Apr 1
I DN’TO WATN MAEK GAEMZ!
If you haven’t read what I assume to be Brian Green’s 04/01-inspired ‘resignation post‘, you should go do it. He swears a lot, and is generally fairly humorous. This diatribe is what I assume the experience is like at GDC Austin/AGC outside of the sessions, at night, in the bars around town. (As an aside, here’s hoping I get to buy some folks a much-deserved drink this year.)
I did want to comment, though, on his statement about ‘fucking wannabes’:
“Quit telling me how wonderful your ideas are and how much I suck for not using them. Maybe you’ll finally realize why we don’t listen to your aimless ramblings: because we’ve already thought of that idea and knew immediately it was the stupidest fucking thing we ever thought of. We just don’t feel like committing professional suicide to teach you how truly dumb your ideas are.”
I’ve gotten to know a number of games journalists over the last two years or so. While I don’t agree with Brent that their sometimes less-that-utterly-proffessional-demeanor is all that bad a thing, I have noticed something that I think is … a bit odd. It varies from person to person, and I don’t want to piss in anyone’s Cheerios. If you write about games and fit the following category, just be aware I still think you’re cool.
I don’t understand why so many game journos see the writing gig as a stepping stone into the games industry proper. It’s a very odd way of looking at the world, to my mind. I very sincerely think games writing is a craft that you can become proficient in, and the journalism aspect of the job is extremely important to develop. Just the same, writing about games doesn’t mean (in any way, shape, or form that I can tell) that you’d be good at making games. High-profile examples of this actually happening (like Che from 1up or Greg from Gamespot) don’t help in the slightest. They fill young web-posters heads with visions of applying to Bungie or Valve and being excepted on their bona fides as a ‘games journalist’.
Personally, I don’t think I’d make a very good game designer. (You’re all nodding along with me now, I know.) I think I’ve mostly gotten the whole stringing words together into cogent sentences thing down, but that’s (again) really not so much with the game designing. When I do talk about game design here on the site, I hope that everyone reading this takes into account my ‘About’ blurb on the sidebar: “Occasional thought bursts from an enthusiastic court-side cheerleader.”
I’d like to think I know a lot about games, from a consumer perspective. I think I’m starting to get the hang of writing about games, and may one day be able to refer to myself as a ‘games journalist’ without covering my mouth at the same time. But yeah … making games? Not so much.
Some days I hate even having to be as involved as I am from the writing side of things. Who the hell wants to play Bullet Witch when I could be playing WoW or Oblivion? Anyway … if you are a games journo and want to make games, I say more power to you. Again, I don’t want to begrudge or downplay your ambitions. Everybody has dreams, and I think everyone should think as big as they possibly can.
And hey, when you get your big break and move on to bigger and better things, drop me a line … there’s a games writing job open now, right?. :)
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Yeah, it was an April Fool’s joke. ;P Mostly…
But, in all seriousness, I agree 110% with you about the whole journalist thing. I know you take your lumps, but I’m one developer that appreciates what you do. We do need better journalism and more critical thinking from the journalists that cover our industry in order to be seen as more legitimate. Movie reviewers help make films more legitimate, even the summer popcorn-munchers that have little redeeming value besides providing a few hours of air conditioning during a hot summer day.
Too often people do see it as a step into the industry, and I think most big companies exploit that in order to get what they want from the “journalists” covering games. Give the journalist a junket and give them access to developers and they become much more agreeable.
Anyway, good insight that I agree with. Once again, thanks for trying to do real journalism in a sea of amateurs. And, no, we won’t hire you for the game writing position, because we don’t want to deprive the industry of a journalist. ;)
Have fun,
Nicely said.
(I believe we talked a bit about this at GDC, so if this gives you deja vu, that’s why.)
Why do so many game ‘journalists’ want to be in the game industry?
I used to think I wanted to make games. Heck, I have made games. I’ve liked making games, but I’ve realized that I’d much rather write about games, talk about games, and actually play the games.
If more game journalists owned up to this realization they wouldn’t be so damn jaded and cranky. Something tells me this might be a “those who can’t do, teach” scenario. And they’re angry about it.
Part of the problem with gaming press folk is probably related to the fact that (like me) they’re not professional journalists. They’re just enthusiasts who write. Most other industries do not work this way, but in the blog-age, you’re dubbed a pundit if you can write clearly and are willing to put in the work. I am not implying this is a bad thing or good thing, but it is a good indicator of why there is some turmoil within the gaming press. When ‘real’ gaming press ends up rubbing shoulders with hacks like me (and worse) it is understandable why there might be some strong feelings coming from the people who get paid to do this, not to mention from the PR and marketing departments within the game publishers.
I do wonder why you say the poor demeanor of the gaming press is not a bad thing. Passable hygiene and manners. That’s all I’m asking for. I do not expect 3-piece suits and tea-time, but a comb, some clean jeans and a smile could go a long way.
Brian: Thank you for the kind words, sir. I just try to do the best job I can at something that I care about, you know? I wish more folks had the opportunity to do that.
Brent: No worries about repetition; I haven’t uploaded my brainwaves to the interwebs yet, so I don’t imagine folks knew about our conversation. :D
I guess my objection to your objection about the demeanor of the gaming press stems from the ‘enthusiast press’ direction. I hold myself to a high standard; I’d *like* to think that I was presentable at GDC this year. (Sigh, except for my facial hair. Damned inability to grow a beard.) Just the same, *other* bloggers may not see games writing as their day job. If they’re not ‘in it to win it’, as it were, why hold it against them if they want to show up looking less-than stellar?
Jamil has said to me in the past that GDC is actually kinda picky about who they allow to show up to the event, so my assumption is that most of the sloppy dorks you saw at GDC were packing a few hundred to a few thousands of listeners in their back pocket. I realize that he may have just been trying to snow me, but he’s always seemed like a standup guy, and I have no other reasons to doubt him.
Now, if you want to have a discussion about the oversaturation of the gaming market with ‘press’ outlets, I’m right there with you. I don’t understand the sheer number of sites that are covering this particular hobby in an informal manner; I’m sure there are other industries with a vigorous enthusiast press (music and movies, certainly), but there really does seem to be a half-dozen or more games writers under every rock you pick up.
I wish every single one of them luck, though. Originating from the same circumstances myself, it’s hard to throw stones at a guy wanting to get paid for what he loves.
“it’s hard to throw stones at a guy wanting to get paid for what he loves”
*Brent winds up and chucks a rock at himself.*