My Childhood Literature
I began exploring topics for a blog several months ago, and only recently settled on a decision. “Write what you know,” as the old adage goes. Finally, I considered video games journalism. Why?
Video games taught me how to read.
Oh, sure, there was Hop on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham, but I spent the majority of my younger years delving into the first Nintendo games – and poring over the magazines that complemented them. I absorbed facts and reveled in their stories.
Now I’m a journalism student at the University of Oregon and my interest in games journalism has only grown – as well as my concern.
In a recent posting, Jerry Holkins (aka Tycho) of Penny Arcade, a popular games-oriented web comic, criticized the games journalism industry at large for the disparity he saw between a review’s content and the final score.
Many websites, magazines and TV shows that review games often do so on a numerical scale, often mentioned as the last portion of the review.
Holkins cites the example of Phoenix Wright: Justice for All, a highly offbeat but inventive lawyer game (of all things) that features a wonderful narrative and innovative gameplay. However, it will score low for its obscure nature and supposed similarity to its predecessor. “I often find that I agree with the bodytext of a given piece and then once I arrive at the distilled score there’s no way to derive it from the original work,” Holkins says.
Holkins suggests that this score-driven review system is “ridiculous and facile” and insulting to the reader’s ability to understand the written review. However, he notes that “publishers need those succinct scores, and the sites need the publishers’ money, so if you want to know what keeps things this way there you have it.”
Do scores and the need for publisher money overrule the writers’ ability to express themselves effectively and honestly?
It’s a good question, and it’s central to the industry’s well-being.
February 11th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
So, the idea is to do away with scores? Just review the games and let the reader actually read it?
Just my questions. Glad to see the start of your project.
February 21st, 2007 at 1:55 am
You know, advertising hasn’t come far enough yet.
I recieved the February edition of Nintendo Power recently and I saw an ad that pissed me off. It’s for that Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja game that’s coming soon or already was released or whatever.
I mean, the name alone gives bad vibes and makes me ashamed to be associated with the kind of people who would be interested in it.
However, the gist of the ad, if you don’t know, is that it says “Finally, a dungeon RPG strong enough for a man… (insert Title artwork) …but played as a hot CHICK!”
I don’t think I even need to get into the artwork they included or the rest of the ad because I think that quote alone and the fact that it’s in Nintendo Power of all places speaks wonders of how far behind the industry, or at least this game, is.
It’s also pretty dissapointing if a young kid goes searching for Izuna info online, at their official site (atlus.com/izuna) can find a wallpaper to download that other sites would list as “softcore hentai”. Personally I would have no problem with that, but not in a game that’s advertising to people 10+. That’s just… dissapointing.
Sorry if that got ranty – the Daikatana ad reminded me of the Izuna one.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:03 am
Perhaps you saw yesterday’s post where I questioned the actions of Sony and the decline of the PlayStation 3. Games magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly recently published in its March 2007 issue a provocative interview with Sony Computer Entertainment Ame