Symposium on 'Game Reviews'

[famousblueraincoat]

Just thought it would be interesting to mention something I've come across as a result of following game reviewers. Shawn Elliot, of 1up fame (now at 2K Games) has always been an interesting character to me. He's obviously well read in the likes of historical literature and some philosophy. He's an intellectual, but he also carries around the humour and mentality of a 15-year-old forum troll.

After leaving 1up a few months ago, and being away from 'review', he's begun a Symposium (along with N'gai Crol, John Davidson, among others) that are dealing with a kind of critical assessment and analysis of 'Reviews'. http://shawnelliott.blogspot.com/2008/1 ... cores.html

I love to see this kind of thing happening with games as a medium. It began, of course, with critiques of art, poetry and literature, music and film and now these discussions have bled in to the games world. Given that games in particular seem so tied in to a money-making industry, and have little or no desire themselves to be taken as 'art', it's been such an interesting discussion so far as to ask the question of what game reviews are doing, and why they're doing it.

Admittedly, the blogspot format is atrocious to get through, but the discussion comes from all 'heavyweights' in the 'game journalism' industry and that in itself is worth your time to muddle through.

[[SCUM] McPhil]

Unfortunately, as you know, the gaming industry kills everything is money can't be made from it. The only way, in my opinion, that artistic drive of game development or game appreciation would take a foot hold is if a mega corp game publisher could find a way to make at least 22.5% margin on it or more. I can wax poetic as much as I want about the cash driving the games and ultimately the gamer - but until money can be fisted from the arse of gaming art, it'll never even have a short spotlight.