Earlier today Jim Sterling wrote a about game blogging vs. game journalism which had me thinking about where on this spectrum my particular brand of gaming reflection and investigation sits. Sterling identifies a journalist as "someone who investigates, who goes out in the field, finds the news" and continues:

Unlike journalists, who strive to be objective and must generally be impersonal with their writing, bloggers will project themselves onto the work they do. They will never be shy about adding in their own opinions to the news they write about, and give the world a piece of their mind. Blogs are full to the brim with personality, and the news often comes flavored with a big chunk of bias. I want us to be realistic here though ...

I am aware that objective journalism is key when reporting gaming news and, to an extent, when doing gaming reviews. When writing reviews most game reviewers have a mental catalogue of qualities that made a quality video game according to their various rating systems. So, yes, part of me is a journalist. And then when looking at his definition of blogger, I think I am that as well. While I don't think I allow bias to enter my writing (except here in my blog, of course), I do think my reviews and articles palpably ooze personality and "dot-ness". And I don't think that's problematic. I think that in order for quality writing to be just that, it needs to to be infused with personality and creativity. I think there are, simply, several categories of journalism. While most is considered that objective reporting that Sterling spoke of, I also think that journalism can consist of retelling stories, proposing alternative perspectives on the world and critically and thoughtfully bringing a new understanding to a piece of media or a video game or whatever else is the subject of your writing. While my personality or biases may not be served up on a platter, they are present in the way I form those criticisms, analyses and stories. I don't think they need be as present as they are in my blog when I use my stream-of-consciousness, non-punctuated monologues. To me, blogging is a more casual, conversational form of writing that deserves credit in its own category. But those pieces of writing that involve intense editing, research and much more effort is where my personality as a writer really exists. So I exist, as a writer and a gamer reviewer and game journalist and blogger, in both of Sterling's categories, but also everywhere in between. I love destructoid and many other blogs, but it is a completely different animal from my more satiating gaming publications . . . and not just the review sites, but the cultural and critical perspectives on the gaming world that offer me a more complicated, complete or investigative and analytical perspective on gaming. Apples and oranges really . . . no?

I was reading an interview with Crystal Dynamics Creative Director, Eric Lindstrom in my latest copy of Play Magazine. After being asked about the realism in the game, Lindstrom replied:

Taking any character into a realistic organic setting has its obvious challenges; transitioning from video game rules to real-world rules. Will Lara only be able to carry a realistic number of items in her backpack? How Will she heal? Are you going to do away with any interface altogether? How far are you taking the realistic nature of the game?

When we talk about realism on the team, we usually call it "grounding" because it isn't about avoiding the impossible in the real world, it's about taking people into a realm of th epic and fantastic in a way that doesn't break their suspension of disbelief. The most important role that realism plays in the game is to connect the player to the experience on an emotional level, not to replicate reality, which can sometimes even distance the player if adhered to too strictly. So players can expect a heightened level of realism to their immersion, but only in all the places where it's fun and rewarding.

In a day in age where the gaming industry seems to be obsessed with making graphics and environments as realistic as possible, I find Lindstrom's take refreshing. I hope that we can be more aware of the distinction between realism replicating real life and realism in our interaction with a gaming experience. I am more a fan of the latter. I prefer my gaming to be of the more imaginative, fantastic and other-worldly type, yet at the same time, these types of games need to be realistic as far as you, the gamer, buying the experience. If a gamer is not able to become immersed in the world she is presented, gameplay will inevitably become frustrating. I hope that as video game development progresses, more developers come to understand that realism is about the connection to the world of the game, not just reflecting real life. I've got enough of that every day.

The U.S. Army Sniper School is sponsoring a Halo 3 Play & Win Sweepstakes. I don’t like the
army sticking its nose in my gaming. Just sayin’.