6. Preview Culture
Game journalism has a massive part to play in the advancement of the medium, much in the same way it has always had a part to play in any art form. By asking questions of creators, championing great work and panning bad work, everyone is pushed harder as a result and we make better things. Game journalism has had a tough time being taken seriously since the first journalists started writing about games. Set up by enthusiasts rather than scholars, the whole industry has had a tough time being recognised. But there are indeed great writers and critics in the field, and I enjoy reading what they have to say on any given subject. But also as journalists, we need to find our voice away from PR people. Too often have I seen a gushing preview written by a journalist to appease a PR or a publisher rather than an audience. Critics have too often come to blows with the very people we do it for, our readership. By simply appeasing and adhering to what a company wants us to say, we become glorified agents for them and we don't let our voices become heard until after a game releases and people have already bought it. This is how things like the Aliens: Colonial Marines mess happen, because no one was willing to speak up when it seemed clear that a few outlets knew of the game's quality before it hit shelves. I know all too well that it is a complicated place to be in. The fear of being blackballed by a publisher is very real and can really hurt readership numbers, but as long as we are clear and serving an audience, appreciation will come. I have great relationships with PRs and I respect what they do, but I understand I am not an extension of them. We need to be sure there is a gap between us and a developer in order to do our jobs effectively and serve the people we do it for. The audience.