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Forums - Gaming Discussion - X360 responds to VGchartz’s How Broken Is Games Journalism? ‘analysis’.

X360 -

I just read a load of subjective, judgmental nonsense dressed up as objective analysis on VGchartz (go on, click it. It’s gagging for traffic), in which the author criticises three major games blogs for having fun with their content and being creative in the ways they compete for traffic. It’s subjective because it doesn’t lay down any objective criteria as to what is and isn’t acceptable – it’s just decided entirely according to this guy’s personal preferences. There’s nothing wrong with subjectivity in any kind of journalism – in fact, it’s often the most truthful kind of reporting – so long as it isn’t pretending to be objectivity, and that’s exactly what this piece is doing. Bias, favouritism and fanboyism are problematic, but they’re not necessarily the same thing as subjectivity.

The article does at least highlight some genuine issues with games journalism. It is true that any publication that runs coverage based on privileged access to a game and/or development studio, and any publication that earns revenue through game advertising (including this one and its associated magazine on both counts) does so based on a relationship of trust with games publishers. This relationship doesn’t mean the publisher specifies what can or cannot be written or what scores should be given in reviews – although that doesn’t stop some publishers from trying – but it does mean that a lot of games journalists don’t always have free reign to say exactly what they want and may sometimes have to bite their tongues. It is also true that publications, especially online, gear their coverage towards maximising readership.

http://www.x360magazine.com/opinion/games-journalism-isn%E2%80%99t-broken/



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Ooooh!  Snap!



kowenicki said:

I agree with every word of this response.

 

Indeed.

I linked to the OP's linked article in the comments to VGC's article, and also linked to this one, which came first:

http://www.play-mag.co.uk/opinion/games-journalism-is-broken-mainly-because-its-not-all-written-by-automatons/

Better, I think, for the humour.



kowenicki said:
Hapimeses said:
kowenicki said:

I agree with every word of this response.

 

Indeed.

I linked to the OP's linked article in the comments to VGC's article, and also linked to this one, which came first:

http://www.play-mag.co.uk/opinion/games-journalism-is-broken-mainly-because-its-not-all-written-by-automatons/

Better, I think, for the humour.


yes... there is a massive ego at work in the VGC piece. 

Didnt the same writer have an editorial here a while back too that caused a problem...?  I seem to remember disagreeing with every word of that too. 

Possibly. I can't say that I've paid enough attention to know.

But, yes, a pretty massive ego in evidence there. I'm not impressed. For all it gives the impression of being a well-researched piece, it isn't. At all. Indeed, it ruins the few good points it makes by drowning them with the author's elitist and incorrect views regarding games journalism.



 I agree, seems to me that some things fly and others are the same but forbidden.



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bannedagain said:

 I agree, seems to me that some things fly and others are the same but forbidden.


Pardon?



I agree that it is not a well-founded piece of journalism, which is somewhat ironic given the intent of the article.



Hapimeses said:
bannedagain said:

 I agree, seems to me that some things fly and others are the same but forbidden.


Pardon?

I said it stupid, I'm tired. Saying he does the same thing by not providing good enough facts.



bannedagain said:
Hapimeses said:
bannedagain said:

 I agree, seems to me that some things fly and others are the same but forbidden.


Pardon?

I said it stupid, I'm tired. Saying he does the same thing by not providing good enough facts.

Ah, got you. Thanks. :D



Seriously whoever the hell  "" is we need to stop staff from doing these pointless articles, it just makes us look bad.