Good Rant About Gaming Blogs (No Not By Me)
This guy has basically said what many of us have been thinking about gaming blogs (Kotaku, Joystiq et al.) for a long time. To be honest, I like certain things about the twitchy style of coverage these places provide but I'm really getting sick of posts that look like an average Blue's News forum post and especially the ones that report rumour as fact (which is most of them these days.) I think these blogs are doing far more harm than good to many of the gaming journalists out there who are actually trying to be real, proper journalists, at least if they keep operating in this manner. Thought?
I blame Gawker Media.
"Just because something's popular, that sure doesn't make it right." -Penn Gilette
"You can't fix stupid." -Ron White
blog.digital-lifeline.ca
In my opinion:
What we're seeing is a scramble to make sure certain websites are at the bleeding edge of "journalism". The dilemma these sites face is that they risk losing out on exclusive MEGATON announcements if they take the time to actually verify rumors.
So lets say Kotaku decides to spend a day adhering to a sense of professional integrity. Joystiq reports that Microsoft and Sony will work together to create a unified platform. They get the exclusive, they are the source of the electronic chatter that will cascade outwards. Kotaku loses out on that breaking news cred, even though they may be the ones that actually do some legwork to verify that it was some GameFAQS poster trying to stir up some sh*t. Enough of these missed opportunities and the site loses its cred as a bastion of the latest, greatest news to hit the world.
I'm going to venture a guess and say that most of us come from a period when print magazines served as the main sources of game news/culture. EGM's Quartermann could only publish a handful of rumors, and even they were projected forward a month or so due to the publication schedule. There just wasn't much of a market for rumormongering, unless the magazine was devoting a front-page to "a look ahead" or something to that extent. Now that gaming magazines are increasingly seen as archaic, slow reporters, these maxi-update rumor blogs are leveraging the instantaneous communication of the internet to appear as the new gatekeepers of game. They're reflecting the idea that the industry is always moving, but doing it in a pretty bad way.
You can see a similar pressure/movement in network news with their 24 hour news cycle.
There's been some movement towards legitimizing game reporting. 1up occasionally takes a stand. But until the public starts flocking to sites that treat news items with a critical eye, there'll be little motivation to move away from the rumormonger market.
As for the article:
This kind of research is more akin to news/investigative reporting. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but one should note that this isn't as easy as going to a University library and looking through the catalog for hits.
For instance, remember that oft-repeated byte from Kojima about MGS4 hitting the storage limit on BluRay? I tried to look for the original source, and most blogs routed me in circles or talked about the interview but didn't actually link it. Turns out the interview happened in Japanese-language Famitsu magazine. If only someone had bothered to translate the interview and link it, instead of just quoting soundbytes.
I would argue that sometimes this warrants major attention. A huge figurehead leaving a company? Bad omen, or time to leave? Or, you know, it could be the kind of exec that goes to bat for ideas like Ico or Guitar Hero. The right person in a high position can influence things for better or worse.
"Personally I'm looking forward to buying a PC with a 128 core processor integrated with 32tb of memory in about 10 years time. Shortly there after Will Wright's Spore 3 will become self aware and annihilate humanity in a nuclear holocaust."
Of course I always want quality in my rumormongering. I don't blame the bloggers, I blame the people who find it in themselves to visit 20+ videogame blogs a day. He mentions several points that bloggers should stop doing.
1. Stop posting what developers send you - that developers should post on their own site instead.
I'm not sure how realistic this is from a marketing standpoint for said developer company. In the end, they're in the business to make money. Sending press releases and screenshots to high traffic sites is a great way in the hype building game.
2. Do Research.
Can't argue there.
3. Stop posting when an exec steps down.
Various game companies (publishers mostly) are public companies. As a result, they have stockholders. Stockholders are usually interested (and want to know) when an exec steps down from a company. It's very possible that gamers may even be stockholders. As a news junkie I'm one of those folks who likes to know this kind of stuff. YMMV.
4. Post Less.
I don't even agree with this one. And that's just my personal opinion. Take Kotaku for example. They're posting several times a day. I like that. It's one of the reasons why I hit Kotaku two to three times a day! I'm a geek, I like to know what's going on (mainly because I'm a news junkie) - again YMMV.
Pfft! This article is just trying to drive site traffic. From what i read there... i just don't agree.
Oh, so those things that replace E3 aren't worth reporting?
Huh... i guess he's not a gamer then. Imagine if Engadget didn't post gadget news. What is the point of that service then?
Of - power - insessantly
Plagued - by - malefisense
Doomed - to - insidious -
Death - is - he - who - breaks
this - monument - i - prophesy
My comment over there:
Gamertag: GWJ Rabbit | Last.fm | Twitter
"Think of it as 'grinding SO rep in the Kitchen instance.' " - Montalban
Totally agree Spaz. These sites also seem to be the first with this kind of news and that type of information can let you in on which way the winds blowing for certain projects.
Gamer Tag: Rantyr
I have a few problems with gaming blogs, but the biggest by far is the regurgitation factor. The majority of posts on gaming blogs are simply links to original sources (i.e. IGN, 1Up) press releases, or videos and the original info summarized with pseudo-sassy flavor text. Yes, sometimes it may be genuinely funny, but that is rare.
My other big issue is posts about weekly happenings. Yes, we know Zero Punctuation is updated every Wednesday, no need to sass that and link to it. Yes, we know generic webcomic XYZ is updated on X day of the week, we don't need a wrap-up linking to it. Yes we know that consoles sell X amount of units every week, thanks.
I honestly wouldn't mind some kind of twitter-esque feed with straight links to relevant gaming news from original sources. The closest thing I can think of it Gametab, but so many gaming sites simply cross-link information so much that the same exact news story winds up popping up on the RSS feed for 6 out of 10 sources I have displayed.
I'm more of a sausage smoker myself. - Yoyoson
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Actually, i like that aspect. I can't remember every site that i visit (even with bookmarks) and when they're updated and expanded upon. It's nice to have a non-RSS, RSS feed. The gaming blogs do this nicely for me.
Of - power - insessantly
Plagued - by - malefisense
Doomed - to - insidious -
Death - is - he - who - breaks
this - monument - i - prophesy
Tsk, tsk.
In any event, in reading the recent literature on online reading (here, for example), it looks like we're on our way to two distinguishable types of online articles: 1) short, unedited or barely edited blog posts, generally with a focus on news flashes; and 2) longer, carefully edited, and more insightful articles giving perspective and analysis. The first type can and should update often and has an incentive to largely forgo editing processes. The second type is what you see in places like GWJ, The Escapist, Variety's The Cut Scene, Level Up, Gamasutra, and MTV Multiplayer. I tend to think of it like the difference between mass-marketed beer, wine, whiskey, or cheese and the more expensive, artisan varieties. Coors Light versus Bells
The internet has done a competent job in providing the first type, but we're sorely lacking in copy editors for the second type.
The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid. - Elysium
Wordsmythe is my hero. - rabbit
XBL: E Munnie
Wordy, did you actually miss the first misplaced "their" in rabbit's quote? Tsk tsk.
Remember, only by treating everyone with dignity and respect can we maintain the element of surprise for that inevitable day when we wipe our enemies from the face of the Earth.
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I actually tried something very much like the feed you're describing with Pownce but it didn't work out as well as I'd thought. I'm still chewing on the idea though and hope to revive it at some point in the future.
"Just because something's popular, that sure doesn't make it right." -Penn Gilette
"You can't fix stupid." -Ron White
blog.digital-lifeline.ca
Honestly? I just forgot he did it twice when I went back to comment.
The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid. - Elysium
Wordsmythe is my hero. - rabbit
XBL: E Munnie
I don't mind the concept of the blogs itself, but far too often they become the instruments of the industry they're reporting on. For every tidbit that might be critical (or rather: links to something that might be critical), there are like ten stories that go "Rumor: Gears of War 2 Art Director to fart on 3 P.M." (Insert whatever hype game you want and I'm sure you'll get the idea.) Due to the high frequency of the content updates blogs are a lot easier to take advantage of to build hype; in their need to constantly provide news they'll often willingly relay every insignificant marketing message thrown at them, thus clogging the series tubes the internet is. Might as well go directly to Gamespress.com then.
EDIT: Haha, there we go. They couldn't just wait three hours for the update to arrive, no, it had to be this way. Because every PS3 owner apparently structures his day based on such things. Or something.
My biggest gripe is that places like Kotaku or Joystiq are not "blogs" in the strictest sense.
I don't see the front page of GWJ as a blog, it's a gaming website. I feel like Kotaku and Joystiq are trying to label themselves as blogs to get in on the trend but there is no real blogging going on. It's no longer personal, but it's not professional either. They're no longer just hobbyists but they want to have street-cred that someplace like Gamespot can't possibly carry.
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Less chatter more splatter!
I totally disagree with the points made. I think Joystiq and Kotaku are just fine as is: let someone who wants to go into depth post their own blog, write for The Escapist, or write here.
I have an issue with too many "me too" game blogs, but that's another rant.