 100 N'Gai's over the dirth of shite we call games journalism these days.
Visualante
Member
You shut up Sir. N'Gai has carved himself a great niche in games journalism.
kbear
Member
Games journalism isn't even needed anymore. It's become irrelevant with the increasing popularity of downloadable demos on consoles. Reviews are pointless now that we can play most games before they're out and make a better decision than by reading a review. What else is there to games journalism besides reviews? The non-review news snippets we get are just copy / pastes from press releases these sites have access to.McBradders said:
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
kbear said:
There's more to games journalism than just news/reviews. Try reading his Edge column.
BigBlackGamer
Member
McBradders said:
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
A dream come true!