Comments on: video game communities

By: malvasia bianca » Blog Archive » n’gai, publicity, older games

malvasia bianca » Blog Archive » n’gai, publicity, older games — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:25:33 +0000

[...] enthusiast press coverage of videogames is heavily weighted towards the preview period. I’ve talked about this before, so I don’t want to belabor the point, but it’s nice to hear more people saying [...]

By: david carlton

david carlton — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:29:10 +0000

@Michael: Yeah, I agree. And the nice thing about this point in history is that it's remarkably easy for those of us with different feelings about game coverage to carve out a space. At first thinking about this got me mad, wishing that the traditional game sites would change the way they do coverage. And I still think that would be a good idea, but it doesn't really matter: those of us who are looking for something different can easily produce something different and seek out others who are doing the same. @Dan: Thanks a bunch for the recommendations! And if anybody else reading this isn't subscribed to Dan's blog, please do so: I was hooked as soon as I saw/listened to his post on irregular meter in video games. A fabulous example of the reflective approach that I'd love to see more of.

By: Dan Bruno

Dan Bruno — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:55:40 +0000

I came here via a link from N'Gai's blog, and I agree with you 100% -- I've actually taken to following the very same people who you mention instead of the so-called "enthusiast press." Here are a few other sites you might enjoy, if you don't already: Insult Swordfighting by Mitch Krpata: Mitch reviews games for the Boston Phoenix, a free alt weekly paper. Fullbright by Steve Gaynor: Steve is a game designer who works for 2K Marin. Twenty Sided by Shamus Young: Shamus doesn't blog exclusively about video games, but his writing is second to none. (Though he is prone to Cory Doctorow-esque screeds against DRM.)

By: Michael Abbott

Michael Abbott — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:28:31 +0000

Thanks very much for your kind remarks about my blog, David.

I have very similar feelings about the nature of game coverage to be found on the net these days. Fortunately, a growing number of writers seem to be pushing things forward, and I think this reflects the gradual maturation of the medium. In many ways, I think we’re all sort of figuring this out as we go – developers, journalists and enthusiasts alike – and people will inevitably vote with their feet when it comes to finding useful content devoted to video games.

Maybe I’m overly optimistic, but I think most of us are growing more savvy about the “hype train” mentality that drives a lot of video game coverage. This can only be a good thing.

Thanks for your thoughtful essay.

By: John Cowan

John Cowan — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:21:53 +0000

The advanced coverage is almost surely deliberate leakage from PR companies hired by the game manufacturers, and being lazy buggers, the so-called journalists naturally run lots of it.