Better late than never... I finally got around to editing the second half of the Games Journalism panel. In this episode, we are joined by guest host, Kyle Orland of Video Game Media Watch. Thanks to Kyle for his expert moderating of the panel, and for sharing his time and expertise to record our pre-show.

Here is a list of some of the resources and sites referenced in the show:

Kyle Orland's great article, It's Our Fault Videogames Aren't Considered Art. (Be sure to read the comments thread. There are some excellent, well-reasoned responses.)
1UP.com
1UP.com podcast
Sam Kennedy's blog entry on participating in the show
Dan Hsu's blog entry on Editorial Integrity
Dan Hsu's Peter Moore interview originally printed in EGM, and reposted on 1UP
Computer Gaming World
Matthew Sakey's Culture Clash column
Ankama Studios' free Flash-based MMORPG, Dofus. (To our French audience, je m'excuse.)
About.com's English lyrics for La Marseilles.
Vic Lucas' website for The Electric Playground
Electronic Gaming Monthly
EGM's collected Afterthoughts articles on 1UP
The Escapist
Gamasutra article, Difficulty and the Interstitial Gamer.
GameDaily BIZ's article, 7 Bad Mistakes that Good Game Journalists Make
GameDaily's Media Coverage page
Game Informer
The Gamer's Quarter
International Game Journalists Association
Joystiq
Joystiq's posting on Dofus
Kieron Gillen's Workblog posting on Games Journalism
Kotaku
The L.A. Times' recent reviews of film critic, Kenneth Turan
Official Playstation Magazine
PC Gamer
PC Gamer Podcast
Slashdot games
SlashDot Games reader comments on The Gamer's Quarter
Jordan Mechner entry on Wikipedia
Cahiers du Cinema entry on Wikipedia
W.H. Auden's Rules for Critics on the Wandering Ways blog page.
Sontag & Kael. An engaging, witty, and beautifully written critique on the process of critique by Craig Seligman.
Wizard Magazine
Esquire Magazine
David Jaffe's Modblog page
Hideo Kojima's HIDEOBLOG

I was going to write a 1,000-word critique on the game play experience of Tetris. But instead, I'll post some quick thoughts.

And already, it starts: I have received about a dozen alarmed reader emails expressing some concern over our comments on pithy, 100-word capsule reviews and numerical ratings of games. In case you weren't listening to the show, please allow me to restate: Kyle, Steve and I are not suggesting that all numerical scores be abolished outright. We merely want to see a broader range of how the press talks about games. We acknowledge that to many players, reviews serve a valuable purpose.

But while not everyone wants to read a wordy critique to help them decide whether or not they'd like to rent or purchase a game, it might help to validate the inherent worth of playing video and computer games if those who enjoy them were able to talk about their experiences in a way that might be appreciated by a non-gaming audience. Or even a hardcore gaming audience, though I suspect they are not the ones who need convincing...

I am finding that it is increasingly difficult to come to an experience with any freshness at all. Before anyone sees a movie, reads a novel, or plays a game, they've probably been exposed to much of the content through previews, news, or reviews already. At least in games, it is impossible to spoil the play experience simply by talking about it. Even if you read a cheat guide or FAQ, you still have to play the game to get the full experience. So that's at least one advantage we have over other media.

On games that are critical darlings that don't get the sales numbers: if I see a game that has something unique and good to offer, I put my money and time where my principles are. I buy that game and play it. There are lots of great games that didn't get the audience they deserved. Like Psychonauts, Beyond Good and Evil, Eternal Darkness, Rez, and Ico. My bet is, if your run-of-the-mill gamer would give any of these a try, they would not only enjoy them, but love them.

-Tom