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An oral history of game criticism blogging, from 2007-now

An oral history of game criticism blogging, from 2007-now. Aka some old boring stuff about blogs or something idk. Three Eras. “Golden Era” (07-08) Community expansion era (09-12) Modern era (13-present). “Golden Era” (07-08).

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An oral history of game criticism blogging, from 2007-now

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  1. An oral history of game criticism blogging, from 2007-now Aka some old boring stuff about blogs or something idk

  2. Three Eras • “Golden Era” (07-08) • Community expansion era (09-12) • Modern era (13-present)

  3. “Golden Era” (07-08) • A twitter convo b/w Michael Abbot & Steve Gaynor first proposed this as a “golden era” • It was the period of (the first) Modern Warfare; Bioshock; Far Cry 2; Fallout 3 (Fantastic era for games!!) • Game criticism was blog & blog comment based

  4. Community Expansion Era (09-12) • Twitter became massively important (arguably where that all important “conversation” about games happens) • Massive increase in number of blogs/writers/people • Critical Distance was an important hub

  5. Modern Era (13-now) • Diversification of topics and participants • The rise of long form (Killing is Harmless, etc.) • Paid zines/Mags • Patreon

  6. A partial history… • This is my history, as I saw it, other accounts necessary, important and very valid. • Sites that pre-date this account: • Old Man Murray • Insert Credits • Charlie Brooker’s stuff (?)

  7. The beginning (‘07-‘08) • August 07 • The Brainy Gamer: Michael Abbott • Drama prof @ Wabash college, on sabattical • daily posts • lengthy comment thread convos • a ‘chat box’ on the site that opened an IM with Michael. V personal site.

  8. Pre-twitter (’07-‘08) • Lots of us were leaving long comments, having convos in thread • “The conversation” really did take place on blogs and in blog comments (with all the problems that entails) • Finding our own voice online • Very US and Australian based community (UK sites were centered around RPS instead mainly? I think?)

  9. The Brainysphere(‘07-‘08) • Kotaku’s Maggie Green: • Did as much for TBG & community as Abbott did, sending important early Kotaku traffic. • Even Ian Bogost appreciated her links!! • A really cool series on the early “big names” – Michael Walbridge’s “Game Anthropologist” column for GSW (Interviewed: Michael Abbott, N’GaiCroal, Kieron Gillen, Leigh Alexander, Chris Dahlen, Mitch Krpata) elaborated the conneciton & shared affinities b/w these core blogs

  10. The Brainysphere(‘07-‘08) • Given the name “The Brainysphere” by Dan Golding: approx. 50 blogs, list at start of 2009 • All the initial Critical Distance volunteers were from TBG community, reg. commenters/readers, bloggers inspired by Abbott.

  11. Effects of The Brainy Gamer (‘07-‘08) • Inspired people to start their own blog (I had one – SLRC!) • Inspired the kinds of posts people made and the kinds of blogs they were. • Methods still undefined; it felt like NGJ-esque was still “risky” could “fail” at any time. • Specialist perspective: SLRC was a music/sound and games blog. Golding’s was games and geography. Dan Bruno was games and music/transcription. &tc. • Also very mostly white dudes =(

  12. The community expansion (’09-‘12) • Started around the time Critical Distance was formed at start of 09 • CD began as a response to the sense of increasing volume and number of blogs and work being done: felt like community needed organising • Influx of new bloggers “reinventing the wheel”: everyone was posting about “Are games art?”, wanted to get the convo to move forward instead. • Golding linked to 51 blogs in “The Brainysphere” at start of ‘09, would have doubled by start of 2010

  13. The community expansion (’09-‘12) • Twitter became mega important, and the place where “it” happened (the magical “conversation”) • Lot of cool ppl joined in this period – established a lot of us speakers (and myself; ppl only know me b/c of C-D) • C-D was a fairly important hub site

  14. The community expansion (’09-‘12) • KillScreen – started as place to publish in print “the brainysphere”; community development • The Border House started – in part as response to the perceived failure of C-D to do more for diversity, partly to just do more diverse games criticism • Most ppl here probably are familiar with most of the history of this period

  15. The Modern Era (‘13-present) • Kicked off by Brendan Keogh’s Killing is Harmless • Changed the perception that it was impossible to do really long form criticism • Changed the perception that it wasn’t possible to get paid for games criticism • “did pretty well financial-wise” – BrendunKeugh (whatever “pretty well” means!)

  16. The Modern Era (‘13-present) • After KiH we saw: • Rowan Kaiser’s Mass Effect boooooook • 300 page Warioland analysis • Five out of Ten mag • Arcade Review • Self-published zines • And the all important Patreon

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