What the hell has happened to gaming journalism in the last decade?

[VictimOfGrief]

Well?


This is just something that came to me while surfin some sites on my lunch break. What truly has happened to the
objective journalism of games nowadays?

Having been a game reviewer, gaming journalist for about 4-5 years at my life, I find that most of today's sites
for the most part offer a paradox of choice, bias or the ever popular "opinion".

You can pretty much go to any of the sites and pick which one suits your taste and stay there. As for my personal
preference.... I'll keep that undisclosed to not sway people reading this. ;)


Growing up from the Era of Atari 2600 to the PS3 and the Xbox 360, games have always been reviewed, liked, loathed,
hated or dispised. What I find ironic in the changing dynamics of games these days, is that they're really just
the same as the games of old, just with more polish to the graphics, story, characters etc. Now don't get me wrong
I'm not trying to say I don't care for games like Gears of War or God of war or Zelda. It just seems that the
direction the gaming industry on a whole is going is that of praising sequels and revisions of games that really
only "refine" rather than "re-define" a genre class. It would seem that a lot of games that do break the mold generally
are ignored.


People will always settle for a similar or "like" experience with a sequel because
developers know the formula works. EA though hasn't figured out that if you make crap games, you get crap sales.
It's funny that they're the only ones mentioning "costs" of next-gen development. That's a whole other discussion
however.

Point being is that it would seem that in the mainstream "opinion" of games has really I think been lost in a wave
of false clamoring over what is predicted to be popular vs. what it a truly immersive gameplay experience.

/rant

[skip]

you're missing some " " marks, there.

[TheIkariWarrior]

it died when Sendai published EGM sold out to Ziff Davis in 1995 or 1996.

it died again when Next Generation magazine tanked.

[Manmademan]

The internet happened to it, that's what.

The internet has also ruined a good chunk of all mainstream media, not just gaming media.

[Stumpokapow]

I don't mean to sound rude, but were you an English-language gaming journalist?

[Razoric]

The internet happened to it, that's what. The internet has also ruined a good chunk of all mainstream media, not just gaming media.

Bingo.

[davepoobond]

so what does this have to do with journalism?

i sincerely doubt that video game journalism impacts the business decisions that are made at businesses that decide to pump out That Spin Off Sequel Game Number 5, as that has to do more with consumer buying habits than game journalism...

[Vrolokus]

Your post reads more like an indictment of the industry than of gaming journalism.

[Mustaphadamus]

gaming journalism = yellow journalism

[john tv]

it died when Sendai published EGM sold out to Ziff Davis in 1995 or 1996.

[JodyAnthony]

1) many game 'journalists' have no education in journalism
2) all journalism is biased, no matter how slight, because of the human element involved
3) game magazines largely cater to their advertisers dollars
4) game 'journalists' take themselves way too seriously
5) numbered lists are awesome

EDIT:
6) over three quarters of your post has nothing to do with game journalism

[BobFromPikeCreek]

The internet happened to it, that's what. The internet has also ruined a good chunk of all mainstream media, not just gaming media.

Pretty much my thoughts.

[sprocket]

*with out reading the initial post *

What has happened is that advertising is big e business now and the more hits you have the more you make . And an easy way to get the hits is with shock value .

[Zenith]

what has this got to do with journalism?

[Cyan]

Pssh, more anti-game journalism FUD.

[SeatBelts]

Do people really take gaming journalism for real? I mean seriously. I mean just look at the 1up crew.They're so biased, unprofessional and a bunch of other pretentious words that I'm not going to bother listing, that it's laughable but it's good entertainment(very good i might add).

I would love to see different 1up programming(other than the 1upshow, 1up yours etc).

[teiresias]

Hi, VictimOfGrief, how's "Too Human" coming along?

[nelsonroyale]

The internet happened to it, that's what. The internet has also ruined a good chunk of all mainstream media, not just gaming media.

untrue, mainstream pop culture and entrenched views have ruined the media....Im not talking video games, but alot of the mainstream media in the UK is pretty terrible these days....but its a circle, it needs to reflect the audience, which in turn influences the audience etc.

I think the net offers a certain mass of crap, but also a certain diversity of opion, far more so than in the printed press

peace

[IcebergSlim3000]

Id respond to your thread but Im bound by an NDA.

[VictimOfGrief]

Hi, VictimOfGrief, how's "Too Human" coming along?

2007 or bust!

[PantherLotus]

What happened?














It never happened. The closest it ever got was NEXT GENERATION, and now it's just a website.

[Mustaphadamus]

What happened? It never happened. The closest it ever got was NEXT GENERATION, and now it's just a website.

Oh man, what a flash back!!! I still have half my Next Gen. magazines. That was a awesome, awesome mag!

[acksman]

The internet happened to it, that's what. The internet has also ruined a good chunk of all mainstream media, not just gaming media.

winner!

[HomShaBom]

[VictimOfGrief]

I don't mean to sound rude, but were you an English-language gaming journalist?

rude? Meh. It's the internet.

[SeatBelts]

[AdmiralViscen]

Yea, EA is really worried about their crap sales.

[Rody]

Luke Smith happened to it, that's what.

[VictimOfGrief]

1) many game 'journalists' have no education in journalism 2) all journalism is biased, no matter how slight, because of the human element involved 3) game magazines largely cater to their advertisers dollars 4) game 'journalists' take themselves way too seriously 5) numbered lists are awesome EDIT: 6) over three quarters of your post has nothing to do with game journalism

Really? You're sure?

[Woo-Fu]

we grew up somewhere along the way, it didn't.

Kind of funny how gaming is following in gaming journalism's footsteps: Enthusiast-created content ftw.

[Cosmozone]

Game journalism has always been crap for the most part. Today it's perhaps a little crappier, though. Gaming as a culture probably doesn't deserve anything better (yet).

[Android18a]

You guys need to read NGamer. It's proper old-school.

[Zenith]

Really? You're sure?

positive.

[Fuzzy]

I see nothing wrong with it when you got guys like this.

[VictimOfGrief]

we grew up somewhere along the way, it didn't. Kind of funny how gaming is following in gaming journalism's footsteps: Enthusiast-created content ftw.

Yup. Funny how that came about I think.

[DeaconKnowledge]

What happened to it?

Whoever said "the internet" was right. Now any keyboard-pounding monkey who likes gaming can be a "gaming journalist".

I miss GameFAN. *sigh*

[VictimOfGrief]

positive.

Do I need to do a line by line breakdown?

[ElectricBlue187]

Abundant moneyhat reviews have severely shaken my trust in gaming "journalism"
I never buy a game based off the opinion of one review anymore, whereas in the early days of PC Gamer I would buy a game blindly just based off the praise of a reviewer and I don't remember ever getting burned for it

[D2M15]

Id respond to your thread but Im bound by an NDA.

If you were a true games journalist you'd only think about your readers! Fight the power!

...Christ, what a depressing GDC.

[watership]

Ya, what happened to objective journalism like GAMEPRO and NINTENDO POWER!?

[Whimsical Phil]

it died when Sendai published EGM sold out to Ziff Davis in 1995 or 1996. it died again when Next Generation magazine tanked.

If "gaming journalism" means "scanning issues of Famitsu and making up what you think the screen shots are about," then yes. Gaming Journalism died when Ziff bought out Sendai.

Seriously, go back and read those old EGMs. I love 'em, but they're not good journalism. They're not even good English.

Also, Next Gen was sliding way downhill well before it was canned. The later issues are garbage compared to the earlier ones.

[Evazan]

You are saying it is the journalists fault for the games that are produced as of late becacuse of the hype/reviews on games that have really been done a thousand times over? Really? Not the consumer who is buying into regurgitated gaming? I would point the finger at the general public more than game journalism.

As far as someone saying Luke Smith is the problem with game journalism..that is completely false. He is what is right and we need more "Whistle Blowers" like him in gaming.

[VictimOfGrief]

Ya, what happened to objective journalism like GAMEPRO and NINTENDO POWER!?

...happened.

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I'm the only person I can trust when it comes to gaming these days.

[MattKeil]

we grew up somewhere along the way, it didn't.

Here it is, really. Go back and read some old magazines (especially GameFan, EGM, and late-era VG&CE), and you'll see that it's pretty much always been what it is. I don't really know what people want out of the idea of "gaming journalism." It's controlled PR and product reviews 95% of the time, with occasional flashes of something interesting.

[AstroLad]

Abundant moneyhat reviews have severely shaken my trust in gaming "journalism" I never buy a game based off the opinion of one review anymore, whereas in the early days of PC Gamer I would buy a game blindly just based off the praise of a reviewer and I don't remember ever getting burned for it

Man, those old PC Gamer issues used to be godly huge. Could read a single issue for months. I miss this kind of size and scope more than anything.

[Evazan]

Just fyi.... < Hes a Toad.

[Fuzzy]

Here it is, really. Go back and read some old magazines (especially GameFan, EGM, and late-era VG&CE), and you'll see that it's pretty much always been what it is. I don't really know what people want out of the idea of "gaming journalism." It's controlled PR and product reviews 95% of the time, with occasional flashes of something interesting.

Too bad Che won't be doing any more of interviews. :(

[MattKeil]

Too bad Che won't be doing any more of interviews. :(

All good things...

[Nameless]

lmfao@ the triology pic.