@@leonardodavid4670"The customer is always right" isn't correct either because sometimes a customer really is toxic and can harm your business by association. What is really needed is the understanding that respect is a two way street and is hard to win back when lost. When the gaming journalism industry and developers began attacking their core customer base they lost the respect of their customers and saw a blow to their business and reputation.
The people who rose to the top in this current environment are insane narcissists who were able to backstab, lie, and cheat their way into their current positions. Of course they believe they can bully the audience into following their bullshit. They have no concept of ever being held accountable by anyone.
i tabbed over. There's big value in seeing you speak (video content) for at least ~10 seconds before tabbing away so I can imagine the conversation while not watching and listening
For the Sweet Baby story, we all saw how things played out on Twitter, seeing the raw hateful and spiteful statements made by the individuals involved past and present, then after a few days saw the games media’s one sided stories that omitted the raw statements that showed the intent and mentality of the Sweet Baby employees but instead tried to cast the curator group as far-right, they weren’t writing with the intent of getting at the truth of the situation but yet again tried to push a narrative and discredit a supposed enemy. After years and years of readers seeing patterns like this, propaganda and hit pieces rather than truth seeking, the media loses its value to normal people and just provides value to extremists who want coddling and want to fight for fighting’s sake or who just want an emotional reaction.
They also ONLY approve comments with same opinion, i wrote a comment about how the article was Wrong all without slurs or anything of course, ONLY for them to never approve the comment, i wonder why.
Listening to the video. As a note, recall seeing your video the other day talking about that journalist decideding she wants to go after you and figure out when you "flipped to being alt-right." Recommend you record on your side if she does try to interveiw you. I also think you nailed it with media like Kotaku: they think they're journalists. They aren't they are bloggers.
They're not bloggers, they're propagandists for the interests they work for. That's part of the reason why are shifting to alternative media like YT and social media.. there's a inherent feeling of "genuine-ness" when the content creator is directly communicating rather than a conglomerate or corporate entity
I'm listening while I'm working on the next session for my D&D game I'm running this coming weekend. I treat youtube more like a podcast than a place to actually watch for what is on screen most often.
In middle school (late '90s for me) we had to do a project looking into what careers we wanted to pursue. I loved writing. I loved video games. Game journalist! That was my dream job at the time. I didn't end up going that route and I continue to be impressed by what a massive bullet a dodged there.
I feel the same way about my mum badgering me to grow up and choose a different career than game development. Still haven't grown up but glad I don't work in that industry
I’m old enough to remember listening to a heavyweight boxing match on radio and listening to Sherlock Holmes episodes at night. So I find it pleasant to listen sometimes. You’ve got a radio voice. Not everyone has. You also have the ability to talk for a while and be interesting. So I can hear and feel facial expressions. Be ready for radio may be the only entertainment.
I was listening to this video while doing something boring that I couldn't take my eyes off of. It really helps that I only needed to listen, otherwise the grind would have been truly mind-numbing
I was listening to it while taking a bath and it helped immersing me in the idea the trash was my fart bubbles arising into the oxygen fueled astmosphere.
What's funny is I was actually watching the video at first a just a few moments before he asked about this I tabbed over to a different tab and started doing something else
I am actually always listening to your videos because I use them actually as a podcast. I have just stopped washing the dishes to comment this and I will continue. :D
Passively listening most of the time, usually while I'm doing housework or in the car. Your content is interesting enough to hold my attention while I'm busy doing something else.
Gaming media is essentially a trade press, somewhere in the explosion of gaming that trade press decided they were journalists, not just gaming journalists, so they adopted this weird approach of filtering gaming content through an activist lens, the result being what we see today. That coupled with studio/publisher capture, incestuous and nepotistic practices makes what we see today essentially inevitable, the rise of UA-cam creators made the trade press redundant, and the audience wasn’t visiting gaming websites for political opinions, fundamentally the trade press moved away from the trade and they only have themselves to blame.
That happened largely as a reaction to the fact that people don't need game journalism anymore. This isn't the 90's or 00's. Now, most people watch their favorite streamers/tubers and get info and opinions on games through them. So like a lot of borderline obsolete news services, they went sideways toward political bias and ragebait in order to retain some relevance. Naturally, this resulted in them becoming complete garbage. So yeah, rest in piss, they will not be missed.
@@christianalanwilson434that's the problem people are getting their information from a UA-camr that they relate to. So the opinions and viewpoint will always be inaccurate and biased. So when yal here a real gaming journalisy yal get in your feeling because it's not what you want to hear
@@Ccubed92You're right. I should listen to game journos more. They are definitely not corporate shills who get paid to have a certain opinion. Thank you sir for opening my eyes.
I always think of these videos as Asmongold's videos, where every other video on the channel is the editor's content for the editor's channel to pay the editor's bills. This is raw Asmon.
I have no idea about video editing, but knowing Asmon, he most likely lowered the resolution or increased compression just to save time on editing. I guess this is how we can know which videos he edits and uploads himself.
I'm an active video consumer if the video requires an active participation. This video was exactly as good with the video as without. Videos like these are my podcasts and help pass time during my long drives as a truck driver. Thanks for the content!
I definitely watch many of your vids passively. Usually as background during working out. It helps me not get distracted with tv shows but is still interesting enough to listen to as entertainment during a workout
I miss the days where game journos were confined to gaming mags like EGM, Nintendo Power and Computer Gaming World. 100% all about games, cheat sheets, reviews, guides and wacky 90s ads. Memories.
Personally, the two main reasons I stopped consuming written game reviews (a long time ago), were that: 1) videos just flat out showed me the game. I could see how it looks, how it plays, etc. They're pretty much the next-best-thing to a playable demo. I could quickly make up my mind about the game, and the reviewer could point out things he deemed noteworthy, just as he also showed them. It was (is) the most efficient way of researching on games. 2) the written forms often came off as pretentious, with their overly embellished and long-winded prose, as if the """reviewer""" was trying to impress me with their vocabulary rather than inform me about the game. It was like 1% elucidating, and 99% a boring waste of my time. When I was a kid (80s - 90s), gaming magazines were the only way to find out what games were out there, and it was actually pretty awesome, because back then they really did a good job at it. Articles were to the point, they had screenshots in the middle, and all that. Plus their sections on cheat codes and all sorts of fun stuff. They were in many ways actually useful and entertaining. It was almost like they were made by gamers, for gamers!
I was born in 2000, so way after you, but i remember collecting the magazines you get from being a GameStop pro member. I would be so excited when one came in the mail, id look at the new games coming out, their features, etcetera. No political bs, no stupid shit, just here are some new games here are some pictures and here is some info. I stopped getting them around 2012 when I cancelled my membership, so idk how they are today (theyre probably just as bad as Kotaku today if i had to guess), but I used to love them. I even thought about redoing my membership but it's like, why would I do that when I can look up anything I want on my phone and get way more info. The only reason I would do it is so I can collect them, that's it.
One of the huge problems for text form information these days is its used as a way to put out way too much advertising. Most articles these days feel artificially lengthened by repeating the same information over and over or adding giant sections of non-information so that there's more space to scroll to stick ads in between the paragraphs. I just don't bother anymore. I can get all the information I need from a UA-cam video and I pay for premium so I don't really see too many ads unless the UA-camr themselves stick an ad spot in their video.
I agree with your mention about written forms being over bloated. But UA-cam videos are terrible in that they are bloated and I can read faster than they talk.
Absolutely true. Also, the rule in former journalism was: Important message first. But nowadays they write it in a way that you have to often scroll through the whole article to even see about what game they are talking! Which really pisses me off. Yes, it generates more clicks, when they don't write the name of the game in the title. But it's customer betrayal. I want to know when I see the article in google news if it's about a game I'm interested in or not.
I had this on one half of my screen while I was playing another game. The best part of vids, as Asmon said, is that I can simply listen to it while I'm looking elsewhere.
Asmon's point about literacy is well-founded. A little while back I came across some issues of Time and Newsweek that my mother had put aside back in the 80s. The difference between them and anything you would see today was stark. They were written in such a way that assumed the reader was a literate adult. They used a broad vocabulary and large panels of dense text. They made modern publications look like children's books. They had a smaller typeface than would ever be used today, and a lack of pictures unless they were directly relevant or illustrated a point. These weren't some niche publications that expected only specialists to read them, like professional or scientific journals. They were the most circulated and broadly-read weekly news publications in what was then called the "Free World." Normal people were expected to have the reading comprehension abilities and attention span to wade through lengthy articles about diverse topics.
Well but it shows how much the education system of the west made the people stupid, because stupid people are easier to control and manipulate, you only need emotional stuff and they will spring as you want, while intelligent people want reasoning, have knowledge, can't get fooled easily. For the elite a well educated public is bad.
I really enjoyed this and I think you articulated your perspective really well. I appreciate the level-headed way that you spoke about Kotaku and game journalism as a whole faults and all. I am one of the people who is passively consuming this video on a second monitor. I also believe that the few articles that I have read of late of Kotaku, I used to be much more engaged, have zero engagement as you said. One thing I noticed is I am absolutely confused as to where comments are as they are not as readily available (hidden under links / ads) which means you don't see as much discourse. So, I just leave the article after reading it instead of engaging with the content, in the way I am doing now. Anyways, just wanted to say I appreciate the rational way you made this video.
I remember as a child buying pokemon guides and looking up walkthroughs for games like oblivion and Skyrim, even zombies Easter eggs. Now I just watch UA-cam videos about them. The physical media was a big part of the pokemon craze for me - I still have my pokemon pear/diamond walkthrough/guidebook, and I’m never getting rid of it. Its awesome.
Everytime I get a good knowledge in any game, I notice that 95% of written guides online give bad advice, or straight up misinformation for many things. Usually there are video content creators who actually play the game actively and create guides that are actually onpoint. Recently comes to mind: Monster Hunter World, Dragons Dogma, Star Rail, Elden Ring, Genshin
Because it’s not about being accurate, it’s about being first to lead the SEO and start getting clicks ASAP. All those guides that you read to see they were shit, you read them, and you wouldn’t have most likely if they took longer to produce better content.
I read an IGN guide to the sniper rifle in Helldivers 2 the other day. Basically the whole guide was just that it was a sniper rifle that unlocked at a particular level, and that it could zoom in and shoot like a sniper rifle. That was it, guide over. No information on any aspects of it, or how strong it was, what it was good against, or anything. How could they even call that a guide, worthy of its very own article.
I'm totally listening to you on the 2nd monitor. Nailed it Asmondgond. I appreciate the honest no bullshit takes you provide. its a much welcomed breath of fresh air. You have my support fam, keep driving on.
This is a good time to shoutout Noclip here on UA-cam for repping quality Video Games Media via Documentaries and Investigative Journalism. I've watched everything Danny has put out since his early days on GameSpot and sorely miss The Point recurring series.
Outlets like Kotaku were staffed with people who wanted to turn their workplace into their personal club. It's no longer about creating a product that people want to engage with, it's a platform used to boost their own opinions and political priors. Turns out, if you have a gaming journalism outlet that doesn't produce a product that gamers want, you won't get money! Who would've guessed? The problem began when the employees decided their job wasn't 'create articles that gamers want to read'. They decided their job should be 'create articles that condemn or support a political worldview'.
23:15 "people don't really give a shit anymore" - I couldn't agree more. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but coming from someone living in the US - I'm just trying to survive out here and provide for my family. With inflation at the rate it is at across every industry, I am just focused on feeding my family and keeping a roof over their heads. My wife and I finally made it to an income that we always dreamt about - but I am in more debt than ever due to the cost of groceries, taxes, housing repairs, mortgage rates, utility rates, etc. I used to be Kotaku's (and other gaming journalism websites) target demographic - but now I could care less about the intricacies and controversies of the gaming industry. I don't have time to care anymore . . .
I was indeed tabbed out playing Honkai Star rail . Btw love this type of video, because it shows that although we are so different in religious and ideological beliefs, we still agree on so many facets and enjoy a lifestyle most could not understand
I grew up without the existence of the internet and youtube and back then, written media was the only media and it was mostly great, in terms of quality and "ads". I haven't visited any gaming website to read a review in the past 15 years... yes, the medium is totally outdated. I'm actually surprised those sites survive at all for that long. Regarding monetizing website content, I think all websites with tons of popups just kill themselves. Bad, annoying websites are just that, bad and annoying. I think we have to come up with new and better ways of monetization for that kind of (or any kind of written) content.
It's been an arms race for 25 years. Site puts up a bunch of ads to make money so people use ad blockers, the site tries subverting blockers and piles on more ads and more schemes to get those impressions, DNS blocks and ad blockers get more sophisticated, so more ad schemes.. then someone comes along without any blocking and the site's unreadable.
I'm only a phone user when it comes to UA-cam. So I have premium so I can listen to this on my way to work, or when I'm doing the dishes. You get what I mean.
Tabbed here just to comment that yes, I do listen to your videos and reactions while doing other stuff because I love it. I for some reason enjoy it more than listening to music when on a PC.
bozo journalists and random unhinged twitter users couldn't handle Asmon even at his White-T power level....but when he pops out the gray sweatshirt? Bro it is SO Joever!
I am listening while working on my PC, but would also have done the same while playing games. I also want to note that I am extremely shocked and proud of you trying to shine a light on the perspective of game journalists at Kotaku. I think that they don't deserve this amount of goodwill and definitely not from you, especially with them trying to smear you as every bad word under the sun. Shows impeccable character from you Asmongold, and I cannot be more pleased to see you take this stance for the sake of educating the gaming community and provoking thoughtful discourse. Hat of to you my friend, keep being authentically you! Also, I hope people in general 'listen' more and talk less smack, because holy hell this is getting out of hand... *points to someone asking for final purges and such, smh*
Caught me one of the few times I am just passively listening lmao. When you are 'reacting', usually there is content on screen that may or may not be pertinent to things being said so I will watch that instead of "'multitasking'". Third monitor btw.
Another way to put this is that people want reviews from people who are independent, experts at the genre, and have put weeks of play and testing into the game, rather than from people who are wageslaves to an access journalism industry, experts at saying a lot without saying anything of substance, and have put less than a dozen hours into the game with likely very little testing (if any).
Gaming "journalists" never really got over the fact that they were just an ad vehicle for gaming companies to release info to the public. With the rise of the internet, companies no longer actually need third party publications to release things in order to be seen. Like sports journalists, these are people with expensive journalism degrees that couldn't get hired to write about anything "important", and so are doing whatever they can to look relevant by pretending they are tackling "important matters" in the industry. In reality, they don't even like the core audience of the thing they are supposed to be reporting on.
I could not care less about any "official" review of any video game. Even a decade ago when I still used mainstream review sites I would immediately disregard the official review and look at user reviews. The only people who have opinions on a game I care about are random nobodies who played it for multiple hours and aren't just giving a negative review due to server performance.
no shit they dont like the audience of the things they are reporting on, they don't even want to be in games media in the first place they want to write pieces on things that actually matter
I think in the beginning, game journalism was mostly just hobbyists who decided to write about the games they loved and make money on the side. But gradually over time, corpos bought up these sites and staffed them with people who didn't want to be there and saw gaming journalism as essentially a "truck stop" on their way to a sparkling career at the New York Times or the Washington Post. It was these people, bored and disillusioned with their jobs, and frustrated with their low pay and not wanting to be where they were in life, which started the original GG in 2014 - it was a way to make themselves feel important and get attention and adulation from social media.
Ah ye olden days when I as a very small boy and gaming journalism meant reading Zapp 64 and similar. Those old magazines were written mostly by people who loved games, were brutally honest and you could generally trust that if a certain journalist liked a title you would too. There were even some risky jokes. Good times.
I stay subbed to this channel but drop in and out of it every few months. When I do come back though I usually go through all the videos that have been posted since the last time I left. I find that your takes on games, even if I disagree with you are at least coherent and I can appreciate your different viewpoint.
I still remember an article from Kotaku around 2009-2010, about how parents are complaining to MSoft about their kids's COD account got banned for cheating. It was such a great article. If anyone knows what I'm referring to, please see if you can find the link. I'd love to read that article again.
A good reminder is probably that New York Times is on Google Trends more popular than TikTok, whereas IGN (or even Kotaku) was once 1/3 of the NYT fame but today it's merely < 1 %. It is about good journalism, of course
Rage bait and straight up thumbnail lying to get clicks is 75% of what I see these days. Watching a content creator is the only way to get a decent opinion in our current era.
I was listening, rather than watching, I enjoy your views and voice on a large matter of subjects so listening to ur vids while I do other things is enjoyable
Yes you are side monitor content. But no I actually do tab over from time to time... to click skip on a youtube ad. Thank you for your hard work and dedication you are much appreciated. Now back to other monitor.
Shout out to youtubers like Mortismal Gaming doing the work that mainstream games "journalists" used to do - rounding up announcements, evaluating rumors, previews, reviews, guides, gaming related lists.
It is dying because of the popularity of games - remember the magazines in the 90's? There was objectivity, because gamers were all specialists, all geeks, not everyone played games and not everyone played every type of game! - Now that even my sister plays candy crush, games have become as popular as music or movies and as such, reviews have become subjective and all over the place! Just like you can't trust reviews of movies, you can't trust video game reviews anymore, just try it, see if it's good!
here's my comment. I was in the car listening to this on my drive home. Now you are pulled up on my 2nd monitor. Most of my consumption of talking videos like this one are done in the car, or while I'm at work, or in the background while gaming. It's only the main focus at night before bed or if there's actual gameplay.
Working at a public library for the last decade the hardest readers to get are always that 13 year - 18 year old age. And it's evident as our YF is one of the least loaned collections. Although there are some excellent authors like Sarah J. Maas, Matthew Reilly and also the Skullduggery series found in YF, it's that age where they just prefer to watch videos etc. The good news is eAudio seems to be trending upwards and it's true what you say about digital media. Hopefully the change shifts for more people to listen to eAudio. I think so many people tend to listen to videos that only last 10 seconds to 30 seconds and the attention span is lost on the importance of pronunciation and the true meaning of words.
"Tab over"
*video explodes with unprecedented engagement*
"Insult your audience and they're going to leave"
Really simple to understand yet companies keep making this mistakes.
they forget the number one rule of business "the customer is always right"
@@leonardodavid4670"The customer is always right" isn't correct either because sometimes a customer really is toxic and can harm your business by association.
What is really needed is the understanding that respect is a two way street and is hard to win back when lost. When the gaming journalism industry and developers began attacking their core customer base they lost the respect of their customers and saw a blow to their business and reputation.
well still took a long time for audience to leave tho
The people who rose to the top in this current environment are insane narcissists who were able to backstab, lie, and cheat their way into their current positions. Of course they believe they can bully the audience into following their bullshit. They have no concept of ever being held accountable by anyone.
Don’t interrupt your enemies while they’re making mistakes
i tabbed over. There's big value in seeing you speak (video content) for at least ~10 seconds before tabbing away so I can imagine the conversation while not watching and listening
Passive listener. Was listening on my drive home from work. 80% of the time that I “Watch” your media, I am passive.
Same here, I don't watch UA-cam videos, I listen to them while I'm playing games
Same, a silent follower of our one true king
At work and can't watch so I'm just listening.
i prefer agresseive listening
Yea, was cleaning myself.
Passive listener. I appreciate that he starts the video with the hand clap like in the old days.
Same, listening while working.
Yeah only listening here too. Am playing a game with this running in the background.
Same here, also listening while working
Listening while walking my dog
Same here
Bro it's been dead since 2014 lmao
same time asmon got his camera
We all have
Agreed
want to write the same comment :D
if it still making money, it isnt dead.
For the Sweet Baby story, we all saw how things played out on Twitter, seeing the raw hateful and spiteful statements made by the individuals involved past and present, then after a few days saw the games media’s one sided stories that omitted the raw statements that showed the intent and mentality of the Sweet Baby employees but instead tried to cast the curator group as far-right, they weren’t writing with the intent of getting at the truth of the situation but yet again tried to push a narrative and discredit a supposed enemy. After years and years of readers seeing patterns like this, propaganda and hit pieces rather than truth seeking, the media loses its value to normal people and just provides value to extremists who want coddling and want to fight for fighting’s sake or who just want an emotional reaction.
They also ONLY approve comments with same opinion, i wrote a comment about how the article was Wrong all without slurs or anything of course, ONLY for them to never approve the comment, i wonder why.
Honestly i didn‘t expect him to keep doing these talk videos in this old quality but damn i‘m all up for it 👌
I can't wait for them to make a article about this and be useless at the end
Somebody should make a article about the new shirt clean room instead.
It's not a new shirt it's just that his white shirts changed colors
they will make article out of video title.. theres no way in world that ppl writting it will even gonna watch this video
_" Altright Gamer Asmongold attacks Gamejournalists "_
Yeah I can see that lie happening. 🥱
Bet they don't even watch this video but create an article saying he's wrong
I didn't expect to be called out like that halfway through the video. I do use listening. Listen and do my housework.😂
Literally playing a videogame and hearing "Probably playing videogames with the video playing on a 2nd monitor" - Wait a minute thats me
Also doing homework lol!
😂
Never understood watching someone stare at a camera and talk.
I do the same thing! I listen while I work or while i'm getting stuff done around the house...
Listening to the video. As a note, recall seeing your video the other day talking about that journalist decideding she wants to go after you and figure out when you "flipped to being alt-right." Recommend you record on your side if she does try to interveiw you. I also think you nailed it with media like Kotaku: they think they're journalists. They aren't they are bloggers.
They're not bloggers, they're propagandists for the interests they work for. That's part of the reason why are shifting to alternative media like YT and social media.. there's a inherent feeling of "genuine-ness" when the content creator is directly communicating rather than a conglomerate or corporate entity
Bloggers have standards.
I'm listening while I'm working on the next session for my D&D game I'm running this coming weekend. I treat youtube more like a podcast than a place to actually watch for what is on screen most often.
In middle school (late '90s for me) we had to do a project looking into what careers we wanted to pursue.
I loved writing. I loved video games. Game journalist! That was my dream job at the time.
I didn't end up going that route and I continue to be impressed by what a massive bullet a dodged there.
I feel the same way about my mum badgering me to grow up and choose a different career than game development. Still haven't grown up but glad I don't work in that industry
I’m old enough to remember listening to a heavyweight boxing match on radio and listening to Sherlock Holmes episodes at night. So I find it pleasant to listen sometimes. You’ve got a radio voice. Not everyone has. You also have the ability to talk for a while and be interesting. So I can hear and feel facial expressions. Be ready for radio may be the only entertainment.
My grandpa had those Sherlock Holmes radio shows on a take box set. I loved them when I was little
On the "passive listener" statement, I did so while I'm at work, as I do with most of your videos that I "watch".
Same
Same
Same 🇯🇵
True, Baldy is the Perfect Background Speaker when you play something or do some mundane Tasks like cleaning (the Irony)
Listening to this at work as well.
Having videos on my 2nd monitor is the primary reason why I even have 2 monitors to begin with.
9:56 I am totally listening to this video on my 2nd monitor! Your videos are perfect for active listening or passive consumption. You're awesome bro!
Same, and I would listening to not only this channel but also others when I'm playing/drawing/doing other stuff
Listening while playing Spellbee. Very good background noise for other stuff. fr fr
@@chiekokurokumoong no 🧢
I was listening to this video while doing something boring that I couldn't take my eyes off of. It really helps that I only needed to listen, otherwise the grind would have been truly mind-numbing
yep same
I was listening to you while cleaning and taking out the trash. Helped immersing me in the idea the trash was Kotaku going into the bin.
PepeLaugh
How long does it take you to get to your bin?😂😂😂
@@FujiRoku took longer than it took for Kotaku to become trash
I was listening to it while taking a bath and it helped immersing me in the idea the trash was my fart bubbles arising into the oxygen fueled astmosphere.
@@SmittyWJManJensen haha, watching Kotaku crumble has become a spectator sport now.
Listening while driving. This is how I normally consume your react or review content
Same. Or while cleaning or mowing
What's funny is I was actually watching the video at first a just a few moments before he asked about this I tabbed over to a different tab and started doing something else
I am actually always listening to your videos because I use them actually as a podcast. I have just stopped washing the dishes to comment this and I will continue. :D
Passively listening most of the time, usually while I'm doing housework or in the car. Your content is interesting enough to hold my attention while I'm busy doing something else.
The Escapist literally went "watch this" and tanked their entire company.
now that's cold
woke
and then all components of that went their own way to tank their own brand on their own. It's beautiful in a way
@JaredAycock you could say its a "Cold Take"
@@marcogenovesi8570 Which components are those?
Journo: anyone has any dirt on this person?
Asmon: let's talk about the industry and how these people can be helped...
Listened to this while doing menial tasks at work.
I probably listen more often than I watch this channel nowadays.
Calm, measured, eloquent.. wonderful format! Definitely do more of these please!
Gaming media is essentially a trade press, somewhere in the explosion of gaming that trade press decided they were journalists, not just gaming journalists, so they adopted this weird approach of filtering gaming content through an activist lens, the result being what we see today. That coupled with studio/publisher capture, incestuous and nepotistic practices makes what we see today essentially inevitable, the rise of UA-cam creators made the trade press redundant, and the audience wasn’t visiting gaming websites for political opinions, fundamentally the trade press moved away from the trade and they only have themselves to blame.
That happened largely as a reaction to the fact that people don't need game journalism anymore. This isn't the 90's or 00's. Now, most people watch their favorite streamers/tubers and get info and opinions on games through them. So like a lot of borderline obsolete news services, they went sideways toward political bias and ragebait in order to retain some relevance. Naturally, this resulted in them becoming complete garbage. So yeah, rest in piss, they will not be missed.
@@christianalanwilson434that's the problem people are getting their information from a UA-camr that they relate to. So the opinions and viewpoint will always be inaccurate and biased. So when yal here a real gaming journalisy yal get in your feeling because it's not what you want to hear
@@Ccubed92You're right. I should listen to game journos more. They are definitely not corporate shills who get paid to have a certain opinion. Thank you sir for opening my eyes.
@@Ccubed92 lmao
If its filmed with the trash camera its serious
I always think of these videos as Asmongold's videos, where every other video on the channel is the editor's content for the editor's channel to pay the editor's bills. This is raw Asmon.
I always wondered why he's not using the same camera he uses for streaming xD
@@TraxisOnTheLinesNot really. The 'margin' is just higher.
We must be shielded from the full resolution.
To look at a god without a form of protection can lead to destruction of our mind & souls.
I have no idea about video editing, but knowing Asmon, he most likely lowered the resolution or increased compression just to save time on editing. I guess this is how we can know which videos he edits and uploads himself.
I'm an active video consumer if the video requires an active participation. This video was exactly as good with the video as without. Videos like these are my podcasts and help pass time during my long drives as a truck driver. Thanks for the content!
“Journalism” is no longer the word I would use.
Exactly my thoughts, it stopped being journalism and became activism.
I'd like this, but at 69 likes, I shall not curse this.
political activists you mean?
I like the term 'urinalist'
Exactly, they are writing their personal diary and selling it as facts
I definitely watch many of your vids passively. Usually as background during working out. It helps me not get distracted with tv shows but is still interesting enough to listen to as entertainment during a workout
I miss the days where game journos were confined to gaming mags like EGM, Nintendo Power and Computer Gaming World. 100% all about games, cheat sheets, reviews, guides and wacky 90s ads. Memories.
Good stuff. Same in russia
With game demo CD's
Don't forget Game Pro.
Mags are amazing you sometimes even get free disc, poster, or toys the good old days.
I miss PC Accelerator. Good times.
I’m listening while I’m going for a walk so very accurate description there
Personally, the two main reasons I stopped consuming written game reviews (a long time ago), were that:
1) videos just flat out showed me the game. I could see how it looks, how it plays, etc. They're pretty much the next-best-thing to a playable demo. I could quickly make up my mind about the game, and the reviewer could point out things he deemed noteworthy, just as he also showed them. It was (is) the most efficient way of researching on games.
2) the written forms often came off as pretentious, with their overly embellished and long-winded prose, as if the """reviewer""" was trying to impress me with their vocabulary rather than inform me about the game. It was like 1% elucidating, and 99% a boring waste of my time.
When I was a kid (80s - 90s), gaming magazines were the only way to find out what games were out there, and it was actually pretty awesome, because back then they really did a good job at it. Articles were to the point, they had screenshots in the middle, and all that. Plus their sections on cheat codes and all sorts of fun stuff. They were in many ways actually useful and entertaining. It was almost like they were made by gamers, for gamers!
Yeah I agree it’s a damn shame these urinalists will never be as good as journalists in the 90s
I was born in 2000, so way after you, but i remember collecting the magazines you get from being a GameStop pro member. I would be so excited when one came in the mail, id look at the new games coming out, their features, etcetera. No political bs, no stupid shit, just here are some new games here are some pictures and here is some info. I stopped getting them around 2012 when I cancelled my membership, so idk how they are today (theyre probably just as bad as Kotaku today if i had to guess), but I used to love them. I even thought about redoing my membership but it's like, why would I do that when I can look up anything I want on my phone and get way more info. The only reason I would do it is so I can collect them, that's it.
One of the huge problems for text form information these days is its used as a way to put out way too much advertising.
Most articles these days feel artificially lengthened by repeating the same information over and over or adding giant sections of non-information so that there's more space to scroll to stick ads in between the paragraphs. I just don't bother anymore. I can get all the information I need from a UA-cam video and I pay for premium so I don't really see too many ads unless the UA-camr themselves stick an ad spot in their video.
I agree with your mention about written forms being over bloated. But UA-cam videos are terrible in that they are bloated and I can read faster than they talk.
There's extensions for lotta browsers that automatically skip the sponsor segments for you too.
Absolutely true. Also, the rule in former journalism was: Important message first. But nowadays they write it in a way that you have to often scroll through the whole article to even see about what game they are talking! Which really pisses me off. Yes, it generates more clicks, when they don't write the name of the game in the title. But it's customer betrayal. I want to know when I see the article in google news if it's about a game I'm interested in or not.
Spot on. Always listen to your videos while working out / doing other stuff.
I had this on one half of my screen while I was playing another game.
The best part of vids, as Asmon said, is that I can simply listen to it while I'm looking elsewhere.
Ye, I'm at work pouring over a spreadsheet, but listening to your content helps me save time effectively doing both in the same amount of time frame.
Asmon's point about literacy is well-founded. A little while back I came across some issues of Time and Newsweek that my mother had put aside back in the 80s. The difference between them and anything you would see today was stark.
They were written in such a way that assumed the reader was a literate adult. They used a broad vocabulary and large panels of dense text. They made modern publications look like children's books. They had a smaller typeface than would ever be used today, and a lack of pictures unless they were directly relevant or illustrated a point.
These weren't some niche publications that expected only specialists to read them, like professional or scientific journals. They were the most circulated and broadly-read weekly news publications in what was then called the "Free World." Normal people were expected to have the reading comprehension abilities and attention span to wade through lengthy articles about diverse topics.
Well but it shows how much the education system of the west made the people stupid, because stupid people are easier to control and manipulate, you only need emotional stuff and they will spring as you want, while intelligent people want reasoning, have knowledge, can't get fooled easily. For the elite a well educated public is bad.
I really enjoyed this and I think you articulated your perspective really well. I appreciate the level-headed way that you spoke about Kotaku and game journalism as a whole faults and all. I am one of the people who is passively consuming this video on a second monitor. I also believe that the few articles that I have read of late of Kotaku, I used to be much more engaged, have zero engagement as you said. One thing I noticed is I am absolutely confused as to where comments are as they are not as readily available (hidden under links / ads) which means you don't see as much discourse. So, I just leave the article after reading it instead of engaging with the content, in the way I am doing now. Anyways, just wanted to say I appreciate the rational way you made this video.
I listen to most of your videos like a podcast while at work.
I remember as a child buying pokemon guides and looking up walkthroughs for games like oblivion and Skyrim, even zombies Easter eggs. Now I just watch UA-cam videos about them. The physical media was a big part of the pokemon craze for me - I still have my pokemon pear/diamond walkthrough/guidebook, and I’m never getting rid of it. Its awesome.
Oh my gosh thank you for reminding me about that haha xD I remember having that guidebook too, I used it all the time ❤
Sometimes, I read the vanilla WoW manual. Why? Because its fucking cool.
Everytime I get a good knowledge in any game, I notice that 95% of written guides online give bad advice, or straight up misinformation for many things.
Usually there are video content creators who actually play the game actively and create guides that are actually onpoint.
Recently comes to mind: Monster Hunter World, Dragons Dogma, Star Rail, Elden Ring, Genshin
Because it’s not about being accurate, it’s about being first to lead the SEO and start getting clicks ASAP.
All those guides that you read to see they were shit, you read them, and you wouldn’t have most likely if they took longer to produce better content.
I read an IGN guide to the sniper rifle in Helldivers 2 the other day. Basically the whole guide was just that it was a sniper rifle that unlocked at a particular level, and that it could zoom in and shoot like a sniper rifle. That was it, guide over. No information on any aspects of it, or how strong it was, what it was good against, or anything. How could they even call that a guide, worthy of its very own article.
I'm totally listening to you on the 2nd monitor. Nailed it Asmondgond. I appreciate the honest no bullshit takes you provide. its a much welcomed breath of fresh air. You have my support fam, keep driving on.
Nah bro, he fell off. Asdmongull is 5th monitor content at best now.
I listen on my phone at work 9 hou rs a day, I can't stop and read articles at work
This is a good time to shoutout Noclip here on UA-cam for repping quality Video Games Media via Documentaries and Investigative Journalism. I've watched everything Danny has put out since his early days on GameSpot and sorely miss The Point recurring series.
True I fucking love Noclip videos
This time I watched it, but I have been binging your channel at work and only actively watching to skip ads for about 90% of it
Outlets like Kotaku were staffed with people who wanted to turn their workplace into their personal club. It's no longer about creating a product that people want to engage with, it's a platform used to boost their own opinions and political priors. Turns out, if you have a gaming journalism outlet that doesn't produce a product that gamers want, you won't get money! Who would've guessed?
The problem began when the employees decided their job wasn't 'create articles that gamers want to read'. They decided their job should be 'create articles that condemn or support a political worldview'.
Was listening on my way to work, but your point still stands.
240p jesus is back
with a new shirt no less
Did he get a haircut?
240p makes his hair look bigger.
@@jordanicaly1393he has it tied up I think.
@MrSlash4 Amen brother
My second monitor is reserved for Josh Strife Hayes.
23:15 "people don't really give a shit anymore" - I couldn't agree more. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but coming from someone living in the US - I'm just trying to survive out here and provide for my family. With inflation at the rate it is at across every industry, I am just focused on feeding my family and keeping a roof over their heads. My wife and I finally made it to an income that we always dreamt about - but I am in more debt than ever due to the cost of groceries, taxes, housing repairs, mortgage rates, utility rates, etc.
I used to be Kotaku's (and other gaming journalism websites) target demographic - but now I could care less about the intricacies and controversies of the gaming industry. I don't have time to care anymore . . .
@@whocares9033 oh, I know lol - I was just using the most commonly referred to term. It all boils down to corporate greed.
Youre also no longer the target audience, this argument doesn’t work
@@zelassin fair enough
You do, but you just made a choice to prioritize differently.
Couldn't care less*
Hearing while getting ready for work every day and while driving. ❤
I was indeed tabbed out playing Honkai Star rail .
Btw love this type of video, because it shows that although we are so different in religious and ideological beliefs, we still agree on so many facets and enjoy a lifestyle most could not understand
I grew up without the existence of the internet and youtube and back then, written media was the only media and it was mostly great, in terms of quality and "ads".
I haven't visited any gaming website to read a review in the past 15 years... yes, the medium is totally outdated. I'm actually surprised those sites survive at all for that long.
Regarding monetizing website content, I think all websites with tons of popups just kill themselves. Bad, annoying websites are just that, bad and annoying.
I think we have to come up with new and better ways of monetization for that kind of (or any kind of written) content.
It's been an arms race for 25 years. Site puts up a bunch of ads to make money so people use ad blockers, the site tries subverting blockers and piles on more ads and more schemes to get those impressions, DNS blocks and ad blockers get more sophisticated, so more ad schemes.. then someone comes along without any blocking and the site's unreadable.
Love seeing a rant video. Cannot un-see the tilted camera angle. absolutely 1,000% agree with the rant. GGs
Camera's good, it's the house that's tilted
G...g.... I KNEW IT ASMONGOLD IS GAMERGATE REAL-kuntaco journo probably
Damn you i didnt see it before
I can't unsee it now
@@swancrunch of course! How could I have missed it?
Anyway, tilted my monitor to match and all is right in the world
I'm only a phone user when it comes to UA-cam. So I have premium so I can listen to this on my way to work, or when I'm doing the dishes. You get what I mean.
'print is dead' - Egon, 1984
I welcome everyone to remember filthy franks thoughts on game journalism. “Ha game journalism hahahahahah fuck out of here”
omg thank you for reminding me this gem.
Gonna rewatch now
Last time i got hyped from gaming journalism was when they still had magazines with cheats
yeah and i remember getting posters in those too
Tabbed here just to comment that yes, I do listen to your videos and reactions while doing other stuff because I love it. I for some reason enjoy it more than listening to music when on a PC.
I just flipped my KVM switch to tell you I was not playing video games but working.
I like listening to you while doing remote work.
bozo journalists and random unhinged twitter users couldn't handle Asmon even at his White-T power level....but when he pops out the gray sweatshirt? Bro it is SO Joever!
It's still the same white shirt, it just hasn't been washed for a year
"journalists"
@ChelovegII just imagine how his house smells
Asmon in a pressed and tailored suit would be literally unstoppable. He would probably rule the world.
There probably wouldnt be much to rule over considering the world would probably have to end before anyone would see Asmon in a suit 💀@The8bitbeard
You got me Asmon. I engaged with most videos like they are mini podcasts while I work.
I am listening while working on my PC, but would also have done the same while playing games. I also want to note that I am extremely shocked and proud of you trying to shine a light on the perspective of game journalists at Kotaku. I think that they don't deserve this amount of goodwill and definitely not from you, especially with them trying to smear you as every bad word under the sun. Shows impeccable character from you Asmongold, and I cannot be more pleased to see you take this stance for the sake of educating the gaming community and provoking thoughtful discourse. Hat of to you my friend, keep being authentically you! Also, I hope people in general 'listen' more and talk less smack, because holy hell this is getting out of hand... *points to someone asking for final purges and such, smh*
Listening to this at work passively
I am at work, so I am mostly listening, but I do enjoy seeing you visually as your body language spices up everything perfectly 👌😉
Caught me one of the few times I am just passively listening lmao. When you are 'reacting', usually there is content on screen that may or may not be pertinent to things being said so I will watch that instead of "'multitasking'". Third monitor btw.
Always listen to your videos on my drive to/from from work
Another way to put this is that people want reviews from people who are independent, experts at the genre, and have put weeks of play and testing into the game, rather than from people who are wageslaves to an access journalism industry, experts at saying a lot without saying anything of substance, and have put less than a dozen hours into the game with likely very little testing (if any).
Gaming "journalists" never really got over the fact that they were just an ad vehicle for gaming companies to release info to the public. With the rise of the internet, companies no longer actually need third party publications to release things in order to be seen. Like sports journalists, these are people with expensive journalism degrees that couldn't get hired to write about anything "important", and so are doing whatever they can to look relevant by pretending they are tackling "important matters" in the industry. In reality, they don't even like the core audience of the thing they are supposed to be reporting on.
I could not care less about any "official" review of any video game. Even a decade ago when I still used mainstream review sites I would immediately disregard the official review and look at user reviews. The only people who have opinions on a game I care about are random nobodies who played it for multiple hours and aren't just giving a negative review due to server performance.
"Businessmen buy out newspaper (the brand) to sell their products"
JP Morgan, late 19th C.
It's not like journalists being sellouts is anything new.
no shit they dont like the audience of the things they are reporting on, they don't even want to be in games media in the first place they want to write pieces on things that actually matter
@@wickian9571 he's talking about 2 decades ago, the internet had already taken over a decade ago
I think in the beginning, game journalism was mostly just hobbyists who decided to write about the games they loved and make money on the side. But gradually over time, corpos bought up these sites and staffed them with people who didn't want to be there and saw gaming journalism as essentially a "truck stop" on their way to a sparkling career at the New York Times or the Washington Post. It was these people, bored and disillusioned with their jobs, and frustrated with their low pay and not wanting to be where they were in life, which started the original GG in 2014 - it was a way to make themselves feel important and get attention and adulation from social media.
I love your videos because I can listen to them like a podcast while I drive on UA-cam.
Drive on roads, not on UA-cam
@@cryhavocandletslipthedogso1873 😂😂😂
9:00 - yup...taking inventory and writing a book. nailed it
me taking a shit on the toilet while staring at Asmon: AHA
Ah ye olden days when I as a very small boy and gaming journalism meant reading Zapp 64 and similar.
Those old magazines were written mostly by people who loved games, were brutally honest and you could generally trust that if a certain journalist liked a title you would too.
There were even some risky jokes.
Good times.
This new youtuber must be doing good. His camera quality is so much better. Good for him
Bro he is old. This video is from 2013.
I was on a walk listening to this. You caught me.
I stay subbed to this channel but drop in and out of it every few months. When I do come back though I usually go through all the videos that have been posted since the last time I left. I find that your takes on games, even if I disagree with you are at least coherent and I can appreciate your different viewpoint.
Gaming journalism? You mean political journalism!!
damn right brother!
They are not even journalists. They are just activists pushing their ideological discontent through “gaming journalism “
I still remember an article from Kotaku around 2009-2010, about how parents are complaining to MSoft about their kids's COD account got banned for cheating. It was such a great article. If anyone knows what I'm referring to, please see if you can find the link. I'd love to read that article again.
You got me, I'm listening to this while working 🙏
A good reminder is probably that New York Times is on Google Trends more popular than TikTok, whereas IGN (or even Kotaku) was once 1/3 of the NYT fame but today it's merely < 1 %. It is about good journalism, of course
NYT good journalism lol good one!
Asmon you are glowing bro! you actually look healthy, handsome fuck
Rage bait and straight up thumbnail lying to get clicks is 75% of what I see these days. Watching a content creator is the only way to get a decent opinion in our current era.
Passive listener at work here. Great stuff man.
10:00 I feel personally attacked, I'm crafting in an MMO damn it i need background noise.
The first two thirds of this video I listened to while cooking dinner; the last third, I watched on the toilet. Fantastic service!
I was listening, rather than watching, I enjoy your views and voice on a large matter of subjects so listening to ur vids while I do other things is enjoyable
Listening while gaming. Vids are good, dude. Keep it up.
Yes you are side monitor content. But no I actually do tab over from time to time... to click skip on a youtube ad. Thank you for your hard work and dedication you are much appreciated. Now back to other monitor.
Shout out to youtubers like Mortismal Gaming doing the work that mainstream games "journalists" used to do - rounding up announcements, evaluating rumors, previews, reviews, guides, gaming related lists.
I turned this video on for me to listen to while I was cooking my dinner for tonight, and my lunch for tomorrow.
I loved the tree house streams and videos so I am happy to see this format on the rise again in Asmons output
It is dying because of the popularity of games - remember the magazines in the 90's? There was objectivity, because gamers were all specialists, all geeks, not everyone played games and not everyone played every type of game! - Now that even my sister plays candy crush, games have become as popular as music or movies and as such, reviews have become subjective and all over the place! Just like you can't trust reviews of movies, you can't trust video game reviews anymore, just try it, see if it's good!
I travel all across Texas for work and I listen to your videos while I drive.
here's my comment. I was in the car listening to this on my drive home. Now you are pulled up on my 2nd monitor. Most of my consumption of talking videos like this one are done in the car, or while I'm at work, or in the background while gaming. It's only the main focus at night before bed or if there's actual gameplay.
Passive listener. When I don't have time to watch media I use you as a podcast.
Working at a public library for the last decade the hardest readers to get are always that 13 year - 18 year old age. And it's evident as our YF is one of the least loaned collections.
Although there are some excellent authors like Sarah J. Maas, Matthew Reilly and also the Skullduggery series found in YF, it's that age where they just prefer to watch videos etc. The good news is eAudio seems to be trending upwards and it's true what you say about digital media. Hopefully the change shifts for more people to listen to eAudio. I think so many people tend to listen to videos that only last 10 seconds to 30 seconds and the attention span is lost on the importance of pronunciation and the true meaning of words.
my second favorite second monitor man speaking truth
Playing Helldivers while listening to this.
listening while preparing the work. actively listening, passively experiencing.