Gaming journalism in ten nutshells

Yeah, I haven't posted in five months to the day (if you give each month thirty equal days), so after reading about the ever-declining state of gaming journalism, I decided to post a quick top ten list of reasons that I've noticed as to why gaming journalism has turned to digital poo. If you are a writer and are offended, then good: I did my job.

10. Compare two games or the same game on different consoles for graphics, even if there is no difference or the games are unrelated in it's feel or artistic emphasis. As a matter of fact, ignore the fact that the PC can end all arguments 99.999% of the time.

9. "[Put game title here] game sucks, click my link to see why". If you want to be daring, You can also write the less popular "[Put game title here] game is epic, click my link to see why" you maverick, you.

8. Rant about how games are indeed art, but don't support the artistic aspects of the game, like ignore its booklet or cover. When cut-scenes run long to make a point or to set up a mood, bash it accordingly, as you support the arts. Also complain when concrete is grey; yeah, that's a very intelligent point when a writer complains that concrete in a city is grey.

7. Take a quote and cut out what will prove a point they want to make, irregardless if that's the point they were trying to make or not. Why ruin a perfectly good gonzo article with a little thing called accuracy?

6. Review a game, poorly. Make a review so poor that people who played the demo can point out things you didn't. Better yet, review a game on a console you don't like just because you know you can take it down a notch in the eyes of a impressionable young fan somehow.

5. "Write" an article depecting the following: Here's five to ten stupid points that they barely string together to make an article. You can crank out twenty in an hour if you watch five minutes of any game.

4. Cosplay with boobs. That never gets old because you're writing for those who are at work or on their parents computer and they need a quick pornographic fix, or so you tell yourself.

3. Hacking/pirating updates, despite the fact that both are ruining the industry. Don't you dare complain about writers, though; they count somehow!

2. A "Podcast", despite the point that I can't get it to play on my iPod. Quit using the "meme" excuse and call it what it is: a webcast.

1. Say anything to get clicks, because the actual article is secondary.

As you can see, the inferior "Do what thou wilt" approach to writing is the whole of the law of shoddy, horrible journalism; only the love of discipline will save it.

*Yes, I realize the irony in reference to #5 by posting a shoddy top-ten list about gaming to decry shoddy writing in gaming journalism, [which is why I put that point on number 5] but it's my blog and not an article I'm getting paid for so nuts to that)

Alright, I gotta pee, so I'm ending this.

Play the games, not each other.