Most Game Reporters are cringe

[Taleweaver]

You shouldn't attempt to show the gameplay of a game if you can't play the game. It's like being a guitar player and make hundreds of mistakes while playing Stairway to heaven and then justify yourself that you don't play those songs. Either practice or let someone else more capable do it.

I can't disagree more. By that same analogy, sports reporters shouldn't be allowed to comment on anything unless they've former athletes in the same field, political reporters should be politicians as well (which throws objectivity even further out the window), Warren Buffet should be pretty much the only person in the world to say something about the economy and literally nobody can say something about scientific breakthroughs.

In truth, you shouldn't be good at a game to enjoy it or to have a good understanding of it. And as far as the later is concerned: it IS important to play a game to get to know it. Same for the music analogy you give: someone who attempts to play and fails is someone who's opinion i prefer over someone who makes their opinion by just listening to it. Denying someone an opinion about a game because they don't master it is just elitist bullshit.

 

[330]

By that same analogy, sports reporters shouldn't be allowed to comment on anything unless they've former athletes in the same field, political reporters should be politicians as well

...yes?

I see nothing wrong with that.

 

[ThoD]

...yes?

I see nothing wrong with that.

Do I really have to do this?
report
rɪˈpɔːt/
verb
1 give a spoken or written account of something that one has observed, heard, done, or investigated. (meaning ANY of those, not just "done")
"the minister reported a decline in milk production"
synonyms: announce, describe, give an account of, tell of, detail, delineate, outline
noun
1 an account given of a particular matter, especially in the form of an official document, after thorough investigation or consideration by an appointed person or body.
"the chairman's annual report"
synonyms: account, review, record, description, exposition, statement, delineation

As "reporter" comes from here, it involves the same things. There's no need to DO something, only observe or investigate in order to report on something. HOWEVER, trying to do something along with the observation and investigation gives it even more credibility, regardless of whether you are good or not. Just because you can't play one game or one genre of games, does not mean you shouldn't be reporting.

 

[330]

Do I really have to do this?
report
rɪˈpɔːt/
verb
1 give a spoken or written account of something that one has observed, heard, done, or investigated. (meaning ANY of those, not just "done")
"the minister reported a decline in milk production"
synonyms: announce, describe, give an account of, tell of, detail, delineate, outline
noun
1 an account given of a particular matter, especially in the form of an official document, after thorough investigation or consideration by an appointed person or body.
"the chairman's annual report"
synonyms: account, review, record, description, exposition, statement, delineation

As "reporter" comes from here, it involves the same things. There's no need to DO something, only observe or investigate in order to report on something. HOWEVER, trying to do something along with the observation and investigation gives it even more credibility, regardless of whether you are good or not. Just because you can't play one game or one genre of games, does not mean you shouldn't be reporting.

It means you shouldn't be reporting that game. The definition you copypasted from Google doesn't say anything about playing games. You aren't just reporting, you're showcasing.

 

[Kioku]

I can't disagree more. By that same analogy, sports reporters shouldn't be allowed to comment on anything unless they've former athletes in the same field, political reporters should be politicians as well (which throws objectivity even further out the window), Warren Buffet should be pretty much the only person in the world to say something about the economy and literally nobody can say something about scientific breakthroughs.

In truth, you shouldn't be good at a game to enjoy it or to have a good understanding of it. And as far as the later is concerned: it IS important to play a game to get to know it. Same for the music analogy you give: someone who attempts to play and fails is someone who's opinion i prefer over someone who makes their opinion by just listening to it. Denying someone an opinion about a game because they don't master it is just elitist bullshit.

Well, shit. You're right in that regard. I guess as long as the reviewer has some clue and doesn't have vague wording and can give a fair opinion of it, then yeah

 

[ThoD]

It means you shouldn't be reporting that game. The definition you copypasted from Google doesn't say anything about playing games. You aren't just reporting, you're showcasing.

That definition is about what reporting means, not reporting on games, reporting in general! Individual cases belonging to the whole still have what counts for the whole applied to them. It's not really showcasing either when it's for the purpose of reviewing.

 

[gnmmarechal]

This error isn't as egregious as most others. Sites like Polygon have made ridiculous mistakes like getting developers or companies, or other such things. Simple mistakes are easy to make, I try not to let any typos slip past, but everyone occasionally trips up. It depends on what outlet you read--there's a good number of "pro" game journo sites that have absolutely incompetent writers.

*cough* poster *cough*

 

[barryhass]

I remember reading an article on some big name site pretty recently where a regular contributor just talked about how he doesn't really play video games and he's pretty new to them as a hobby, even though he's not really into them.

The bar. It's at floor level for some places.