1up newsletter

Except possibly my mother.

No kidding. I think it’s pretty obvious that a lot of people see this election as a turning point in American history, and not in a good way. In light of that, it’s not surprising it would overshadow their hobbies. Does Halo 2 really matter compared to the devaluation of the US dollar and four more years of “faith-based” government?

If you think that there wouldn’t be complaints of any nude photos hosted on a website owned by a professional organization like Ziff Davis you’re smoking crack.

Yet these selfsame people are free to look down on all us liberals, right?

Well, take what I said with a grain of salt. After all, the majority has spoken. Whether you like it or not, 58 million people have disagreed with the “liberal” point of view. There are concrete reasons why the Democratic party has lost election after election recently, and why they will continue to lose election and power share. And its not that everyone else is an idiot.

Um… 58 million decided to pick George W. Bush instead of John Kerry, not necessarily disagreeing with the “liberal” point of view, they just picked “their guy”.

It’s not so fucking black and white as you want to make it in both of your posts. On the other hand, what, 55 million decided to pick John Kerry? Hardly seems like everyone’s all happy and on the same page in this country.

On topic: I thought it was odd to include it in the newsletter. I get the newsletter and I like it. They just should pick game-related stuff for it is all. The blogging stuff that happens at 1UP is both cool and not so cool IMO. It dilutes the entire site, turning it into something not games focused and ruining what I thought it was going to try to be, very hardcore games related. Kinda like The GIA for dummies. But instead it’s “just another game site” now and I rarely visit.

In the effort to give everyone a voice, the site has absolutely NO voice.

–Dave

It’s not so fucking black and white as you want to make it in both of your posts.

Why the hostility?

I mean, read this

http://slate.msn.com/id/2109218/

and you tell me.

The main reason there are a lot of people who voted for Kerry who think the people on the other side are idiots is because frankly, they are. Turn on your radio and listen to Rush Limbaugh or The Savage Nation. Listen to the people who call in to those shows and proclaim their ignorance loudly and proudly while the host eggs them on and proclaims his own ignorance as well.

This isn’t the place for this discussion. We have a whole forum for it here and to be honest, I’m so pissed off at the stupid people in this country right now that it’s hard for me to accept that there are rational reasons for voting for Bush. I certainly don’t see them. He lies. He cheats. He evades. He prays upon people’s fear. He’s a tyrant as far as I’m concerned and I really am not looking forward to what he will do in the next four years.

–Dave

I’d say the mini-argument that popped up here is exactly why 1UP might want to consider vetting what goes out in terms of links in email newsletters.

While I don’t necessarily disagree with many of the things the author says on her blog, frankly I’m completely uninterested in a game site that seems to want to build traffic based on blogs that just as often have nothing to do with gaming as they do.

A comment about a movie you saw, a quick rant about politics, or a sentence on the meaning of life, sure, no problem, but I’m just not interested in the paragraphs and paragraphs of non-gaming content that site promotes as the reason I’d want to go there.

That’s what I have livejournal for.

It’s pretty depressing to think that you really do need to watch what you say. God forbid someone that works for a game magazine might think about something other than games, and write that in his or her blog.

Like I should give a shit what Tom Chick thinks about movies, right? Good thing he doesn’t have a gaming website with movie and political content.

I think the initial problem was that a (perceived) gaming newsletter linked to a partisan political diatribe as featured content. If I’m understanding everything correctly, though, it turns out that the newsletter a) isn’t about gaming and b) didn’t specifically direct readers to that particular entry. Verdict: Seems like pretty much a non-issue.

On the other hand, that a bitter, polarizing rant might actually polarize people and make them angry doesn’t seem especially surprising either. I wouldn’t suggest cutting a Guild Wars preview to run it as a feature article next issue. But since nobody’s talking about doing that, I’d say it’s case closed on this one.

Like I should give a shit what Tom Chick thinks about movies, right? Good thing he doesn’t have a gaming website with movie and political content.

Kinda ironic, isn’t it ? Discussing the politics of a link on an political editorial, erh, wait, a blog entry (!!) posted in a gaming newsletter on a gaming board that also talks about other subjects like politics and religion…
Wooo, it’s confusing, things are not black and white anymore…
We’re humans, we don’t make games in a vaccum, etc. but there is a problem about game industry folks or games mentioning these things in their blogs, and having said writings linked in a gaming newsletter ?
Again, we don’t live in a vacuum, we’re all affected by current events, in and outside the States, and I think it’s a healthy sign to see some reference to non traditional gaming content in a gaming newsletter.
It also happens all the time, on all sorts of topics, in and out of newsletter, message boards (qt3, shacknews, bluesnews, need I go on ?), all over the place, but since this one was opiniated and about politics at a particular point in time, there is a tempest in a teapot…
Sheesh

…in the “Games” forum no less.

  • Alan

Here’s the newsletter in its entirety.

=========================================================
    --------   1UP.COM -- Thinking Out Loud   --------
=========================================================
November 3, 2004

=========================================================
ADVERTISMENT
=========================================================
WIN Prizes & Tickets to NATIONAL TREASURE For your chance to win authentic film props, DVDs, posters and tickets to the screenings of NATIONAL TREASURE, click here. 
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12933-1 

=========================================================
1UP EDITORS SPEAK UP
=========================================================

What a Week For Games
by John Davison, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12936-1
Sony's Killzone is by no means a Halo-killer by any stretch of the imagination, but is an extremely competent first person shooter. Truth be told, it's a little ambitious for the current system, and it's occasional hiccups in the frame rate department are the kinds of things that make hardcore Xbox types point and snigger.


Hey, Thanks Ohio!
by Kristen Salvatore, Computer Gaming World
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12939-1
So I'm assuming that all of you who voted for George Bush will soon be lining up your sons, daughters, and cousins at the local armed services recruitment stations and signing them up for duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and most likely Africa --because you voted for war.


The Nintendo DS Is Here!
by Carrie Shepherd, GMR
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12942-1
We got a DS in the office, which Tom has confiscated, but I tried it out. It comes with a demo of Metroid Prime
Hunters: First Hunt. I had trouble steering around the narrow corridors with the D-pad in First Hunt, but a) it's early morning here, and b) I'm a spazz.


What I'm Currently Playing
by Jeff Green, Computer Gaming World
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12945-1
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War has turned out, kind of surprisingly to me, to be my favorite RTS in years--maybe since the original Kohan. The emphasis on capturing control points, the elegant way you can upgrade and re-man your squads, the aggressively cartoony graphics all make this one I keep going back to. 

=========================================================
1UP MEMBERS SPEAK UP
=========================================================

Jen Hernandez, Kawaiiyen
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12948-1
How the hell did Bush get re-elected? I might have to stick to my statements...I vowed to move to Canada if he got re-elected. *sigh*

Michael T., Bluesquall
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12951-1
As you lower the coffin of your son into a hole in the ground, I'm sure it will bring you great comfort to know that his last thoughts thousands of miles from home was probably, "At least those gays can't get married."

Raychul Moore, Raychul
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12954-1
I had the most amazing Halloween ever! Of course, I went as Princess Peach and was so worried I wouldn't run into any Mario and Luigi's....but I ran into about 6 of them.

RJ Layton, Timetokill
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12957-1
Mikami said that if RE4 ever went to PS2, he'd cut off his own head. I think that the Capcom board of directors outvoted him on that one, so he might be dead as well. 

=========================================================  

WIN A Tapwave Zodiac! 
Take a 1UP survey on your gaming experience and portable gaming devices to enter. 
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12960-1 

=========================================================  

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Sweepstakes WIN A Trip To California For Combat Flight Training! 
Enter Here: 
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12963-1

=========================================================
Shop For Games
========================================================= 

1UP.com gets you the lowest prices on the latest games! 
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12966-1


=========================================================
eNewsletter Information
========================================================= 

You are subscribed to 1UP.com -- Thinking Out Loud with the e-mail address [email][email protected][/email].

Current 1UP.com members (requires login): To change your HTML/text preferences or subscribe to other eNewsletters from 1UP.com and Ziff Davis Media, click here: 
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12969-1

Non 1UP.com members. To unsubscribe to this newsletter, click here: 
http://unsub.zd-swx.com/zd_games/[email protected]&cid=167&lid=1
Note: If you are a member you must unsubscribe through your profile settings.


For information on advertising in Ziff Davis eNewsletters, click here: 
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12972-1


========================================================= 
Magazine Information 
=========================================================

GET THE MAGAZINES DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME AND SAVE BIG: 
Electronic Gaming Monthly -- SAVE UP to 79% 
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine -- 63% OFF 
Xbox Nation (Subscriptions Now Available) -- 72% OFF 
Computer Gaming World -- A CRAZY 82% SAVINGS! 
GameNOW -- 79% OFF (that's like 19 issues FREE) 
http://eletters.1up.com/zd1/cts?d=71-167-1-1-283087-12975-1


=========================================================

Copyright (c) 2002-2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights 
Reserved. 1UP is a trademark of Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings 
Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium 
without express written permission of Ziff Davis Media Inc. 
is prohibited.

Ziff Davis Media Inc.
101 2nd Street, 9th Floor 
San Francisco, CA 94105

–Dave

Huh. Well. Huh. I stand corrected a little.

It’s all in the editing.

“As you lower the coffin of your son into a hole in the ground, I’m sure it will bring you great comfort to know…I went as Princess Peach and was so worried I wouldn’t run into any Mario and Luigis!”

I get that newsletter as well, thanks to merely having signed up on the site to get access. I know that in my case, at least, I didn’t go looking for a newsletter of blog content, and usually uncheck any newsletter options when available.

However, my spam filters almost always mark it as spam, so I never really paid attention to it.

If she said, “DOOM 3 is the best game of the year; Half-Life 2 is a poseur,” she’d probably lose more readers.

So I’m assuming that all of you who voted for George Bush will soon be lining up your sons, daughters, and cousins at the local armed services recruitment stations and signing them up for duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and most likely Africa --because you voted for war.

so is 1up.com a gaming site or a political blog?

If she said, “DOOM 3 is the best game of the year; Half-Life 2 is a poseur,” she’d probably lose more readers.

Well, yeah, because that’d be fucking outrageous. Back to me - the only thing I stand corrected about is my description of the email. I still think it’s not that big a deal. Though whoever assembles the newsletter should probably get a vigorous talking to since he sounds like a real troublemaker. And I stand by my advice to Jeff Green that he shouldn’t run it as a feature article. But since nobody’s even mentioned that except for me a couple of times, I’m also standing by my conclusion that it’s diagnosis: case closed.

If you do, however, take my suggestion to turn it into a feature and then stupidly ignore my advice not to do that, I have the perfect picture for the cover: