Yesterday, I got a note from UPS saying they had a package waiting for me. The name listed on the note was "Kyle Orland c/o The Video Game Ombudsman." Today, I went down to my local UPS center and picked up a shrinkwrapped copy of BradyGames' Xenosaga II Limited Edition Strategy Guide. The return address was Pearson Education, which a quick Google search confirms is the owner of BradyGames.
I'm fairly sure I didn't ask for this guide through BradyGames' media request page or any other venue. I'm also pretty sure I've never given BradyGames my contact information, and that I've never mentioned BradyGames on this site before today. So the arrival of the book puzzles me a bit.
So first off, BradyGames, thank you for noticing I exist. Second off, why did you send me this guide?
I can only assume I've been sent this book in the hope that I'll review it, despite the fact that I've expressed no desire and shown no past experience to suggest I would want to. But the more I hold this book in my hands, the more I ask myself: Should I review it?
After all, this site focuses on writing about video games, and strategy guides are definitely writing about video games. Many even include supplementary information about the game that has nothing to do with strategy (I lovingly remember reading and re-reading the Mario retrospective at the beginning of my copy of Nintendo Power's Mario Mania until the pages were tattered and torn).
Still, strategy guides could be considered in a different class of writing than the type of content that goes into most video game magazines and web sites (excluding the code and strategy sections, of course). And what intelligent commentary can I really offer about a guide? "The strategy for beating the boss in world 4 was especially helpful." Riveting, eh?
So I'm putting the question to you, my readers. Should the Video Game Obmudsman blog expand its focus to include coverage and reviews of strategy guides? If so, what type of analysis would you like to see, and do you believe it's neccesary to play the game to achieve an appreciation for the guide? If not, what should I do with this unrequested $25 MSRP windfall that's been delivered into my lap. Comments are welcome, as usual, through e-mail and the link below.
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i would like to read more about what goes into making a guide. it seems like they are usually done by one person in a very smal amount of time and sometimes end up including wrong information. also, how the guides are usually padded out with useless descriptions and pictures of every single item and enemy in the game.
ReplyDeleteThere is actually a lot to say about strategy guides - there's a right way to do them and a wrong way. I'd like to see an analysis, say, between guides for the same game from different companies, to see what they do different and what they do the same. Or if there are different styles of writing depending on the type of game.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Xenosaga II guide, well, it's worth commenting on a guide for what is basically an interactive movie and not really a game.
Stuff reviewing the guide, post a navel-gazing post about the the moral dilemma of whether to review a game strategy guide or not, it's the true blogospheric way!
ReplyDeleteSign it, and send it back with a glamor shot.
ReplyDeleteIf you can somehow convince yourself that strategy guide writing is journalism, more power to you. If I sent you a free video game instruction manual would you review that too?
ReplyDeleteThe real story is that the same book that they send you free, unrequested, apparently goes for $25. Thanks, Brady.
ReplyDelete