The Collapse of Video Game Journalism

[@SideScrollersPodcast]

Check out the whole video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnzcineLl7KHq9k Make sure to subscribe to our channel as well!

[@seagrey75]

It's not journalism anymore but activism.

[@M-S_4321]

Once the use of 'payment language' is apparent, activism becomes clearly obvious.

[@agingerbeard]

This has been the problem with all journalism, for decades. Gaming journalism is just a recent vector lol

[@akumaking1]

You mean “Craptivism”.

[@wrongthinker843]

The Duranty school of "journalism".

[@afcansf5996]

@@agingerbeard Recent, it'd been like this for two decades.

[@dr.medieval1131]

At this point, journalists would lie about the color of the sky if it helped with the narrative.

[@matthewbarrios1028]

Journalist: "The sky isn't blue because it hasn't told us what color it identifies as yet" The Bioware steals that line and puts it in their next game telling us we need to do push-ups to atone for miscoloring the sky. This is literally where we are at now.

[@cyphaborg6598]

It was inevitable that the legacy media (which includes gaming journalism) was going to clash with the likes of KZbin, Twitter(X) Facebook users and creators. It's no longer a one way conversation.

[@Phrosnite]

The problem is that "independent" youtube game critics are also falling in the "access journalism" trap. Every year they become more and more like the legacy media. Having an early copy of a game so you can have a review ready on release is incredibly important and those youtubers.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

We always had youtubers that were shilling for handouts, but it's easy to spot the "access youtubers" at least (they all drop reviews before the game is out) so you know who is 100% shill

[@ahmataevo]

@@marcogenovesi8570 - Yong out!

[@markwatson8714]

That's because the KZbinr/Streamer themselves is irrelevant. It's the elephant in the room; traditional reviews became completely redundant the minute people started streaming games - you don't need to hear someone's opinion on a game when you can watch it actually being played and form your own. So getting the first video out is all important for the simple reason most people are just going to watch the first video they find on a game they're interested in long enough to decide whether or not they're going to buy it. Doesn't really matter whether the person making the video is a shill or a literal badger that just happens to have a webcam, console and opposable thumbs; the majority of the audience isn't paying attention to them to begin with.

[@NealPalmer-x9e]

Who needs early access. Just wait until its released, play it and give a review. Wasn’t that how it worked in the passed!

[@zetsumeinaito]

Which is funny to me, cause I rather watch streamers play live than watch someone with an early copy. I'm very selective on what I preorder, with the last being Neir: Automata. Ever since consoles got online access, day one game quality has went down to the point that the experience is always better at least a month after release.

[@davemustang8173]

We've reached the point where the old ScrewAttack was better journalism than anything Kotaku or Gamespot could do today

[@iamLI3]

and that point was reached back when screw attack was founded

[@odindarkll3706]

Even more prevalent when you realize that Stuttering Craig's very creation (ScrewAttack) is now puppeteered by raging activists.

[@rallokkcaz]

Inside Gaming was even better lol.

[@SicFromTheKush]

The Hatebit podcast with Razor and his boys from like 2012-2013 are great time capsules. We were all aware of the issue of DRM and "license to use", right to repair john deere style issues with console. He we are 12 years later with no major uproar to speak of, we all just kind of rolled over and took it. Now physical media is doomed

[@marhawkman303]

@@SicFromTheKush You know... a large part of why Playstation Access is one of my favorite game related YT channels... is that.. despite being paid shills... they're very hONESt paid shills. They're upfront about how they're not just "fans". They like Playstation, and this is a dream job for them, but they're getting a salary from Sony.

[@michaeltalpas]

How do these people not understand that the magazines were just advertisements. I understood that when I was a kid.

[@weemadangus1834]

I bought them for cheat books, demo cds and information as well. True about being ads for games and hardware. Watching old Gamemasters shows it stands out. Gore Edition was one big Atari Jaguar ad and had no interest in getting it!

[@marcogenovesi8570]

Yup the "gaming journos" were basically an arm of the marketing department even in the magazine days. Only difference is that they were not activists for weird 4th wave femnism

[@michaeltalpas]

@@marcogenovesi8570 True. When they at least had some integrity, their opinions and recommendations were worth something. At the very least, I believed they had actually played the games. Now, I doubt they even do that.

[@G360LIVE]

EGM writers told you exactly what they thought. They weren't advertising for anyone. And they commonly got threats from publishers about pulling ad money, but EGM never complied. That's why EGM was the best magazine back in the day. But there were other magazines that obviously complied with what publishers wanted them to say.

[@Xellos14]

And nothing of value was lost.

[@palazzo1113]

Craig has authority in this matter because he's an absolute OG. Screw Attack squad, where y'all at?

[@iamLI3]

indeed , in fact i think craig is the video game media person i respect the most in the world THANK YOU CRAIG~ THANK YOU CRAIG~ (those who know)

[@Rolandeld1999]

Im so old i was around before the guys spilt and had the screwattack xbox 360 profile pic

[@iamLI3]

@@Rolandeld1999 yu a G1 as they call it??

[@Rolandeld1999]

@iamLI3 i cant really remember i found them super early and then lost track for years when screwattack went downhill. Just found side scrollers a little while ago randomly when i saw craig in a thumbnail

[@iamLI3]

@@Rolandeld1999 and then got insta hearted by craig lol

[@____chris]

Seemed more and more that video games journalists wanted to write about anything other than video games. Like they couldn't make it as a writer somewhere else and now they are stuck having to report on video games

[@barongerhardt]

The rapid rise of the gaming industry going full mainstream made every "news" company want a piece of it. They knew nothing about or cared and assigned lots young new highers that also wanted nothing to do with it. They do the same for HS sports and other trash stories.

[@CGMedia2023]

It was like this with sports reporters in the 60s like Bryant Gumbel and Howard Cosell. Both wanted to be Cronkite, didn't have what it takes, so they turned sports into politics.

[@kdawg3484]

The best thing that's happening lately is turning "journalist" in to a pejorative term, and that needs to continue unabated. The deeper problem is assigning any sort of weight or integrity to the terms "journalism" and "journalist" itself. Obviously, that's a relic of a century of media, but it also diminishes the idea that everyone is a journalist, and everyone is the press. That's the real truth. KZbinrs like SmashJT, Endymion, and others are also doing journalism, but they've got to actually win viewers by being correct and believable. The talk about the fall of "journalists" and "journalism ethics" presumes that those things exist and occupy some higher space. They don't, and "journalists" have been getting undeserved automatic credit for decades. They've used that to tell unconscionable lies in the world. Eradicate the term.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

journalists were not trustworthy even in the heyday of the "papers" and the "magazines". Changing medium does not change the fact that they were employed by a large company that only cared about profit

[@odindarkll3706]

Journalism is still very much around and is important. What we see now is MSM outliving their usefulness, thanks to them allowing activism and cuIt-like behavior to become the standard in exchange for ethics and integrity. Journalists always had to earn meritocracy even before MSM offing themselves, (just like any other profession in life) which is why the likes of SmashJT and Side Scrollers becoming more relevant than MSM. It's like what Elon Musk said: "We are the media, now."

[@G360LIVE]

Let's separate the journalists from the commentators. Anyone who makes a video of themselves reading from another source and then commenting on it is not a journalist. They are simply reading what journalists have written and giving an opinion on it, usually an opinion that their audience wants to hear so they can get views on their channel. Also, anyone claiming that they have inside sources and inside information is also not a journalist. We're not talking life or death here, so people need to name their sources so that we know they're real. I can make videos claiming that I have inside sources, make some logic guesses about things, and when I'm right, people will think that I really do have inside sources. But no, that doesn't make me a journalist, just someone who wants to use KZbin for income.

[@CIintB3ASTW0oD]

​@@G360LIVESo they're just like legacy media journalists.

[@22Chad_Reed22]

I'd rather put trust in a select few that haven't let me down over and over again than some gaming publication shilling to the max.

[@rinshaolin94]

I love the solo Craig videos

[@heavyhebrew]

Craig is that uncle whose tastes are kino, his culture patrician, his views based.

[@playnicegames]

You should always link the original video, please

[@MissRora]

Don't know if it was there right on release, but it's in a pinned comment now.

[@iamLI3]

it's 2025 now ppl still don't do that? of course they don't becuase only ppl like me do that sigh ~w~ ......

[@marcogenovesi8570]

@@iamLI3 bot

[@marcogenovesi8570]

it's in the description and pinned comment

[@iamLI3]

@@marcogenovesi8570 eh?

[@planktime]

Hi Craig, sushi X was a "Nom de plume", If you use that on blabs she will be impressed. That is all for our para social relationship today.

[@jurnuz42O]

These weirdos and their own actions have made them inrelevant, no wonder no one cares about them anymore , you guys are the new main stream.... keep up with whats your doing bros and lets keep winning🤜🤛🤜🤛🤜🤛

[@mogadeet6857]

Does anyone still read anything Kotaku says? I mean, not for a laugh. You nailed it. They just issued the press release as an article.

[@mogadeet6857]

Imagine people having ethics and morals. I can.

[@barongerhardt]

In the entertainment industry?

[@diablomozart]

it's not just games journalism but all journalism these days...

[@Virtualcults]

I don't go to activists for reviews I go to actual gamers for reviews keep up the great work side scrollers

[@Joonysuke]

Craaaiiggg. Where's the link to the videoooo? 👀

[@SideScrollersPodcast]

BAM kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnzcineLl7KHq9k

[@jeffreysherman8224]

Link in description, please?

[@marcogenovesi8570]

@@jeffreysherman8224 it's in description and pinned comment

[@jeffreysherman8224]

@@marcogenovesi8570 A creator listening to their audience? 👁️👄👁️ 🫡 Salute to the normal man in charge. Craig should start his own AAA consultant company.

[@juggernautheadcrush4161]

The second they rallied around the stance of "yes, we're corrupt but you're a bad person" games journalism was dead. Turns out the "gamers are dead" became a wound that would prove fatal to them.

[@John_Smith_Returns]

While Channels come and go, gaming websites come and go, I feel like I've been watching Craig for 20 years or so. There are some voices in our community that have been steady for a long, long time. That they've never been deemed 'Game Journalists,' despite their long time contributions to 'our thing' has probably worked to their benefit. Game journalists are shills, plain and simple. Like with politics, we need 'outsiders' to provide honest opinions. Once you're on the 'inside,' the corruption seems to set in immediately.

[@NormieNerddom]

Journalists would tell me the sky is blue and I'd instantly disbelieve them.

[@Vajrubaj]

You know what's "funny", this is applicable on journalism in general across the board. i love this solo Craigs vids/takes.

[@christopherloyd8938]

They can thank Alyssa for all of this beautiful news that we are getting. 🤔They should've kept her out of shut, but no, sweet baby ink is doing great games.Yes, how come some people didn't buy them?They didn't go to journals for interviews. 😂😂

[@michiganjack1337]

Gaming “journalism” died to me when Dan Hsu left as Editor in chief from EGM, that crew was the absolute best. The spirit kind of held at 1up but only for a shot time. All the EGM editors left and who was left were the talentless interns who have now seemingly multiplied. I also despised this revisionist attitude toward GameInformer, going to GI for any unbiased coverage was like reading a issue of Nintendo Power.

[@FallicIdol]

People like Seanbaby sucked. The magazine veered when they became more like that. And their redesigns got uglier and uglier

[@michiganjack1337]

@@FallicIdol I still have no idea where he came from? A big departure from guys like Mark Macdonald or Crispin. It was like they pulled him off the set of The Real World.

[@FallicIdol]

@@michiganjack1337 That's probably the best description of him I have ever heard.

[@darknoob1894]

i bought game magazine's for cheat book's demo discs poster's ect. like game master. i never believed the reviews i always rented before i purchased

[@christophertaylor9100]

He's not wrong about what is going on now but as you noted he's a bit silly and innocent about what used to happen. I think the main thing that has changed is that its more obvious and well exposed now.

[@OcularPerceptions]

It collapsed ages ago. They just couldn't see it from inside their little bubbles. I only follow content creators who actually play the games and provide clear opinions as they go.

[@freiteez]

My news and reviews was always Gametrailers and ScrewAttack. Personality always outweighed a random name on a article with a number at the end

[@K-W1]

For well over a decade now, "games journalism" has been just grocery store checkout rag mag level nonsense.

[@hatsunemikufanboy]

The original SushiX and trickman are chill guys i used to play online with them a bunch back in the day when vgevo was still around

[@gottalottasocks3076]

It would of been nice to have the link for the video

[@marcogenovesi8570]

it's now in the description and pinned comment

[@Jordan-ql6tm]

I pretty much stopped paying attention to game journalism at least a decade ago if not closer to two decades ago. Pretty much just wait for something to come out if I'm not ecstatic enough about it right off the bat to pre-order, I wait for the user reviews, my fellow players my peers the customers are my reviewers.

[@CushionSapp]

The bar for journalism is too low

[@ahhcmon9604]

It's not hungry for content anymore, no one goes to these websites anymore

[@recapnerd2657]

You made an error to your title, you forgot to add “The *Satisfying* collapse of video game journalism”😌

[@morecringe89]

I never took it seriously so no damage here.

[@zackmutter365]

100% completion should be required before a review is even considered being made... That's just my opinion though.

[@--ART3MIS--]

Game Journalism: when you work actively against your target audience. gee, I wonder why they are going down. but I know, they will NEVER find out!🙄

[@rexlupis]

Maybe I'm being idiotic, but I can't find any link to the original video Craig is referencing and commenting on in the description or comments. That seems like an oversight, especially since the video ends with Craig stating the link is "down below."

[@marcogenovesi8570]

I can see it now in both description and pinned comment. As usual, we should blame Blabs

[@grapesoder1301]

Activists are the only people willing to work for such low journalist pay

[@Freelancer837]

4:48 I can't tell if "Perdiepie" is a typo or a censoring of his name

[@FelixzWrath82]

Let it collapse, they have done it to themselves with the constant lies and shilling.

[@Ghillie_Beast_yt]

These gaming journalist companies are crumbling. They should be bought out by people who actually care about video games.

[@Joonysuke]

Am I the only one who think Moriarty kind of sounds like YandereDev?

[@Vaelosh466]

For recommendations the "parasocial" relationship with a creator isn't functionally different from the way journalists espouse authority on reviewing. Either way the customer is assuming the reviewer is reviewing impartially and based on their actual opinion.

[@ScottLaBo]

When are the Real Game Awardsv

[@marcogenovesi8570]

Jan 23, it's stated on the website

[@stormreaper6436]

Not to be that guy, but I absolutely hate how much game content shifted to video. Some of it, I don't mind. Stuff like news, opinion, and reviews can be decent, but frequently they milk 3 minutes of useful content into 15 minutes of wasted life. Thing is, if I'm playing something and wanting to look something up, the migration to video has really killed a lot of sites that used to be indispensable, and quite a few survivors are either disappointing (poor layouts) or actively malignant (e.g. fandom)

[@thenerdyknight1559]

They brought it on themselves

[@ZeroBeat1]

I actually agree that the Sonic x Shadow Generations collector's edition looks amazing. The problem is threefold, and it all stems from the same source: Limited Run Games. LRG makes things that are artificially scarce (there's no valid reason for producing as few items as they do per run), they overcharge, and most egregiously, their production time table is horrible - you are lucky if you get what you order within a year of the release date and/or preorder cutoff date. This is ignoring the fact that they will fire you if you don't align with them politically as their former community manager found out for the egregious crime of... Being excited for Hogwarts Legacy.

[@TheAutistWhisperer]

and nothing of value was lost.

[@905JimRaynor]

it depends how you define "video game journalism". I think "Video Game Journalism" is just fine. The "journalists" no longer work for massive media corps that simultaneously sell ad space to video game companies.

[@PureMaddnessOne]

Those magazines were never gospel for me. More fun things 2 read. Mainstream media (what includes "official" game "journalists) is busy ending itself and thus making the collapsing happening. Either Gamergate showed that mainstream media doesn't care aboot truth (they didn't do it for years, but than they really were more open aboot it), were they side with a game "creator" that sleeps with ppl for better reviews. Either ppl like proffesional victim player mercante either shows why the downfall is happening.

[@bofa83]

It’s shocking that Colin ever worked at ign.

[@odindarkll3706]

Journalism is supposed to be ethical, transparent, and terse. What IGN and friends are nowadays is a cuIt that rages for the machine until said machine spits them out.

[@WilloftheFans]

Moriarty is an EFAP alum, certainly a friend of the cause.

[@JohnPlissken]

@10:40 With my ZERO knowledge of games journalism or content creation, and terrible math skills, im just going to throw this out there. They say 100 hours to make a video. So say 50% of that time is gameplay. With 50 hours of gameplay you should be able to do a review, maybe 4-5 live streams, a few guides, some fail videos, some epic win videos, and a few showcase vids (check out this character build, etc). Againn, ZERO knowledge on the subject, but i'm pretty sure if I had video production skills I could do all that with 50 hours of gameplay.

[@kevindelacruz2602]

I guess you guys can carry the torch for game reviews.

[@Sable2322]

I LOVE how you went super on the defensive when he started talking about parasocial relationships, because that’s exactly what YOU do 😂 😂

[@BrainWasherAttendent]

Is it necessary to wear those wired ear buds?

[@marcogenovesi8570]

yes they don't have an audio set up that can cancel out the sound feedback. They are using Streamyards, it's just video conferencing software with youtube/X/twitch integration

[@SaltineCracker101]

Why do we need video game journalists again? It makes no sense.

[@OnlyKaerius]

I gotta disagree about Kotaku ever being reputable.

[@tricdaddy316]

Dude sounds like Yandere Dev

[@level9drow856]

Sushi X, MAN I am old!

[@allengarner3922]

I think the rise of "the message" and belief in it has done more to destroy journalism than likes or clicks

[@JosephTerracina-c7l]

I generally agree with Colin on this, but this video also seemed, to a certain extent, making excuses for game jurnalists, like that journal have to produce all this content all the time and how hard it is and the environment is tough and that is what led to their downfall.

[@robbiekhaos]

why put sponsors ads in so cant skip are you in need of it

[@BlackMageLozi]

* Twitter

[@Denariusjay]

"Journalism" = activism. Its a dead field.

[@bravalloy]

Nothing new in the front. Game journalism just become a regular journalism. Lies and propaganda.

[@olivierdube809]

I have quite the collection of gaming magazines (400+). I'm scared of ruining them from crying about what they used to be! Haha

[@Garrett122]

Everything you disagreed with him on, I agreed with him on. I basically agree with everything he said. Gaming Journalism is horrible for the Industry.

[@mogadeet6857]

Yeah, not a fan of unconsidered following. I am not a fan of pewdie. Maybe it's just because I'm old and critical.😅

[@Ancientreapers]

Can't happen fast enough. And no it's not the plagiarism that's the problem. Think most of us here know exactly what the problem is.

[@fellowninja]

Guy’s got a point but it’s clear that he’s got no talent for video editing if he can narrate overtop a SmashJT video for nearly a minute straight.

[@TheCentralScrutinizerAgain]

it`s taking waaay too long.

[@clippy-v4q]

Really need a new name for what they do as 'Journalism' is not representative of what they are doing if it ever was.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

technically speaking, most journalism has always been poorly disguised clickbait and propaganda. Maybe we need to find a name for the real and honest reporting and reviewing

[@darkjudge8786]

Always hilarious watching a Zoomer making a video moaning about and highlighting issues Gen X made 20 years ago and thinking he's the first one to notice.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

journos lying in papers predates GenX and probably even boomers, but otherwise yes he has just discovered how the world works, look at him go

[@AppleInk]

Always link the original video, otherwise you are just taking advantage of other people's work. Just giving a shoutout isn't enough because their name isn't the same as their channel or X's. Case in point: people think Moriarty is the same as Colin Moriarty, which couldn't be further from the truth.

[@SideScrollersPodcast]

100%. Unfortunately KZbin doesn’t allow the creator to comment before the video goes live. I just got delayed about 15 minutes before getting to the post. Next time I’ll put it in the description.

[@AppleInk]

@SideScrollersPodcast Alright then. I see Asmongold do it all the time, that's why I'm asking, and you can also pin a comment. Look, I appreciate your work. I know you and watch you since that time you appeared on an AVGN video as a ghost which was ages ago lol, I know your stuff, so I know it's not in bad faith.

[@zaviusfirerave]

He has pinned it in comment before you even commented

[@normnormey9313]

I dont trust Colin Moriarty, he's a glorified Yes man.

[@playnicegames]

Not the same person

[@AppleInk]

Completely different person. This Moriarty is an EFAP regular, not a Kinda Funny former member.

[@Kwisatz-Chaderach]

Alhamdulilah

[@kino-en]

based

[@henrykim921]

Too much exposition dude. Too many interruptions.

[@BigRed0059]

Nick is a Fraud 😂

[@spadedust24]

Every youtuber spends more time degrading games they do not like then uplifting the ones they do like. What does that tell you? You're just as bad as the so called Journalists.

[@rksp2158]

You don't cover games either you cover game journalists That's why I'm going to stop subscribing to this channel

[@cbrmartyau]

First

[@Judgementxxx]

To get pegged