Welecome to the second edition of "The Ombudsman Asks." You probably know the setup from the first edition so let's get right to it.
This week's question: What genre of video game journalism do you like most?
Just as video games can be lumped into distinct boxes like first-person shooter and platformer, so to can video game publications usually be broken down into a few distinct sections: news, editorials, interviews, reviews, previews, and features chief among them. Other sub-genres like retro reviews and hardware reviews are becoming more prevalent as the industry grows. Then there are the ancilliary genres that seem to be creeping in to a growing number of game mags: toy reviews, anime news, movie interviews, etc., etc.
All these genres are neccesary for a well-balanced publication, but most readers have one section that they jump to first. Hit the comment link below and tell us what section that is.
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Features are key, because they are the link to the plastic-bag-enclosed (usually) images on magazine covers. 90% of the time the cover story is a feature. They are that which the reader seeks out as they browse the shelves. Take my latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly. When I see the Master Chief's mug on the cover, I snatch it up and flip to the features section in seconds, to see what new words and eye candy await me.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the catch is that we cannot actually define what a true feature is. It can be a news, previews, editorial, or interview. Not a review, however. To me, a feature is almost always focused on looking to the future, rather than looking to the past.
In short, I like features.
"Culture"
ReplyDeleteI typically flip to the reviews section, which I usually scan quickly thinking how few games worth playing there are before flipping to the other sections and thinking how few games worth playing are coming out. In the end, reviews don't really shape my purchase decisions (unless I see that Leisure Suit Larry is not just mediocre fun like the old games but actually downright crap.) More often I take note of the review score so if I happen to play a game I can remember how far off the mainstream was.
ReplyDeleteP.S. The latest EGM is an unholy shill to Halo 2. I mean, I've preordered it and anticipate it to be good, but can we get a little self-control over the hype machine? Halo 1 was good but still vastly overrated (what repetitive level design, poor teammate AI and lack of map system?) Of course EGM is taking a break from their multi-month effort to hype up GTA:San Andreas. Ever since their E3 issues where they gave Sony the top mark and picked the PSP over the DS I've had to question EGM.
Halo, GTA, and Final Fantasy on the cover sells issues at newsstand.
ReplyDeleteI like reviews so I can dream about which games I would get if I had money and actually owned a good computer or console; it's sort of like window shopping. Also, there's the comedic factor of reading or watching a game that received a really bad review.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Michael Fan
I actually like to read the letters section - for both gaming sites and magazines. Often the questions that are asked (and this goes more for Web sites) are similar to the one's I would ask. And usually they're good for a laugh.
ReplyDeleteNews is the next stop on sites because presumably they're more up to date. By the time I read any news in a magazine, I know about it already (or I've already forgotten it). For magazines, the features and editorials are where I direct my attention next.
I like "culture"-genre pieces and features. Reviews are like crack cocaine; you can not not read them. Previews are saccharine.
ReplyDeleteWhen I buy a magazine (which is rare, as I tend to go online for video game stuffs), I'll buy it for the features. Whether it's an interview with a developer on a game I want, articles about gaming culture, pieces about the industry, etc.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the NEws the most because anyone could potentially review a game, but some of the future news is impossible for an average person, who's not press related, to get their hands on.
ReplyDeleteI really like the freeform mix of news, opinions and other random culture/entertainment stuff that a lot of magazines put in the front of their issues and which OPM puts in the middle.
ReplyDeleteI think a random mix of stuff like that every month is pretty interesting.
John @ GamingTarget.com
I go to the reviews section. I trust EGM in this department. I like to read about up and coming games, but the main reason I buy a game mag is to see if the game I'm thinking about buying is crap or not. I often wish most reviews sections could be lengthened, to give more in depth knowledge other then a ten sentence blurb.
ReplyDelete"Features."
ReplyDeleteI almost said Insert Credit style reviews, but they're hardly reviews - they probably fit under "features" themselves. I enjoy a solid feature that explores a topic or an event in depth. I can't say I really like reading about cultural things than historical or whatever else, so I'll just leave it at that.
-Swimmy
"Features."
ReplyDeleteI almost said Insert Credit style reviews, but they're hardly reviews - they probably fit under "features" themselves. I enjoy a solid feature that explores a topic or an event in depth. I can't say I really like reading about cultural things than historical or whatever else, so I'll just leave it at that.
I agree with what Franswiggidy said (not about EGM, but about reviews being longer). Many reviews neglect one of the most important aspects of games: how the games make the player feel. A lot of them trump that aspect in favor of talking separately about graphics, sound, gameplay, etc.
ReplyDelete