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Forums - Gaming Discussion - What's fueling the distrust for game journalists?

adriane23 on 12 February 2013
RolStoppable said:
adriane23 said:

If a critic puts aside his personal opinions to critique something, he's the definition of a critic.

If I didn't like FPS games and reviewed Halo 4, I can't be taken seriously if I bash it for being in first person. As a professional, I should only critique it for what it's trying to accomplish, and how it stacks up against its contemporaries in its genre.

I would also like to add, a professional editor-in-chief wouldn't tell a guy who doesn't like a certain genre to review a game of said genre. If you don't like a genre, you won't have played many, if any, games that belong in it. So with a lack of experience you are the wrong guy for the job, because you cannot really tell how the game you review stacks up to similar games.

Professionalism starts at the top. If a guy who doesn't like a certain genre is ordered to review a game of said genre, then his boss is to blame.

Fixed it for you.


You do realize that you're not disagreeing with me right? What was the "no" for?



I am the Playstation Avenger.

   

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adriane23 on 12 February 2013
RolStoppable said:
adriane23 said:

Fixed it for you.


You do realize that you're not disagreeing with me right? What was the "no" for?

I wanted to stir up trouble and get into a fist fight.





I am the Playstation Avenger.

   

riderz13371 on 12 February 2013



Otakumegane on 12 February 2013
riderz13371 said:

that's the controversy? Dortitos and MTdew ads?



http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/profile/92109/nintendopie/ Nintendopie  Was obviously right and I was obviously wrong. I will forever be a lesser being than them. (6/16/13)

Veknoid_Outcast on 13 February 2013
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:
[...]

[...]


[...]

The point is well taken. But I disagree about setting aside personal opinions. I think we seek out reviews for the expert opinion of the reviewer. Every critic has standards and priorities when it comes to movies, music, or video games in this case, and these should be on full display in a review. If a critic put aside his personal opinions, he's not really a critic anymore.

I see what you and Xxain are saying with this Double Dragon review, but I think that's more a matter of taste than professionalism. A critic can have bad taste and still be a competent, professional reviewer.

If a critic puts aside his personal opinions to critique something, he's the definition of a critic.

If I didn't like FPS games and reviewed Halo 4, I can't be taken seriously if I bash it for being in first person. As a professional, I should only critique it for what it's trying to accomplish, and how it stacks up against its contemporaries in its genre.

That is entirely wrong. If a critic puts aside his personal opinions, he's no longer a critic. It's the job of a critic to operate in the space between audience and medium, interpreting the medium in an intelligent, lucid, and stylish way. By definition, a critic is a judge, and he must use his own standards and interpretations to judge the material at his disposal.

Without personal opinions, a critic is just an empty vessel, regurgitating to his audience only the facts of the medium. We read critical reviews because we want something more than facts and figures. We want to be entertained, we want to be educated, and we want the expert opinion of someone who understands the medium better than we do.



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adriane23 on 13 February 2013
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:
[...]

[...]


[...]

The point is well taken. But I disagree about setting aside personal opinions. I think we seek out reviews for the expert opinion of the reviewer. Every critic has standards and priorities when it comes to movies, music, or video games in this case, and these should be on full display in a review. If a critic put aside his personal opinions, he's not really a critic anymore.

I see what you and Xxain are saying with this Double Dragon review, but I think that's more a matter of taste than professionalism. A critic can have bad taste and still be a competent, professional reviewer.

If a critic puts aside his personal opinions to critique something, he's the definition of a critic.

If I didn't like FPS games and reviewed Halo 4, I can't be taken seriously if I bash it for being in first person. As a professional, I should only critique it for what it's trying to accomplish, and how it stacks up against its contemporaries in its genre.

That is entirely wrong. If a critic puts aside his personal opinions, he's no longer a critic. It's the job of a critic to operate in the space between audience and medium, interpreting the medium in an intelligent, lucid, and stylish way. By definition, a critic is a judge, and he must use his own standards and interpretations to judge the material at his disposal.

Without personal opinions, a critic is just an empty vessel, regurgitating to his audience only the facts of the medium. We read critical reviews because we want something more than facts and figures. We want to be entertained, we want to be educated, and we want the expert opinion of someone who understands the medium better than we do.


LMAO, wow man. I can't decide if this is hilarious or just sad. Maybe both. It sounds like you want someone to tell you what to believe. If that's what you want, I guess, but what you describe is sensationalistic journalism.



I am the Playstation Avenger.

   

silicon on 13 February 2013

The conflict is between those whose expectations don't align with reality. Game journalists are there for entertainment purposes primarily.



Veknoid_Outcast on 13 February 2013
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:

If a critic puts aside his personal opinions to critique something, he's the definition of a critic.

If I didn't like FPS games and reviewed Halo 4, I can't be taken seriously if I bash it for being in first person. As a professional, I should only critique it for what it's trying to accomplish, and how it stacks up against its contemporaries in its genre.

That is entirely wrong. If a critic puts aside his personal opinions, he's no longer a critic. It's the job of a critic to operate in the space between audience and medium, interpreting the medium in an intelligent, lucid, and stylish way. By definition, a critic is a judge, and he must use his own standards and interpretations to judge the material at his disposal.

Without personal opinions, a critic is just an empty vessel, regurgitating to his audience only the facts of the medium. We read critical reviews because we want something more than facts and figures. We want to be entertained, we want to be educated, and we want the expert opinion of someone who understands the medium better than we do.


LMAO, wow man. I can't decide if this is hilarious or just sad. Maybe both. It sounds like you want someone to tell you what to believe. If that's what you want, I guess, but what you describe is sensationalistic journalism.

It's the truth. It's definitely not sensationalism. Nothing of what I said corresponds to sensationalism, which has more to do with the embellishment of relatively unimportant or irrelevant news.

Critics aren't there to tell us what to believe. They're there to provide guidance and expert advice. If I don't know how to install a ceiling fan properly, I'll seek out the advice of an electrician. If my car breaks down, and I'm confused as to what went wrong, I'll contact a mechanic. If I want to know what movie to watch over the weekend, I might consult a critic. It's professional advice, that's all.

If you want a video game critic who sets aside his opinions and expectations, you might as well bypass reviews altogether. You'd be better off reading the product description.



adriane23 on 13 February 2013
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:

If a critic puts aside his personal opinions to critique something, he's the definition of a critic.

If I didn't like FPS games and reviewed Halo 4, I can't be taken seriously if I bash it for being in first person. As a professional, I should only critique it for what it's trying to accomplish, and how it stacks up against its contemporaries in its genre.

That is entirely wrong. If a critic puts aside his personal opinions, he's no longer a critic. It's the job of a critic to operate in the space between audience and medium, interpreting the medium in an intelligent, lucid, and stylish way. By definition, a critic is a judge, and he must use his own standards and interpretations to judge the material at his disposal.

Without personal opinions, a critic is just an empty vessel, regurgitating to his audience only the facts of the medium. We read critical reviews because we want something more than facts and figures. We want to be entertained, we want to be educated, and we want the expert opinion of someone who understands the medium better than we do.


LMAO, wow man. I can't decide if this is hilarious or just sad. Maybe both. It sounds like you want someone to tell you what to believe. If that's what you want, I guess, but what you describe is sensationalistic journalism.

It's the truth. It's definitely not sensationalism. Nothing of what I said corresponds to sensationalism, which has more to do with the embellishment of relatively unimportant or irrelevant news.

Critics aren't there to tell us what to believe. They're there to provide guidance and expert advice. If I don't know how to install a ceiling fan properly, I'll seek out the advice of an electrician. If my car breaks down, and I'm confused as to what went wrong, I'll contact a mechanic. If I want to know what movie to watch over the weekend, I might consult a critic. It's professional advice, that's all.

If you want a video game critic who sets aside his opinions and expectations, you might as well bypass reviews altogether. You'd be better off reading the product description.

At the bolded: Been doing this for over a decade.

You don't (and probably never will) realize it, but your second paragraph basically described what I already said a gaming journalist is supposed to do.



I am the Playstation Avenger.

   

Veknoid_Outcast on 13 February 2013
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:
adriane23 said:

If a critic puts aside his personal opinions to critique something, he's the definition of a critic.

If I didn't like FPS games and reviewed Halo 4, I can't be taken seriously if I bash it for being in first person. As a professional, I should only critique it for what it's trying to accomplish, and how it stacks up against its contemporaries in its genre.

That is entirely wrong. If a critic puts aside his personal opinions, he's no longer a critic. It's the job of a critic to operate in the space between audience and medium, interpreting the medium in an intelligent, lucid, and stylish way. By definition, a critic is a judge, and he must use his own standards and interpretations to judge the material at his disposal.

Without personal opinions, a critic is just an empty vessel, regurgitating to his audience only the facts of the medium. We read critical reviews because we want something more than facts and figures. We want to be entertained, we want to be educated, and we want the expert opinion of someone who understands the medium better than we do.


LMAO, wow man. I can't decide if this is hilarious or just sad. Maybe both. It sounds like you want someone to tell you what to believe. If that's what you want, I guess, but what you describe is sensationalistic journalism.

It's the truth. It's definitely not sensationalism. Nothing of what I said corresponds to sensationalism, which has more to do with the embellishment of relatively unimportant or irrelevant news.

Critics aren't there to tell us what to believe. They're there to provide guidance and expert advice. If I don't know how to install a ceiling fan properly, I'll seek out the advice of an electrician. If my car breaks down, and I'm confused as to what went wrong, I'll contact a mechanic. If I want to know what movie to watch over the weekend, I might consult a critic. It's professional advice, that's all.

If you want a video game critic who sets aside his opinions and expectations, you might as well bypass reviews altogether. You'd be better off reading the product description.

At the bolded: Been doing this for over a decade.

You don't (and probably never will) realize it, but your second paragraph basically described what I already said a gaming journalist is supposed to do.

Now that's simply not true. You said earlier that a critic should put aside his opinions and judge a game "for what it's trying to accomplish," whatever that means.

It sounds as if you don't want gaming journalists at all. Just a yes-man who corroborates your own taste in games.