When Reviews Go Bad, con't.

 

The Good NewsWhat are you looking at?

Yes, even though a lot of game writing is sub-par and borders on the inexcusable (and sometimes crosses that line,) there are some folks out there that are pros in every sense of the word. Amongst the freelancers, Mark Asher writes some of the most entertaining and articulate features in the computer games genre. Bill Abner writes with a rare combination of passion and skill, particularly in the area of computer sports. Brett Todd is one of the few writers who can be both brutal and fair at the same time. If you want to read insightful ruminations about RPGs, look for Stefan Desslock�s byline. Tom Chick is one of the very, very few writers whose articles I read just for the pleasure of reading his prose. When Andy Mahood describes a racing sim, you�re getting the goods from someone who has been behind more than a virtual racing wheel. Bruce Geryk�s wargame reviews are written from the perspective of an expert in both gaming and history. And I�ve obviously mentioned only some of the writers and editors who are experts at their craft. You can find writers whose tastes mirror yours and who can articulate, inform, and entertain.

And even the good guys screw up once in a while. Every good writer in this business can tell you about more than one review in which he or she simply got it wrong � a game that was a stinker that for some reason struck the writer�s fancy in some way, a really good game that just wasn�t any fun to the reviewer. As in everything else in life, your safest approach is to become as informed a consumer as possible. Read enough to know who you trust and who you don�t, on websites, magazines, Usenet, and forums.

And hold the web sites and magazines that you read up to a high standard. When you read a review that is written in what sounds like Pig Latin, when you are shocked by a review that offends not because the writer has a differing opinion from yours, or from "the consensus", but because the article is clearly inaccurate, let the head cheese of the site or magazine know about it. Conversely, when you do find reviews and articles that are well written, let the big Kahunas know about that also. Never forget - you get the behavior you reward.