Blog 24: Exit Interview Questions

1. What is your essential question? What is your best answer to your question and why?
-My essential question: How can a video game journalist best create a review that truthfully analyzes the quality of a game's gameplay?

-My best answer is; by using new games journalism styles when writing about the game. This is because new games journalism focuses on the experience of playing a game, and gameplay is the core of what creates that experience. The other games journalism styles (traditional, criticism) may inspect elements that are influence gameplay, and the experience it creates, but new games journalism puts emphasis on it. Therefore if the goal is to truthfully analyze gameplay quality, new games journalism is the best choice.

2. What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

-The process I took in arriving at my best answer maintained itself primarily in the realm of research, but had some assistance from interviews. I first found through research that traditional games journalism divided a game into sections, game criticism analyzes technical and cultural aspects primarily, and new games journalism uses a narrative style to focus on a experience. Then, I discovered from my third interview that a review should be able to exemplify an experience well enough to the point that the reader will feel the review described it perfectly. Finally, I found in my fourth interview that gameplay is the core of what creates the experience that is created when playing a game. Therefore, new games journalism is best suited to analyze that, as its focus is on that experience.

3. What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?

-The problems I faced were in the area of interviews and mentorship, as it was difficult to locate a mentor, and it was also difficult to obtain effective interviews. I sought to resolve this primarily through perseverance. Essentially, I continually contacted as many publications as I could in search of mentorship. Until finally, the Poly Post was willing to assist me. Furthermore, I would reach out as often as possible in order to see if I can obtain good interview subjects. This eventually paid off on my fourth interview when I was able to question a journalist who had a great deal of experience in the field.

4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

-My first most significant source was an article off of lostgarden.com entitled "A Blunt Critique of Games Criticism." This is because the article was effective in outlining the different styles of writing about games, what they focus on, and where they primarily come from. Second, was my fourth interview with journalist Erik Kain, as he was very informative about what it means to be "truthful" in a review, what gameplay effects, and why it is important.

5. What is your product and why?

-My product is a significantly greater ability to write about games. This is because, though I had some understanding before, I have come to learn what is really effective and important in 'good' games. In addition, I have learned a lot about the different writing styles that exist in the realm of games journalism. As a result, it is now much easier for me to write on games with structured and logical arguments.