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More Details >> The Word from The Inside PC PS3 Xbox 360 Wii Posted Wed 28 Mar 07, 3:58pm by Dan Richie's latest editorial is now online, this time providing a bit of insight and critism into and of the Australian gaming press itself. The article contains a few first hand accounts, careful not to point any fingers but might be interesting for those of you suspicious on what goes on behind the scenes. Read on for all the details.









The Word from The Inside



I’ve had the pleasure and good fortune of working in the videogames industry for a number of years. There is a small core of people reporting on videogames in Australia and I’ll let you in on a few industry truths… at the risk of raising the ire of the rest of this “core”.



For starters, most are super-protective of the inner-working of “games journalism” and pretend like it is rocket science. It is not. To a lesser extent, there is an attitude of self-importance, like they are Gaming Gods. If anyone should be a Gaming God, it is the guys who create masterpieces – like the folks behind Mario or GTA or Pro Evo or World of Warcraft. “Gaming god” status should not be bestowed on you just because you finished Tomb Raider and wrote a play guide on it. And definitely not because you gave Ape Escape “68%” when everyone else gave it, “at least 7.5”.



Colleagues of mine refer to themselves as “games journalists”. Now I just have a personal gripe about this one… even though I remain a firm believer of “each to his own”. Granted most of these guys know their games, but when the same guys do nothing but sit around and ask for free games from games publishers and do little more than re-hash reviews by fashioning them from press releases and the internet, I have a seriously hard time giving using the word “journalist” with a straight face. “Games reporters?”… yes. “Games reviewers?”… yeah I think so. But “journalist”? You cannot be serious.



Now, having said all that, reporting on games is not nearly as corrupt as some places claim it to be. Yes, it’s bloody fun and for some, being wined and dined is a pretty regular occurrence - but things aren’t as underhanded as you might imagine. All I am saying is that you should not trust any game review, or reviewer, that your search engine throws up. Gamers should be aware of what pressures and temptations games reporters work with, so they immediately buy into what someone has written.

Here is a “hit file” of stuff that has happened, or is happening in the Australian industry:



1)Fact: games reviewers have been offered either sex or money to change a review score. To quote the PR person I am referring to: “I will do ANYTHING if you can change the score. Just tell me what it will take…”



2)Fact: be careful when you read an “exclusive” review. You probably already know this, but they are much-more-often-than-not tied to agreements about coverage or minimum scores.



3)Fact: PR companies identify journalists they want to impress… and go about in unashamedly. This includes campaigning them for better coverage by using elaborate gifts like dinners, overseas trips…



4)Fact: small media operators hold and use the power of balance over their editorial staff. When all is said and done, it means that advertising agreements do help sway final game review scores.



5)Fact: most game reviewers get paid little, which increases the likelihood that they will fall into the trap of temptation. This is not their fault, but a reality of the industry.



Intriguing, isn’t it? Keep your eyes peeled, for The Word From The Inside Part 2! Richie's latest editorial is now online, this time providing a bit of insight and critism into and of the Australian gaming press itself. The article contains a few first hand accounts, careful not to point any fingers but might be interesting for those of you suspicious on what goes on behind the scenes. Read on for all the details.I’ve had the pleasure and good fortune of working in the videogames industry for a number of years. There is a small core of people reporting on videogames in Australia and I’ll let you in on a few industry truths… at the risk of raising the ire of the rest of this “core”.For starters, most are super-protective of the inner-working of “games journalism” and pretend like it is rocket science. It is not. To a lesser extent, there is an attitude of self-importance, like they are Gaming Gods. If anyone should be a Gaming God, it is the guys who create masterpieces – like the folks behind Mario or GTA or Pro Evo or World of Warcraft. “Gaming god” status should not be bestowed on you just because you finished Tomb Raider and wrote a play guide on it. And definitely not because you gave Ape Escape “68%” when everyone else gave it, “at least 7.5”.Colleagues of mine refer to themselves as “games journalists”. Now I just have a personal gripe about this one… even though I remain a firm believer of “each to his own”. Granted most of these guys know their games, but when the same guys do nothing but sit around and ask for free games from games publishers and do little more than re-hash reviews by fashioning them from press releases and the internet, I have a seriously hard time giving using the word “journalist” with a straight face. “Games reporters?”… yes. “Games reviewers?”… yeah I think so. But “journalist”? You cannot be serious.Now, having said all that, reporting on games is not nearly as corrupt as some places claim it to be. Yes, it’s bloody fun and for some, being wined and dined is a pretty regular occurrence - but things aren’t as underhanded as you might imagine. All I am saying is that you should not trust any game review, or reviewer, that your search engine throws up. Gamers should be aware of what pressures and temptations games reporters work with, so they immediately buy into what someone has written.Here is a “hit file” of stuff that has happened, or is happening in the Australian industry:1)Fact: games reviewers have been offered either sex or money to change a review score. To quote the PR person I am referring to: “I will do ANYTHING if you can change the score. Just tell me what it will take…”2)Fact: be careful when you read an “exclusive” review. You probably already know this, but they are much-more-often-than-not tied to agreements about coverage or minimum scores.3)Fact: PR companies identify journalists they want to impress… and go about in unashamedly. This includes campaigning them for better coverage by using elaborate gifts like dinners, overseas trips…4)Fact: small media operators hold and use the power of balance over their editorial staff. When all is said and done, it means that advertising agreements do help sway final game review scores.5)Fact: most game reviewers get paid little, which increases the likelihood that they will fall into the trap of temptation. This is not their fault, but a reality of the industry.Intriguing, isn’t it? Keep your eyes peeled, for The Word From The Inside Part 2! Comments Post a comment log in to comment on news articles. Not a member? Join now.