We are all part of the same family...let's act like it
I was listening to the radio today and they were talking about the big sex scandal involving John Edwards. Specifically, they were talking about how the New York Times does not consider themselves biased. The reason they brought up this topic is because for a long time, or at least as long as I can remember, tabloids such as The National Enquirer have always been looked down upon because they weren’t ‘real journalists’ and they ‘pay for their sources’ and above all they are biased. But as the people were discussing this on the radio one of them pointed out that all news outlets are biased, whether it be blogs, newspapers, online news, magazines, online magazines or whatever. And then it got me to thinking, even video game news is biased because it is usually coming from people who love gaming.
This is not to say that all video game writers have an agenda, or they want to simply get you to believe that a certain game is great when it’s crap. I am simply saying that every gamer has their preference. Some people may be inclined to like sports games; others RPG’s; and yet others first person shooters. This isn’t right or wrong, it’s just preference. And what’s interesting is that bias usually has a negative connotation. Instead of bias, we should start saying preference, because that’s simply what it is.
Please do not misunderstand. I am not saying that a sports game nut can’t appreciate a good first person shooter, or that a Halo fan can’t appreciate a Final Fantasy game, but we all have our preferences. This brings me to my next point.
Gaming journalists, I would hope, do the best job that they can when reviewing or previewing a game to try and keep their preference out of the mix. Inevitably, if it is a game they really enjoy playing because it is their game of choice there might be a bit of bias, or preference, in their preview or review.
With all that said, I implore all of you avid readers to use your common sense when reading a review, preview, or something similar at any gaming website or in any gaming magazine. It’s funny, and yet kind of embarrassing, to me on the comments section of a lot of editorials, or columns, or maybe even reviews how people rip apart a writer for their opinion (or preference). Just like you are ripping them apart for calling your favorite game crap, you in turn are showing your preference that is opposite of their preference. Neither of you are wrong, but respect is good in any arena, including comments on writer’s pieces of work.
I’ve always wondered why, if we all love gaming so much, we can’t come together and respect each other. You have Nintendo fanboys saying Xbox 360 is crap, you have 360 fanboys saying PS3 is crap, and you have PS3 fanboys saying Nintendo is crap. Instead of slamming each other, which even yours truly has bee guilty of, we should all understand that we are part of one of the biggest community of enthusiasts to hit the mainstream in the 21st century. We should all be proud of one another and our differing opinions, and we should all come together. How can we expect the world to take our passion seriously if we can’t even take ourselves seriously?
-Jeremy aka Adridius
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