"Metroid will never work as a first-person game," they said. "Metroid? With a multiplayer mode? That doesn't make sense," they said. "Metroid? With Multiplayer, on a dual-screen handheld with touch sensitivity and wireless play for up to 16 players?" They didn't say that, ut only because THEIR HEADS JUST EXPLODED.
-From an unsigned preview of Metroid Prime: Hunters (GMR #25, p. 58)
"Besides mentioning Hitman: Blood Money, which isn't even out yet, the list contained Shadow Hearts (it came out in 2001), and some title called Gunslinger Girls 2 (Perhaps they meant Gunslinger Girls Vol. 3, an import title) ... the funniest part was that the list (and its errors) was syndicated to newspapers around the country, with all its information blaring just as loud as the moral outrage."
-From an unsigned news story about the National Institute of Media and the Family's list of the worst violent video games (Game Informer #142, p. 26)
"My point? Just because you can string a few words together doesn't mean you can work at EGM--you have to know your games too. While you may not agree with some of our opinions, rest assured that they're based on something reasonable. How reasonable? Well, that's a discussion for the message boards and our therapists, but you should feel confident we know our s***, and we'll always give a million percent (why stop at 110?) to serve you best."
-Dan "Shoe" Hsu, in an introductory editorial about a great writer that didn't have the gaming knowledge it takes to work at EGM. (Electronic Gaming Monthly #189, p. 15)
"I love the video games, and the news hates the video games, so I hate the news. That's right, piss of news! The news is full of crazies who want me to be scared all the time... they blame everything on the video games. And it's true, it's true, that there are plenty of video games that tiny children should not play. I'm a grown-up lady. I need to shoot s***. I think it's best it occur fictionally."
-Comedian Jackie Kashian, from her Comedy Central special
Monday, January 31, 2005
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Fear & Respect Preview Gets Some Respect
I finally got around to reading through Game Informer's 10-page preview of Fear and Respect today on the metro. The preview is full of some great quote from John Singletary, Snoop Dogg, and others that actually have something interesting to say about video games and the direction the industry is going. The real clincher for me, though, was the two-page introduction that details a scene in the life of a gang member in the second person:
There is a gun in your hand. It's pointed at his temple. He's kneeling on the floor, pleading for mercy, You look at the ugly grey carpet on the floor below you. It's the cheap kind, hard and uncomfortable, the kind they put in hospital waiting rooms and apartment buildings like this one. If you pull the trigger, you will put his brains on that carpet. It occurs to you that you don't even know what brains look like. Do they look like they do in horror movies? One flinch of your right index finger and you will find out.
Compelling stuff. This intro. hooked me in and practically made me read through the whole piece, and I'm glad I did. If the actual game packs as much emotion into its scenes, I will be a fan (I will also be a bit surprised).
There is a gun in your hand. It's pointed at his temple. He's kneeling on the floor, pleading for mercy, You look at the ugly grey carpet on the floor below you. It's the cheap kind, hard and uncomfortable, the kind they put in hospital waiting rooms and apartment buildings like this one. If you pull the trigger, you will put his brains on that carpet. It occurs to you that you don't even know what brains look like. Do they look like they do in horror movies? One flinch of your right index finger and you will find out.
Compelling stuff. This intro. hooked me in and practically made me read through the whole piece, and I'm glad I did. If the actual game packs as much emotion into its scenes, I will be a fan (I will also be a bit surprised).
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
The PSP, the DS and "Preview Bias"
Ombudsman reader Benny Torres recently sent me an e-mail airing his concerns that bias was creeping in to Electronic Gaming Monthly's coverage of the battle between the PSP and Nintendo DS. Torres says that recent coverage in EGM and on 1up.com has let the "PSP gets away with awesome previews and forecasts for games ... but then on the same token shows a couple of games for the DS and makes comments like 'it remains to be seen if gamers will warm up to its innovations.'"
Torres continues, saying that "the proof is in the cover. Look at this month's [February 2005] cover. Its about 'The years of the Portables,' not the PSP. ... The PSP is front and center on the cover, the DS is literally BEHIND the PSP."
"The reason for that design is a simple one: Out of all those portables featured on our cover, the PSP is the only one anyone would consider 'the next big thing,'" responds Dan "Shoe" Hsu, EGM's Editor-in-Chief. "We have an enthusiast-focused publication, so it's smarter for us to show a PSP up front at this point, as that's the system hardcore gamers want to read about more, as opposed to the DS, which they all already own." Shoe went on to say that Nintendo's secrecy about the DS' design made a similar DS-focused cover impossible until it was too late.
Cover design issues are all well and good, as are specific allegations of biased language for either side (see a sidebar post on this issue). But it's Shoe's next response that really gets to the heart of the matter.
Torres claims that EGM's PSP bias can be seen in the magazine's description of each system's control scheme. While the PSP is lauded for allowing you to customize your control scheme in Coded Arms, "The DS gets ripped in most of its reviews for lack of a specific control method in its design. EGM instead concentrates on the 'flexibility' of the PSP game... instead of the lack of dual sticks," Torres said.
Shoe calls this "selective reading," because Torres is comparing a review for the DS to a preview for the PSP. "In a preview, we usually don't put any final judgements on a product. Instead, we typically tell you about its features, its potential, etc. In a review, it's no-holds-barred." Shoe cites a more neutral assessment of DS controls in the Super Mario 64 DS preview: "As you might expect, controls are different, with the option to use the touch pad to move (and D-pad to jump, crouch, etc.) or a more standard setup where the second screen merely controls the camera."
Shoe's right, in a sense. Comparing a preview of a PSP game to a review of a DS game can be considered "selective reading." It could also be considered accurate reading, at this point in time. Since the release of the Nintendo DS in the U.S., coverage of that system has shifted from accomodating previews to harsher reviews. Because the PSP isn't out in the U.S. yet, all the coverage is still in the glowing preview stage. The coverage will balance out over time, of course, but until those first PSP reviews come out, the DS is in essence being penalized for being released first.
Shoe almost acknowledges this when responding to Torres' complaint about the lack of EGM coverage for much-maligned PSP negatives like load times and battery life. "It's coming," Shoe says. "We're actually covering some of these things in our April 2005 issue, which comes out right before the PSP's supposed March launch. We've been waiting on a proper PSP launch guide because we're hoping to test out U.S. (not Japanese) units, and because we want to release that story right before consumers could actually buy the system itself...when that information is most useful and timely."
The problem here -- the slight 'bias' Torres is seeing -- has nothing to do with the systems and everything to do with the uncritical nature of most previews. Shoe is right to point out that comparing PSP and DS previews paints a much more balanced picture, but Torres is right to point out that current writing about DS games (which includes some harsh reviews) might come off worse than current writing about the PSP (mainly gentle previews). Given the current abscence of informed, hands-on views for PSP games, readers are left with no choice but to compare two very different types of writing.
The question then becomes: do readers realize the inherent difference between a review and a preview? Do they incorporate this difference into their reaction to a video game feature? I think it's fair to say that most readers do just that. It doesn't take a lot of experience with the average video game magazine to realize that -- in the abscence of actual play time-- most previews will put the hype-building focus on what's new and exciting in a game, and leave coverage of flaws until the review. Even though this isn't usually explicitly stated, this "preview bias" is pretty much an accepted fact to people who read any significant amount of video game writing. I know a few people who won't even read previews because they feel any information they contain might be totally worthless by the time the review comes out.
This brings up another good question: Should it be this way? If previews can't provide a decently balanced picture of what a game will be like, should we even bother writing them? To this, I'd also say yes. Previews provide an essential service to readers by letting them know about potentially interesting games long before they see them on store shelves. Even if previews are uniformly glowing, the publication still exercises editorial control in choosing which games to feature (those hopefully being the games they see the most potential in, and not the ones that buy the most advertising. But that's an entirely different issue).
But is there another way to write a preview? I seem to remember Next Generation magazine taking a more balanced approach in their preview writing, allowing space for the game's developers to talk a game up, but also pointing out any potential flaws they see at the end of the preview. Usually these flaws were accompanied by a line like, "hopefully the team will be able to work out these kinks before the launch," but at least they were not totally ignored.
This could be my own "selective reading" at work, though (unfortunately my Next Generation collection is in storage about an hour away, but I will try to confirm my memories when I get a chance). Regardless, such "preview bias," is definitely a problem that the video game journalism industry has to deal with. There's no one correct answer to the problem; how a publication deals with preview bias might depend on their audience, their writing style, and their goals for the preview section and the magazine as a whole. Some might want to publish a harsh disclaimer about the format in every preview section. Some publications may want to incorporate a more critical tone to their previews. I don't think any publication should totally ignore the issue, though. At least, they shouldn't if they want people like Mr. Torres to read their magazine.
Torres continues, saying that "the proof is in the cover. Look at this month's [February 2005] cover. Its about 'The years of the Portables,' not the PSP. ... The PSP is front and center on the cover, the DS is literally BEHIND the PSP."
"The reason for that design is a simple one: Out of all those portables featured on our cover, the PSP is the only one anyone would consider 'the next big thing,'" responds Dan "Shoe" Hsu, EGM's Editor-in-Chief. "We have an enthusiast-focused publication, so it's smarter for us to show a PSP up front at this point, as that's the system hardcore gamers want to read about more, as opposed to the DS, which they all already own." Shoe went on to say that Nintendo's secrecy about the DS' design made a similar DS-focused cover impossible until it was too late.
Cover design issues are all well and good, as are specific allegations of biased language for either side (see a sidebar post on this issue). But it's Shoe's next response that really gets to the heart of the matter.
Torres claims that EGM's PSP bias can be seen in the magazine's description of each system's control scheme. While the PSP is lauded for allowing you to customize your control scheme in Coded Arms, "The DS gets ripped in most of its reviews for lack of a specific control method in its design. EGM instead concentrates on the 'flexibility' of the PSP game... instead of the lack of dual sticks," Torres said.
Shoe calls this "selective reading," because Torres is comparing a review for the DS to a preview for the PSP. "In a preview, we usually don't put any final judgements on a product. Instead, we typically tell you about its features, its potential, etc. In a review, it's no-holds-barred." Shoe cites a more neutral assessment of DS controls in the Super Mario 64 DS preview: "As you might expect, controls are different, with the option to use the touch pad to move (and D-pad to jump, crouch, etc.) or a more standard setup where the second screen merely controls the camera."
Shoe's right, in a sense. Comparing a preview of a PSP game to a review of a DS game can be considered "selective reading." It could also be considered accurate reading, at this point in time. Since the release of the Nintendo DS in the U.S., coverage of that system has shifted from accomodating previews to harsher reviews. Because the PSP isn't out in the U.S. yet, all the coverage is still in the glowing preview stage. The coverage will balance out over time, of course, but until those first PSP reviews come out, the DS is in essence being penalized for being released first.
Shoe almost acknowledges this when responding to Torres' complaint about the lack of EGM coverage for much-maligned PSP negatives like load times and battery life. "It's coming," Shoe says. "We're actually covering some of these things in our April 2005 issue, which comes out right before the PSP's supposed March launch. We've been waiting on a proper PSP launch guide because we're hoping to test out U.S. (not Japanese) units, and because we want to release that story right before consumers could actually buy the system itself...when that information is most useful and timely."
The problem here -- the slight 'bias' Torres is seeing -- has nothing to do with the systems and everything to do with the uncritical nature of most previews. Shoe is right to point out that comparing PSP and DS previews paints a much more balanced picture, but Torres is right to point out that current writing about DS games (which includes some harsh reviews) might come off worse than current writing about the PSP (mainly gentle previews). Given the current abscence of informed, hands-on views for PSP games, readers are left with no choice but to compare two very different types of writing.
The question then becomes: do readers realize the inherent difference between a review and a preview? Do they incorporate this difference into their reaction to a video game feature? I think it's fair to say that most readers do just that. It doesn't take a lot of experience with the average video game magazine to realize that -- in the abscence of actual play time-- most previews will put the hype-building focus on what's new and exciting in a game, and leave coverage of flaws until the review. Even though this isn't usually explicitly stated, this "preview bias" is pretty much an accepted fact to people who read any significant amount of video game writing. I know a few people who won't even read previews because they feel any information they contain might be totally worthless by the time the review comes out.
This brings up another good question: Should it be this way? If previews can't provide a decently balanced picture of what a game will be like, should we even bother writing them? To this, I'd also say yes. Previews provide an essential service to readers by letting them know about potentially interesting games long before they see them on store shelves. Even if previews are uniformly glowing, the publication still exercises editorial control in choosing which games to feature (those hopefully being the games they see the most potential in, and not the ones that buy the most advertising. But that's an entirely different issue).
But is there another way to write a preview? I seem to remember Next Generation magazine taking a more balanced approach in their preview writing, allowing space for the game's developers to talk a game up, but also pointing out any potential flaws they see at the end of the preview. Usually these flaws were accompanied by a line like, "hopefully the team will be able to work out these kinks before the launch," but at least they were not totally ignored.
This could be my own "selective reading" at work, though (unfortunately my Next Generation collection is in storage about an hour away, but I will try to confirm my memories when I get a chance). Regardless, such "preview bias," is definitely a problem that the video game journalism industry has to deal with. There's no one correct answer to the problem; how a publication deals with preview bias might depend on their audience, their writing style, and their goals for the preview section and the magazine as a whole. Some might want to publish a harsh disclaimer about the format in every preview section. Some publications may want to incorporate a more critical tone to their previews. I don't think any publication should totally ignore the issue, though. At least, they shouldn't if they want people like Mr. Torres to read their magazine.
"Preview Bias" Sidebar: the Bias See-saw
Note: Please read in the context of the original article.
In his e-mail response, Shoe also addressed Torres' specific concern that "the DS has always been met with 'approach with caution' wording [in EGM] ... whereas the PSP has always been worded as 'it's so cool we know your going to buy it anyways' wording."
Shoe cited examples of past EGM issues where the opposite was true:
In his e-mail response, Shoe also addressed Torres' specific concern that "the DS has always been met with 'approach with caution' wording [in EGM] ... whereas the PSP has always been worded as 'it's so cool we know your going to buy it anyways' wording."
Shoe cited examples of past EGM issues where the opposite was true:
- "...wanna bet that nearly every Nintendo first-party game on [the DS] is fantastic?" —August 2004
- "The DS's design is fundamentally unique, which means it'll give us new gaming experiences we've never seen or even thought of before." —August 2004
- "We've all been through our share of shoddy Sony game hardware." —August 2004
- "...can't wait...when some awsome Mario or Zelda DS game comes out, instantly making it a must-own portable for real gamers." —February 2005
- "[DS] offers unique functionality that puts it in a bizarre, innovative class of its own." —February 2005
Spike Awards Set to Bump Subscriptions Up
Cruising around Gamestop today, I noticed an ad promoting Game Informer's win for "best gaming magazine" at the recent Spike TV Video Game Awards adorning nearly every page (here's a more permanent link to the ad in case Gamestop takes it down). Game Informer subscriptions and issues are sold exclusively through Gamestop stores, so it's not really a surprise that an ad like this would show up there. The real signifigance of the ad is that it shows a big organization like GameStop is banking on the influence of Spike's award show to increase their magazine's audience. Is this awful show actually becoming accepted as representative of our industry?
Actually, taking another look at the ad, the "voted by fans #1 best gaming magazine" appears right at the top, while the Spike TV logo appears at the bottom. It's not exactly hard to miss, but it's not exactly the most prominent element either. How much effect do you think the Spike awards nod will have on Game Informer?
Actually, taking another look at the ad, the "voted by fans #1 best gaming magazine" appears right at the top, while the Spike TV logo appears at the bottom. It's not exactly hard to miss, but it's not exactly the most prominent element either. How much effect do you think the Spike awards nod will have on Game Informer?
Monday, January 24, 2005
One More Diversity Comment
"I thought I'd drop you a line about the diversity issue. Our editorial team is entirely white, male, aged from between 23 to nearly 40. We share an office with Edge, Xbox World and OPSM2 - mostly white, same age range, mostly men. There are two female staffers in the office: so, it's about 1 in 10 boy/girl ratio."
-Tim Edwards,
Staff Writer, PC Gamer UK
(BTW, they're looking for writers)
Work and family issues prevented many updates last week. Look for more substantial content soon.
-Tim Edwards,
Staff Writer, PC Gamer UK
(BTW, they're looking for writers)
Work and family issues prevented many updates last week. Look for more substantial content soon.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Dr. King's Gaming Legacy
Sorry for missing the update yesterday. I was busy celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by playing a whole lot of Dance Dance Revolution and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD. The holiday did get me thinking about videogame journalism, though (as frighteningly many things do these days).
Look over the smiling headshots that adorn a lot of videogame magazines these days, and you'll see a lot of young, white, male faces. You might see the occasional female editor and there are a fair share of prominent Asian faces, but generally minorities seem of all types seem under-represented in the video game press.
This is a bit surprising, given that "African Americans are the most avid players of video games" according to a recent Electronic Gaming Business article, that "female gamers outnumber boys" according to a 2003 Reuters article, and gamers are playing into their 50s, according to a 2002 State article. Heck, there are even whole web sites devoted to gay video game players. The voices I read and hear most in video game journalism, though, tend to overwhlemingly fit none of these descriptions.
Why should gaming publications be more diverse? Well, there's the same issues of fairness, equality and justice that affect all fields, but in journalism there's actually a tangible benefit. The more diverse a video game publication is, the more diverse the writing tends to be. It's almost impossible for one writer to be experienced enough -- both in terms of games and life experience -- to write equally intelligently about any game. From NASCAR to Mario, from Katamari Damacy to Bloodrayne, from Bombastic to Grand Theft Auto, the space of video gaming is so varied that it almost demands an equally varied writing crew. And I mean varied not just in a federally-protected discrimination sense, but also varied in personality, in upbringing and especially in gaming tastes.
I realize my evidence on this matter is largely circumstantial -- for every gaming journalist I know isn't a minority, there could be five that I don't that aren't young white males. So, instead of commissioning a broad-based cross-sectional study of video game writers (would that I could), I'm looking to benefit from the experience of my readers.
If you're a game journalist, what kind of experience have you had with diversity in the workplace? How varied was the staff at your publication, not just racially, but also by gender, age and lifestyle (no need to mention the publication name if you don't want to)? If you're a game journalism reader, do you feel the voices presented in the video game press are diverse enough? Base your comments on what you know of the authors and on the tone of the articles.
I'm eager to learn on this one, so hit me with an e-mail or use the comments link below and let's get some dialogue going.
Look over the smiling headshots that adorn a lot of videogame magazines these days, and you'll see a lot of young, white, male faces. You might see the occasional female editor and there are a fair share of prominent Asian faces, but generally minorities seem of all types seem under-represented in the video game press.
This is a bit surprising, given that "African Americans are the most avid players of video games" according to a recent Electronic Gaming Business article, that "female gamers outnumber boys" according to a 2003 Reuters article, and gamers are playing into their 50s, according to a 2002 State article. Heck, there are even whole web sites devoted to gay video game players. The voices I read and hear most in video game journalism, though, tend to overwhlemingly fit none of these descriptions.
Why should gaming publications be more diverse? Well, there's the same issues of fairness, equality and justice that affect all fields, but in journalism there's actually a tangible benefit. The more diverse a video game publication is, the more diverse the writing tends to be. It's almost impossible for one writer to be experienced enough -- both in terms of games and life experience -- to write equally intelligently about any game. From NASCAR to Mario, from Katamari Damacy to Bloodrayne, from Bombastic to Grand Theft Auto, the space of video gaming is so varied that it almost demands an equally varied writing crew. And I mean varied not just in a federally-protected discrimination sense, but also varied in personality, in upbringing and especially in gaming tastes.
I realize my evidence on this matter is largely circumstantial -- for every gaming journalist I know isn't a minority, there could be five that I don't that aren't young white males. So, instead of commissioning a broad-based cross-sectional study of video game writers (would that I could), I'm looking to benefit from the experience of my readers.
If you're a game journalist, what kind of experience have you had with diversity in the workplace? How varied was the staff at your publication, not just racially, but also by gender, age and lifestyle (no need to mention the publication name if you don't want to)? If you're a game journalism reader, do you feel the voices presented in the video game press are diverse enough? Base your comments on what you know of the authors and on the tone of the articles.
I'm eager to learn on this one, so hit me with an e-mail or use the comments link below and let's get some dialogue going.
Quote of the Moment
"I always feel strange when I see the Evil Avatar has picked up something we said and is posting it as 'news.' I don't think of the stuff we post here as newsworthy."
Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, commenting on an Evil Avatar thread about his recent retraction of "Game of the Year" for World of Warcraft
Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, commenting on an Evil Avatar thread about his recent retraction of "Game of the Year" for World of Warcraft
Thursday, January 13, 2005
ESA: Gamers are People. Press: Yeah, Right!
The fact that a press release like this has to exist is evidence that the press, both mainstream and specialist, is not doing a good enough job shattering stereotypes about gamers on their own. I can't think of any other medium, or even a major subset of a medium (outside of pornography) that has such a negative connotation associated with simply consuming it.
Some of this stereotyping comes from the generation gap between people who grew up playing games and those who didn't, but much of it comes from a mainstream press obsessed with media violence and a specialist pressed obsessed with niche titles and "gamer culture." (a term which game magazines tend to pigeonhole to mean anime, comics, and technolgical gadgets.)
Ironically, the mainstream press sometimes does a better job of breaking the gamer stereotype than the specialist press does. A quick look at just the New York Times' recent video game coverage reveals articles featuring members of the armed forces using online games to connect with their families and friends, academics setting up a video game conference and families coming together around a video game rec room. In other words, regular people who just happen to do things with games.
These are the kinds of human interest stories the specialist press should embrace. I'd love to see a specialist magazine devote a regular monthly feature focused on gamers. Not "celebrity gamers" or "ultimate gamers" or gamers who spend 80 hours a week playing Ultima Online, but regular people who with intelligent things to say about their life and their gaming hobby. These pieces wouldn't have to be actively defensive of gaming as a hobby; as the ESA's press release shows, simply showing evidence that gamers have outside lives is defense enough. Some "hardcore" gamers might be put off by these human interest pieces, but these features might convince more casual game fans to consider a magazine they used to think was too inaccesible.
Some of this stereotyping comes from the generation gap between people who grew up playing games and those who didn't, but much of it comes from a mainstream press obsessed with media violence and a specialist pressed obsessed with niche titles and "gamer culture." (a term which game magazines tend to pigeonhole to mean anime, comics, and technolgical gadgets.)
Ironically, the mainstream press sometimes does a better job of breaking the gamer stereotype than the specialist press does. A quick look at just the New York Times' recent video game coverage reveals articles featuring members of the armed forces using online games to connect with their families and friends, academics setting up a video game conference and families coming together around a video game rec room. In other words, regular people who just happen to do things with games.
These are the kinds of human interest stories the specialist press should embrace. I'd love to see a specialist magazine devote a regular monthly feature focused on gamers. Not "celebrity gamers" or "ultimate gamers" or gamers who spend 80 hours a week playing Ultima Online, but regular people who with intelligent things to say about their life and their gaming hobby. These pieces wouldn't have to be actively defensive of gaming as a hobby; as the ESA's press release shows, simply showing evidence that gamers have outside lives is defense enough. Some "hardcore" gamers might be put off by these human interest pieces, but these features might convince more casual game fans to consider a magazine they used to think was too inaccesible.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
My G4
This afternoon, my friend (and loyal VGO reader) Michael Fan asked me a good question. In light of my recent posts about the G4 video game network, "what would you do if you were programming director for a videogame network?"
I spent most of my metro ride home thinking about it, and here's what I came up with:
Reviews
First off, I'd start with my favorite show on G4 -- X-Play -- and stretch it to an hour. The half hour format is pretty stifling when it comes to quantity and depth of reviews. I would cut out most of the annoying "welcome back" and "wasn't that a great review" segues to allow more time to focus on the games. Other than that, I would keep the same general personality and style of the X-Play crew, because I feel it adds a lot to what could otherwise be a pretty dry ratings show.
Icons
The other show worth saving on the network would get a bit more of the overhaul. First off, I would split the idea into two separate documentary shows, one focusing on the industry, the other focusing on the players. The game industry half would be much like the few episodes of the show I've seen, covering industry companies, personalities, and history in a quick and interesting format. The gamer-half would focus on real-life game players (by this I mean not the celebrity bling-master regularly featured on Players) doing what they do: playing games. Casual to hardcore, in groups and alone, at events or at home, whatever. The core mission would be to show that there is no "gaming lifestyle" and that the term gamer is not as narrow as its connotation (look for more on this from me in the near future). Both these shows could easily fill an hour for 26 episodes a season.
Game Shows
I've seen about half an episode of Arena, and I swear if I never see it again it will be too soon. A good video game game show would focus more on the games and the competition and less on the carefully crafted "personalities" that Arena seems to want to stick on its host and players. Regular gamers (perhaps teams, drawn from an application pool open to the public) would compete in both online and split-screen multiplayer games in a quick-paced multi-round format that forces them through a variety of different genres in one episode -- Round 1: Doom 2; Round 2: Gran Turismo; Round 3: Dance Dance Revolution. If I really had my way, the final round would always be Super Mario Bros. 3 in homage to the greatest video game movie ever, The Wizard, but I could live without it. A videogame trivia show might be neat, too.
Journalist's Roundtable
This half-hour, weekly or bi-weekly show would be somewhat of a cross between The McLaughlin Group, Slate's Summary judgment, and Howard Kurtz's Reliable Sources, if that makes any sense. A group of four-or-so industry journalists (both mainstream and specialists) sit down in a roundtable format to discuss the games and issues of the past week. A strong-willed moderator keeps everything from turning into a Crossfire style screaming match. This show might only appeal to me, but it's my network, dangit!
Indie
"The independent games show" would showcase the games that don't have million-dollar ad budgets or teams of 100 people working on them. Any quirky, original, new games created by individuals or small developers would have their spotlight here. Budget or unrecognized titles that fly under the media radar would be fair game too. This could run the gamut from PC shareware titles, web-based flash or Java games, and odd or amusing console releases, even classic games.
The Essential
Much like Turner Classic Movies series of the same name, this series of thirty minute pieces would focus on the "essential" games -- games that a panel of gaming experts (journalists, analysts, regular gamers, and perhaps people from other fields) think every video game player should experience. The show would talk to this panel, the game's developers and others about what makes the game so special, complete with plenty of footage and historical context. Hmm... maybe this should be an hour...
News
I never got to see Pulse, but the show's description on the G4 page sounds good on the surface. So let's go with that. The news show would "deliver the information that gamers want to hear from personalities they want to hear from... [and] will present the most important headlines in a fast-paced, exciting manner that cuts through the marketing fluff." If a video game news show can fit truly fit that description, I'm there. I think a 50-50 mix of news briefs and features would make for a good half-hour or hour-long weekly program.
Gear
A hardware review show. Pretty straightforward. A half-hour weekly.
I have a few more ideas scribbled down (a music show, a humor show, life in the game industry, previews, etc.) but they don't seem as good now that I'm not on a train. This is a pretty good start, anyway. What would you want to see if you ran a video game network? Use the comments link below.
I spent most of my metro ride home thinking about it, and here's what I came up with:
Reviews
First off, I'd start with my favorite show on G4 -- X-Play -- and stretch it to an hour. The half hour format is pretty stifling when it comes to quantity and depth of reviews. I would cut out most of the annoying "welcome back" and "wasn't that a great review" segues to allow more time to focus on the games. Other than that, I would keep the same general personality and style of the X-Play crew, because I feel it adds a lot to what could otherwise be a pretty dry ratings show.
Icons
The other show worth saving on the network would get a bit more of the overhaul. First off, I would split the idea into two separate documentary shows, one focusing on the industry, the other focusing on the players. The game industry half would be much like the few episodes of the show I've seen, covering industry companies, personalities, and history in a quick and interesting format. The gamer-half would focus on real-life game players (by this I mean not the celebrity bling-master regularly featured on Players) doing what they do: playing games. Casual to hardcore, in groups and alone, at events or at home, whatever. The core mission would be to show that there is no "gaming lifestyle" and that the term gamer is not as narrow as its connotation (look for more on this from me in the near future). Both these shows could easily fill an hour for 26 episodes a season.
Game Shows
I've seen about half an episode of Arena, and I swear if I never see it again it will be too soon. A good video game game show would focus more on the games and the competition and less on the carefully crafted "personalities" that Arena seems to want to stick on its host and players. Regular gamers (perhaps teams, drawn from an application pool open to the public) would compete in both online and split-screen multiplayer games in a quick-paced multi-round format that forces them through a variety of different genres in one episode -- Round 1: Doom 2; Round 2: Gran Turismo; Round 3: Dance Dance Revolution. If I really had my way, the final round would always be Super Mario Bros. 3 in homage to the greatest video game movie ever, The Wizard, but I could live without it. A videogame trivia show might be neat, too.
Journalist's Roundtable
This half-hour, weekly or bi-weekly show would be somewhat of a cross between The McLaughlin Group, Slate's Summary judgment, and Howard Kurtz's Reliable Sources, if that makes any sense. A group of four-or-so industry journalists (both mainstream and specialists) sit down in a roundtable format to discuss the games and issues of the past week. A strong-willed moderator keeps everything from turning into a Crossfire style screaming match. This show might only appeal to me, but it's my network, dangit!
Indie
"The independent games show" would showcase the games that don't have million-dollar ad budgets or teams of 100 people working on them. Any quirky, original, new games created by individuals or small developers would have their spotlight here. Budget or unrecognized titles that fly under the media radar would be fair game too. This could run the gamut from PC shareware titles, web-based flash or Java games, and odd or amusing console releases, even classic games.
The Essential
Much like Turner Classic Movies series of the same name, this series of thirty minute pieces would focus on the "essential" games -- games that a panel of gaming experts (journalists, analysts, regular gamers, and perhaps people from other fields) think every video game player should experience. The show would talk to this panel, the game's developers and others about what makes the game so special, complete with plenty of footage and historical context. Hmm... maybe this should be an hour...
News
I never got to see Pulse, but the show's description on the G4 page sounds good on the surface. So let's go with that. The news show would "deliver the information that gamers want to hear from personalities they want to hear from... [and] will present the most important headlines in a fast-paced, exciting manner that cuts through the marketing fluff." If a video game news show can fit truly fit that description, I'm there. I think a 50-50 mix of news briefs and features would make for a good half-hour or hour-long weekly program.
Gear
A hardware review show. Pretty straightforward. A half-hour weekly.
I have a few more ideas scribbled down (a music show, a humor show, life in the game industry, previews, etc.) but they don't seem as good now that I'm not on a train. This is a pretty good start, anyway. What would you want to see if you ran a video game network? Use the comments link below.
TechTV? G4-get It!
Headline parsing assist: "Gee, Forget It!" *insert canned laughter here*
Your probably heard it here fourth, but G4TechTV announced today that they would be dropping the "TechTV" part of their name and becoming "G4 - video game television" on Feb. 15. The move isn't that much of a surprise, given the mash-up network's increasing focus on video game content and marginalization of old Tech TV mainstays like The Screen Savers.
Reading through the press release reveals that the newly named network will be "a well-defined and focused brand" targeted at "males 12-34," which I'd say excludes a good chunk of the current videogame audience but includes some of the most coveted advertiser demographics. It also introduces two new shows: Formula D, "the first-ever series to showcase the world of drift racing" (huh?), and Girls Gone Wired, "a digital beauty pageant featuring the hottest 2D and 3D women on the planet." The Girls Gone Wired description goes on to include this truly cringe-worthy quote:
"Our audience interacts with digital girls as much as real girls and we're tapping into that fantasy."
So I guess the target audience is not gamers in general, but rather anti-social reclusive gamers in particular?
All in all, it looks like Comcast is taking a cue from Spike TV's Video Game Awards in its almost insultingly-narrow definition of what they think appeals to video game players.
Your probably heard it here fourth, but G4TechTV announced today that they would be dropping the "TechTV" part of their name and becoming "G4 - video game television" on Feb. 15. The move isn't that much of a surprise, given the mash-up network's increasing focus on video game content and marginalization of old Tech TV mainstays like The Screen Savers.
Reading through the press release reveals that the newly named network will be "a well-defined and focused brand" targeted at "males 12-34," which I'd say excludes a good chunk of the current videogame audience but includes some of the most coveted advertiser demographics. It also introduces two new shows: Formula D, "the first-ever series to showcase the world of drift racing" (huh?), and Girls Gone Wired, "a digital beauty pageant featuring the hottest 2D and 3D women on the planet." The Girls Gone Wired description goes on to include this truly cringe-worthy quote:
"Our audience interacts with digital girls as much as real girls and we're tapping into that fantasy."
So I guess the target audience is not gamers in general, but rather anti-social reclusive gamers in particular?
All in all, it looks like Comcast is taking a cue from Spike TV's Video Game Awards in its almost insultingly-narrow definition of what they think appeals to video game players.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Would That We Could...
From the final page of the final issue of GMR, which arrived on my doorstep yesterday (click an image for a larger version):
The ad in context, as seen on page 122 of GMR's 25th issue (February 2005):
Calling up the number on the ad (at 10:15 Eastern time) got a me a friendly customer service respresentative who informed me that "GMR magazine will cease publication with the February issue" when I asked about a renewal. She also said that all subscribers will be receiving a postcard with information about what will be happening with the remainder of their subscriptions, but she did not know what was actually on the postcard. (I haven't received mine yet. Any readers who have a faster post office care to send me a scan or a photo?)
Not much more to say than that, so I'll leave off with the words of GMR Editor-in-Chief Tom Byron:
To all GMR readers, thanks for everything. We might have been the ones who put the magazine together each month, but you're the ones who made it special."
The ad in context, as seen on page 122 of GMR's 25th issue (February 2005):
Calling up the number on the ad (at 10:15 Eastern time) got a me a friendly customer service respresentative who informed me that "GMR magazine will cease publication with the February issue" when I asked about a renewal. She also said that all subscribers will be receiving a postcard with information about what will be happening with the remainder of their subscriptions, but she did not know what was actually on the postcard. (I haven't received mine yet. Any readers who have a faster post office care to send me a scan or a photo?)
Not much more to say than that, so I'll leave off with the words of GMR Editor-in-Chief Tom Byron:
To all GMR readers, thanks for everything. We might have been the ones who put the magazine together each month, but you're the ones who made it special."
Edited and Published
Video game journalism is growing in relevance and respect with every passing day. Want evidence? How about an article from newspaper trade magazine Editor and Publisher that calls video games "the latest arts beat."
NEW YORK If the phrase "grand theft auto" makes you think of larceny and not entertainment, it's a safe bet you're not a video-game fan. But as newspapers continue to add video-game reviews and columns to their arts coverage -- some even employ staff columnists -- you'll have more opportunities to master the lingo.
The article provides a good overview of the long and continuing struggle for acceptance that has faced those on the video game beat. It even make mention of the burgeoning International Game Journalists Association and its Style Guide (which is finally starting to come together. If you have the time and inclination, we could use some help.)
The best part for writers aspiring for a paid column of their own (like me) might come from the experience of 35-year-old Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist J.C. Schisler:
Schisler, who's an avid video game fan, said getting the column meant convincing his editor, not a big video game fan.
"I said, 'I hate musicals, but we cover those,'" Schisler says with a laugh. And after explaining the industry's financial success and large audience, Schisler says the editor conceded.
I always knew those musical reviews were good for something.
NEW YORK If the phrase "grand theft auto" makes you think of larceny and not entertainment, it's a safe bet you're not a video-game fan. But as newspapers continue to add video-game reviews and columns to their arts coverage -- some even employ staff columnists -- you'll have more opportunities to master the lingo.
The article provides a good overview of the long and continuing struggle for acceptance that has faced those on the video game beat. It even make mention of the burgeoning International Game Journalists Association and its Style Guide (which is finally starting to come together. If you have the time and inclination, we could use some help.)
The best part for writers aspiring for a paid column of their own (like me) might come from the experience of 35-year-old Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist J.C. Schisler:
Schisler, who's an avid video game fan, said getting the column meant convincing his editor, not a big video game fan.
"I said, 'I hate musicals, but we cover those,'" Schisler says with a laugh. And after explaining the industry's financial success and large audience, Schisler says the editor conceded.
I always knew those musical reviews were good for something.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Quote of the Moment
"You know a game's gonna rock hard when the menu beeps have been replaced by raging guitar riffs. I didn't just create a new save file; I created a new save file and rocked out to the max!"
-Joshua Cain, leading off his review of Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood, in the latest EGM (February 2005, Issue 188, Pg. 100)
-Joshua Cain, leading off his review of Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood, in the latest EGM (February 2005, Issue 188, Pg. 100)
Sunday, January 9, 2005
Icons -- Iconic of a Good Network?
I'll admit that I don't watch G4TechTV that much. Sure, if I stumble across an episode of X-Play I might stay and watch, but I can usually only stand about five minutes of Judegement Day, Filter, CinemaTech, or most of the network's other video game shows before changing the channel in disgust.
Which is why I was pleasantly surprised today when I flipped to G4TechTV and found a three-year old episode of Icons, the channel's video game documentary show. The episode took a look at Oddworld Inhabitants that was surprisingly thorough for a half-hour program. Through interviews, movie clips, and a sometimes-cheesy voice-over, the program summed up the company's short history, touching on their artistic message, workplace environment, controversial move to the Xbox, and more with some decent depth and pacing. The show's web page mentions recent episodes on topics as varied as the Apple II, Metal Gear Solid, Pitfall, Mark Cuban and Women in Gaming. Color me impressed.
I'm not sure how this program managed to fall under my radar for so long, but I'll definitely be onthe lookout for episodes from now on. To those who might watch a bit more G4TechTV than I do -- are there any other hidden gems that I'm missing? Send me a tip, or leave a comment below.
Which is why I was pleasantly surprised today when I flipped to G4TechTV and found a three-year old episode of Icons, the channel's video game documentary show. The episode took a look at Oddworld Inhabitants that was surprisingly thorough for a half-hour program. Through interviews, movie clips, and a sometimes-cheesy voice-over, the program summed up the company's short history, touching on their artistic message, workplace environment, controversial move to the Xbox, and more with some decent depth and pacing. The show's web page mentions recent episodes on topics as varied as the Apple II, Metal Gear Solid, Pitfall, Mark Cuban and Women in Gaming. Color me impressed.
I'm not sure how this program managed to fall under my radar for so long, but I'll definitely be onthe lookout for episodes from now on. To those who might watch a bit more G4TechTV than I do -- are there any other hidden gems that I'm missing? Send me a tip, or leave a comment below.
Thursday, January 6, 2005
We Don't Do That [Except We Do]
Props to Electronic Gaming Monthly for inserting a much needed editorial note into an interview with SCEA preident Kaz Hirai in their latest issue. The relevant excerpt:
EGM: Most in the biz feel that Xbox 2 will launch in 2005. Do the moves of the competition affect when you'll release your console.
KH: We've always stuck by what we believe is the right game plan for ourselves, and more importantly, for the third-party publishers, retailers and consumers. We don't go changing consoles every three, four or five years [Actually, PS2 launched roughly 5 years after the original PlayStation --Ed.]
By jove, he's right! In fact, if the next PlayStation is released in late 2005, it will be five years after the PS2 came out in America.
A journalist's job is more than just transcribing information, even in a verbatim interview article. If the interviewee says something that's outright wrong, it's the journalist's job to look into it and correct the record before it hits print. This only applies to certain statements, of course -- everyone's entitled to their opinion, predictions can be hard to confirm until after the fact, etc. -- but when someone is talking about solid facts in your publication, you'd better be as sure as you can be that they're telling the truth.
In this case, the misstatement was most likely a casual slip of the tongue, but that doesn't make the correction any less needed. So, again, kudos to EGM for a good catch.
EGM: Most in the biz feel that Xbox 2 will launch in 2005. Do the moves of the competition affect when you'll release your console.
KH: We've always stuck by what we believe is the right game plan for ourselves, and more importantly, for the third-party publishers, retailers and consumers. We don't go changing consoles every three, four or five years [Actually, PS2 launched roughly 5 years after the original PlayStation --Ed.]
By jove, he's right! In fact, if the next PlayStation is released in late 2005, it will be five years after the PS2 came out in America.
A journalist's job is more than just transcribing information, even in a verbatim interview article. If the interviewee says something that's outright wrong, it's the journalist's job to look into it and correct the record before it hits print. This only applies to certain statements, of course -- everyone's entitled to their opinion, predictions can be hard to confirm until after the fact, etc. -- but when someone is talking about solid facts in your publication, you'd better be as sure as you can be that they're telling the truth.
In this case, the misstatement was most likely a casual slip of the tongue, but that doesn't make the correction any less needed. So, again, kudos to EGM for a good catch.
Tuesday, January 4, 2005
Hey, Sun, Take the Game's Advice
I know that I've said that paying attention to tabloid stories is "like getting worked up about a National Enquirer story saying that video games cause AIDS," but this story still gets me riled up. If you didn't click the link, and haven't seen this thing somewhere else, read the first sentence (below) and tell me if it doesn't set off a few warning bells:
A girl of seven found the words "F*** off and die" on her Disney computer game.
I'm assuming everyone reading this has some experience with both Disney and video games, so the warning bells should be deafening. If you're a journalist writing about this story, what would you do first:
Luckily, there are bloggers around to fact check this stuff. Both Video-Fenky and Idle Thumbs managed to track down the pirated version of the game (which was edited by hacking group Mode 7) and post screen shots that definitely don't look like they belong in a Monsters Inc. title. Boomtown found and printed the full version of the pirate text that was referenced above and in the Kotaku blurb. Joystiq, meanwhile, was the only source I could find that ran the story uncritically, only to be thoroughly lambasted in their own comments thread.
None of the biggest gaming news sites seem to have posted anything about the story, which is heartening, given that it's nothing worth writing about. Then again, it may just be too recent to have made it into this morning's updates. Let's see if anyone bites, shall we?
A girl of seven found the words "F*** off and die" on her Disney computer game.
I'm assuming everyone reading this has some experience with both Disney and video games, so the warning bells should be deafening. If you're a journalist writing about this story, what would you do first:
- Find another copy of the game to see if this is an isolated incident.
- View the game for yourself and see the complete message in context.
- Ask the family if there was anything strange about the game -- where they got it, who they got it from, etc.
- Ask someone involved with the game or the video game industry in general to explain what might be going on.
- Make an attempt to contact Disney during the night and run the story without their comment.
Luckily, there are bloggers around to fact check this stuff. Both Video-Fenky and Idle Thumbs managed to track down the pirated version of the game (which was edited by hacking group Mode 7) and post screen shots that definitely don't look like they belong in a Monsters Inc. title. Boomtown found and printed the full version of the pirate text that was referenced above and in the Kotaku blurb. Joystiq, meanwhile, was the only source I could find that ran the story uncritically, only to be thoroughly lambasted in their own comments thread.
None of the biggest gaming news sites seem to have posted anything about the story, which is heartening, given that it's nothing worth writing about. Then again, it may just be too recent to have made it into this morning's updates. Let's see if anyone bites, shall we?
Monday, January 3, 2005
Fiction is Truer than than Truth?
I'm a bit conflicted about this three-page scan (click each word in order) I found on Spanish gaming site Gamerah. On one hand, the article is an obvious fake, as evidenced by Yamauchi's sudden, perfect grasp of American slang and outright incorrect takes on Nintendo history, among other things. On the other hand, everything besides the juvenile humor could be taken as a pretty accurate send up of Nintendo's sometimes-arrogant nature and it's former president's sometimes-outspoken diatribes. Is this scam or satire? Ersatz or editorial? You decide.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)