Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

March 25, 2009

GamePolitics readers will surely recall numerous incidents of the mainstream media getting its undies in a twist over some video game issue or another.

GamesRadar has a roundup of some of the more memorable dust-ups between the game sector and T.V. talking heads.

The Top 7 Hated Habits of the Mainstream Media is worth a look and will probably be familiar to GP readers since some of the source material for the piece originated here.

Comments

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

The points issue is particularly true (although all are). Nearly every game you earn "points" for more extreme behaviour is a point that comes up everytime a violent game is "investigated" by the press but simply isn't true, although Achievement Points are now meaning that lazy journalists can actually be correct in their "well researched" articles.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

I know for a fact that San Andreas has points. Not just rewards or something like that, but actual numerical points that serve no purpose other than that of being points. I wouldn't be surprised if 3 and Vice City use the same system, but they probably nixed it for 4.

Edit: Of course I'm not suggesting that these news outlets actually know this. It is important that we get our facts straight though. Lots of gamer insist that GTA games don't contain points at all. It would be embarrassing if the news outlets actually learned that gamers are wrong about this. They would probably try to play it off like they knew all along too XD

Edit Edit: Actually, can somebody who really knows GTA IV confirm that it has no points. It may be hard to find them if they do exist. I know that when I found the points in San Andreas, I had already completed the game 100% twice over, and had like 300 hours of playtime, not even counting when I was just screwing around. They are buried so far down in the menu system that most people will never even know they're there.

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Believe in something! Even if it's wrong, believe in it! -Glenn Beck

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

Aye San Andreas does have a point system, I don't know what makes it go up and down precisely (except I know that inputing cheats lowers the score), but from what I've gathered it goes up when you perform criminal acts, it also has a ranking that it gives you, when you get to certain level. However the points accumulate extremely slowly and serve no gameplay purpose.

I think 4 has them but I'm not sure, I do know that IV has an insane amount of statistics like San Andreas (and yet surprisingly still no 'cops killed' statistic) and it has a ranking for addiction level but as for general points ... I'll have to check again.

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 Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

It's mainstream news media. Instilling unjust fear and panic is par for the course.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

That's the first time I've heard JT's voice. Did not sound how I expected at all, I'm kind of dissapointed.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

Yeah, he always did sound like a dweeb.  Somehow it serves to make him even more annoying.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

Just reading this article on wikipedia and thinking just how appropriate it is to this.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deviancy_amplification_spiral

 

Moral panic is probably a more correct term but who here isn't SLIGHTLY turned on by the idea of being in a Deviancy Amplification Spiral?

 

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

I love Gamesradar. They make such awesome Top 7's.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

@insanejedi

 

They have the site blocked here, A proxy wont even let me see it, Can i get a description of the site? or anyone?

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

Absolutely first-rate article.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

"Killing eachother is not a natural human instinct" - Glenn Beck

This man is so full of gold nuggets that I could make every sig I have a quote from him.

 

"I am not blaming all of societies problems on videogames. That would be stupid to do. It's the entire pop culture!" - Glenn Beck

Wow, I almost thought he was going to say something intelligent there. Darn. Well, I'm sure it'll happen one of these days.

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Believe in something! Even if it's wrong, believe in it! -Glenn Beck

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

Did Glenn Beck actually say "Believe in something! Even if it's wrong, believe in it!"? Is it in that clip the piece linked to (I didn't see the whole thing)? Because that is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. It sounds almost too idiotic to be true.

I've heard the other two lines though, they sound like something you would hear from a satirist.

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 Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

10G - Nice E.T. comparison

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

-100G - Owning E.T. for the Atari

 

Personally guilty of the latter.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

After reading all that stuff I can't help but think ...

Why the fuck doesn't Rockstar sue these people? They went after the Simpsons game for a parody poster of GTA why the fuck don't they go after the mainstream media for talking bullshit about their games?

I now have lost all respect for Glenn Beck and most mainstream media.

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Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.

Re: Tracking the Mainstream Media's Video Game Frenzies

In the "Top 7 hated habits of mainstream media," they have the tag, "how videogames turn respectable journalists into raving lunatics."

But they used a picture of Glenn Beck.  He was never a "respectable journalist."

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