Game Journo who got stuck on Cuphead's tutorial responds

[ZuXer]

[quote]Let’s start with an understatement. You may have heard that I failed miserably in playing a demo of Cuphead, and the video I posted mocking myself has gone viral on the internet. My game crime: I was so bad at playing I was deemed unfit to be a game journalist.[/quote]

[quote]Another game journalist (and some say “shitlord”) saw my video. He clipped it to the 2.5 minutes of the most damning inept gameplay, and he posted it to his followers. He used me to condemn all game journalists, raising the smoldering issues around Gamergate and its focus on game journalism ethics. His post was political propaganda for the disenfranchised gamers, the sort who went from Gamergate to the alt-right and elected Donald Trump as president.[/quote]

For context for those who don't know what's going on: This is the guy who couldn't figure out the tutorial level, here's a great video that shows how a pigeon figures out a simple puzzle faster than this guy:
[video=youtube;OOjXaAZHEQE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOjXaAZHEQE[/video]
This is also the guy who got flak for his [URL="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/01/the-mercurys-takahashi-issues-apology-for-mass-effect-review/"]Mass Effect review[/URL], because couldn't figure out that you have talent points and you have to spend them, and called the game bad.
I also love how most of the article is blaming Gamergate, Donald Trump, and then defending his own ass by saying that other devs said that he's a nice guy.

Full article: [URL]https://venturebeat.com/2017/09/08/the-deanbeat-our-cuphead-runneth-over/[/URL]

[Steel]

There's been a couple of journalists with articles who have come to defend him. From Dante Douglas, for [url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/09/videogame-culture-needs-to-stop-fetishizing-skill.html]Paste Magazine[/url]
[quote]When a reviewer has trouble playing a game, the instant reaction by many crowds boils down to “If you can’t play this game, why are you in games criticism?” The implication isn’t hard to find: There is an assumption that in order to be a good games critic, you have to be good at games.

It’s a bad assumption, to put it simply.

Videogame culture, writ large, fetishizes skill. An individual’s skill at a particular game determines the validity of the argument posed by that individual, in most common spheres of discussion. But it’s not a really good barometer for critical meaning by any measure.
Games, especially in the modern era (with the aid of Let’s Plays, streaming, and various other methods of content absorption without mechanical interaction) are no longer simply puzzle boxes to unlock knowledge of by solving. Games are stories, conversations between player and world, and conversations between designers and viewers. The act of play itself is but one method of experiencing what we call a “videogame” in modern critical discussions.

This has adverse other effects, as well. Skill fetishization not only adds validity to those critiquing a game, but to those who are making games. An entire other recurring conversation in games criticism revolves around “what is a game” and most of that well is poisoned by skill fetishization as well. At some point, as a culture, games need to leave the skill assumption behind.[/quote]
:what:

[WhyNott]

I dunno, I thought that too, but then I read an essay on this whole controversy written by George Weidman (super bunnyhop) and it convinced me that guy doesnt really deserve all the hate he gets. I would post it, but its a patreon exclusive and I dont what to be that guy.

Keep on mind, Dean Takahashi isnt some starbucks english major, he has been a gaming journalist for like 7+ years and has written some very good articles in the past.

Even Weidman admitted at the end on his essay that Dean had made some glaring factual mistakes in his summary of cuphead and he doesnt want to die on the hill of defending that guy, so :v:

(His shoehorning gamergate into this doesnt help his case either)

[turke]

need to shoehorn gamergate, donald trump and alt right in there and he did a stellar job at that at least

[ZuXer]

[QUOTE=WhyNott;52663692]I dunno, I thought that too, but then I read an essay on this whole controversy written by George Weidman (super bunnyhop) and it convinced me that guy doesnt really deserve all the hate he gets. I would post it, but its a patreon exclusive and I dont what to be that guy.

Keep on mind, Dean Takahashi isnt some starbucks english major, he has been a gaming journalist for like 7+ years and has written some very good articles in the past.[/QUOTE]

Oh, you mean the [URL="https://venturebeat.com/2011/05/25/how-many-ways-can-thqs-space-marine-game-rip-off-gears-of-war/"]article[/URL] where said that Warhammer 40k: Space Marine was ripping off Gears of War's artstyle?

[DinoJesus]

I don't think that video is something you can save face on. He should have kept his mouth shut and road it out.

[dirty_ape]

Let's be clear. You don't have to be really good at video games to be a journalist. You just have to understand the fundamentals of them which the guy clearly doesn't. Games journalists suck balls in general. You can tell he's the type of guy who just plays the games as a job and wasn't into games before he had to write about them. There's probably a lot that are like that.

[Tinter]

While I sympathize with the "You don't have to be good at video games to review them." I feel like there's a point where you have to say you at least have to know some stuff about video games, and gameplay like this looks like it came from a person who had never played any game up until this point. So I don't think anyone is wrong is thinking that this is too low for a games journalist.
And while I haven't delved into it too much, I remember reading in another thread how the reviews made by this journalist also just came down to talking about the publisher and CEO, instead of giving interesting commentary on the game itself.

[LeonS]

[QUOTE=Dirty_Ape;52663703]Let's be clear. You don't have to be really good at video games to be a journalist. You just have to understand the fundamentals of them which the guy clearly doesn't. Games journalists suck balls in general. You can tell he's the type of guy who just plays the games as a job and wasn't into games before he had to write about them. There's probably a lot that are like that.[/QUOTE]

i think you absolutely should be good at video games to be a gaming journalist. we're not talking about cooking, directing movies or writing books. you just need to be somewhat skilled at playing a damn video game. and with how fucking easy most video games are nowadays, that shouldn't be an issue. he does deserve the flak he gets. i'm not asking that he's some guy who knows every video game mechanic inside out and that he can clear dark souls at level 0 with fists only or that he collect every single treasure and all bonus objectives (incl. hidden ones) in Thief but jesus dude, the guy had troubles fucking jumping in a tutorial and had no clue about the very obvious talent points given to you in Mass Effect.

[krail]

he really shouldn't be reviewing things if he can't play for shit but you don't need to be good at games just to provide coverage at gamescom and other shows. he's there to show a game, not provide critical analysis or review

also, almost immediately after uploading, the title and description of the video were updated to clarify they were aware of how bad the gameplay was. it was fun to cringe at, so why can't they upload it?

make fun of it if you will but it's unexpected and sort of sad how quick people were to get extremely hostile and vindictive, calling for the guy to get sacked because he sucks at platformers, and making this some kind of dumb attempt at commentary on the video game journalism industry

[NostalgicBird]

[QUOTE]This is also the guy who got flak for his [URL="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/01/the-mercurys-takahashi-issues-apology-for-mass-effect-review/"]Mass Effect review[/URL], because couldn't figure out that you have talent points and you have to spend them, and called the game bad.
I also love how most of the article is [B]blaming Gamergate, Donald Trump, and then defending his own ass by saying that other devs said that he's a nice guy[/B].[/QUOTE]

Seriously, how the hell does Trump have anything to do with this?

[ZuXer]

[QUOTE=krail9;52663724]he really shouldn't be reviewing things if he can't play for shit but you don't need to be good at games just to provide coverage at gamescom and other shows. he's there to show a game, not provide critical analysis or review

also, almost immediately after uploading, the title and description of the video were updated to clarify they were aware of how bad the gameplay was. it was fun to cringe at, so why can't they upload it?

make fun of it if you will but it's unexpected and sort of sad how quick people were to get extremely hostile and vindictive, calling for the guy to get sacked because he sucks at platformers, and making this some kind of dumb attempt at commentary on the video game journalism industry[/QUOTE]

It's his job to be competent at games.
Reminder that these people are also influencers in the industry. Just to stick to cuphead, IIRC, the game was originally a boss rush game, not a full on platformer, but people, including game journalists said that the game was lacking and it needs to be a platformer.
Also note that these people also score games, which influence the Metacritic score, which in many cases has monetary repercussions to the devs, Obsidian didn't [URL="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/obsidian-denied-bonus-over-new-vegas-metacritic-score-studio-head/1100-6366337/"]get a bonus paid to them by Bethesda[/URL], because their Metacritic score was only 84, and the contract they signed said that they'd only get the bonus money, if it's 85 or over.

[Thelurker1234]

This article really makes my bait-alarm start blaring wildly. Along with them even uploading it.

He's probably pretty happy this has gone viral, to say the least.

[LeonS]

like, why do video game journalists get to be bad at games? i get being bad at a specific genre. im not particularily good at racing games, sports games or fighting games (though Tekken is my only forte there). just hand off the game to another reviewer, or if you are absolutely forced to review it, atleast make an effort into learning something regarding the gameplay

[Kegan]

Is it really that hard to say "I fucked up and I am bad at video games" and move on without having to bring up irrelevant shit?

[Redfiend]

Gonna have to admit, that was the most painful minute of my life. Even more painful than the time I broke my femur.

[Balblair]

Any form for media critic should have experience in the field they're responsible for, especially when you've been in the business for [B]25 [/B]fucking years.

These people have a significant influence on the success of a game, and you simply can't give a worthwhile and honest review if you can't work out the basic gameplay mechanics of a simple game. It's his job, and there's no excuse.

[DeafNoEyes]

I don't really mind if you are bad at a certain game and write the review about it, but if you're just inept at it and are not capable at understanding basic principles then I do have to say that they should get someone else instead to play the game. Maybe not fire the guy, but if he's not good at these type of games then the editor/whoever assigns these should give you a different genre to cover, right?

[Luni]

[QUOTE=LeonS;52663738]like, why do video game journalists get to be bad at games? i get being bad at a specific genre. im not particularily good at racing games, sports games or fighting games (though Tekken is my only forte there). just hand off the game to another reviewer, or if you are absolutely forced to review it, atleast make an effort into learning something regarding the gameplay[/QUOTE]

The best comparison I've seen: video games are an interactive medium, they aren't art on a wall. Trying to be a game journalist, while so grandma-bad that you can't finish the first level, is like trying to be an art critic while mostly blind or a music critic with severe hearing loss. You're unable to accurately judge something if you can't fully experience it.

Meanwhile, this whole "fetishising skill" nonsense comes up only because games journalists want to act like they're art critics looking passively at a painting on a wall and gamers call them out on it. I have no problem with casual games or the concept of a game being really easy or even someone not being good at certain kinds of games, and I'd wager most of us don't mind it either

[QUOTE]Games are stories, conversations between player and world, and conversations between designers and viewers. The act of play itself is but one method of experiencing what we call a “videogame” in modern critical discussions.[/QUOTE]

no it's fucking not you idiot [I] the entire point of games is that they're interactive this is LITERALLY IN THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD 'GAME'[/I]

[QUOTE]This has adverse other effects, as well. Skill fetishization not only adds validity to those critiquing a game, but to those who are making games. An entire other recurring conversation in games criticism revolves around “what is a game” and most of that well is poisoned by skill fetishization as well. At some point, as a culture, games need to leave the skill assumption behind.[/QUOTE]
hey look it's "gamers are dead" again

[sir whoopsalot]

[QUOTE=Steel & Iron;52663691]There's been a couple of journalists with articles who have come to defend him. From Dante Douglas, for [URL="https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/09/videogame-culture-needs-to-stop-fetishizing-skill.html"]Paste Magazine[/URL]

:what:[/QUOTE]

Imagine writing an entire article to defend someone being completely fucking inept at the most basic genre of game there is, let alone while it's your FUCKING JOB.

[Corn]

How the fuck do people fail so miserably when their job is playing video games

[DinoJesus]

When did game reviewers get themselves stuck up their own asses anyway. It wasn't always this bad, especially not in the days of gaming magazines.

[Coment]

There's being bad at videogames and there is jumping [U][B]15 [/B][/U]times in front of the obstacle, doing the [I]same [/I]jump on the [I]same [/I]spot with the [I]same [/I]conditions, and expecting something to change.

Since we're talking about videogames: [B][I]Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity...?[/I][/B]

[Hickleberry]

I honestly didn't think his performance was that big of a deal (granted, I never saw his own video where I'm assuming he's providing commentary about how it's the game's fault), but I can sheepishly say I've stumbled over very basic game mechanics before. Being unable to complete a seemingly benign task for several minutes isn't a rare occurrence.
I'm not saying he's not a shit journalist, but I really don't think anyone deserves such harsh backlash over a minute and a half of poor gameplay. Some of the videos ostracizing him are truly over-the-top.

[QUOTE=DinoJesus;52663809]When did game reviewers get themselves stuck up their own asses anyway. It wasn't always this bad, especially not in the days of gaming magazines.[/QUOTE]

I feel this way about most game journalists, honestly. Jim Sterling is a prime example - great content, great editing, but good god the man is overwhelmingly arrogant.

[Natrox]

I don't get why people focus on him bringing up Gamergate and alt-right. He's merely criticizing those who are telling him to kill himself because he's bad at a game. The whole message of his article is that gamers who suck at games aren't any less of a gamer.

[QUOTE=Luni;52663802]no it's fucking not you idiot [I] the entire point of games is that they're interactive this is LITERALLY IN THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD 'GAME'[/I][/QUOTE]

You fail to get the point of this statement. He's not saying that the play-aspect of games is unnecessary, he's saying that games are much more than just gameplay these days. Stuff like a vivid story, appeal to morals, etc. The medium is far past the point of simple arcade games.

[QUOTE=Luni;52663802]hey look it's "gamers are dead" again[/QUOTE]

Again, not the message he is trying to convey. He's not trying to take some SJW-stance, he's saying that industries and designers who focus purely on the skill-aspect of games are bad for the industry. He's also saying to embrace that not everyone is good at video games, but that they can still enjoy a game for the story and other aspects. He's basically saying that having different difficulty settings and skill levels is a good thing for appealing to everyone (bad or good gamers) on the market.

If everyone would read the article properly, they'd know that he was just doing a quick demo. He thought it'd be funny;

[quote]I came back with video that I thought was unusable, but my colleagues thought it would be funny, too. I didn’t make a weighty judgment about whether you should buy Cuphead or not. I wrote a slice-in-time preview. It was naively devoid of context that possibly could have headed off that anger. So many people didn’t realize that this wasn’t a serious review. I was messing around at first, and I wasn’t focused and serious until I had warmed up.[/quote]

I guess it didn't resonate well. Either way, people who are telling him to kill himself or whatever are pretty retarded.

[Seba]

TBF he rarely reviews games - mostly tech and vidya business articles iirc - and the video wasn't recorded for review purposes

[Natrox]

[QUOTE=seba079;52663864]TBF he rarely reviews games - mostly tech and vidya business articles iirc - and the video wasn't recorded for review purposes[/QUOTE]

Yeah he's a tech reviewer/writer first and foremost.

[Kljunas]

[QUOTE=Natrox;52663855]I don't get why people focus on him bringing up Gamergate and alt-right. He's merely criticizing those who are telling him to kill himself because he's bad at a game. The whole message of his article is that gamers who suck at games aren't any less of a gamer.[/QUOTE]

Because it's a bizarre thing to bring up, there's absolutely nothing political about this thing.

[Alice]

[QUOTE=Steel & Iron;52663691]There is an assumption that in order to be a good games critic, you have to be good at games.[/QUOTE]
More like the implication is that in order to be a good games critic you shouldn't be an idiot. You don't need to be great at games to succeed at a tutorial. (And if you can't succeed at a freaking [I]tutorial[/I] then you really do have no place in games journalism because what the fuck dude...) You just need two or three brain cells to rub together. I've met some people who are really bad at games and occasionally have a serious brain fart regarding things that should be straight forward but even the worst of them would never fail at something this straight forward and obvious. The game literally spells out what you have to do so even if you don't understand right away following the instructions and failing a handful of times should make it blatantly obvious to even the dumbest moron around what you need to do.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/TMZ6NeM.png[/img]
The only way this could possible be more clear is lining it up exactly where you should be to do it and using the player's graphics to show what to do. But it's still nonetheless perfectly clear.

[ZuXer]

[QUOTE=seba079;52663864]TBF he rarely reviews games - mostly tech and vidya business articles iirc - and the video wasn't recorded for review purposes[/QUOTE]

Then why publish it? Was he being ironic? Being bad at something ironically is still being bad. He's an industry veteran, didn't he know this would happen? Don't they remember the shit Polygon got for their incredibly awful gameplay of the DOOM reboot? Either this guy is so far up his own ass that he honestly didn't think that people would say mean things about him, or this was done on purpose to generate buzz for himself, or the site, or something else.

And this guy has a fucking history of having no idea what makes a game good, or how they work. He's the guy who called W40K a Tolkein in space/Gears of War Ripoff, he's the one who complained that X-com 2 is too hard, he's the guy who couldn't figure out how to distribute skill points. If he's a tech reviewer/writer, the fuck is he doing with a gameplay video? I'm not gonna ask Gordon Ramsey to give me his thoughts about the latest sports car, or Jeremy Clarkson what he thinks of a fancy new resturant.
As for the "harrassment" grow some fucking thicker skin. Guy claims he's been around since Pong, doesn't he know how the internet works? Or the industry? Gamers always took pride in their skill, and profanity wasn't that far behind such boasts. Is he seriously afraid for his own life because @Goatfucker69 and @Sepiroth4eva on twitter called him a retard and told him to kill himself?
This is just another case of the Gaming journalism circlejerk doubling down, instead of either shutting up or trying to acknowledge they fucked up.