Hate Gaming Journalism? Here's How You Can Fix It

VGRevolution's Gaming Editor Marc explores the causes behind problems in the gaming press, and what the audience can do to fix them.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

I avoid "trolling for hits" articles and obvious sensationalism. I also avoid place like NeoGAF, which are full of agenda ridden fanboys who selectively quite articles and cannibalize web site content.

Some people will criticize n4g for whatever reasons they might have. However this ste does a tremendous service for both the gamer and the gaming journalist.

[Dante112]

Yeah, it's gotten really bad at neogaf. There's so many misquoted and lame "why you shouldn't buy so and so game/comsole" threads there. Even the official game threads are extremely negative (For all console exclusives). You can barely get any good thread discussions in.

[Gaetano]

Amen. I admit that in the past I've even written many a "hit" piece, but at the request of ownership and advertises that expect positive content, or controversial content that is so, so stupid.

I hope there is a little sympathy for games journalists. They often have their hands tied and are forced to write certain things. Not everyone has the capacity to say "no" and lose their job. That's the sad reality.

I'm in the process of starting an outlet that is influenced minimally by publishers, and doesn't rely on reviews and previews for coverage. The reality is that reviews, previews are too open to publisher exploitation, and the reader can never truly trust an outlet that is running an ad for a game they're also critiquing.

[mrprice33]

One thing I just couldn't work into the article is that the complaint of reviewers receiving free games before the public is also something that is the public's doing. At our site we sometimes have to purchase games that we review, but we know that every day we wait before publishing, our potential traffic plummets.

One way to combat that is to write reviews in such a way that they are worthwhile even if they're late, but the internet is much more about first than best.

Plus, as a consumer, I want to know if a game is any good before I purchase it. Reviewers have to get games early so that reviews can be ready on launch day.

[JasonKCK]

I agree that N4G is a good place to get the latest news, but this site is slanted.

[LOGICWINS]

N4G has a slanted community without a shadow of a doubt. But as far as getting the latest gaming news is concerned, I've yet to find a better site.

[3-4-5]

That is why I come to this and maybe 1 or 2 other sites. There is much less immature comments on this site then most, and as a whole it offers good articles/content/information.

If their Boss's/editors let them publish/write this crap, then it is the superior's fault as well...even more so really because they are supposed to have credibility/ morals/ standards and if they let this crap out there, then that isn't saying that much for themselves as an editor/boss/leader.

[Blankman85]

Stop falling for flamebait articles! When we respond to them and give them hits and heat, we are telling them they can cash in on tabloid style journalism.

[Grimhammer00]

Biggest problem is indeed us & the sites that pander to our hunger for anything new.

Here's a thought.....why don't game devs create sites that truly engage us to go straight to the source? Rather than journalists with agendas and sites catering to revenue advertisers.

Unfortunately many game sites are run by the publisher. Asking for our personals just so we can get info in drips or get past the sites walls.

[mrprice33]

Honestly I would say the biggest problem with that is that devs simply don't have the time or perhaps the skillset to communicate in the way a good journalist or writer should.

Also, I can't imagine corporate PR would ever let them say anything that wasn't completely gushing and positive.

[123456777]

I put part of the blame on the approval system here on N4G (bye bye, everyone).
A lot of nonsense and obvious troll articles get submitted here, and get approved fairly fast.
Vita and Wii U seem to be the trolls' favourite targets as of late.
"Can **** Save The Vita?"
"5 Reasons Why The Vita Is DOOMED"
"5 Reasons Why The Wii U Will Fail"
"Wii U Is Weaker Than The PS3/360"
And then there's the other types of articles.
"5/10 Top Babes In Games"
"5/10 Villains In Games"
"5/10 Best Females In Games"
"5/10 Reasons Why The PS3 is Better Than The 360"
"5/10 Reasons Why The 360 Is Better Than The PS3"
"DOOMED"
"DEAD"
"DOOMED"
"DEAD"
"DOOMED"
"DOOMED"
"DEAD"
"DOOMED"
"DEAD"
I can't tell if they are Journalists or Necrophiliac Goths.
Lay off the junk, hate and doom articles and give us some originality, ffs.

[LOGICWINS]

Maybe the solution is to have stiffer consequences for approving junk articles. Bubble loss, temporary bans etc.

[SageHonor]

People respond more to negativity. Its a shame

[0pie]

i think someone saw this thread http://www.neogaf.com/forum... on neogaf and decided to do an article about the same subject.

[mrprice33]

I link to that thread in the first sentence in the column.

[jeeves86]

Garbage journalism is hardly unique to the gaming industry. Until *that* changes, I wouldn't expect gaming journalism to change.

[Derpy]

I couldn't even read the article, as some annoying Facebook tab kept comming up over the text on the left side f the screen. After wasting a few minutes trying to get rid of it and failing to do so, I just gave up and closed the web page, wishing I'd never wasted clicking on it.