Video game journalism

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Video games

Video game journalism is a branch of journalism concerned with the reporting and discussion of video games. It is typically based on a core reveal/preview/review cycle. There has been a recent growth in online publications and blogs.

History

The first magazine to cover the arcade game industry which is still in continuous publication is the subscription-only trade periodical, Play Meter magazine, which began publication in 1974 and covered the entire coin-operated entertainment industry (including the video game sector).[1] Consumer-oriented video game journalism began during the golden age of arcade video games, soon after the success of 1978 hit Space Invaders, leading to hundreds of favourable articles and stories about the emerging video game medium being aired on television and printed in newspapers and magazines.[2] In North America, the first regular consumer-oriented column about video games, "Arcade Alley" in Video magazine, began in 1979 and was penned by Bill Kunkel along with Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley.[3] The late 1970s also marked the first coverage of video games in Japan, with columns appearing in personal computer and manga magazines.[4] The earliest journals exclusively covering video games emerged in late 1981, but early column-based coverage continued to flourish in North America and Japan with prominent examples like video game designer Yuji Horii's early 1980s column in Weekly Shōnen Jump[5] and Rawson Stovall's nationally syndicated column, "The Vid Kid" running weekly ran from 1982 to 1992.

The first consumer-oriented print magazine dedicated solely to video gaming was Computer and Video Games, which premiered in the U.K. in November 1981. This was two weeks ahead of the U.S. launch of the next oldest video gaming publication, Electronic Games magazine, founded by "Arcade Alley" writers Bill Kunkel and Arnie Katz.[3] As of 2015, the oldest video game publications still in circulation are Famitsu, founded in 1986, and Electronic Gaming Monthly, founded in 1989.

The video game crash of 1983 badly hurt the market for Western video game magazines. Computer Gaming World, founded in 1981, stated in 1987 that it was the only survivor of 18 color magazines for computer games in 1984.[6] Gamasutra similarly noted that video game journalism had disappeared post-crash quoting Gail Tilden who ran Nintendo of America's PR at the time speaking about the NES's North American launch stating "I don't know that we got any coverage at that time that we didn't pay for."[7] Meanwhile, in Japan, the first magazines entirely dedicated to video games began appearing from 1982, beginning with ASCII's LOGiN, followed by several SoftBank publications and Kadokawa Shoten's Comptiq. The first magazine dedicated to console games, or a specific video game console, was Tokuma Shoten's Family Computer Magazine, which began in 1985 and was focused on Nintendo's Family Computer (also known as Famicom or Nintendo Entertainment System). This magazine later spawned famous imitators such as Famitsu in 1986 and Nintendo Power in 1988.[4]

During the early 1990s, the practice of video game journalism began to spread east from Europe and west of Japan alongside the emergence of video game markets in countries like China and Russia. Russia's first consumer-oriented gaming magazine, Velikij Drakon, was launched in 1993,[8] and China's first consumer-oriented gaming magazines, Diànzǐ Yóuxì Ruǎnjiàn and Play, launched in mid-1994.[9]

Web-based

There are conflicting claims regarding which of the first two electronic video game magazines was the "first to be published regularly" online. Originally starting as a print fanzine in April 1992,[10] Game Zero magazine, claims to have launched a web page in November 1994,[11] with the earliest formal announcement of the page occurring in April 1995. Game Zero's web site was based upon a printed bi-monthly magazine based in Central Ohio with a circulation of 1500 that developed into a CD-ROM based magazine with a circulation of 150,000 at its peak. The website was updated weekly during its active period from 1994-1996.

Another publication, Intelligent Gamer Online ("IG Online") debuted a complete web site in April 1995, commencing regular updates to the site on a daily basis despite its "bi-weekly" name.[12] Intelligent Gamer had been publishing online for years prior to the popularization of the web, originally having been based upon a downloadable "Intelligent Gamer" publication developed by Joe Barlow and Jeremy Horwitz in 1993.[13] This evolved further under Horwitz and Usenet-based publisher Anthony Shubert[14] into "Intelligent Gamer Online" interactive online mini-sites for America Online (AOL) and the Los Angeles Times' TimesLink/Prodigy online services in late 1994 and early 1995. At the time, it was called "the first national videogame magazine found only online."[15]

Game Zero Magazine ceased active publication at the end of 1996 and is maintained as an archive site. Efforts by Horwitz and Shubert, backed by a strong library of built up web content eventually allowed IG Online to be acquired by Sendai Publishing and Ziff Davis Media, the publishers of then-leading United States print publication Electronic Gaming Monthly who transformed the publication into a separate print property in February 1996.[16][17][18]

New media

Future Publishing exemplifies the old media's decline in the games sector. In 2003 the group saw multi-million GBP profits and strong growth,[19] but by early 2006 were issuing profit warnings[20] and closing unprofitable magazines (none related to gaming).[21] Then, in late November 2006, the publisher reported both a pre-tax loss of £49 million ($96 million USD) and the sale—in order to reduce its level of bank debt—of Italian subsidiary Future Media Italy.[22]

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.[23]

This then combined with the move away from mass media outlets towards niche experts to create a growing market for bespoke games writing. This gaming coverage, rather than trying to be objective, acknowledges that it is written from a certain perspective. Some outlets, Game People's social media for example, even use this bias as a unique selling point of their content.

With the rise of eSport popularity, traditional sport reporting websites such ESPN and Yahoo launched their own eSport dedicated sections in early 2016.[24][25] This move came with controversy, especially in the case of ESPN whose president, John Skipper, stated eSports were a competition instead of a sport.[26] The response to the shift was either great interest or great distaste.[27] However, as of January 2017, ESPN and Yahoo continue their online coverage of eSports.

In addition, ESPN and Yahoo, other contemporary eSport dedicated news sites, like The Score Esports or Dot Esports, cover some of the most widely followed games like Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Dota 2.[28]

Independent

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 gamers 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 they 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.

In 2013-2014, IGN and GameSpot announced significant layoffs.[29][30]

The rise of reviews on video-oriented sites

According to a 2014 article by Mike Rose in Gamasutra: "The publicity someone like TotalBiscuit ... can bring you compared to mainstay consumer websites like IGN, GameSpot and Game Informer is becoming increasingly significant. A year ago, I would have advised any developer to get in touch with as many press outlets as possible, as soon as possible. I still advise this now, but with the following caveat: You're doing so to get the attention of YouTubers." Rose interviewed several game developers and publishers and concluded that the importance of popular YouTube coverage was most pronounced for indie games, dwarfing that of the dedicated gaming publications.[31]

David Auerbach wrote in Slate that the influence of the video games press is waning. "Game companies and developers are now reaching out directly to quasi-amateur enthusiasts as a better way to build their brands, both because the gamers are more influential than the gaming journalists, and because these enthusiasts have far better relationships with their audiences than gaming journalists do. [...] Nintendo has already been shutting out the video game press for years." He concluded that gaming journalists' audience, gamers, is leaving them for video-oriented review sites.[32]

Ethics

Journalism in the computer and video game media industry has been a subject of debate since at least 2002.[33]

Conflicts of interest and pressure from game publishers

Publications reviewing a game often receive advertising revenue and entertainment from the game's publishers, which can lead to perceived conflicts of interest.[34] Reviews by 'official' platform-specific magazines such as Nintendo Power, Official PlayStation Magazine or the Official Xbox Magazine typically have direct financial ties to their respective platform holders.

In 2001, The 3DO Company's president sent an email to GamePro threatening to reduce their advertising spend following a negative review.[35]

In 2007, Jeff Gerstmann was fired from GameSpot after posting a review that was deemed too negative by its publisher, which also advertised heavily on the website.[35][36] Due to non-disclosure agreements, Gerstmann was not able to talk about the topic publicly until 2012.[37]

In a 2012 article for Eurogamer, Robert Florence criticised the relationship between the video games press and publishers, characterising it as "almost indistinguishable from PR", and questioned the integrity of a games journalist, Lauren Wainwright.[32][36][38] In the controversy that followed, dubbed "Doritogate", the threat of legal action—the result of broad libel laws in the UK—caused Eurogamer to self-censor.[39] Florence was forced to amend his article, and he consequently retired from games journalism.[36][40][41]

According to a July 2014 survey by Mike Rose in Gamasutra, approximately a quarter of high-profile YouTube gaming channels receive pay from the game publishers or developers for their coverage, especially those in the form of Let's Play videos.[42]

Following the Gamergate controversy that started in August 2014, both Destructoid and The Escapist tightened their disclosure and conflict of interest policies.[43] Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo said writers were no longer allowed to donate to Patreon campaigns of developers.[44] Kotaku later disclosed that journalist Patricia Hernandez, who had written for them, was friends with developers Anna Anthropy and Christine Love, as well as being Anthropy's former housemate.[45][46] Polygon announced that they would disclose previous and future Patreon contributions.[47]

Review scores and aggregate ratings

Reviews performed by major video game print sources, websites, and mainstream newspapers that sometimes carry video game such as The New York Times and The Washington Post are generally collected for consumers at sites like Metacritic, Game Rankings, and Rotten Tomatoes. If the reviews are scored or graded, these sites will convert that to a numerical score and use a calculation to come out with an aggregate score. In the case of Metacritic, these scores are further weighted by an importance factor associated with the publication. Metacritic also is known to evaluate unscored reviews and assign a numeric score for this as well based on the impression the site editors get about the review.[48]

Within the industry, Metacritic has become a measure of the critical success of a game by game publishers, frequently used in its financial reports to impress investors. The video game industry typically does not pay on residuals but instead on critical performance.[49] Prior to release, a publisher may include contractual bonuses to a developer if they achieve a minimum Metacritic score. In one of the more recognized examples, members of Obsidian Entertainment were to have gotten bonuses from Bethesda Softworks for their work on Fallout: New Vegas if they obtained a Metacritic score of 85 or better out of 100. After release, the game only obtained a 84 aggregate score from Metacritic, one point away, and Bethesda refused to pay them.[48][50]

Video game reviewers are aware of their impact on the Metacritic score and subsequent effect on bonus payment schemes. Eurogamer, prior 2014, were aware that they generally graded games on a scoring scale lower than other websites, and would pull down the overall Metacritic score. For this reason, the site dropped review scores in 2014, and their scores are no longer included in these aggregate scores. Kotaku also dropped review scores for the same reason.[48]

Rumors, confidential information, and blacklisting

A good deal of information in the video game industry is kept under wraps by developers and publishers until the game's release; even information regarding the selection of voice actors is kept under high confidential agreements.[51] However, rumors and leaks of such information still happen, typically occurring though the online message forum NeoGAF. Other times, such rumors and information fall into the hands of video game journalists, often from anonymous sources from within game development companies, and it becomes a matter of journalistic integrity whether to publish this information or not.

Kotaku has been noted for having problems in reporting yet-revealed information. In 2009, the site published information about the upcoming PlayStation Home before Sony had announced it, and Sony severed its relationship with Kotaku. When Kotaku reported this on their site, readers complained to Sony about this, and Sony reversed its decision. Kotaku has also published significant detailed histories on troubled game development for titles such as for Doom 4 and Prey 2, as well as announcing titles months in advance from the publisher. In November 2015, the site reported they had been "blacklisted" by Bethesda and Ubisoft for at least a year; they no longer got review copies, nor received press information from the publishers, nor can interact with any of their company's representatives.[52]

Social issues

Portrayal of women by the industry has been criticized as sexist.[53]

New Games Journalism

New Games Journalism (NGJ) is a video game journalism term, coined by journalist Kieron Gillen[54] in 2004, in which personal anecdotes, references to other media, and creative analyses are used to explore game design, play, and culture.[55] It is a model of New Journalism applied to video game journalism. Gillen's NGJ manifesto was first published on the now defunct state forum/website, a community of videogame players often engaged in discussion and analysis of their hobby, from which an anecdotal piece, Bow Nigger,[56] had appeared. Gillen cites the work as a major inspiration for and example of what NGJ should achieve and the piece was later re-published in the UK edition of PC Gamer, a magazine with which Gillen has close professional ties.

Most NGJ articles are not reviews of games in the traditional sense. They can instead be understood as being analogous to travel journalism, where the writer responds to subjective experiences presented to them by the game world, as well as interactions with other players online, real-world events surrounding gameplay, and other personal experiences and anecdotes which create a unique story. The story is not necessarily indicative of the experience any other player will have with the game and will be unlikely to offer any objective value-judgements regarding the game's merits or failings. Instead, attention is focused on the subjective experience of the person playing the game.[57]

Retro game reviews

As retrogaming grew in popularity, so did reviews and examinations of older video games.[58] This is primarily due to feelings of nostalgia to video games people have grown up with, which, according to professor Clay Routledge, may be more powerful than similar nostalgic emotions caused by other artforms, such as music.[59]

This also includes the remasterization and review of older video games, with such, as reviewing the critical aspects of the game and how it is delivered to a modern aspect.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Play Meter". Play Meter. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  2. ↑ "Players Guide To Electronic Science Fiction Games". Electronic Games. 1 (2): 35–45 [36]. March 1982. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  3. 1 2 Kohler, Chris (September 6, 2011). "Bill Kunkel, Original Gaming Journalist, Dies at 61". Wired. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  4. 1 2 Gifford, Kevin (April 27, 2008). "'Game Mag Weaseling': Japan Mag Roundup 2008". GameSetWatch. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  5. ↑ Fujii, Daiji (2003). "Entrepreneurial Choices of Strategic Options in Japan's RPG Development" (PDF). p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-30. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
  6. ↑ Sipe, Russell (December 1987). "Editorial". Computer Gaming World. p. 4.
  7. ↑ Cifaldi, Frank. "Sad But True: We Can't Prove When Super Mario Bros. Came Out". Gamasutra. p. 2. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  8. ↑ Gifford, Kevin. COLUMN: 'Game Mag Weaseling': Where The Magazines Read You Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine.. GameSetWatch. 29 June 2010.
  9. ↑ Staff. "电子游戏软件 - 期刊简介 Archived 2015-01-11 at the Wayback Machine.." 中文科技期刊数据库 (Chinese Scientific Journals Database at CQVIP.com). Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "On-line reprint of main article from first issue with reprint notice at foot of page". April 1992. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  11. ↑ "Earliest Game Zero website reference notice found in Usenet". 8 January 1995. Retrieved 2007-01-20. (needs better citation)
  12. ↑ "IGO web launch and GZ's formal web launches mentioned". 8 April 1995. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  13. ↑ "Earliest Intelligent Gamer reference found in Usenet". 13 January 1994. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  14. ↑ "Game Master Journal #34". 9 November 1993. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  15. ↑ "The first national videogame magazine found ONLY online, via Prodigy and TimesLink". 3 March 1995. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  16. ↑ "IGF announcement of Sendai Publishing agreement". 7 January 1996. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  17. ↑ "IGF staff member indicates the magazine is coming soon". 18 February 1996. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  18. ↑ "IGF staff member announces sighting of first print issue on stands". 22 February 1996. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  19. ↑ "Future reports strong results for 2003". GamesIndustry.biz. 10 March 2003. Archived from the original on 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
  20. ↑ "Future slips to three-year low on profit warning". GamesIndustry.biz. 10 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
  21. ↑ "Future Publishing confirms magazine closures, but games titles safe". GamesIndustry.biz. 20 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
  22. ↑ "Future posts pre-tax loss of £49m". GamesIndustry.biz. 29 November 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  23. ↑ "Paper Trails". GamesIndustry.biz. 18 August 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
  24. ↑ Dave, Paresh. "ESPN.com to cover e-sports with same 'rigor' as it does the big leagues". latimes.com. Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  25. ↑ "Yahoo Launches New Experience Dedicated to Esports". Archived from the original on 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  26. ↑ Chmielewski, Dawn (2014-09-04). "Sorry, Twitch: ESPN's Skipper Says eSports "Not a Sport"". Recode. Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  27. ↑ Wynne, Jared (2015-06-23). "ESPN courts esports, but is it just playing games?". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  28. ↑ "Top games on Twitch by hours viewed 2016 | Statistic". Statista. Archived from the original on 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  29. ↑ "IGN hit with layoffs, 1UP, UGO and GameSpy shutting down". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2013-12-17.
  30. ↑ "Massive Layoffs at GameSpot, Industry Shifts Toward Livestreaming and Video". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  31. ↑ Mike Rose. "Gamasutra - Is YouTube killing the traditional games press?". Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  32. 1 2 David Auerbach (2014-09-04). "Gaming Journalism Is Over". Slate. Archived from the original on 2014-09-13. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  33. ↑ "Ethics in Video Game Journalism". Online Journalism Review. 4 April 2003. Archived from the original on 29 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-08.
  34. ↑ Mike Musgrove (2007-07-03). "An Inside Play To Sway Video Gamers". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  35. 1 2 "Gaming The System: How A Gaming Journalist Lost His Job Over A Negative Review". Forbes. 21 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  36. 1 2 3 Stephen Totilo. "The Contemptible Games Journalist: Why So Many People Don’t Trust The Gaming Press (And Why They’re Sometimes Wrong)". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  37. ↑ "Jeff Gerstmann (Finally) Talks About GameSpot Firing". GameFront. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  38. ↑ Zsolt Wilhelm (2012-11-03). ""Doritogate": Sind Videospieljournalisten glaubwürdig?". Der Standard. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  39. ↑ Fabien Pionneau (2012-12-06). "Doritos-gate, le scandale qui frappe la presse britannique". LesNumeriques. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  40. ↑ "TotalBiscuit: Games Journalism Is An Irredeemable Mess". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  41. ↑ "Video Game Journalist Robert Florence Leaves Eurogamer After Libel Complaints". Forbes. 25 October 2012. Archived from the original on 30 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  42. ↑ Mike Rose. "Gamasutra - Pay for Play: The ethics of paying for YouTuber coverage". Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  43. ↑ Usher, William (September 15, 2014). "The Escapist, Destructoid Update Their Policies, Ethics In Light Of #GamerGate". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  44. ↑ Stephen Totilo (26 August 2014). "A brief note about the continued discussion about Kotaku's approach to reporting". Archived from the original on 23 June 2017.
  45. ↑ "The Steam Achievement That Nobody Unlocked". 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014.
  46. ↑ "It's Time We Put The Bald Space Marine Away. It's Time To Make Games For More People.". 8 January 2013. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014.
  47. ↑ Christopher Grant (26 August 2014). "On Patreon support". Archived from the original on 2 May 2015.
  48. 1 2 3 Baker, Chris (February 13, 2017). "'Metacritic' Still Matters, But For How Long?". Glixel. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  49. ↑ Griner, David (April 2, 2013). "Why Aren't Video Game Actors Treated Like Stars?". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  50. ↑ Gilbert, Ben (March 15, 2012). "Obsidian missed Fallout: New Vegas Metacritic bonus by one point". Engadget. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  51. ↑ Needlemen, Sarah (December 4, 2016). "So, You Were the Blue Zombie! Actors Play Videogame Characters in the Dark". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  52. ↑ Orland, Kyle (November 20, 2015). "Analysis: Kotaku, blacklisting, and the independence of the gaming press". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  53. ↑ Fisher, H. D. (5 January 2015). "Sexy, Dangerous--and Ignored: An In-depth Review of the Representation of Women in Select Video game Magazines". Games and Culture. 10 (6): 551–570. doi:10.1177/1555412014566234.
  54. ↑ Stuart, Keith (2005-03-03). "Ten unmissable examples of New Games Journalism". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 2014-10-14. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
  55. ↑ Gillen, Kieron (23 March 2004). "The New Games Journalism". Kieron Gillen's Workblog. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-07. Originally published as: Gillen, Kieron. "The NGJ Manifesto". Archived from the original on October 19, 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  56. ↑ "Bow Nigger". Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  57. ↑ Robertson, Andy. "The Game People Philosophy". Archived from the original on 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
  58. ↑ Parrack, Dave (2012-08-15). "8 Of The Best Retro Gaming YouTube Channels [MUO Gaming]". makeuseof.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  59. ↑ McFerran, Damien (2012-09-12). "Crippled by Nostalgia: The Fraud of Retro Gaming". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
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