Actually, there is a type of games investigative journalism that I would appreciate. The type that would explain to me why Quarrel by Denki never came out.
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Of course it's not necessary. Look at the few pieces of games journalism that you actually respect and extrapolate what information allowed them to write it. Most of games journalism is a professional version of the "first" in the comments section. Not that it has no use, but it's easily duplicated and completely dependent on level of access. And since there are embargos on information, there's a limit to how first you can be.
So actually, if knowing all that shit gets you in far enough that you can publish an article at the moment the embargo lifts, then yes, you do need to know it.
I'm more interested in game criticism and game curation. Game criticism is when you provide us with an arguement that allows the player to perceive a game or gamer culture in a new and enlightening way. It provokes thought. Game curation is when you point out games that I wouldn't have known were in my interest. I feel that Rock Paper Shotgun does an excellent job of this, but there are so many games that don't have enough people falling over themselves that there is room for excellence. Knowing the big money publishers and their umbrella projects isn't necessary for this, because they already put plenty of money in marketing. But if you can find jewels on Newgrounds and Xbox indie arcade, then I would be appreciative.
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@ Alejandro Quan-Madrid, The idea of arcade games having more fidelity than console ports is so ingrained that now when I go into the back room of a bowling alley, there's this denial that I'm going to be playing something outdated until I waste a quarter. Sometimes the game will be 50 cents when it was 25 when the game was contemporary!
I used to rent console versions of arcade games and be very disappointed, more so when you know what you are missing.
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Captain America and the Avengers was super fun in the arcade. It was very punchy.
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This is a clear description of something hard to describe. I'm not aware of a term for it, but it's the whole (going deep enough that you find a rock bottom from which you can build a solid foundation). I had this experience, but completely unrelated to games and I become frustrated when trying to communicate its importance to others. Until you try to follow your desires and discover their flaws, you'll constantly be pining for misnomers. Now I want things that I get and i say to myself, "If it is possible for me to be satisfied, then this is it."
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