Games Journalism 2014: The Wherever-the-hell-this-has-gone

[TimJames]

Contacting a developers HR department over a Twitter disagreement is pretty lame.

Reads like two grade school kids that need to be separated from each other. We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

On second thought, I give him credit for contacting an HR rep in private rather than making it public. That’s rare these days.

[TurinTur]

Shawn Elliott (Arkane, former CGW & Irrational) talks about his dealings with TotalBiscuit/The Cynical Brit.

See?

This is more the expected for this thread!

[kedaha]

Reads like two grade school kids that need to be separated from each other. We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

On second thought, I give him credit for contacting an HR rep in private rather than making it public. That’s rare these days.

Read the comments section.

[CraigM]

Read the comments section.

Never read the comments section. This is no different. There was almost a dialogue between TB and Sean, then it turned into a mess quickly.

[flyinj]

Would you mind if I sent a link to your posting to Anita Sarkeesian? I think this, more than anything else, is what she might most appreciate right now. Lord knows I certainly do – this is the best sort of outcome from this entire terrible situation.

I’d really prefer you not to. The last thing I need right now is to have the raging eye of hatred turned towards me and eventually my studio.

However, once we ship and most of this has settled, it will make for a good post-mortem topic.

[Telefrog]

Reads like two grade school kids that need to be separated from each other. We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

TB is a weird duck. He comes across as very professional, knowledgeable, and reasonable in his videos. He states his case plainly and makes good points. They’re informative and usually pretty interesting. He seems the same way in interviews and news articles. TB on social media is another matter entirely. He acts like a complete shit on Twitter and other social media sites.

[TurinTur]

TB is a weird duck. He comes across as very professional, knowledgeable, and reasonable in his videos. He states his case plainly and makes good points. They’re informative and usually pretty interesting. He seems the same way in interviews and news articles. TB on social media is another matter entirely. He acts like a complete shit on Twitter and other social media sites.

Agreed. I like him in his videos, even if I don’t agree with his opinion always, and in the twitter he seems an ass. The other guy was just saying he maybe could explain more his stance, his argument, nothing to answer back “you are not entitled to my time!”. Well doh, but if you are trying to say something in a discussion, it isn’t that shocking if someone ask “why” to X statement.

[AntediluvianArk]

NPD Group:

Thirty-seven percent of the U.S. population age 9 and older currently plays PC games for an average of 6.4 hours per week, according to Understanding PC Gaming: 2014, the latest report from global information provider, The NPD Group.

PC gamers are just as likely to be men as they are women, with 51 percent and 49 percent, respectively. They tend to be older, with an average age of 38 years, and affluent, with an average household income of $69k. Gender differences become apparent by type of gamer: Heavy Core and Light Core are comprised mainly of men while Casual PC gamers are overwhelmingly female.

Over the past year, 46 percent of PC gamers have visited a site to make a digital purchase. Interestingly, gamers buying digital games are far less likely than those buying physical games to pay full price for a title. In fact, half of all PC gamers have grown accustomed to waiting for a sale before making a purchase.

Someone more informed than me can comment on how accurate the NPD survey is. I don’t have a lot of insight into that beyond reading their methodology statement via the link above.

-Todd

[mtkafka]

Wow, soap opera. I never heard of this Gamergate shit until it started invading my feed through Bluesnews. I’m even surprised to learn that it was Adam Baldwin of Firefly fame (and My Bodyguard!) who coined the term gamergate. I didn’t even know they guy was a gaming comic nerd!

Also Totalbiscuit is frikkin arrogant as hell, listening to his podcast on youtube, you can tell the guy has a huge ego. But somehow I like that a youtuber has some clout…its actualyl kinda funny. Like more people know Pewdiepie than all the gaming sites combined. And he deserves it. He’s entertaining.

anyway, gaming journalism?!? I’ll stick with tChick and quarter to three :-p

At least hes not trying to sell me a lifestyle!

[Brad_Wardell]

I must have missed the part where people were threatening to rape him, hunt him down, and kill him for months. I mean you know the usual stuff women get when they say something “wrong”. And yes, minor. It wasn’t even huge news. Sure maybe the tech sites ran with it, but compare it with some other cases … Sterling for example. It’s minor in comparison to other scandals. But you completely ignored my other point; he’s not alone in these believes or the donations and certainly not the only guy in charge of a notable company with those beliefs. So what makes this different… not just the target but the complete lack of support from his company. He didn’t even try to overcome the problem.

But no I don’t equate controversial choices as on the same level as being targeted for your sex or your race. The people questioning Anita for her views are free to do so. The large mass targeting her because she is a woman and they don’t think she has a right to those views because she is a woman, they’re not redeemable.

Really? Have you been threatened with rape, murder, etc?

I have. After the false allegations about me were published, I got death threats, threats against my family and endless posts about me where people attacked, insulted and smeared me (including you, feel free to apologize any time for that btw).

So to recap: SJWs are perfectly capable and willing to issue rape and death threats and endless attack and smear people they have decided “deserve it”. And to top that off, they acknowledge and take pride in trying to make those who don’t share eir beliefs suffer economic/career consequences.

Frankly, I am embarrassed for the people who think they have some sort of moral high ground against the #gamergate folks. This is doubly true for anyone who participated in my virtual lynching here in QT3 in that disgustng thread.

How about taking this view: Don’t attack people. Don’t insult people. Tolerate people and beliefs to don’t agree with. Don’t give yourself permission to dehumanize someone who’s done nothing to you. Don’t support coercion.

[Scuzz]

NPD Group:

Thirty-seven percent of the U.S. population age 9 and older currently plays PC games for an average of 6.4 hours per week, according to Understanding PC Gaming: 2014, the latest report from global information provider, The NPD Group.

Someone more informed than me can comment on how accurate the NPD survey is. I don’t have a lot of insight into that beyond reading their methodology statement via the link above.

-Todd

I would have to believe (like some other poll I saw someplace) that the figure of 37% includes people who play games on their phones and other portable devices and that is does not reflect that 37% of the public plays “hardcore” PC games on their computer at home.

[Telefrog]

The NPD report is pretty good. They break “gamers” up into three categories.

Three distinct segments of PC Gamers are defined in this report, all based on the types of games and number of hours played on computers: Heavy Core, Light Core, and Casual. Heavy Core gamers play core* games for five or more hours per week, while Light Core gamers still enjoy core games, but do so for less than five hours a week, and Casual gamers only play non-core games.

The largest segment is Casual at 56 percent, with Light Core at 24 percent, and Heavy Core at 20 percent. Though Heavy Core is the smallest segment, they spend a significantly higher number of hours gaming in an average week, and have spent roughly twice as much money in the past 3 months on physical or digital games for the computer than Casual PC gamers.

Here’s the part that some devs and publishers have been discussing:

Over the past year, 46 percent of PC gamers have visited a site to make a digital purchase. Interestingly, gamers buying digital games are far less likely than those buying physical games to pay full price for a title. In fact, half of all PC gamers have grown accustomed to waiting for a sale before making a purchase.

“Consumers’ expectations may be the greatest barrier to maximizing spending in the PC gaming space,” said Callahan. “Since half of PC gamers who play digital and/or physical games on the computer are expecting there to always be a sale right around the corner, publishers and retailers alike need to better manage these expectations,” said Callahan.

[playingwithknives]

A less savoury element is in ascendancy in the #gamergate discussion. Someone got in touch with Quinns Depression Quest target charity, who were like What game? Who? so everyones piling on copying in the FBI. However, its all done publicly and I’m not for dragging real charities into this shit flinging contest so I’m out.

I believe someones also persuaded official eyes to look into various things with prizes and fundings elsewhere too.

EDIT: I know I said I was out but 2 mins later someone tweeted this.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting goes to:

EJ Dickson for this article

[mtkafka]

I normally don’t give a butts butt about games journalism and the cliquieness it entails etc. but i found it kind of weird how all the ‘GAMERS ARE D3AD’ articles were coming out at the SAME time. i never seen that before. It IS troubling that they could make such broad proclamations AND get away with it! It felt like my hobby made me an Illuminati Bush supporter who killed babies just because I didn’t like that Sarkeeshian something. And I’m generally a left leaning libertarian w/ conservative economic leanings (is there such a thing?)

What really bothers me is that a site like RPS (which I REALLY liked) has become worse because of it, not the social issue stances (i agree with all of them) but the drama that entails from it all. Sites like Kotaku, destructoid i could give 2 shits about, but the ones I really like… dragged down. oh well. the internet. Well Giant Bomb has generally kept away… thanks be.

[RickH]

EDIT: I know I said I was out but 2 mins later someone tweeted this.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting goes to:

EJ Dickson for this article

Tampon Run?

Aieeee . . . gynocentrism!!

[Brad_Wardell]

I normally don’t give a butts butt about games journalism and the cliquieness it entails etc. but i found it kind of weird how all the ‘GAMERS ARE D3AD’ articles were coming out at the SAME time. i never seen that before. It IS troubling that they could make such broad proclamations AND get away with it! It felt like my hobby made me an Illuminati Bush supporter who killed babies just because I didn’t like that Sarkeeshian something. And I’m generally a left leaning libertarian w/ conservative economic leanings (is there such a thing?)

Welcome aboard. Here’s your hat. ;)

[sharaleo]

Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting goes to:

EJ Dickson for this article

So the Pulitzer Price bit here is a joke, obviously, in which case, what is the issue here? Two girls made a game to raise awareness of women’s issues and then a journalist wrote an article about it? So what? Is one of the ‘sides’ pissed about this for some reason?

[Nesrie]

Really? Have you been threatened with rape, murder, etc?

I have. After the false allegations about me were published, I got death threats, threats against my family and endless posts about me where people attacked, insulted and smeared me (including you, feel free to apologize any time for that btw).

So to recap: SJWs are perfectly capable and willing to issue rape and death threats and endless attack and smear people they have decided “deserve it”. And to top that off, they acknowledge and take pride in trying to make those who don’t share eir beliefs suffer economic/career consequences.

Frankly, I am embarrassed for the people who think they have some sort of moral high ground against the #gamergate folks. This is doubly true for anyone who participated in my virtual lynching here in QT3 in that disgustng thread.

How about taking this view: Don’t attack people. Don’t insult people. Tolerate people and beliefs to don’t agree with. Don’t give yourself permission to dehumanize someone who’s done nothing to you. Don’t support coercion.

Of course I have. I am a woman in the gaming community. Maybe that’s the part you don’t exactly get. It’s not a matter of if for many of us, but when. I don’t even have to make controversial statements… the fact I exist seems to anger parts of that community.

[flyinj]

Of course I have. I am a woman in the gaming community. Maybe that’s the part you don’t exactly get. It’s not a matter of if for many of us, but when. I don’t even have to make controversial statements… the fact I exist seems to anger parts of that community.

Ok, you can have moral high ground then.

It’s just all those others that may or may not be women that are embarrassing.

[carltonbauheimer]

Here’s the part that some devs and publishers have been discussing:

Over the past year, 46 percent of PC gamers have visited a site to make a digital purchase. Interestingly, gamers buying digital games are far less likely than those buying physical games to pay full price for a title. In fact, half of all PC gamers have grown accustomed to waiting for a sale before making a purchase.

“Consumers’ expectations may be the greatest barrier to maximizing spending in the PC gaming space,” said Callahan. “Since half of PC gamers who play digital and/or physical games on the computer are expecting there to always be a sale right around the corner, publishers and retailers alike need to better manage these expectations,” said Callahan.

They don’t mention differences in the volume of digital and physical purchases. Do those 46% of gamers who buy digital also only make 46% of purchases?

For example, at least three of my coworkers are “PC Gamers” in the sense that they buy every Sims game - at full price - whenever they come out. At least once a week I’ll hear them tell stories about how a glitch ended up killing one of their Sims. Funny stuff. One of them seemed to be more into gaming than the others (actually owned a console, too) and I’ve tried talking shop with her about PC gaming, but she didn’t even know about Steam, never mind all of the sales it has, etc. She buys physical copies of the games. She certainly buys more full priced games than I do, but considering she only buys games in that one franchise, I easily outspend her every year due to Steam’s Summer and Winter sales, never mind any purchases I make in between those major sales.

My coworker was actually pretty interested in learning more about building a gaming PC after I told her about games like Mount&Blade (“It’s basically Grand Theft Auto with swords!”) and how building or buying a gaming PC was a lot easier and less expensive than it used to be, so maybe she’ll be in the digital statistic in the near future.

All that being said, considering how big Steam has gotten over the past couple of years, its pretty crazy to think how many people play PC games and still don’t use it.;