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Sessler's Soapbox: Game Journalism Exclusives, "New Yorker" @$$holes

Posted by Patrick Roche-Sowa - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 4:40 PM

In case you missed it, the New Yorker recently posted an article online profiling Cliff Bleszinski and his upcoming game, Gears of War 2. Go ahead and do your homework, Adam will make more sense if you're well versed in the subject matter.

Now that you took some time with a respected publication, listen to what Adam has to say about the subject. When mainstream journalism takes a close look at the gaming industry, the outcome is usually hit or miss. This time, Adam thinks it was a miss. Not only do they talk down to gamers, but they also scoff at the idea that gaming journalism outlets depend on secrets and exclusives. Because, you know, the mainstream media has never engaged in backroom agreements, timed exclusives, and previously arranged interview parameters. Adam mad. Adam smash.

 

 


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Comment(s)

Posted by theg90 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 4:57 PM

I love that costume

Posted by Eddamame - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 4:59 PM

I agree with Adam. I am tired of all these mainstream publications making generalization about gaming and the gaming media and most of all gamers. Seriously people don't you guys have more important things to write about i.e. the economy or the election. Or need to work on a new cover page that dresses up Obama in turban and call it satire.

Posted by MRC_TechOne - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:07 PM

obama LoL

Posted by imdave - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:13 PM

Here in the UK I'd expect these kind of features from Sky News or newspapers like the Daily Mail but even the mighty BBC lower themselves down to this level (on a regular basis) with the favourite subjects of "GTA copycat killers" etc.

Generally these stories are poorly researched, leaning towards stereotype's and are written in a sensationalist manner. Often laughable, rarely logical.

Posted by silverneedle18 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:19 PM

Dude...Adam snapped on those nazi idiots....go Adam!

Posted by JDarkley - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:28 PM

Well, damn Adam. Just rip them (New Yorker and skinheads) a new one, eh? Kudos.

Posted by Manifest37 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:34 PM

All just a ploy to be sympathetic toward obama.
He'll win because of the sympathy vote.

Posted by bapesta - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:37 PM

wats there to be simpathetic about wen it comes to obama. ur obviously basing him leadin in the poles becuase hes black. obviously thats far off from the truth and i hope most people dont think manifest37 and are placing this much importance on race.

Posted by Darkshadowkg - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:43 PM

a New yorker articale = a feed post
an educated ramble by adam= a soap box
rasberry lip as a dis= priceless

Posted by Dragoon14 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:50 PM

very nice, very nice i agree with everything you said adam. Keep up the good work love show.

Posted by bartholomew99 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:57 PM

I like "edgy-Sess" he's much more interesting, and frankly less disturbing than "Beach-Blanket-Bingo-Sess."

Posted by Battlehobo4000 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 6:00 PM

I love it when Sessler lights a fire under an anus. That being said, consider my wiener at attention and a new york ass on fire.

Posted by grunto - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 6:02 PM

I dont know whats worse, the media spouting non sense crap about the game industry, or Adam blocking my view of SOCOM. Tough decision......

Posted by arod95 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 6:22 PM

As someone who would like to both write for the New Yorker in the future and write about video games in a theoretical and academic sense I really appreciated this Adam.

Posted by Suhaila - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:02 PM

Meh. It's not like anyone actually reads the new yorker. Well, not anyone who isn't super full of his or herself. Might do well to respond to the article via the thingie where people either strongly agree w/ the previous month's article or strongly disagree. Never seem to print any response anywhere near the middle....

Posted by fozzy360 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:10 PM

Adam, 1
New Yorker and moronic skinheads, 0

Posted by blakseed - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:34 PM

Adam,the Obama issue? Welcome to the South. And, I think Cliffy B, can take care of himself. He knows that he has a hit on his hands, he shouldn't care what these non gaming idiots say. His game don't appeal to people who read to New Yorker anyway.

Posted by Heffe12345 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:54 PM

amazed, amazed no one said anything about the psycological analysis bomb sessler left at the end of his speech. probably why you left it to the end so you wouldn't lose the audience with your three sentence of true thought and brillance. I have same problem, finance and accounting degrees, big gamer, follow the financials of game companies. Told father to invest my inheritance in nintendo before wii came out... laughed at me. Nintendo stock goes up 300%... i laugh at him.... and cry. Told him invest take 2. no laugh, no invest.. EA take over bid.. stock doubles. He listen now. Funny how you start to be taken seriously when your hobbie becomes multi billion dollar industry... made the New Yorker care.. Makeing everyone... especially hollywood.

Posted by Heffe12345 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:56 PM

little drunk sorry about my spelling in my last post

Posted by EntropyMu - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:22 PM

I doubt you read your own comments section, Adam, but the stuff you spouted at the end of your rant was a bunch of interesting points that deserve more than 5 seconds of proving that video games are also the realm of the intellectual.

Perhaps someone with a nationally broadcast news show based on video games could occasionally work in more meaty pieces about video games as art (including creator/observer ownership), video game psychology, and even learning and video games. Video games are entertainment yes, but they are/could be more than that, more people just need to begin to interpret them in a new light.

I mean, if you have time to work in a segment or two between the review of "Kill Aliens 1152" and exclusive hands-on preview of "Kill Nazis 568".

Posted by CDAT1AD - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:33 PM

Again guys I try toi avoid politics and gaming mixing. Sadly G4 and Xplay have no issue with you knowing where they stand and detracting from our shared interest of gaming, by making political statements. A few more of these, and I will throw Xplay and G4 into the heap of useless leftist shows.

That being said I happen to be from Tennessee and for the most part, we think of the clan as best forgotten and deeply distrubed individuals.

Posted by The_Gentleman45 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:34 PM

Adam I love you but I read the whole article and I think you were off base on this one. The biggest fault I saw in this piece was the brown-nosing Bissell gave to Bleszinski which I feel discredited a lot more innovative game designers. I hate to say it, due to my extreme respect for you, but it really seems to me that you came into this with a little too much bias. You sound like someone who has seen his passion talked down to too many times who has become way too defensive. I understand that Bissell isn't on your level when it comes to reviewing games as the art that they are, but I think his article is a step forward to the inevitable. Games will get the respect due to them but it won't happen if you keep biting off the heads of every writer who tries their hand at something they don't have experience writing about. But still you are a great voice for this artform and i only wish that someone like you would save hip hop.

Posted by ThataUFO - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:45 PM

Am I the only one that noticed that Adam smokes camels?

Posted by Heffe12345 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:49 PM

i find it amuseing that the only comments that i findly even remotely intligent were the last 4, includeing myself, too bad no one will ever read down to the people that have something to say when the first things they read are always idiots with one liners( although sometimes f'ing histarical) when the meat and potatos are near the end.... props to EntropyMu, CDAT1AD, and The_Gentleman45( loved your ender with hip hop by the way)

Posted by Heffe12345 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:51 PM

i find it amuseing that the only comments that i findly even remotely intligent were the last 4, includeing myself, too bad no one will ever read down to the people that have something to say when the first things they read are always idiots with one liners( although sometimes f'ing histarical) when the meat and potatos are near the end.... props to EntropyMu, CDAT1AD, and The_Gentleman45( loved your ender with hip hop by the way)

Posted by The_Gentleman45 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:13 PM

Indeed Heffe12345. I wish more people would take the time to form an opinion on issues that effect the things they love. I know there are more important things in the world than games and music but in the end these will be the mark that we leave. It truly hurts me to see my generations two great contributions to our culture (Hip Hop and Video Games) being degraded by the people who claim to have respect and love for it. I wish that these forums could be less about flame and more about protecting what, no matter what people tell us, is our entry into the greater debate on art.

Posted by The_Gentleman45 - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:17 PM

Indeed Heffe12345. I wish more people would take the time to form an opinion on issues that effect the things they love. I know there are more important things in the world than games and music but in the end these will be the mark that we leave. It truly hurts me to see my generations two great contributions to our culture (Hip Hop and Video Games) being degraded by the people who claim to have respect and love for it. I wish that these forums could be less about flame and more about protecting what, no matter what people tell us, is our entry into the greater debate on art.

Posted by bigmonstefan - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:46 PM

props to the good job sessler did. He needs to watch his enunciation though. When he starts going his words sound like they are trying to run together.

Posted by wills - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:19 PM

Maybe it was only because i watched this video once before posting this but...
he talked really fast at the end and i didnt catch everything.

im sure that was the overwhelming effect he was looking for though.
if not, then hes good at it.

anyhow...
i love you adam. nice job.

Posted by BaD_bOy_KrAtOs_666 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 3:19 AM

great stuff...

Posted by Al_Coholic - Thursday, October 30, 2008 6:22 AM

Adam doesn't f#%k around.

Posted by soulwound - Thursday, October 30, 2008 6:34 AM

nail on the head adam, keep it up.

Posted by FreedomRebel - Thursday, October 30, 2008 8:30 AM

Adam makes some good points with regards to entertainment journalism.

As for politics, I'm sick of hearing people like Kevin and Adam licking the boots of Obama and the Democratic party. Yeah, it is a shame when the life of someone running for President is threatened, but get real. Many people come to this site and watch G4 to get away from politics. Not to be subjected to Obama love and sympathy fests.

Posted by MSGamer - Thursday, October 30, 2008 8:52 AM

Adam Sessler for nerds/gamers everywhere, who actually like to think and analyze games or the consoles they're played, I thank you.

Posted by deline - Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:35 AM

I don't read the NY i read the oakville beaver from canada.
but i read & see The Feed at G4 website.
also if the skinheads Nazis lookalikes what to do something bad read up on evil 101 and evil for dummies, success for dummies, how to make money for dummies, lawsuits for dummies, leadership for dummies, hacking for dummies and World Domination for Dummies books.
and knitting for dummies too.

Posted by Smartguy81 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:57 AM

@blakseed
Don't make generalizations about the south. A very small minority of the folks in the south are "racists". I have lived here my whole life. Come on man..you are alot smarter and have better ethics than that. Just think how you would feel if all black people were classified as thugs. Sucks doesn't it?

I thought the Obama satire in the new yorker was funny as hell. His wife done up as a black panther militant was too funny! *if you feel differently then oh well, someone can hang up a mannequin and call it sarah palin or do SNL skits and this seems to be cool*

Journalism is dead. It died years ago once journalism started pushing an agenda instead of keeping enterprises and individuals honest by asking REAL questions.

Posted by Genesis19 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:05 AM

I agree Adam, great SB, and more edgy than usual, which is refreshing. And I'm glad you talked about the Neos in this but to those who feel that he's making a political statement, you must have turned it off when he said Obama's name. He was commenting on the stupidity of the group, not making an affiliation to the candidate. If it was the other way around and a group was attacking McCain like this he would probably comment the same way. Thank you for showing that we are more than swearing 12 year olds or GTA murderers. I am even more proud now to call myself a gamer than I was before.

Posted by The_Gentleman45 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:07 AM

@FreedomRebel
Don't say you come on here to get away from politics just because you don't like it that Kevin and Adam don't seem to share your opinion. G4TV should be unbiased about technology and gaming news other than that their opinion on political or ethical debates should be put out there as much as people are willing to hear about it. And by the responses I assume people want to hear.

Posted by Smartguy81 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:11 AM

@The_Gentleman45
Wrong. Adam and Kevin are both journalists. They have a responsibility to report the news as it is. A journalist with a biased opinion and agenda is useless and untrustworthy. Notice Stephen Johnson isn't on here anymore?

Thanks N8R

Posted by ThataUFO - Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:16 AM

@Heffe12345

The best aspect of posting on a comments section is the fact that you don't have to be a literary expert to do it. Sounds to me like your trying to make yourself out to be smarter than you actually are. "i find it amuseing that the only comments that i findly even remotely intligent were the last 4, includeing myself," I FIND it AMUSING that you INCLUDED yourself in the INTELLIGENT comments. You can't even punctuate correctly.
If you were being sarcastic and I just didn't pick up on it, my bad.

Posted by EddieBlaze - Thursday, October 30, 2008 11:29 AM

I must've read the wrong article. I thought this was as insightful as the New Yorker gets along these lines. Keep in mind, they're explaining videogames to the elderly and sometimes it's better to oversimplify so you don't have a bunch of geriatric mouth breathers furrowing their little brows in a vain attempt to understand these concepts.

Posted by The_Gentleman45 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 1:17 PM

@Smartguy81
They're gaming and technology journalists. And expressing their opinions on something outside of that do not take away from their ability to report the news in their field. If Anderson Cooper tells me he's a Sony fanboy I'm not gonna put it against him until he starts reviewing games. To say that the media can't have an opinion is ridiculous especially since this whole video is opinion based. The idiotic and redundant phrase "biased opinion" proves your worth to this conversation.

Posted by Apsalus07 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 2:43 PM

For once Adam, you are wrong. This article was one of the BEST I'VE EVER READ, and certainly a thousand times better than anything here on the Feed. Stop being jealous of the New Yorker G4; your childish name calling doesn't give you more "street cred" than plain good writing.

Posted by kstooge - Thursday, October 30, 2008 5:48 PM

Well done Adam well done. Once again you tear a new one for the idiots in the media.

Posted by AthanC - Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:22 PM

Adam Sessler,
I have been watching your shows since long before X-play. I have listened to what you have to say and I have subscribed to your personal podcast since day 1. I have never really seen a need to post anything to you or email or anything. However, after witnessing this piece, I must say this: good job and thank you.

I loved it and as much as I hate poorly vetted and researched information as the next guy, I sure as hell hate the outside views that the media has created as the gamer stereotype.

Just had to say it

Posted by Heffe12345 - Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:54 PM

ThataUFO
not trying as hard as you think just had a little bit to drink, which i apologized for 2 posts later. Maybe if you had commented on my section when i actually said something i might take your words a little more personally. I look at the industry with different eyes. Firstly, my love and passion, secondly, associating it with my profession which is a CPA. Invest in what you know and we know the industry. Was there any here posting that did not think the WII was going to be a huge success?!? Investing in nintendo before the WII came out could have nought you a PS3 and 360. I knew that john Riticello(EA CEO(bad spelling)) was not going to let Actiblizzard steal his crown of biggest game company. who was the logically takeover? maybe the guys that make GTA. Stock was cheap and they tried to time 1 month before GTA4 came out come on. Give me a little credit. If you cant debate me on what i am talking about then dont call me out

Posted by El_Rojo_E - Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:57 PM

Adam is a god!

Posted by El_Rojo_E - Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:59 PM

I want to be just like Adam when I grow up! Seriously... I'm not joking. The hair and everything.

Posted by Smartguy81 - Friday, October 31, 2008 7:07 AM

@The_Gentleman45
Are you ignorant to what journalism is or are you just that stupid? A journalist is a journalist. They provide news based on credible facts. An editorial has a disclaimer at the end stating that it is an editorial. What isn't to understand there? If you "report" on something w/o giving both sides and using credible sources and facts then it is an agenda and is therefore biased.

You are right that as a person they are entitled their opinion. However their personal beliefs and professional careers shouldn't clash. When it does you get the cluster mess we have for congress and on up.

Posted by ThataUFO - Friday, October 31, 2008 7:58 AM

@Heffe12345

I was speaking to the audacity of your statement about some posts being more important(intelligent) than others. I'm not saying your original post was bad or had anything wrong with it. It was your second post that I had a problem with. The comments section of any blog is not a bastion of intelligence. It's a place for everyone to comment, no matter how intelligent it is. I probably wouldn't have even said anything until you dropped that line about yourself being one of the few people to lay down an intelligent comment, and your spelling contradicted that statement. If you want to sound intelligent, don't drunk post. Plus, one-liners are some of the best comments. You implied that they are not that intelligent. They are dang it all to hell and such.

Posted by slimmer - Friday, October 31, 2008 10:48 AM

This is the same thing i saw and endured when i skated and was into punk in the 80's but now its all mainstream (some still great but most watered down horrible) but video gaming is clearly coming into its own (slowly I might add).
Thanks to Adam and others for being an intelligent voice in video gaming, others just want to capitalize at any cost.

Posted by HamLord - Friday, October 31, 2008 12:42 PM

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Posted by The_Gentleman45 - Friday, October 31, 2008 6:01 PM

@Smartguy81
Wait so you're saying that you think that Adam was trying to push this off as fact and not his opinion by not having a disclaimer. Are you saying that this, a video entitled Sessler's Soapbox, is an inappropriate place for a journalist to express his opinions.

Posted by panzerfist - Friday, October 31, 2008 6:35 PM

I find it rather amusing how if you support obama, your a boot licker and just voting for him because he's black. What a crock of !@#$. Maybe we actually like him more than McCain because he's more qualified? By making those statements, you get people to vote for him because he's black out of spite for people who are that stupid

Posted by MisterBrown - Saturday, November 1, 2008 4:39 AM

I always tell my students to support their opinions and arguments with evidence. I,however, have a busy day, so I must just say "Excellent Soapbox this week!" and leave it at that.

Posted by xyzobon - Monday, November 3, 2008 12:34 AM

First class commentary, as always.
Liked the semiotics at the end.
Adam Sessler, Do Your Thing.
You are a superior journalist in every way
(CJS Grad, 1988)

Posted by Xsuit - Monday, November 3, 2008 3:20 AM

I feel pretty ignorant at this moment. That last minute really blew my mind. I thought I liked gaming and appreciated it but clearly I was wrong. There are so many aspects that I've never even bothered to become aware of.

THANK YOU Mr. Sessler. I can't say how appreciative I am that you have started the "soapbox".

Posted by Joyshtick - Tuesday, November 4, 2008 10:02 AM

Your soapbox is a distortion of the article, and I'd encourage everyone to read it before listening to the rant.

* Someone working for G4 shouldn't be ridiculing the financial instability of another media outlet.

* Straw man: Nowhere in the article does Bissell say the pursuit of secrets is unique to gaming journalism. You're seeing condescension where there's none to be found.

* There's nothing inherently pejorative about the term "obsessive enthusiast". You're the one projecting the negative connotation and then you argue against it. Again, straw man.

* "This really came across as a very sad piece where someone who clearly actually seems to be into games was too embarrassed to acknowledge that in the pages of the New Yorker..."

I guess you missed the part where Bissell said he finished Gears 1 on its hardest difficulty level. Anyone who does that is an "obsessive enthusiast", and he's clearly not embarrassed at all to mention it.

Posted by RaccoonMaster - Thursday, November 6, 2008 12:37 PM

Nice use of the rasberry, Adam. I'm sure they'll find whatever you say extremely important to them now!

Posted by BLTman5 - Sunday, January 4, 2009 1:32 AM

I just for the first time started watching your soapbox about an hour ago. I couldn't stop going down the list watching every one of them that i could. I disagree with you on some things and agree with many others. The point of this post is just to say that I appreciate other intelligent people in the world and I'm glad you have your show. I don't want to come across as a personal fanboy of yours or anything like that, just to say that its nice when people's opinions are backed up by reason and thought. I find many areas of the media are being corrupted because of personal agendas, monetary influence, fear, disinterest, or just following the ratings rather than reporting the news as it should be, even though, technically, it is a business. Without the internet, living in New York City, I wouldn't have much choice in my information, being very biased in both directions(i.e. NY Times and Wall St Journal) and almost never sitting in the middle of the road.

Posted by BLTman5 - Sunday, January 4, 2009 1:33 AM

I'm not saying you're not biased, as everyone is to some degree, just that I'm glad that you're not a stereotypical New Yorker(no idea where you're from, though) or internet troll hell bent on expressing one hollow narrow view for no reason. You've got a new fan(not -boy). Thanks again.

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