Computer and video game journalism
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Computer and video game journalism is a branch of journalism concerning the reporting and discussion of computer and video games. It typically centres around a core reveal/preview/review cycle, but has seen large-scale upheaval through the growth of online publications and blogs, and stylistic revolts including New Games Journalism.
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[edit] History of print based video gaming magazines
The credit for first magazine to cover the video game industry which is still in continuous publication has to go to the subscription only, trade periodical Play Meter magazine which began publication in 1974 and covered the entire coin-operated entertainment industry.
The first consumer oriented print magazine dedicated solely to video gaming was Computer and Video Games which premiered in the U.K. in November of 1981, two weeks ahead of the U.S. launch of the next oldest video gaming publication Electronic Games magazine.
The oldest video game publication still in continuous circulation (as of 2005) was Computer Gaming World (CGW), which also debuted in 1981 but does not get credit for being first all around as it began publication as a bi-weekly newsletter before becoming a full scale magazine.
[edit] History of web based video gaming magazines
The first video game magazine to be published regularly on the Web was Game Zero magazine which launched their site in November of 1994 followed next by Intelligent Gamer On-line in April of 1995. Game Zero Magazine ceased active publication at the end of 1996 and is maintained as an archive site. IGO was bought out by the publishers of EGM afterwhich they dropped their website and became a print publication under the name of Intelligent Gamer's Fusion Magazine which was launched in February of 1996.
[edit] New Media and games journalism
The traditional video games press has perhaps suffered the most at the hands of New Media. Gaming is a very technologically-oriented past-time, and an enormous proportion of gamers - defined here as those with enough interest to consider purchasing printed publications - are highly computer literate and more than capable of traversing the Internet for the information they want. This, coupled with the fast-moving nature of the games industry, erodes the influence of print, which with its typically monthly release cycle cannot keep up with the instant and sometimes even twenty-four hour nature of its online competition.
Future Publishing presents a potent example of old media's decline in the games sector. In 2003 the group saw multi-million GBP profits and strong growth,[1] but by 2006 were issuing profit warnings[2] and closing unprofitable magazines (although to date, no gaming publications have been affected).[3]
In mid-2006 Eurogamer's business development manager Pat Garratt wrote a criticism of those in print games journalism who had not adapted to the web, drawing on his own prior experience in print to offer an explanation of both the challenges facing companies like Future Publishing, and why he believed they had not overcome them.[4]
[edit] Independent games journalism
While self-made print fanzines about games have been around since the advent of the first home consoles, it was the inclusion of the internet in the lives of most people in the world that gave independent writers a real voice in video game journalism. At first ignored by most major game publishers, it was not until the communities developed an influential and dedicated readership, and increasingly produced professional (or near-professional) writing that the sites gained the attention of these larger companies.
Independent video game websites are generally non-profit, with any revenue going back towards hosting costs and, occasionally, paying its writers. As their name suggests, they are not affiliated with any companies or studios, though bias is inherent in the unregulated model to which the subscribe. While many independent sites take the form of blogs (the vast majority in fact, depending on how low down the ladder you look), the 'user-submitted' model, where readers write stories that are moderated by an editorial team, is also popular.
In recent times some of the larger independent sites have begun to be bought up by larger media companies, most often Ziff Davis Media, who now own a string of independent sites.
[edit] Ethics
The computer and video game media industry is criticised for holding lax journalistic standards.[5] Reviews are the most controversial area, with issues in the following areas:
- Conflicts of interest
- A publication reviewing a game when it has received advertising revenue from the game's publishers, or for which lavish 'launch parties' have been held, is often held in suspicion. Reviews by 'official' console magazines such as Nintendo Power, Official Playstation Magazine or the Official Xbox Magazine, all of which have direct financial ties to their respective platform holders, usually find themselves in similar positions.
- Publishers have been known to withhold review/preview material from publications that do not adhere to their wishes (e.g. making the game in question the cover story) or do not show the game in a positive light.
- Time spent on the game
- Unlike linear media, getting a complete sense of a game can require far longer than the time it takes to play it from start to end. Further to this, games such as RPGs can last for hundreds of hours. Computer and video game reviewers therefore tread a fine line between producing timely copy and playing enough of a game to be able to reliably critique it.
- A famous expose of underplaying was published by Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik in September 2006: he dissected a review of Enchanted Arms and among other findings concluded that the reviewer had barely played three hours of the game's fifty before forming his opinion.[6]
GameDaily's Chris Buffa produced a series of widely-read articles in July and August 2006 criticising computer and video game journalism's standards and practices and offering his own suggestions to improving them:
- Why Videogame Journalism Sucks (12 July 2006).
- How to Fix Videogame Journalism (20 July 2006).
- How to Become a Better Videogame Journalist (28 July 2006).
- The Videogame Review: Problems and Solutions (2 August 2006).
[edit] New Games Journalism
[edit] Publications of note
- Blog - GamePolitics.com
- A recognised link to the world of politics, usually American. In contact with Jack Thompson and several other such political/legal figures. A one-man effort run by journalist Dennis McCauley and recently purchased by Entertainment Consumers Association.
- Blogs - Joystiq, Kotaku
- Two mass-appeal blogs that rose to prominence at similar times. Often carrying the latest rumours and hype, they are viewed as being the primary tabloid games journalism sites.
- Blog - RAM Raider
- One-man effort covering games journalism itself, usually in a sarcastic and darkly humorous tone. Frequented by several leading games journalism figures in Britain and probably others elsewhere.
- Online - 1UP, IGN, GameSpot, GameSpy
- The four stalwarts of online games journalism. All attempt to cater to a wide audience, contain enormous amounts of information on all the major platforms, offer paid subscriptions and have extensive community features.
- Online - Eurogamer
- A relatively young online site, considerably more progressive and focused than its competitors. Primarily serves English-speaking, European gamers. Offers lightweight community features and no paid subscriptions.
- Community-driven - Evil Avatar
- A site for which most content is user-generated. An on-staff editorial team across most time zones moderate submissions and post those that are considered worthy, leaving the site in a niche between the frenzy of Joystiq and Kotaku and the slow-moving larger sites. Subsists on a combination of donations and advertising.
- Online/Magazine - The Escapist
- An analytical site that revolves around weekly issues of its core e-zine and has little concern for day-by-day news. It became established almost overnight, and often publishes writing by leading industry figures. A blog and lightweight portal were added to the site some time after its launch and frequently attract intelligent discussion.
- Computer Gaming World
- Game Developer Magazine
- Edge
- Official Xbox Magazine
- PC Gamer
- Official Playstation Magazine
- Nintendo Power
- Game Informer
[edit] References
- ^ Future reports strong results for 2003. GamesIndustry.biz (10 March 2003). Retrieved on 2006-10-03.
- ^ Future slips to three-year low on profit warning. GamesIndustry.biz (10 March 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-03.
- ^ Future Publishing confirms magazine closures, but games titles safe. GamesIndustry.biz (20 September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-03.
- ^ Paper Trails. GamesIndustry.biz (18 August 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-03.
- ^ Ethics in Video Game Journalism. Online Journalism Review (4 April 2003). Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
- ^ I review a review. Penny Arcade (6 September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-14.
- A Survey of Game Writing Online. Online Journalism Review (April 4, 2003). Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
- Video Game Journalists Share Insider Insights at The Art Institute of California. Denver Westword. Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
- Game On - Video-game journalists look for a little respect.. About.com (January 6, 2003). Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
- The Lester Bangs of Video Games. Esquire (July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
- The Pointlessness of Current Videogame Journalism. TG Daily (January 7, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
- The 5 Problems with Videogame Journalism. FiringSquad (January 27, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
- Video Game Journalism Needs An Overhaul. Blogcritics.org (August 21, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
- Gaming's Top 50 Journalists. Next Generation (October 17, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-23.
- Game Journalists on Game Journalism. The Escapist (November 14, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
