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.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
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.
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.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
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 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.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
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.
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).
Monday, June 20, 2005
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.
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.
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.
(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.
Friday, June 10, 2005
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!
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
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.
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.
Monday, June 6, 2005
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:
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!
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.
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!
Thursday, June 2, 2005
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grade: A-
Sync
Ziff's replacement for GMR throws together girls, tech, cars and... more girls into a jumbled mess.
Grade: D+
That's all for now. Look for thoughts on more free mags including GamePro, Game Informer, and the ubiquitous ShowDaily coming soon.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grade: D+
That's all for now. Look for thoughts on more free mags including GamePro, Game Informer, and the ubiquitous ShowDaily coming soon.
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
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.
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
View VGO's E3 Photo Gallery on Flickr
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