War on Bloggers!
As a follow up to one of our subsidiary blog, the Triforce’s article on Video games journalism.
Step by step guide to becoming a Video Games journalist.
1) Sit down in front of your PC.
2) Give up, realise the crushing truth that your opinion on a media, which can barely be classified as an entertainment form let alone an art form, is no more valid just because you think you realised the hidden depth behind playing games, or indeed you think that you may be good at playing them. How does that make your opinion on a media which can barely blah blah blah, any more valid than the next plebeian geek with an internet connection. It doesn’t. Granted there are different scales of games journalism:
Fanboyalism – I love Nintendo, I love Xbox, I love Sega (sic UK:R), I love Animal Crossing.
Japanalism – I love Japanese titles, I love anime babes/guys.
Retroism – I love games that don’t have polygons.
Obscuralism – I love games that no one knows about.
This list is not comprehensive, but should illustrate a point.
And each one, I suppose, can merit someone’s opinion. In each of these little bubbled niches there is always some geek (or worse a plethora* of geeks) complaining about the industry, that they are struggling to make it to the “big-time”, with each one happily willing to die by their principle of why a game/console/company is crap, then “sell-out” to a magazine or Internet games review site.
Which then brings you to the validity of whether games journalism is indeed journalism at all. What do these blogs/sites actually bring to the public focus, aside from some bigoted, opinionated view on news which can be read on mainstream site, who maintain the same morals yet are considered a cog in the machine? Well in amongst the propaganda they do offer the little-guys view and coupled with the multitude of other similar themed sites, can give a general view of the “problems” with the games industry. But the truth is all they do bring is us is games themed entertainment, When was the last time you read for instance UK: Resistance and thought, “That was and insightful article, I’m glad that that news story was brought to my attention.”? The truth would probably never, however you will come away pissing yourself laughing because of an obscure clique-ish joke or observation on the unrealised sexual connotations of a game title.
So then set up your own blog with your own “funny” commentary rehashing potentially every other blog site out there.
Games bloggers know your role… you ain’t journalists…
3) Read Gamespot.com, no-one gives a shit about your opinion.
Step by step guide to becoming a Video Games journalist.
1) Sit down in front of your PC.
2) Give up, realise the crushing truth that your opinion on a media, which can barely be classified as an entertainment form let alone an art form, is no more valid just because you think you realised the hidden depth behind playing games, or indeed you think that you may be good at playing them. How does that make your opinion on a media which can barely blah blah blah, any more valid than the next plebeian geek with an internet connection. It doesn’t. Granted there are different scales of games journalism:
Fanboyalism – I love Nintendo, I love Xbox, I love Sega (sic UK:R), I love Animal Crossing.
Japanalism – I love Japanese titles, I love anime babes/guys.
Retroism – I love games that don’t have polygons.
Obscuralism – I love games that no one knows about.
This list is not comprehensive, but should illustrate a point.
And each one, I suppose, can merit someone’s opinion. In each of these little bubbled niches there is always some geek (or worse a plethora* of geeks) complaining about the industry, that they are struggling to make it to the “big-time”, with each one happily willing to die by their principle of why a game/console/company is crap, then “sell-out” to a magazine or Internet games review site.
Which then brings you to the validity of whether games journalism is indeed journalism at all. What do these blogs/sites actually bring to the public focus, aside from some bigoted, opinionated view on news which can be read on mainstream site, who maintain the same morals yet are considered a cog in the machine? Well in amongst the propaganda they do offer the little-guys view and coupled with the multitude of other similar themed sites, can give a general view of the “problems” with the games industry. But the truth is all they do bring is us is games themed entertainment, When was the last time you read for instance UK: Resistance and thought, “That was and insightful article, I’m glad that that news story was brought to my attention.”? The truth would probably never, however you will come away pissing yourself laughing because of an obscure clique-ish joke or observation on the unrealised sexual connotations of a game title.
So then set up your own blog with your own “funny” commentary rehashing potentially every other blog site out there.
Games bloggers know your role… you ain’t journalists…
3) Read Gamespot.com, no-one gives a shit about your opinion.
Note: This post is not part of the Official “So you want to be a games journalist?” blog project. Others:
[1] | [2] | [3] | [4] | [5] | [6] | [7] | [8] | [9] | [10]
[1] | [2] | [3] | [4] | [5] | [6] | [7] | [8] | [9] | [10]
*Plethora many not be the best collective noun for geeks, Suggested collective names:
A Meg of geeks
A reject of geeks
A smell of geeks
A splummed keyboard of geeks
feel free to add some more suggestions
A Meg of geeks
A reject of geeks
A smell of geeks
A splummed keyboard of geeks
feel free to add some more suggestions
Menstralism - Female game journalists
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