Announcing: Video Game Media Watch

The Video Game Ombudsman is now Video Game Media Watch. The same great video game media criticism you love, now with a new name, new design and a new address at VGMWatch.com. More information about the move is available in this introductory post. Update your bookmarks and head on over!

The Syndication of GameSpot

Thanks to quite a few people for pointing me to this Sports Gamer post which, in turn, points to this CNet Press Release. Amid much talk of CNet's financial results, the release lists out Gamespot's "content relationship" partners, including one that might surprise you:

In addition, GameSpot continued to extend content relationships during the quarter, adding Walmart, MTV and Target as licensing partners. These build on GameSpot's existing partnerships with Yahoo! Games, AOL Games, and EBGames.com, and Sony Playstation, among others. [emphasis added]

Most of these are pretty straightforward. It's hard to miss the Gamespot-provided content when you browse around MTV.com, AOL's Games Channel, EBGames.com or Target's GetIntotheGame.com. But Sony Playstation? Out of context, that's the kind of "content relationship" that some people might imply constitutes a conflict of interest?

By way of clarification, GameSpot Editor-in-Chief Greg Kasavin said the release refers to "a licensing deal with PlayStation.com, which feeds in some of GameSpot's product data as well as some of its articles." Indeed, a bit of searching finds Gamespot-provided news stories in Playstation.com's archives. Kasavin also pointed out that "this isn't an exclusive relationship, as you can see other publications' information on PlayStation.com as well." That's also true: IGN.com seems to be the one providing most of Playstation.com's news now. (IGN/GameSpy didn't immediately return a request for comment).

Kasavin also made it clear that "this relationship has no effect on GameSpot's editorial in any way, shape, or form. CNET Networks, parent company of GameSpot, prides itself on the integrity of the content of its properties. As such, it wouldn't make much sense for CNET to engage in (much less to publicly tout) a compromising relationship like the one that's being implicated here."

I don't doubt Kasavin when he says this. Considering the number of places that same GameSpot content is licensed, it seems kind of silly to think that they would specifically slant their coverage to keep just one licensee happy. Besides hurting the quality of their work, it would likely lead to a lot of resentment among the writers and editors if they were told to be nice to be extra-nice to Sony from now on.

What's less certain, as evidenced by the reaction to this press release, is whether licensing content to sites like Playstation.com is a good move from a public relations standpoint. No one's really going to worry about GameSpot giving preferential treatment to Target, but readers who see the Gamespot name on the official corporate site for Playstation might easily jump to the wrong conclusions. Is the extra publicity and/or money from these relationships worth the potential hit to credibility? It's something each site has to decide for itself, I guess.

In other press-release-transcribed news: GameSpot offered 2 million downloads of the Battlefield 2 demo in 24 hours through its new GameCenter service, and offered 6 million video streams in one day during E3. Numbers like these are sure to make any small to mid-sized gaming site quietly weep through the night.

Psychic Journalism

Thanks to Ombudsman reader Justin McElroy for pointing me to a Computer and Video Games article about some alleged Nintendo Revolution videos uncovered by a French gaming Web site. It's a pretty standard, substance-free rumor-mongering article, with an added psychic twist:

"We can't confirm or deny whether they're true either way, and of course if we asked them, Nintendo would issue its standard 'we don't comment on rumour and speculation'."

Now, C&VG is most likely right. At least nine times out of ten, big companies like Nintendo do just issue a standard no comment when asked about rumors like these. But there are at least a few times when they will break that shell of silence, and that is when the game journalism community should be asking, and listening, the hardest.

It's very unlikely that Nintendo would confirm the footage was real. Even if it was real, they would likely issue a "no comment" until they could officially unveil the footage themselves, albeit with much less fanfare than if the footage hadn't leaked out. This doesn't mean that a "no comment" is as good as a "yes," but it does leave the possibility open.

What's slightly more likely, and more interesting, is that Nintendo would deny that the footage was real. Nintendo has done this in the past, for example, denying rumors of a potential sale to Microsoft or reports of technical problems causing a delay in the GameCube's launch. Imagine if the reporters in these stories had failed to ask, simply assuming that Nintendo would not comment on the rumors. Readers would be left without some truly vital information.

Even better, when a company does actively deny something, it's a great chance to catch them in a lie later on. Take, for example, this story, in which Nintendo denied it would lower the price of the GameCube just three days before doing just that. Or this story where Nintendo denied Sega would be making games for the Game Boy Advance roughly a year before the release of Sonic Advance. These little nuggets of self-contradiction are gold for any journalist, and poison for any PR department (this is why companies give so many "no comments" in the first place).

Of course, if I contacted C&VG about this, they'd probably just tell me that they didn't have time to contact Nintendo before posting this little airy nothing of a story, and they just made up an excuse to avoid looking lazy. Hey, if they can make up likely answers, then so can I.

G4-shadowing

Are you ready to be surprised when G4 broadcasts its third annual G-Phoria awards ceremony on Tuesday, August 9?

Well, too bad. G4 has gone and spoiled the surprise by releasing a list of the winners that were revealed at a Los Angeles ceremony last night.

Readers of this blog will know I'm no fan of Spike TV's Video Game Awards, but at least they didn't totally ruin the tension and surprise of the show by announcing all the winners a week and a half before the broadcast.

Unfortunately, G4 does seems to be following Spike's lead in the all-important area of product placement -- The "Alt Sports Award Fueled by Mountain Dew," "EB Gamers Choice Award," and the "Legend Award Presented by Jeep" really add to the prestige and grandeur of the event (Kudos to GameSpot for taking out this crass marketing in their listing of the winners).

While we're on the subject of categories, why is it "Favorite Character" when nearly every other category is "Best [something]?" Are you afraid of offending all the lesser characters? And while we're at it, how can there be a "Gamer's Choice Award" when, according to the release, every category was decided by "fans who cast more than 1 million votes online and via text message." And "Best Boss"? What is this, Nintendo Power?

I didn't catch thefirst two G-Phoria broadcasts, but I'll probably try to watch this one out of morbid curiosity. And to see who wins, of course.

In other G4 news, the company is looking for "exceptional geeks" to answer an open casting call for a new Attack of the Show host. Requirements include being "fast, funny, engaging, pleasant-looking enough to not scare more sensitive viewers, and confident." Also, you have to be a guy ("sorry, girls!" the posting proclaims). Finalists will get an unpaid (Joy!) guest host gig for a week before one is picked as the full time host. Should be interesting to watch.

In even further G4 news, Icons is excellent. I've been watching a lot of it on my newly acquired Tivo, and I've been consistently impressed with how focused and interesting it manages to be. Almost redeems the whole network, it does.

Bloody Errors

The Associated Press has a great human interest story about a blind 17-year-old gamer who routinely beats opponents with his back turned away from the screen. The article has one quote, though, that makes it seems like the story's author wasn't watching the screen either.

In describing a Soul Calibur II (the article misspells it "Soul Caliber") match, the author writes:

"'That's what happens. It's why I don't play him,' O'Banion said after his blood-spattered character's corpse vanishes from the screen." [emphasis added]

"Blood-spattered" is an interesting adjective to use, considering Time magazine described the game as "mercifully blood-free." Many fan reviews also point out the game's lack of blood, and anyone who has played or watched the "corpses" are remarkably unblemished after a loss.

It's likely that this throwaway line was just a bit of colorful embellishment on the part of an overzealous writer or editor, trying to punch up the copy long after the match took place. And given the fact that characters in SC2 are routinely hacked with extremely sharp weapons, it's easy to imagine how the faulty image of a bloody corpse might form in the author's memory. In the grand scheme of things, this small error doesn't really detract from the quality of the rest of the article.

But it can be just as important get the little things right as the big ones. Adding errors to the small details of your text can distract readers from the larger focus of the article, and make them doubt the rest of the facts. Given the extremely sensitive nature of the video game violence debate, errors like these can also serve as the basis for some truly baseless claims.

One of my journalism teachers always told us "If your mom tells you her name, ask to see some ID." It's an extreme example, but the point is clear: check everything, assume nothing.

Now That's Sarcasm

Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good for You, has an excellent commentary piece in today's Los Angeles Times defending Grand Theft Auto. He makes great use of sarcasm, statistics, and specific anecdotal examples to make a thoroughly convincing argument. Johnson expressed a similar sentiment on NPR's Fresh Air last week.

That remind me, I really have to pick up his book.

Thompson: Gaming News Sites Are Useful for Something

"Sims 2, the latest version of the Sims video game franchise ... contains, according to video game news sites [emphasis added], full frontal nudity, including nipples, penises, labia, and pubic hair."
-Attorney Jack Thompson, as quoted in a Gamespot article

Nice to know that Thompson is willing to use the games press to his advantage, even while he refuses to speak to them unless it suits his purpose.

Also... what news sites is Thompson reading that include such graphic descriptions? Is he counting Sims 2 modding forums in with "gaming news sites?" Would I be surprised if he was?

The answer to that last one, by the way, is "no."

The Paper of (Inaccurate) Record

The New York Times: "Over all, the Grand Theft Auto series has sold more than 21 million games, making it the best-selling game on record."

WikiPedia: Nope

Game Editors of the World...

...Unite agains the injustice of controversy.

(via Kotaku)

Scorching!

A brief lesson in beverage dynamics, courtesy of the media headline writers.

Question: What can you do to "hot coffee"?

You can:

• Spill it
• Cool it
• Let it get stale
• Brew it (and brew it again)
• Pour it
• Steam it (or get steamed over it)
• Heat it up
• Serve it
• Spit in it
• Stir it (and stir it again)
• Have a storm in a cup of it
• Choke on it

Remember, take care when drinking hot coffee so it doesn't scald or burn (or burn or burn) you.

Best Analogy Yet

"An artist makes a painting, then doesn't like the first version and paints over the canvas with a new painting, right? That's what happened here. Hackers on the Internet made a program that scratches the canvas to reveal an earlier draft of the game."
-Rodney Walker, a spokesman for Rockstar Games, as quoted in today's New York Times

Concise, understandable and accurate. Much better than Rockstar's previous statement which was long, vague and, um, essentially a lie.

The coverage is coming fast and furious in light of the recent ESRB decision. As of now, it seems like there is no other story in the video game world. Look for some summary judgement here sometime this weekend.

Absoultely Worst Pun of the Moment

"Grand Theft Auto, is not just in some Hot Coffee, but the game industry could be in some hot water should parents feel things are getting out of control."
-Steve Sabludowsky, Publisher of BayouBuzz.com, in an editorial.

More on the latest developments when I get a chance.

Why I Love the British Gaming Press

First comes this article from Computer and Video Games which cites "reports emanating from US retailers... that the demand for Microsoft's next-gen machine has been so great that a huge number of customers have pre-ordered their Xbox 360s - possibly resulting in empty store shelves when the console actually launches in November." The retailers cited are EB Games and Gamestop, although it's not clear what kind of reports these are and whether they come from the corporate or retail sides of the giants. Details, details.

CVG is careful to note their information "remain[s] speculation" and they use phrases like "suggest," "it seems," and "possibly" to qualify their remarks, but the message is clear: "OMG RESERVE YOUR XBOX 360 NOW THERE WILL BE LIKE NONE LEFT WHEN IT COMES OUT! THE GUY AT THE GAME STORE TOLD ME SO!"

CVG also makes the odd analysis that "the news will cause distress for Microsoft, which was hit by severe Xbox stock shortages in the run-up to last Christmas." I suppose not being able to satisfy demand isn't a great thing, but hype-intensified shortages aren't something to be distressed about, as they usually turn into media feeding frenzies that help drive more sales once production increases (see: Nintendo 64, Tickle Me Elmo, iPod Mini, just to name a few).

Anyway, the really interesting part of this comes via the always entertaining Spong, which rather skeptically points out that they think it's "unlikely that either of the mentioned retailers will be openly discussing its expected, stock-driven performance on any product line, let alone a new hardware platform and its bountiful software and peripheral attach rates." Translation: "YOU'RE A BIG LIAR THOSE GAME STORE GUYS DIDN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING!"

But they don't stop there. In sourcing their story, Spong points to "an ailing UK magazine cum gossip mongering website." Spong refuses to name the magazine, but references in the article make it pretty clear that CVG is the object of their scorn. This is pretty funny coming from Spong, which hasn't had a great track record of rumor-mongering in the past. But why miss out on a chance to bust on a competitor, right?

On a slightly related note, a little digging found this old gem from CVG where they cite "ever scoop-mungous UK trade mag MCV" as the source for a story on a deluge of Xbox 360s by Christmastime.

MCV certainly enjoys a number of well placed industry sources and they quote a senior, though unnamed source, at a major US publisher as saying that a million Xbox Xenons will hit Europe around November, rapidly rising to over 1.5 million units by March 2006.

You can almost hear the scornful envy in that first clause, can't you?

Let the back-biting continue.

Whose Xbox Is It Anyway?

You all probably read Kotaku, but I still feel the need to link to this. I'm at a loss.

Concise Gameplay Summary of the Moment

* Jack enters room and kills enemies by shooting them, performing one of several scripted close-combat disarming executions or siccing Shadow, his bloodthirsty dog on them.

* Every so often, Jack encounters a more powerful boss enemy who'll require a bit more time to kill than ordinary thugs.

* Game over.

-Matt Slagle, describing the sequence of events in Dead to Rights: Reckoning for the PSP in an AP Review

Jane's New News

GameGirlAdvance's Jane Pinckard was recently hired as a news editor at 1up, and she has some very interesting ideas about where their news section is headed.

In short, Jane wants for there to be "a personality that anchors the news section." This means writing that has "humor, style, and a point of view."

In short, she wants it to be a blog.

It certainly reads like one. Check out this tidbit from a story about a recent poll showing Japanese gamers aren't very excited about the Xbox360:

As much as we might complain about lack of innovative game titles in the West, Japan has it even worse. Some of the quirkiest, most fascinating games ever made come from Japanese game studios, but they wither under the unending domination of Dragon Quest. A new console launch is not going to change that trend any time soon. Too bad.

This mix of analysis and opinion isn't entirely new for 1up, which has always favored quick, punchy news stories over the kind of fact-filled, dry reporting found at places like Gamespot. Jane puts up a rather defensive, um, defense of her style by arguing that objectivity in journalism is dead or dying:

there is no such thing as writing without a point of view. okay? it's not possible. either you don't CARE, in which case, why are you writing? or you have a point of view. even if you're undecided. so why not just be straight-up about it? it's far more insidious, in my view, to pretend to be objective. i know this flies in the face of standard journalistic practice. but in my view, and with all due respect, that's why standard journalism is feeling so old and tired now. why shouldn't writers take stands? express opinions? is it going to confuse readers?

Jane is right, to a point. True objectivity is never possible in humans. Our experiences and opinions always have a way of coloring our actions and our writing, no matter how hard we try.

But I don't think that news writers shouldn't try. The point of a news section, to me, is to try to present as much information and as many sides of a story as possible and then let the reader decide what they agree or disagree with. This doesn't mean you have to be dry or that you can't provide informative analysis, but it does mean that you should leave your own personal views on the matter for the opinion page. Jamming a heavy-handed opinion into a fact-based news story might not confuse a reader, but it won't necessarily appeal to them either.

I've long maintained that there is a place for news and a place for opinions in mainstream gaming outlets. They should both be present, just not in the same article. Blogs (this one included) have had great success cherry-picking factual reporting from other sources and mixing it with their own opinion into a concoction that has become a media revolution. I can see why big-time news operations would want to emulate this, but I really hope they don't.

People rely on these news outlets to give them the basic information before they go to the bloggers and the satirists that make them look at it in new ways. If the base of hard news reporting goes away, all that's left is a hodge-podge of fact and opinion that doesn't do full justice to either.

Besides, if news sections get into the opinions business, what will be left for bloggers to be snarky about?

Rockstar (Double)Speaks on "Hot Coffee"

Rockstar speaks out on the brewing (pun most definitely intended) "hot coffee" controversy:

"So far we have learned that the 'hot coffee' modification is the work of a determined group of hackers who have gone to significant trouble to alter scenes in the official version of the game. In violation of the software user agreement, hackers created the 'hot coffee' modification by disassembling and then combining, recompiling and altering the game's source code. Since the 'hot coffee' scenes cannot be created without intentional and significant technical modifications and reverse engineering of the game's source code, we are currently investigating ways that we can increase the security protection of the source code and prevent the game from being altered by the 'hot coffee' modification."

A pretty clear refutation, right? A recent news post over at Idle Thumbs thinks it's a little than and ironclad.

Rockstar claims that the mod "alter(s) scenes in the official version of the game," but the meaning of "altering scenes" is ambiguous, and can include simply making an otherwise dormant mini-game accessible. Likewise, altering the source code does not imply adding content, as source code would obviously govern the accessibility of the mini-game (assuming it was already there). Rockstar may not have had anything to do with the mod, but their relationship to the sex mini-game itself is still very much in question.

I agree that Rockstar's statement is more than a little ambiguous. I'm guessing the statement was carefully worded to allow Rockstar enough wiggle room to avoid possibly being caught in an outright lie once this whole thing shakes out. The press should be careful to parse their words accurately.

In a related note, I've seen a lot of news posts echoing the following sentiment from Mike over at GameGirlAdvance:

"No button combination would'’ve called up CJ and his hos making a night of it."

It's true that there is no known button-combination that will do this, but it's far from clear whether or not one exists. In fact, given the nature of proving a negative, such a statement is almost impossible to prove. I seem to remember button-press codes for Goldeneye coming out years after the game's release, so don't go saying that someone would have found it by now.

In their statement, Rockstar implies that there is no way to unlock the mini-game without significant modification to the code, but as noted above this is far from clearly worded. Outlets talking about this should say that there is no known button-combination that unlocks the game, or that Rockstar has hinted that no such code exists.

Speaking of which, is the double meaning of code throwing anyone else here? Sentence constructions like "You can't use a code to unlock the code" are technically correct and totally confusing.

Grand Theft Auto-Erotic

(Headline shamelessly stolen from a Plastic.com thread)

Are you ready for a scandal? How about a really complicated, technology-based one with moral, business and political implications?

If you're a games journalist, you had better be. The previously-discussed Grand Theft Auto modification now widely known as "hot coffee" has gotten new life in the press thanks to statements from the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) and California Assemblyman Leland Yee. Their outcry has led to an investigation by the ESRB and has turned what was once a minor story only on enthusiast sites has now spread to the mainstream with coverage from sources ranging from the Associated Press and Reuters to The New York Times and everything in between.

The press attention has merited additional comment from the mod's author, who says he merely unlocked the content, and from the usually reticent Rockstar Games, who says they can't be held responsible for the actions of the mod community. (GameSpot seems to have scored a bit of a coup by getting a Rockstar spokesperson to directly deny that "the 'Hot Coffee' code was included in game discs manufactured by Rockstar or its agents.")

Both enthusiast and mainstream outlets have had to be careful to differentiate "hot coffee" from both traditional mods (which add original content to the game) and from traditional Easter eggs (which unlock developer-created content through a special in-game method). For the most part, the stories I've seen so far have done an admirable job explaining these fine distinctions in an understandable way. The New York Times did a particularly good job explaining the situation.

This sort of media saturation is a sort of double-edged sword for groups like NIMF and people like Yee who are trying to condemn the mod. More coverage means more people know about their concerns, but it also means that more people, including children, seek out the very thing they're concerned about. It's a pattern that repeats itself over and over when moral crusaders cry foul on entertainment producers, and inevitably leads to greatly increased sales for the entertainment industry. There's not much the media can do to prevent such effects of their coverage. Once the genie is out of the bottle, there's little that news outlets can do to put it back in.

This story is only likely to grow in the coming days and weeks, and I for one will be watching with great interest the actions of the industry, the moral crusaders and, of course, the press.

Trivialities in Non-Trivial Times

In the grand scheme of things, is writing about something as trivial as video games worthwhile in light of the huge, sometimes crushing problems and issues of the real world?

I've been struggling with this question a little bit since the recent terror attacks in London. A post on Andrew Sullivan's blog has helped me realize that this is a rather silly thing to be worried about.

No one has suggested that we stop playing cricket because of events in London. No one has said, "Of course this game fades into insignificance compared to events in the real world." Nor has anyone offered up the inane idea that if we stop playing cricket the terrorists will have won. The idea of stopping the game appears not to have occurred to anyone, which I think is wonderful and yet another example of the British stoicism of which you write. It makes me realize how much I've missed London.

Bottom line: The real world will always be full of calamity. It's the brief escape provided by entertaining trivialities like video games that can make it seem a little less calamitous.

Will They "Work More Hours?"

Recently, I have seen a whole lot of reports echoing Ken Kutaragi's recent comment to Japanese publication Toyo Keizai that he hopes people will "work more hours" to buy a Playstation 3. This includes one report that goes so far as to claim in the headline that the hefty price is "unlikely to put off potential buyers." I have also seen many bloggers criticizing the statement and commenting on Kutagari's Kraziness.

What I have yet to see is anyone do yet is address the obvious question Kutaragi's comments raise: namely, will people work an extra job to pay for a PS3? Or, more simply put, how much money will people be willing to pay for the next generation of systems?

Sure, it's a hard question to get a complete, definitive answer for, but I haven't yet seen anyone even trying to get a partial, starting-point answer. Merrill Lynch recently predicted Playstation 3 units launching at $400, which many of the above linked articles noted. Will people pay this much for a system at launch? How much would they expect or be willing to pay for games (which are also expected to rise in price with the next generation of consoles)? Does history predict success or failure for this price point (Probably... the PS2 launched in the U.S. for $400)? Is the Playstation brand strong enough to demand such loyalty? Is anyone else interested in these answers?

Making fun of Ken and his slightly wacky statements is fine for a day one story. Where are all the day two stories that use the statement as a jumping off point for some real reporting? Did I miss them? Are they coming? Has the media moved on already? Let me know using the comments link below.

Sorry for the lack of posts this week -- lots of freelance assignments coming to and/or passing deadline. Look for plenty of backlog next week.

Game Design Addicts?!

The AP has an excellent article on online addiction in China and throughout the world, but one line in particular made me do a double-take.

Some can't stop playing games, while the older ones tend to be addicted to online chats with the opposite sex, Tao says. Others are fixated on designing violent games.

The first two examples I understand, but are there really people who are addicted to designing violent games. Is the allure of creating the next Grand Theft Auto so appealing that people forget to sleep and eat? Does poring through lines of C code provide an unmatched thrill to hordes of young designers? Is designing cute-and-cuddly games less addictive? Are we raising a generation of dead-eyed zombie game designers?

Seriously, is this just a typo, or have I been totally unaware of the growing problem of people using their creative and technical skills to design computer games in their spare time? My guess is the former, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Hit the comments link below.

Gamespot Turns to Freeplay Mode

I have to say, I was very sad to see Gamespot's long-running Gamespotting editorial feature get "a bullet in the head" as executive director Greg Kasavin put it. I was glad to see it went out on a high note, though, with some excellent pieces on critics who aspire to more and a great satire on fanboyism, among other things.

I'm equally gratified to see the feature replaced with Freeplay, a sort of daily stream-of-conciousness editorial that passes hands from one member of the Gamespot team to the next every weekday. Each new author picks up where the last one left off, to the extent that reading the whole series straight through from the beginning feels like reading one long disseration on games instead of a bunch of disjointed opinions on dispaprate sub-topics, despite the seperate bylines.

Regular editorials like this are important for any game publication as a way to break free of the constraints of the news and reviews and take a wider view of the industry. Features like this are what keeps Gamespot from losing its edge, in my opinion.

The Ombudsman Asks: Playing to the Audience

An odd thought occurred to me as I was playing through my review copy of Kirby: Canvas Curse for Happy Puppy (please, be gentle). The thought had to do with whether or not the experience I was getting playing the game was truly comparable to the experience my audience would have if and when they played it.

This wasn't purely an idle musing on the superbly subjective nature of interactive gameplay (well, it didn't start out that way anyway). I thought of this because I happened to be playing through the game using a Mario Kart DS stylus given to me by a Nintendo representative at E3 (who says all swag is useless).

Anyone who has used this stylus will immediately know why I chose it over the tiny, flexible, cramp-inducing piece of grey plastic that comes with the system -- the increased size and weight of the E3 version makes playing the DS infinitely more enjoyable. But I couldn't help but wonder as I played whether that additional comfort was doing a disservice to my readers.

I'll make a small assumption here and say that most people who will be reading my review did not attend E3 and will not have access to this special stylus, or any stylus besides the one that came with their system. So my question is: should I have used the superior Mario Kart stylus, or used the standard stylus that most of my readers would be using (or a mix of both)? If you think I should have used the Mario Kart stylus, should I have told my readers about it?

This may seem like a trivial example, but there are plenty more I can think of where the same basic question applies. Do you use the fancy joystick or the default mouse/keyboard controls for a flight simulator? Do you test a DDR game with a high-quality metal dance pad or the cheap plastic version? Do I play that new console game on the 52" plasma display or the 13" black and white TV (or even the 7" flip-top LCD screen)? Even things like a broadband connection or an optical mouse can impact the gameplay. Regardless of the choice, how much information do readers need about the reviewer's setup to judge the review?

On the one hand, readers ought to know if the review their reading is colored by extravagant extras or substandard equipment, even if it doesn't relate directly to the actual game itself. On the other hand, no two people will play the game in exactly the same conditions anyway. Do we have to set up our reviews like a scientific test, setting the lighting, seating and humidity conditions to present a truly controlled play experience? I know a few computer game magazines list the technical specs of the system they use to review hardware-intensive games (or used to, at least), so there's a start.

In this case I did use the "good" Mario Kart stylus throughout and didn't reveal this fact to my readers, so you know where I stand on this particular example. But on some of the more substantial issues I'm not sure exactly where I stand. Where do you draw the line between too much information and too much deviation from the norm? Leave your answer using the comments link below.

Week of DRAMA -- Part 2: There's Something About Jessica

Rising Internet-game-universe star Jessica Chobot, (a.k.a. Hatsumi), caused a bit of a stir after recently participating in an interview with IGN Babes (Part II). Chobot, who first made a name for herself in the game journalism world by licking a PSP has risen to minor stardom incredibly quickly, appearing on G4's Attack of the Show and writing columns for communal game blog RedAssedBabboon and, now, IGN Insider (which makes the line in IGN's interview predicting that she's "going to be a total celebrity" a tad bit self-fulfilling).

The interview is typical IGN Babes fluff with largely inconsequential questions being used to fill out (pun intended) pages of large full-color, scantily-clad photographs. Chobot is nothing if not opinionated in the interview -- she takes what many would call unpopular positions on Nintendo products, other girl gamers and booth babes -- which led other opinionated folks around the Internet to express their displeasure with her opinions and what they considered the generally vapid nature of her responses.

I agree with some of these dectractors' points, but I think some of them were a little extreme. Chobot plays into a stereotype of the "mythical" hot girl who likes games, a stereotype that some consider an out-of-reach ideal and some consider an insulting generalization. Whichever side your on, it's hard not to pay attention to her, which is what I would guess she knows and wants. She does it very well and she has done very well by it. Getting mad at her for exploiting both ends of her audience so well isn't very productive.

What I find much more productive is getting mad at IGN for playing into the stereotype (many Net-denizens also took IGN to task for exactly this). The questions that author Chris Carle asks and the comments he makes are embarrassingly slobbering and bordering on sycophantic. Carle calls Chobot "the holy grail, the dream girl of all gamers and otaku. Hell, the dream girl of 90% of the men who walk this planet," and says mere knowledge of her existence will let him "die in peace."

Now I understand the point of these types of articles is to talk up the subject for the benefit of a generally equally-slobbering audience, but can't you do that and also have some self respect. If not for your own sake, then how about for all the other gamers out there trying to lead normal lives and break an image of the dorky gamer that has been crystallizing in the public consciousness for decades? How about for the sake of other girls who play games and are trying to break stereotypes of their own?

In short, I'm angry with IGN (and other members of the press) giving Jessica so much embarrassing attention, but I'm not as mad at her for taking advantage of it. After all, stardom on the Internet is all about trying to get as much attention, good or bad, as you can. Trying to stop people from looking for this attention is pointless. Trying to stop the outlets from providing that attention is probably just as fruitless, but much more satisfying (for me, anyway).

Trying to stop the bloggers (myself included) and forum posters from clamoring for this type of drama? You'd have better luck stopping the tide.

The Best Kinds of Editorials...

...are the ones where you don't even have to state your argument.

Week of DRAMA -- Part 1: Gamespot and GTA Rumors

Wow. It looks like I left the country just in time. Seems there were quite a few Internet-game-journalism-related dust-ups in the past few weeks that I was fortunate enough to miss the major brunt of. Among them:

Matt Matthews directed me to this post on his blog accusing Gamespot of less than diligent rumor-checking in a recent Rumor Control column. Matthews says that Gamespot shirked its duties by not actively checking a mod file alleged to unlock a hidden sex game in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. "Maybe the mod contains a virus. Maybe it's a cannoli. I don't know. Do they? Did they even bother to try? You sure won't find out by reading their article," write Matthews.

I asked Tor Thorsen, the author of the Gamespot article in question, to respond. He said that the file in question was not available when the story was originally published, but a version available on GTAGarage.com shows up as being posted the day before the Gamespot article ran. Thorsen said that a few people at Gamespot have tried the mod out for themselves and found it to work, although Thorsen himself said he has not. The Rumor Control article has since been updated to say that evidence from the people who posted the mod seem to indicate the hack is real, and not a fan-made addition. But, Thorsen said, "seeing how it wasn't 100% percent certain I didn't want to say 'ROCKSTAR ARE PORNMONGERS,' so I said it existed and that it looked legit."

Sounds like perfectly satisfactory explanation to me. When dealing with such a delicate issue, it's best to err on the side of caution rather than risk libeling a company with statements you're not totally sure of. That being said, the evidence and verdict could have been better explained in both the original and updated version of the article.

Look for more slightly outdated drama in this space soon.

Some Corrections

It seems that in my haste to do quick previews of assorted magazines picked up at E3, I made a few errors.

• Brandon Sheffield and Simon Carless both wrote me to clarify that Game Developer magazine is not the official magazine of the IGDA. The IGDA, in fact, has nothing to do with the magazine currently. As Sheffield put it "CMP, the company that owns Game Developer, used to run the management side of the IGDA, but once they got really up and running, CMP divested itself of that work, and the IGDA is totally on its own.
• John Keefer, editorial director at GameSpy, wrote in to mention that IGN did indeed have a booth on the show floor in Concourse Hall. "It gave us a little visibility, but also gave us easy access to all the halls since we were centrally located," Keefer said. Sorry I missed it.
• Sync Magazine editor Rob Bernstein wrote me a note asking why gadget-mag Sync was included in a round-up of free video game magazines. It wasn't made very clear in the post, but Ziff Davis is filling out the remainder of the now-defunct subscriptions to GMR with copies of Sync, which were promoted and distributed at their booth at E3. My preview looked at the magazine from the perspective of a former GMR subscriber who is looking for a replacement to that fine magazine (a.k.a. my perspective).

Be sure to check out the comments thread as well for some thoughts on my opinion of Andy Eddy and my credentials as an "ombudsman."

Next Generation is Live

It seems like longer, but it has only been about six weeks since we broke the story that Next Generation magazine was coming back as a Web site. That Web site is now live with a promise of twice daily updates featuring the latest industry news and views. (Full disclosure -- I'm currently working as a freelancer for the site.)

The most interesting thing about the new site from where I'm sitting is the profiles of prominent companies, issues, games and people that line the left sidebar of the front page. The initial listings in each of these categories run the gamut from mainstream to niche -- from Zelda to Aeon Flux; from Electronic Arts to Glu -- and offer some great insights for newcomers and insiders alike. They even have a commentary on game journalism commentary. The verdict: all this navel-gazing is "on balance, probably to be welcomed." Faint praise, but I'll take it.

Future USA -- Next Generation's publisher -- also announced today that they had acquired Cheat Planet. The site's slogan hints at its huge influence: "The Planet's Source For Game Cheats & Hints After GameFAQs" (I may have added a couple of words to the end there). Seriously, though, Future says that the site reaches a staggering 6.1 million unique visitors per month for repackaging data that is essentially public domain. To me, that sounds a heck of a lot more economical than paying for original content.

Why Game Magazines are in Trouble

...at least when it comes to breaking news.

Headline from a GameInformer.com article dated June 9: Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA and Game Companies Reach Agreement

Headline from the Issue 147 (July 2005) of Game Informer (which arrived on my doorstep today): Actors Strike Threatens Industry -- Hollywood Talent in Jeopardy

The grand irony here is that the web article is free whereas the print article costs money to read. Cheaper, faster, more up-to-date -- you know things are tough when you can't even compete with yourself.

No Rest For The Weary

I tried to relax on my recent vacation, I really did. But everywhere I looked I was inundated with reminders of my blogging life back on the mainland.

(click a picture for a larger version)



Even while I was innocently searching for sunglasses and cosmetics on St. Thomas I was enticed to buy "many games for each system," including the questionably-styled X BOX and PLAYSTATION II.



I tried my best to stay away from the drama of the video game journalism world, but I ran into this plaque from the Virgin Island Daily News, extolling the virtues of the "Mickey Mania" game store on St. Thomas. I was almost compelled to check if the St. Thomas Source would dispute this characterization, but I resisted the urge.



The whole experience made my head hurt, so I took the advice of this sign in a linen shop and improved my health with an issue of People. I felt worse almost immediately.

I'm still playing catch up with all the happenings I missed last week. Think I should know about something that happened? Leave a comment below or send me a note.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

I'm off to the sunny Caribbean for a much need cruise tomorrow, so you'll have to critique your own video game journalism for a while. I'll be back on the 20th, and I expect to see lots of e-mails and comments keeping me up to date on the goings-on in the game journalism industry. This homework will be graded, so don't slack off now!

A Night of Games on TV

If you weren't watching Spike TV at 11:25 Eastern tonight (well, last night now), you missed five of the most exciting minutes in the history of television! Well, not really, but you did miss a decent, if quick, live announcement of the 2005 Game Critics Best of E3 Awards. A suave Geoff Keighly and an awkward-looking Zoey Flower announced the winners in five categories, including best of show. Each game got about a minute's worth of footage from the show and some commentary from prominent game journalists -- from CNN, Newsweek, IGN and other sources -- that ranged from cogent analysis to "what did he say?"

Much like the Kentucky Derby, Spike stretched the five-minute announcement into an hours-long event with a screening of Mortal Kombat: Annihiliation -- complete with game clips introduced by Geoff and Zoe during commercial breaks. After the awards, there was an episode of a show called The Ultimate Gamer that seemed to combine every other reality show in existence (they got him in to E3, redid his game room, gave him a job interview, and more) into a big explosion of gaming enthusiasm. From the bits I saw it was actually kind of entertaining, even though it was sometimes hard to tell what was rendered video and what was actual gameplay.

I missed out on most of the detritus surrounding the actual awards because of other plans for the evening, but Dan Dormer sat through the whole thing and gave a blow-by-blow liveblogging breakdown. An excellent read, and much more informative than the shell of a description above.

Apparently, tonight was also the premiere of Video Game Vixens over on G4 (the poor man's Spike TV). I didn't catch a lick of this, but I heard from a reliable source (i.e. a guy on IM) it was not so hot (no pun intended. Maybe).

So what do you guys think? Did you watch either or both of these spectacles? If so, how did games make out on TV this evening? If not, were you too busy playing games or watching paint dry to bother? Hit the comments link below and share your thoughts.

Sad Thought of the Day

Someone had to write this.

Bloggers vs. The Establishment -- Round Googol

That's googol, not Google.

If you pay attention to the machinations of the game journalism world, you may have observed the following sequence in the past week:

• Tony Rice set up a set of links to interesting game blog posts called the Carnival of Gamers on his generally excellent blog, Button Mashing.
• The Carnival gets noticed by quite a variety of influential weblogs which point lots of traffic its way and generally get people to notice some blogs they might not have known about.
• Matthew Gallant at Computer Games Online sees the Carnival and writes a rather negative take on the whole thing based entirely on the Carnival's first entry, a diatribe called The Best Reviews Money Can Buy on peterb's Tea Leaves blog.
• Josh at Cathode Tan wrote up a quick post taking Gallant to task, which resulted in a lengthy string of back and forth comments which quickly descends into petty insults between Josh, Matthew and other involved/interested parties.
• Places like Mile Zero, and Tea Leaves itself jump in to comment, leading to more comment thread flame wars.

If you missed all this Internet drama, I consider you lucky.

After doing a whole lot of reading on all of the above links, here's my breakdown of the arguments presented:

Old Established Media Members and Defenders: You bloggers are a bunch of whiny upstarts who don't know what you're talking about. Getting lots of free stuff from game companies doesn't make us any less credible. We've been doing this for X years and Y outlets and know more than you ever will.

Young Blogging Upstarts: Nice try, pops. You know that the established game journalism industry is so discredited that no one trusts or even reads anymore. Blogs are the only place for serious game commentary that isn't totally bought and paid for by the game companies. Blogs are the future. YAY BLOGS!

OEMMaD: What are you guys smoking? Game magazines are much more serious and thoughtful than you blogs ever will be. And we get read by more than 10 people, so we must be doing something right. Also, we're not influenced by game companies in the least.

YBU: Oh please... every time I read a game magazine review, I immediately know someone has paid for it because all the popular games get good scores. We have a monopoly and thought that isn't controlled by the corporate machine. YAY BLOGS!

etc. etc.

I definitely know the allure of these arguments. I've been dragged into them before. But this one is threatening to get out of control. This has got to stop. You're all wrong. You're all right. Please step away from the fringe and come to the middle ground.

There are a lot of blanket statements getting thrown around in these debates, along the lines of "all game magazines suck" or "all game blogs suck." No. There are good game blogs and bad ones. There are good game magazines and bad ones. In each, there are good articles and bad ones. Which is which is a matter of opinion, but both these spaces are so large that blanket statements about the entire category are next to useless.

The problem is, everyone involved is basing their opinions on their own spotty experiences. No matter how much you read or how old you are, there are almost definitely gaps in your knowledge of game magazines or game blogs or, likely, both. In some cases the gaps are even more extreme -- some are effectively making statements about all of blogdom based on one blog post, or about all game magazines based on one issue of one magazine. This is like condemning the New York Times and all newspapers because you read a stupid article in the National Enquirer. It's like decrying Citizen Kane and movies in general because you thought Plan 9 from Outer Space was horrible.

Neither game magazines nor blogs are going anywhere. Each has its strengths and weaknesses as a medium, and each has the potential for some good game writing. The only danger is when that medium becomes the message, and endless, ultimately pointless arguments about which form is superior get in the way of discussions of real, substantive issues.

Don't let that happen. Take a deep breath and move on. Nothing to see here. The latest skirmish in the blogs vs. the establishment is done and no one is any closer to being convinced.

YAY INTERNET!

AftEr3: Game Mag Previews -- Part One

Please note some small corrections that have been made to this piece.

Some things are in short supply at E3. Affordable food, quiet areas and booth babes in respectable outfits are among them. Game magazines are not.

The determined magazine junkie (i.e. yours truly) can collect vast quantities of free pulp handed out at the show. I personally scrounged up 13 separate publications this year, not including three issues of Ziff's ShowDaily guide and the E3 2005 Show Directory. I could probably spend a good month on this blog reading these issues cover to cover and giving in-depth analysis of their respective contents, but I wouldn't be able to do much else that month. Instead, I'm going to do quick previews of each magazine, based on 15 minutes worth of reading and 15 minutes worth of writing (so please forgive any sloppy grammar or spelling). Sure, some of the details of each mag might get lost in the process, but if it's good enough for the games on the show floor, it should be good enough for the magazines too (how's that for meta-commentary?)

Game Developer (Volume 12, Number 5, May 2005)

I read the IGDA's Web site on occasion, but this is the first time I've ever stumbled upon a copy of their print magazine.

• On first glance, I love the cover design. Strong, colorful art from Alien Hominid and teaser text for other stories that doesn't distract
• On the Masthead, names like Simon Carless and Brandon Sheffield jump out. Not bad for what could easily have been just a newsletter. I also notice representatives from some big name developers on the mag's advisory board. Understandable, given their focus, but I wonder what this does to their perspective compared to other game magazines. The review of 3D Studio Max reminds me of a similar feature on the tools behind game design in the old Next Generation magazine. I never read it.
• An in-depth report on the I Love Bees alternate reality game is much more interesting than the few sentences most gizmo mags devoted to the phenomenon. I'll have to read that in full later.
• A five page feature on how gamers use controllers! Why didn't I think of that. Seriously, this picture- and graph-filled feature would be of interest even to a non-developer audience. Another one to read in full.
• The Alien Hominid feature is worth the price of admission just for the great pictures. Wonderful art direction.
• Articles on pathfinding algorithms and hiring practices are less suited to the general reader, but a nice selection of columns from designers themselves makes for a nice finish to the mag.
• Bonus: Most of the ads are stuffed in the back of the magazine where they don't disrupt the flow of content. Nice!

Verdict: Game Developer looks like an incredibly meaty read with enough content to interest non-developers too.

Grade: A

Wired (13.05, May 2005)

Not a game mag per se, this issue came "courtesy of Midway" according to a sticker on the front. For the life of me, I can't figure out why they are giving this out.

• Nine pages of ads before the table of contents... way to make me want to stop reading the magazine before I've even begun.
• Wired's design and layout is unmatched in my opinion. Big pictures accompany text that is arranged in interesting but still easily readable patterns. What's more, the text is actually incredibly concise for the most part, getting to the point without crowding out the pictures. Nice paper and cover stock round out the package.
• A neat little photo gallery of tile-based game art is NOT about the done-to-death I Am 8 Bit and Into the Pixel shows. Way to be ahead of the curve, Wired.
• Features like "Think Belligerent" -- about Apple suing a fan-made web site -- are obviously opinionated and not ashamed of it.
• Electronic Arts is the only game company to make the Hot 40 list of top tech companies (at No. 6). The write-up says that the average 30-year old gamer "can afford every new release." But does he or she have time to play them? This requires more research.
• Recurring light features like the Wired/Tired/Expired lists and futuristic/artistic Found are great to keep readers coming back.

Verdict: Great presentation and strong, concise writing on everything tech should make Wired a great source of inspiration for game mags everywhere.

Grade: B+

Tips and Tricks (No. 125, May 2005)

Wow... there's a name that takes me back. The Dragon Ball Z cover, however, does not.

• The cover is amazingly crowded, shoving every game name possible seemingly in the hope that you'll see one you know and pick it up off the newsstand.
• Publisher: Larry Flynt?! The same Larry Flynt that publishes Hustler? I guess it pays to diversify.
• Right off the bat we get extended strategies for DBZ Sagas, GT4, Psychonauts and San Andreas. Interesting if you have the games... not interesting if you don't. It's a safe bet most of the audience has at least one though.
• The GT4 section features some nice sidebars on the historic cars of the game and some tips for taking good photographs. Potentially interesting even if you hate the Gran Turismo games. Not what you'd expect from a strategy mag.
• The idea behind Select Game Previews is intriguing. They give quick takes on a few current and upcoming releases, and the readers mail in lists of which games they want to see strategies for. That's one way to command reader loyalty.
• What's with all these niche sections near the back? Cell phones, Gear, Online, Sports, Collectors, Final Fantasy, Japan. Reminds me of the old, hyper-compartmentalized GamePro... in a good way. If they don't serve the niche audiences, who will. I mean, besides the Internet.
• Speaking of cell phones, the three-page Cellular section is written by Andy Eddy. You may remember Andy from the less-than-stellar additional chapters in the paperback edition of David Sheff's Game Over. Nice to see he landed on his feet, so to speak
• At the very end of the magazine comes the section I'd been fearing -- 22 pages of tiny type, squint-inducing codes for a whole bunch of games. Well presented, for sure, but next to useless to anyone with an Internet connection.

Verdict: The codes are next to useless and the strategies are of limited use, but the niche-focused sections near the end add some value.

Grade: C+

VideoGames Transmedia (Volume 1, Issue 8, May 18, 2005)

At eight pages short, with two of them filled with ads, this tiny little newsletter is a quick bite.

• No fancy cover graphics here... the cover is page one of the content.
• The editor's note claims the sheet is about convergence in digital entertainment, and stories on advergaming and PSP movies fill the niche quite well.
• The front page feature is a Q & A featuring Dean Takahashi asking questions of... Dean Takahashi about the new Xbox 360. I guess the author of Opening the Xbox is qualified to speak on this subject, but shouldn't somebody else be asking him the questions?
• An editorial from Gamesindustry.biz takes up all of page 4, and I say bravo. I look forward to Rob Fahey's thoughts every week and it's about time they were put into print somewhere. And no, Rob isn't paying me to say that.
• Some rumors, some hard news and... another George Lucas interview. Jeez... you can't escape the guy this month!

Verdict Short but packed with good content in an increasingly important niche. Could probably stand to be published more often.

Grade: B

E3 2005 Directory (Official Exhibit Guide)

Published by Prima, this thick guide is full of info and full of ads. Worth holding on to just to remember what you missed.

Grade: Functional!

Nintendo Power (Volume 193, July 2005)

The magazine we all grew up with finally gets a total makeover... but doesn't rank a mention at Nintendo's press conference.

• I know ads have been in Nintendo Power for years now, but I don't think I'll ever get used to them. The whole thing is basically an ad for Nintendo... why do we need more ads?
• A history of Nintendo Power timeline shows how the Big N invented the video game comic (Howard and Nester, yay!) and the "celebrity gamer" section (Tori Spelling, boo). It even pokes gentle fun at the Play it Loud ad campaign.
• "Many of you grew up with Nintendo Power and it was time for NP to grow a bit too," says Managing Editor Scott Pelland in an editor's note. Dude... it was time for NP to grow up about ten years ago. What took so long?
• A subhead features the astounding proclamation that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is "leading the world out of the dark ages." Wow... way to lay on the hyperbole there.
• The major advantage of Nintendo Power has always been its ability to get information about Nintendo out there before anyone else. NP is the only magazine to go to for Revolution information for at least a few weeks. The Internet has lessened this advantage, but in the print world, Nintendo Power is still the first official word for all things Nintendo.
• The new layouts are, in a word, spectacular. Big, bright pictures and interesting text layouts fill every page. The new logo is a fine update to a classic. Well done.
• Nintendo is giving away 1,000 of the Zelda t-shirts that were being given at the conference away to lucky readers, but eager gamers can buy one now for prices hovering around $60 on eBay. Lucky them!
• @Second opinions in reviews. A community section. E3 trivia in the back. There's too much new stuff here for a quick preview. Expect more in-depth thoughts on the new NP soon.

Verdict A new layout, new tone and new information are almost enough to make you forget this is pure public relations pablum. Almost.

Grade: B

Computer Games (Issue 175, June 2005)

I'll occasionally read an article on CGOnline, but this is my first time reading the print mag. Let's see what we've got.

• A nice simple cover featuring Serious Sam II attracts the eye but doesn't skimp on information about the contents. Very nicely done.
• Seven pages of ads before the table of contents. Why must you make me work to get to what I want?
• An editorial on lack of time to play games answers the implicit question from Wired above. More editorials from industry insiders later in the magazine provide some great perspectives on the industry. Note to gaming magazines: print more editorials!
• The letters section is full of in jokes and a writing style that is off-putting to this newcomer.
• Wow... four whole pages of coverage for the Game Developers conference. That's more coverage than a lot of magazines for this important event.
• Reviews feature some VERY LARGE star ratings, which distract a bit from the text, which generally seems to give the right amount of space to each game. No constricting formats here (I'm looking at you, EGM)
• interesting section on PC hardware, the Online scene, mods, Japan, the indie scene and... consoles?! Hey, if console mags have a PC section, I guess this is par for the course.

Verdict: I'm not a big computer game player, but I could see myself reading and enjoying a lot of the content in CG... and not just the console section.

Grade: B+

Pocket Games (No. 17)

The only magazine I know of devoted to portable games. Why is this? There's so much interest in handhelds now, you'd think there would be some competition.

• Who needs anything else on the cover when the PSP is coming. Who needs anything else in the magazine, for that matter. Pocket Games goes understandably overboard with 20-some pages of coverage for the hot new portable.
• Despite all the PSP love, there's still a lot of space for lesser-known handhelds... and I don't mean just the DS. Gizmondo, Tapwave, NGage and cell phones get way more coverage than I've seen in any other print mag, and I say good for them. Press coverage can help determine the success or failure of a new platform, and the dearth of coverage for most of the recent portable systems has helped put nails in their coffin. It's nice to see someone looking at all the systems out there.
• For the PSP blowout, the Pocket Games crew interviewed staffers from Ziff's Official Playstation Magazine. Now that's synergy!
• I love the screen-above-text layout for the reviews. It's consistent without being constraining and familiar without being cumbersome. My only gripe is it's hard to distinguish between previews and reviews. Grouping both previews and reviews for one system together is an interesting concept, but it requires more distinction between the two.

Verdict: Pocket Games covers a huge section of the industry that doesn't get enough devoted coverage in most mainstream console mags. Bring on the imitators.

Grade: A-

Sync

Ziff's replacement for GMR throws together girls, tech, cars and... more girls into a jumbled mess.

• That cover sure has a lot of text on it, but it's obviously window dressing for the scantily-clad waifish model staring out from the page. I hope GMR didn't have many female subscribers, because they just canceled their subscriptions.
• Even stuff that ostensibly has nothing to do with girls features pictures of scantily clad girls in Sync. Take the 100 word review of wireless headphones on page 87. The text is squeezed in the corner to make room for a bikini-clad girl in a swimming pool. Titillation at the expense of decent content.
• A three page spread on movies that should become games is actually kind of funny. The Napoleon Dynamite Dance Dance Revolution picture actually made me laugh out loud.
• I had never heard of Sociolotron, but it's the kind of twisted, genre-bending MMORPG that I'd expect game magazines to be leaping all over. Sync's two page spread earns it some brownie points...
• ...but the mag loses them all with this actual quote. "Is it true video games can decrease a guy's libido? Sadly, most game aficionados haven't had the chance to find out." (emphasis in original). Thank you, I want my money back.

Verdict: This tech rag tries way too hard to be Maxim and just ends up being insulting. GMR, we hardly knew ye.

Grade: D+

That's all for now. Look for thoughts on more free mags including GamePro, Game Informer, and the ubiquitous ShowDaily coming soon.

AftEr3: Cover or Participate? Why Not Both?!

The media does a great job of giving blanket coverage to nearly every booth at E3, but many people forget that some members of the media have booths of their own. E3 is a big source of content, but its also a great chance for publicity for these large media organizations. Ironically, it can be pretty hard to find information and opinion about these media booths in the media itself. In an effort to correct that a bit, here's my thoughts on the various media exhibitions at the show.

Ziff Davis

The strongest media booth by far, Ziff Davis' booth greeted visitors as soon as they entered West Hall. Booth babes standing behind a long counter handed out free Ziff magazines to the jostling masses lined up in front of them, creating quite a traffic jam at times. Inside the booth proper, four flat-screen TVs were on loop showing highlights of EGM's Dan Hsu, Jennifer Tsao and others giving their opinions on CNN's Headline News. Below them, more booth babes gave free Joystick Junkies shirts to people willing to subscribe or renew their subscriptions to a Ziff mag (who says booth's have to just cost money).

Subscribing also got you to the front of a longish line to get your photograph and 1up username on a 1up-branded photo ID... thing. When I asked the attendant what exactly this ID was good for, she suggested using it as a luggage tag. What a great idea! My luggage was very easy to pick out. The attendants also gave out light-up heart-shaped 1Up necklaces, to show your undying love for the Web site that gave you a free luggage tag.

Near the end of the show on Thursday, the Ziff booth turned in to party central, with a large group of 1up.com member-bloggers from a VIP list. I asked the attendant repeatedly what it took to get on the list, but she kept deflecting the question. Looked like a rather eclectic bunch -- some dressed up in video game outfits, some dressed in jeans and t-shirts, some dressed in khakis and button down shirts. Free smoothies and a love of 1up.com were enough to bring these myriad groups together in a strong show of brand loyalty.

Gamespot

Just to the side of 1up's booth, near the corner of West hall, sat Gamespot's grand booth. The front of the booth had an information desk where attendees could pick up buttons advertising things such as Gamespot's Button Mashing feature, the Games and Music Experience show (which Gamespot was promoting), and a general button that just said "Gamespot E3 2005." I can't envision the situation where I would wear any of these buttons, but I picked up a few anyway (I'm a big game journalism dork).

Just to the side of the info. desk was a highly visible elevated stage where Gamespot produced its live, streaming video coverage of the show. Throughout the three days an impressive string of developers, publishers and Gamespot personalities sat at the brightly-lit desk to share their thoughts. The interviews were amplified by large speakers to be audible for a long way down the aisles (quite an accomplishment amid the E3 din) and attracted fluctuating crowds of a few to a few dozen people. Short of free magazines to give out, this live stage show seemed to be a pretty effective way of trumpeting coverage.

The third major part of the Gamespot booth was what I took to calling the aquarium -- a glass-enclosed room where dozens of Gamespot employees toiled away tirelessly at computer keyboards, missing out on the show swirling around them to upload new pictures, movies, previews, etc. etc. Having to sit at a computer during E3 was bad enough, but being put on display for all sorts of passing attendees to gawk at struck me as a little unnecessary. Is GameSpot trying to show off the size and determination of their staff? Or did they just think their employees would work better with a little artificial light streaming in through the windows? Either way, I'd hide them from view next year.

IGN/GameSpy

IGN didn't have a booth on the main show floor, but they did have a private room upstairs, right next to the general media room in fact. I peeked in as I passed by, but I was too timid to barge in and demand access to what was no doubt a mix of serious work and serious schmoozing.

IGN's choice not to have a big, public booth like its major competitors has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it was probably easier for their editors to get work done away from the din of the show floor. On the other hand, IGN got far less publicity than its competitors by being hidden away from the main action. Give and take, I suppose.

G4

I didn't really check out G4's booth, situated in the lobby just outside South Hall, until the show was technically over and I was waiting for the rest of my party to get out of a meeting with Microsoft. They were trumpeting the fact that their live coverage was going until 6 p.m. even though the show ended at 4 p.m. on Friday. An extremely long line of people (that didn't seem to move) snaked around the elevated box of a stage waiting for a G4 T-shirt. To the other side, a crowd of stragglers played with a beach ball and cheered whenever the camera panned across them before or after a commercial break. During the taping, more than a few of the assembled called out some pretty embarrassing catcalls to X-Play's Morgan Webb, which she wisely ignored. Makes you proud to be a gamer.

Prima Games

Poor Prima Games. They get an A for presentation, adorning their booth space in the front of West Hall with a lot of open space and beautiful racks of strategy guides for perusal. But you just can't make people care. The glitz and glamour of the show floor was no match for the quiet, measured, publication-focused displays at the Prima booth. Heck, I don't think they even had a video screen. Most of the people at the booth seemed to be cutting through to get somewhere else. My advice: either spice up your image or maybe try Kentia Hall next year.

Nintendo Power

More an extension of Nintendo's massive West Hall booth than a booth of its own, the Nintendo Power area showcased the magazines new look and features with a roughly ten-foot tall, 20-foot wide tri-fold poster. In front of the display, an extremely cheerful booth attendant at a desk offered to scan attendees' E3 badges for a free, three-month trial subscription to the newly redesigned magazine. The attendant was very upfront about the fact that you would be charged for a year of the mag unless you cancelled after the trial. It's so refreshing when people are forthcoming about this kind of thing.

Yahoo! Games

True, Yahoo's booth was mainly devoted to promoting its game downloads and competition services, not its editorial content. But when pressed the attendants there did talk about Yahoo's GameDomain, the section of the site devoted to original reviews and previews of upcoming releases. This section may be getting an overhaul of its own -- from what I gleaned from booth attendants and journalists around the show, Yahoo will soon start licensing most of its editorial content from Gamespot and other similar providers. More on this as I find it out.

Giveaway kiosks

Other members of the video game press didn't have full-fledged booths at the show, but that didn't stop them from having a presence there. Established enthusiast magazines like Tips and Tricks and Game Informer gave out thousands of magazines at desk throughout the concourse, while attendees could pick up the latest copies of Wired, Nintendo Power, Video Games Transmedia, Game Developer and others from constantly restocked cubbies in the main lobby (the shoving masses of people pushing to get these magazines at the beginning of each day is always amusing to watch). In Kentia Hall I also picked up a copy of Now Playing, a general entertainment magazine from theglobe.com that advertises a "first look [at the] next generation Xbox" on the cover.

And let's not forget ShowDaily the oversized, stapled tabloid with content from Ziff Davis and an endorsement from the ESA... not to mention a handy map of the show floor and a ton of advertisements. These things were absolutely everywhere -- a small army of attendants was handing them out, and a whole lot of people seemed to be taking them, glancing at them as they walked, then dropping them wherever it was convenient. Many attendees probably took it just for the map, then got rid of it as fast as possible. Personally, I found the bound E3 Exhibition Guide to be easier to carry and more durable as a map of the show floor.

So what do you think? Who had the best media booth at E3? Should organizations that are covering the show even be participating in it? Does having a big booth give these large organizations an unfair advantage in covering the show? Hit the comments link below with your thoughts.

AftEr3: Just Another Photo Gallery

I know, I know... you've seen about 20 gazillion photo galleries from people that went to E3. But I bet none of them focused on the media that was at the show... until now (bum bum BUM!)

View VGO's E3 Photo Gallery on Flickr

AftEr3: Press Conference Ponderings

Speaking of Nintendo's press conference, this year's was the first major first-party E3 press conference that I have attended. Some thoughts on the experience.

• Nintendo was the only console manufacturer whose press conference I could get into. I've already blogged about the problems others allegedly had getting in to Sony's conference, and I hear that invites for Microsoft's big press party were limited to only a few people from a few publications (though anyone with MTV got all the basic info.). Nintendo's seemed comparatively easy to enter -- give a business card, get a blue ticket for your swag (more on this later) and go on in, no need to even check against a list. Does this speak to Nintendo's comparatively more desperate need for coverage compared to the other two console makers?
• The conference itself started at 9:47 a.m., long after the 9 a.m. planned start time and even after an announcer said it would start "in five minutes" at 9:25. Announcements from the fire marshall explained that the delay was to make sure a clear path was available through the standing room only crowd in case of a disaster. I have to say, even after the throngs were moved closer to the walls, I felt that if a fire broke out, we were all doomed.
• The conference started out with some nice talk about Nintendo's history and philosophy from Nintendo marketing head Reggie Fils-Aime. Reggie had some fighting words for Sony in regards to the PSP vs. DS battle, but nothing nearing the infamous "kicking ass and taking names" line that introduced him to the world at last year's conference (more on that in a later post, I hope).
• The Elektroplankton demo was very impressive, but upon reflection, Nintendo's claim that every bit of sound there came directly from the game was a little suspect. I wonder exactly how much of that performance was actually running on the DS and how fooled the gathered press was by all the razzle dazzle (my guess for both answers is "not much").
• Nintendo reiterated its previously announced relationship with GameSpy to provide online gameplay for Nintendo DS titles, making them the first media outlet mentioned in the press conference (but not the last). These sorts of mentions are one of the perks of being on both the editorial and infrastructure sides of the gaming industry, I suppose.
• Reggie stressed that Nintendogs got a perfect score from Famitsu. The audience remained reverently silent. Do most of these people know what Famitsu is? Do they know how hard it is to get a perfect score there? Do they care?
• Reggie also mentioned that the game has "the game blogs panting and slobbering," a reference no doubt to The Puppy Times. Does one blog constitute a groundswell of support? Have I missed all the other gaming blogs that have panted and slobbered for the game? Is this yet another sign that blogging about games is becoming a rising force in the media landscape? Discuss!
• The crowd seemed pretty stunned when the Revolution was actually shown. Guess they hadn't read their USA Today that morning.
• One brave soul actually booed when Nintendo revealed that the Revolution would have digital rights management support. A one-word editorial in a press conference where no skeptical questions or non-Nintendo opinions were given any voice. I love it!
• There was an audible sound of remorse from the audience when it was revealed that Nintendo wouldn't be showing the controller today. I think part of the appeal of these conferences for the press is being able to say you were there when this or that mega-announcement was made. Looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for this one.
• The crowd went a little crazy when Nintendo revealed that 20 years of old Nintendo games would be downloadable on the Revolution. First of all, this fact had already been revealed by USA Today for anyone who did some light morning web surfing, so the level of surprise was surprising. Secondly, it was near impossible to tell how much of this enthusiasm was real. Two people in Nintendo shirts were sitting behind me at the conference, whooping very loudly throughout the presentation, often at inopportune times. I talked to them after the conference was over and they confirmed that they were being paid by Nintendo (Nintendo of Canada, specifically) to sit there and cheer on their employers. From the sounds of it, other pockets of paid supporters were dotting the audience, trying to drum up support at key moments in the conference. It's a surprisingly effective strategy... if people are cheering all around you, it feels somewhat uncomfortable if you're not at least clapping or showing some sign of interest. In this way Nintendo can cause what might be a stoic, cynical audience to become a welcoming, cheering one for chump change. Then again, maybe the audience is just filled with enough Nintendo fanboys to achieve this effect anyway. But if that's the case, why were there paid supporters sitting right behind me?
• Near the end of the presentation, Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata told the assembled press that we could "begin to make educated guesses on game experiences" based on the limited information about revolution features given that day. Way to encourage baseless speculation, Nintendo. I think Nintendo is hoping the press' "educated guesses" will generate a lot of baseless hype for the Revolution based on features Nintendo didn't even have to come up with or deliver. So get guessing, everyone! I'll start you off: "Maybe the next Mario game will allow you to play all the levels of the previous game that you download, except now they'll be in full 3D and you can use all the items from all the games and the controller will smell like mushrooms." Your turn!
• Nintendo's show ended an hour after it started, and the assembled crowd rushed out to be the first to post their Zelda: Twilight Princess videos on eBay.

All in all, it was a fun conference to attend, though I have little basis for comparison. What did you guys think of the big three's press conference doings this year?

AftEr3: Wood, Nintendo, and the G4 Marketing Machine

I'm back, and ready to blaze through all my notes and thoughts from E3.

First on the docket is G4's Tina Wood appearing at Nintendo's press conference. If you didn't witness this spectacle yourself, you can watch it on Gamespot. Tina is introduced about 23 minutes in by everyone's favorite cult of personality, Nintendo Chief Marketing Officer Reggie Fils-Aime. I'll let him speak for himself

"We thought maybe an outside perspective would help illustrate [Nintendogs], so we've given an advance copy of the U.S. version to Tina Wood, host of G[4]TV.com, the hit interactive show on G4 video game TV, and she joins us here today to put her puppy through its paces."

I'm pretty sure I made an audible gasp when I heard this announcement (this was drowned out by the Nintendo employees behind me whooping and hollering, but that's for another post). Wood proceeded to show off a dog she had made in the days before the conference and had the dog interact wirelessly with a Mario-hatted dog controlled by game creator Shigeru Miyamato.

Tina's appearance at the conference was probably attacked most vociferously by Brian Crecente of Kotaku, who wrote "it was sort of appropriate that the little affair wrapped up with Shigeru Miyamoto's dog fucking Tina Wood's." Wood defended the appearance on her own blog, writing "I did not do this to kiss the rears of Nintendo. I did it for the company I work for and am passionate about and the opportunity to work with a man I absolutely admire." Wood also mentioned that she did not get paid for her appearance.

Getting paid is not the issue here, though. The real question here is whether Wood herself, and G4 in general, want to be considered independent, journalistic entities or simply a part of the video game marketing behemoth. If it's the former, I think that letting Wood on this press conference is a mistake. Most of the gaming press was in the audience of this conference, reporting on the events instead of taking part in them. Generally, it is not the media's job to help a company make its pitch, and putting a major TV personality in that position doesn't help one's credibility. Even if Wood's participation didn't affect her opinions about Nintendo and its products, the mere appearance of a conflict to her audience should have been enough to give her pause if G4 wants to maintain a reputation of fair, balanced coverage of the video game race.

But that is a major assumption. I'm not sure that maintaining any sort of independence is G4's goal at all. I'm more inclined to believe that G4 is simply part of the game marketing machine, and anything they or any of their talent does should be taken with a large grain of salt.

Need evidence? Check out G4's press release section where they trumpet programming like "Nintendo DS Day," "Halo 2 Day" and "GTA TV," and programming promotions with GameFly and America's Army. Look at shows like Video Game Vixens and CinemaTech that show off game videos and characters with little to no intelligent commentary. Look at an interview with G4 founder/CEO Charles Hirschorn in the latest Game Informer in which he talks about G4 branching out to provide gaming services in addition to television programming. All of it points to an entity that wants to use its content mainly to help sell games rather than to analyze them.

This is not to say there's nothing worthwhile on G4, or that all of G4's content is totally controlled by advertisers. But moves like Wood's appearance at the Nintendo conference reinforce the impression I get that G4 as an entity is more interested in selling a lifestyle than in covering the business and art of gaming; more interested in providing entertainment than unbiased analysis; more interested in becoming Entertainment Tonight than the Hollywood Reporter.