I am still relatively new to this whole blogging/writing/podcasting thing so while I still don’t know if I have a clear mission with all of this, I do know there are some places I shouldn’t go. Mostly because addressing such issues either feeds an unnecessary evil or is counter-productive to the type of meaningful impact I would like to impart on my readers. That being said, I stole Chris Paladino’s ticket to the balcony this week and have a few things I need to get off of my chest. Bottom line, everyone needs to lighten up. Everyone. From the most prominent members of the Games Enthusiast Media to the unknown blogger just writing for the heck of it: Calm Down.

I listen to a lot of podcasts. I’m sure you all do as eager consumers of all things video games. No doubt you experience, just as I, the cyclical nature of the discussion on the merits of reviewing video games. I can give you a quick rundown of how each of these discussions goes: We hate giving games scores. Metacritic sucks. Woe is us for having to cover so many games. You wouldn’t last a day on ‘The Creek’. Why do I bother? Similarly the banter from the bottom of the totem pole can be summarized along the lines of: Who do these guys think they are? Money hats! I could easily do your job. Oh, that wasn’t me…I didn’t say that. If I had one wish, I would end this circular firing squad of petty complaints on all sides of the industry, from the “professionals” to the guy in the basement. All of this must end.

We need to find a middle ground. All the whining from the bottom of the totem pole needs to stop. Just because you are not the beacon of truth that you think you should be does not mean that the opinions of anyone else are any less valid. Regardless of whether or not you want to call Games Enthusiast Media actual “journalists” is a different discussion, but there can be no debate that the people that have made it to the top of their craft have done so through hard work. They deserve our respect. Opinions are not absolute truth and we are not obligated to blindly follow every word published, but that does not mean that we should automatically dismiss everything they write because we disagree. Some people like crunchy peanut butter. That does not mean that everything they have to say is no longer worth my time, even though they are misguided on the peanut butter front.

This does not exclude the high and mighty Games Journalists. I have become fond of the phrase “Games Enthusiast Press” from former GFW editor Shawn Elliott because I think that term is most appropriate and accurate for what 1UP, IGN and the like truly are. That is not meant as a slight against their jobs or the effort put into the work they do. I have no doubt that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that we have no idea is a part of their day-to-day grind. But with the amount of information and speed with which we can access it, the journalism aspect of games media has been set aside for exclusive reviews and expedient processing of studio press releases. I’m not suggesting that these men (and women) can be easily replaced, but it does not help that some of them act like they are the alpha and omega of video game knowledge. To those at the top of the mountain that rhetorically question what makes your opinion more valuable than anyone else’s, the answer is simple: There is no difference between you and me except you have a bigger soapbox to stand on. How you choose to use that soapbox is up to you, but speaking as if you know you are irreplaceable is not the tone I am looking for when it comes to coverage of video games.

Here is where I throw out an impossibly unrealistic suggestion for all of us. Reviews need to stop. Maybe not reviews themselves, but reviews in their current form need an extreme makeover. Particularly the final number at the end. The obsession over a number, letter, or quantitative value is grossly devaluing the effort put forth in each of the reviews published. How many of you shoot straight to the score of a review and completely ignore all of the text that leads up to that final judgment? It’s akin to a Pavlovian response. Review…Score? Review…Score? I know EGM tried publishing reviews without a final score and it failed, but that needs to be the direction this industry moves toward. Qualitative impressions offer the best perspective on an overall game experience, not a highly debatable rating based on the trendiest scale of the moment. I wonder what kind of discussions we could have if people took the time to read the text behind opinions instead of irrationally flaming message boards based on what Metacritic says.

We need a truce. We the gamer need to acknowledge that there is more to being a video games journalist (or whatever noun you prefer) and they deserve our respect. The big boys need to acknowledge that we are their audience and should not be so quick to dismiss our opinions as well. And ultimately, we all need to realize that video games are a hobby, a leisure activity, an escape. Sure, there is a lot of money flowing throughout the industry but that does not give any of us the right or justification to behave like selfish, spoiled brats.

I realize in writing this I am likely perpetuating the discussion and will likely arrive at the beginning of where all of this started, thus not really progressing the discourse. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this type of change, assuming it is even feasible, will not be complete tomorrow. For all the maturity we desire in our games, I think gamers need to mature more.

Did you know. I write AND podcast for Talking About Games (.com)? You should check it out, I’m everywhere.