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teigaga on 16 October 2014
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Nem said:
teigaga said:
Nem said:

 "Expressing ideologies, however, is not a form of corruption, it is the basic foundation for criticism and debate that keeps the world turning, and keeps our brains from turning to mush. As long as your opinions aren’t actively harming people, they’ll always be welcome in gamer culture." 

While that is true, there is a place and time for everything. You want to express your social views? That is perfectly fine. Make an article about it, post on forums or social networks. In a game review? No, thank you. That isnt the place or time for social debate. Journalists job is to report the news, unaltered. Report what is there, dont make a social statement while at it. Dont drag personal agendas into your work and your readers lives when they clearly dont care.


But games themselves contain ideologies, same as music and film. Infact one of the most enriching things about final fantasy for me when I was younger was how they referenced and reflected things in the real world. I'd hate to see a score hugely deducted because someone thought Beyonetta was too sexualised, but making mention of it is highly informing of the game and its style, tone approach to characters.


Is it sexualised because she makes sexy poses? The problem is sexualisation in not a concept easy to define. What is? What isnt? Stick to the facts. The character likes to flaunt and the game systems were designed around her in an effort to please the player. That is reporting fact. Saying its sexualised is an opinion.

If the social statement, themes or values are expressed in the game, its up to the individual player to interpret and reflect upon them. Theres no need to have someone else think for you.

I'd argue it is quite easy to define, ''to exhibit character of an overt sexual nature'' but its subjective in what you consider to be overtly sexual. But not to get sidetracked, the point of the review is to review the contents of the game, how can you personally reflect on something you haven't played yet? As a reader you cleary have the intellegence to discern what is opinion (most of the game review) and what is factual, so you pick what applies to you and what doesn't.

 I would personally be disatisfied for someone to just say that the jumping in LBP is floaty, I want to hear how it effected their experience. It may not be the same as mine, but at the same time I know I'm not the reviewer. Most people hated it, I love the way it works in conjection with the physics system making for a somewhat unpredictable experience, especially in the game usercreate levels.

Again the video games industry is the only entertainment medium where the lack of objectivity in reviews is considered a problem. If all reviews are objective wouldn't they all look the same? I'd say this was the case not too long ago and that made a lot of them useless. As this article is saying people should find the places for them to just get ''facts'' even if most things aren't factual like breaking down how good the controls are, or the appeal of the visuals, characters, story, mechanics....

From what I've gauged lack of objectivity is only a problem when social issue's are brought into the front and their in opposition to what the reader believes. Also fanboy and metacritic culture causes people to attack the reviews which they dislike even if they're not a visitor of that site, as opposed to simply referencing the ones belonging to the sites they actual visit and trust.