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I have to admit I was pretty excited when I saw Halo 3 on the cover of Time magazine. Of course after reading the article, I'm damn near livid. It's rare that we see games covered in a fair (or even remotely balanced) way. Well the trend continues. We'll start with the simple stuff. The stuff that points to the laziness of the reporter in doing even a minor amount of research. Take the following pictures that talk about Halo merchandising. The picture of the Scarab is not a "sculpture" as the caption states, but a Heroclix game piece used in the table-top game. The "Halo 3 branded console" is also completely wrong, and looks nothing like the picture included. 
Lev Grossman does his best to devalue and marginalize video games and, by extension, video game players. I'm not entirely sure what the point of the article is, but with comments like games working their way out the ghetto to one day play with the popular kids, one must assume that Grossman simply and completely disregards video games as anything other than a mere distraction to the serious work he must think he engages in (just so you know that link there points to his story about the godlessness of Harry Potter). Click the link for mind-numbing quotes.
Here's the choice cuts from the full length article (emphases are mine). "There is an invisible subculture in America. Those who belong to it love it with a lonely, alienated, unironic passion. Those who don't belong to it walk right by, uncaring, just as people walk right by that unmarked building in downtown Kirkland [Bungie's offices]"."It's doubtful that many people reading this could say exactly, or even approximately, what the Halo games are about." "The Bungies bring a grinding, jeweler's meticulousness to what most people consider an unhealthy amusement for children." "This devotion is fueled by a belief, not shared by the world at large, that video games are an art form with genuine emotional meaning and that Halo 3 will be the premier example of that art." "There's an opportunity beyond video games, too, for Halo to break out of the ghetto and become a mainstream, mass-market, multimedia entertainment property." "Not that the Bungies care. They don't need to legitimize Halo by associating it with other, more respectable media. They sell enough units and make enough money. They're happy in their invisible geek ghetto. But that's the logic of the marketplace: it can't leave subcultures alone; it has to turn them into cultures. It may be time for the Master Chief to come in from the cold and join the party, with the popular kids." His assertion that most readers of Time couldn't possibly describe what the Halo games are about is the most laughable. Though Time magazine's circulation numbers have dropped from 4 million down to 3.4 million in the past year, those numbers are still EASILY dwarfed by Halo 2's sales numbers alone, so far moving 8 million copies. So maybe Grossman shouldn't assume that no one who reads Time magazine plays Halo. Of course they'll have one less Halo playing reader, since I'll be canceling my subscription to Time magazine today. I think I'll be taking my money to Newsweek, who staffs one of the most respected game journalists in the field, N'gai Croal.
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Comments
:)
Like it or not, there's little in that article that speaks well of games or gamers themselves.
You're certainly free to believe what you want, but if you're trying to tell me I'm misrepresenting, you're going to need to cite some specifics.
Also:
“It’s doubtful that many people reading this could say exactly, or even approximately, what the Halo games are about.â€
- I don't have specific data on Time's demographic, but I would say that's entirely plausible. Now, if it were Wired, that would be a different story.
“The Bungies bring a grinding, jeweler’s meticulousness to what most people consider an unhealthy amusement for children.“
- Again, outside of the gaming niche - and it still very much is one - most news coverage of games, like it or not, is negative. How many next-gen consoles have been sold in America? Compare that to our population.
- “This devotion is fueled by a belief, not shared by the world at large, that video games are an art form with genuine emotional meaning and that Halo 3 will be the premier example of that art.â€
What was the percentage you got up there?
And on and on. Look, most mainstream coverage of games is awful, but you're taking shots at the wrong guy here. Have you checked out his blog? Read how much he loves Bioshock? Done a single bit of work, aside from bolding words to make him look bad?
I think you need to understand how games have to be approached from a very, very mainstream perspective. In fact, I think you DO understand that, but you let yourself get carried away and wrote a knee-jerk attack piece on someone who didn't deserve it.
Try this: Write an article about an upcoming game, with a strict word count similar to what Grossman had to work with. Make sure it will fly with hardcore gamers while still being clear to people who have never, ever held a controller in their hands. Then turn it over to a line of editors, who will make sure it has an even broader appeal. See what you end up with.
Just have a little respect, man. And maybe do a little homework before you start hammering away at people.
That's the issue here. If he's a gamer... fine, but why paint it in such a negative light? For the record, the original posting was going to be about Halo being on the cover, and how cool that was. But after reading the article, felt compelled to write what I did.
I stand behind it, and whatever definition of "ghetto" you're going by, it's negative. There's certain phrases like "most people" that are used when you're reaching. Grossman's article is filled with this backward way of wording things.
I'll show respect when it's earned, not because it's expected.
I do find it kind of funny that you clearly didn't research this article at all, but you still feel comfortable re criticizing HIS journalism.
"...one must assume that Grossman simply and completely disregards video games as anything other than a mere distraction to the serious work he must think he engages in...."
Really? MUST one? Well, I guess one must, if one isn't concerned about things like, you know, facts. How much bolded respect should that little line earn you? How seriously can we take anything you write from now on?
See how that works?
Lev on the other hand seems to want to speak for the planet about gamers. That's what I think the statement of "most people" and the "not shared by the world at large" tries to do.
If he's truly a gamer, then he missed a great opportunity to edutcate the non-gaming public a bit. Like it or not, referring to things like invisible geek ghetto is negative.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1657825,00.html" rel="nofollow">I implore everyone to read the article and decide for yourselves. If you believe I'm wrong, that's totally fine. That's the great thing about this country, everyone is allowed to have their own opinions.
Numbers and demographics aside, the purpose of this article should have been to inform readers about the Halo phenomenon and what it is doing for the gaming industry in a fact-based manner (something Time Magazine has an established history of doing, if I'm not mistaken.) The problem here is that the piece is an fact bereft, opinion based piece dipped in a unnecessary negative gamer stereo type and is an article that is journalisticall y unworthy of the Time Magazine name.
I don't think its unreasonable to hold the magazine up to higher standards instead of rationalizing how it sloppily presents an news item to a larger audience.
That's just it - you're saying what it SHOULD have been based on a hardcore gamer's perspective. The fact is, the editorial staff of Time gets to choose what they want the story to be about. The other fact is that the author is, in fact, a gamer, and he's a damn good writer and friend to "geek" culture. I'm telling you, go check out his Time blog. Read about his trip to a nerdcore show. Read about his time playing Bioshock. Read about his obsession with sci-fi and fantasy novels. Then come back here and try to defend Dan's poorly researched hatchet job.
You guys make it sound like the article was written by Jack Thompson. So it doesn't completely kiss gamers' asses - if cheerleading is what you want, there are plenty of sites for that. But it's far from the we-hate-gamers smear Dan's trying to make it out to be.
We respect your viewpoints on the subject Jeff, however, they do not coincide with the majority of the staff at THEBBPS.COM.
The great thing about working here and being online to the public for a wide variety of people to comment on is so we can express our views freely.
While as an enthusiast press outlet we cater to a more traditional “hardcore†gamer demographic but we thank everyone for bringing their views to the subject.
Arguing won’t make either party say, “Oh! You’re right!†so let us agree to disagree on the subject.
But thank you to everyone who felt as passionately about the subject enough to comment on it.
Your readership and comments are greatly appreciated and that’s why we do this to begin with!
And let me ask you this, how many Time Magazine readers are going to go check a list of everything gaming or technology related that Mr. Grossman has written? The problem here is that it is that not everyone who reads this article will have any prior knowledge of Mr. Grossman's previous work. Having read his pieces myself, its clear that Mr. Grossman loves games which is all the more reason to raise concern about this article's misguided approach and his incompetence. Sure would have been a lot more responsible to write a piece steeped in fact rather than misguided opinion would it not?
As for the notion that we "make it sound like the article was written by Jack Thompson", I don't believe any of us have gone to that extreme as there is no mention of banning or lawsuits. I don't believe any of us are looking for "cheerleading" or "asskissing", just something more intelligent than the garbage that Time Magazine sadly wants to pass off as a cover story.
The FULL LENGTH ARTICLE posted above has more than the gamer stereotype satire. Reading through it, the author seems relativly knowledgeable about Halo. I doubt most of you read past the summary here, though, much less the first few paragraphs.
"His story is rich and complicated in ways that we're not used to in video games."
"The action isn't nonstop; instead it includes dramatic beats and even moments of melancholy solitude, with Romantic weather effects and sublime vistas and soaring Gregorian chants."
"Halo takes itself seriously as, if not art, certainly a spectacle. But art seems more apt."
"THE CLICHÉ ABOUT GAMERS IS THAT THEY'RE antisocial, if not sociopathic, but Bungie is very much a community."
"The Bungies bring a grinding, jeweler's meticulousness to what most people consider an unhealthy amusement for children."
Yes I have reserved Halo 3 and plan on skipping running practice on the 25th to play it but an art form? I don't think so.
Halo and other video games are a source of ENTERTAINMENT they are viewed for pleasure, if you enjoy something you should not have to justify it to anyone. Its not like its a hidden activity, the millions of XBL users should prove that.
Anyway isn't a video game a better source of entertainment than say, bashing Harry Potter (a childrens book adored by the masses) and pretending to be a journalist?
The point is, Grossman puts quite a few phrases in his piece that essentially shun the entire gaming community, no matter whether they like halo or not. Now not all of the article does this. Overall, it neither defends or attacks gamers, but taken piece by piece, it isn't really a factual piece. Its an opinion column, and should have been put in opinions instead of on the front page. If Time was going to put a video game article of any type on the front page, it should have been an introduction to nongamers about the world of gaming, a comparison paper between what are essentially two subcultures. (yes, grossman is right, gaming is a subculture. But its a huge subculture.) Even if I were a ps3 fanboy and wanted everything to be 'sonyified' I would still not totally respect this article.
And he might just hate halo too. Hes a fan of bioshock...... you just never know....
i think you are wrong because if you ever need proof that video games are an art form just look at
*the attention to detail in gears of war
*the amazing landscape in elder scrolls oblivion
*second level of halo combat evolved...need i say more
*even the early pictures of halo 3 look incredible and i haven't even played the game yet!
as for video games being art...they aren't art, video games have inspired art. video games are greater than art because it is art that you control. if you need any more proof of that look up a game by the name of "okami"
as for the article i read the article and it seemed very negative and stereotypical. i dont care how much of a video game fan this guy is behind time magazine, this article was still worded to imply that gamers are a bunch of geeks who have no life.
Now, Dave....... one of the many definitions of art is "the products of human creativity" and another is "Art: the expression of creativity or imagination, or both." and a video game would fall under each of those categories. Now I think we all would agree that video games take a great deal of creativity and imagination and I'm pretty sure they are made by humans. Here’s another way to think about it. Macbeth, the play by William Shakespeare, is considered a great piece of art is it not? and it is also a form of entertainment since it is a play after all. So why would any other piece of creative and imaginative piece of work like a video game be any different when they are made the same way?
Now about the article.. I can see that Grossman is a gamer and all but he definitely could have picked a better choice of words while writing this piece...it just goes to show the state of mind he was in while writing it.
Keep it on topic and mature, no matter which side of the fence you fall on.
I read the article, YOU are the one who doesn't know what he's talking about.
I don't know what kind of bad day you're having or what you have up your ass to take that article negatively.
It was, in fact, kind of a salute to gamers, and it went on about the poeticism of the Halo storyline, and how videogames have evolved from once being very simple games like "Donkey Kong" to being very a involving and entertaining medium.
The writer of this article was making the point that most people ("non-gamers") don't understand Halo for what it really is. He showed respect and admiration for the amount of time and effort put into the Halo franchise, and how engrossing and amazing the storyline and gameplay are.
"The Ghetto" he refers to is metaphorical. He is referring to the fact that most people don't know Halo (or any video games for that matter.) It exists in an area of our culture that most people simply walk past and ignore. Happy to live their lives, and pretend like these 'childish and immature' pasttimes don't exist. Much like people ignore the real ghettos of the world, and simply live their happy little ignorant lives oblivious to what the world truly is outside their little bubble.
This article was a nod to the videogame industry, subculture, and all of 'geekdom' in general.
You took something that was meant to be flattery and twisted it around in your mind to mean something totally and completely different, and very opposite.
He simply took note of the popularity of Halo and how it (most likely) will be the franchise which will turn videogames from something that most people consider to be fringe, to being something that is widely accepted.
The same thing happened with books a long time ago, and more recently it happened with movies, then with rock and roll, then even more recently with television.
Games show what creative, smart, and how intuitive that people who make games can be and what makes them smart, and creative is their drive to make a game that is more than a moneymaker, the game they make is for showing everyone around him/her that a video game does not actually make you retarded, a person with no life, or stupid, but can have the people actually getting a job which leads to a BETTER life.
i tink I have made my point
Yeah and 6 million people don't play WoW
But more on topic...I'm just going to say this. Metaphorical or not, referring to anything as 'ghetto' is, quite frankly, insulting.
@Jollyfrog: And the Wii hasn't sold almost 11 million units in less than a year, right? ;)
I find it disheartening that a 'Gamer' (as the author has been referred to by the comments) would not objectively proofread his own work before submitting it to his editor. The article in 'general' (not citing specifics) gives mediochre representation of the gaming community from every standpoint. It is the fastest growing industry in the world, has been recognized by mainstream media as art (by any definition) and has effectively bridged the gap of almost 3 generations with a common pasttime.
As a gamer, the author could have used much more positive examples to define what is one of the largest global communities, a community that he belongs to. I did enjoy the read, but by no means was I 'informed' of anything except that "Kirkland is the home of the 2007 Junior Softball World Series". Any of the positive impressions portrayed were subsequently negated by references to the negative impressions (cliches) and in the end... nothing. I am a fan of the Halo series, I am a videogamer, and the parent of a budding young gamer and overal am dissappointed in the quality, moreso than the content, of the Time article. My question is though, should we call for a retraction of the article? Should the author be berated in public forums? Should we rant and rave and argue with each other? The answer is simple, No! Should we objectively voice our opinion and state our reaction to the article? Yes, we have the right to criticize and state our opinions. While this article may not be a budding example of fine journalism, the previous work by the author exhibit talent and journalistic integrity. Everyone makes mistakes and I believe that it is truly the thought that counts, and not necessarily the action, no matter how much it may hurt.
This is all my thoughts and opinions, feel free to feel differentaly, but by no means be narrowminded in this matter....by doing so, you only propogate the stereotype yourself.
They could have easily contracted someone else more knowledgable of the industry and the culture to write this piece. GET A CLUE TIME!
Hey! Thanks for stopping by and imparting your wisdom. I don't know how we've come this far without you being a part of our community.
We won't worry about it, your opinion is of no concern to us when that's all you have to contribute.
Let's say the truth: Halo is an awesome game, but its cultural impact is narrowed to, for now, the gaming community. Just like Half-Life, these games are for the core of the gaming audience, not casual players. Why Nintendogs and the Brain Training series sold more units and reached higher media profile than the Halo series? Because they are oriented to the mainstream and, more importantly, the mainstream understands them.
Series like Halo, Half-Life, Warcraft and Smash Bros, are for core gamers. Series like The Sims are for the mainstream. When you read the 1Up review of Boogie, you realize it is a hardcore site which basically mocks casual gaming attempts. When you read an article in Time, you realize it is mainstream media that does not understand core gaming. Instead of mocking, maybe we should try to learn why the mainstream media does not understand it.
That is why Halo, Half-Life, Smash Bros and so many other series will never have the success level of Mario, Pokemon or The Sims.
@everyone else:
The mainstream doesn't get our "childish" obsession with gaming and when a mainstream publication has the opportunity to expose the truth, and not the fabricated political tagline of "gaming can kill," we get excited.
In this article Mr. Grossman had an opportunity to show the mainstream reader (and majority non-gamer) why this "obsession" is so popular among 18-35 year-old (males mostly); instead the article perpetuated the stereotype that gamers are children having violent experiences. Now some of the questionable comments he makes can go either way, but, throughout the article he pokes holes into all the positive things he writes.
Mr. Grossman says he's a gamer, and that's wonderful but the article may not have struck such a cord if it was a report on the Halo 3 and not the pros and cons of the Halo brand and its fanbase.
Any way you slice it, the word ghetto is an inappropriate term to use when speaking about a group of people who are already feared as time-bombs in the mainstream media. Use of the word ghetto invokes the term isolation which many associate with people who are poorly adjusted to their environment and as a leading cause of violent outbursts.
If that isn't enough; the errors with the Scarab, Halo 3 Console and referring to Bungie as Bungies (or The Bungies) are three things I would expect to be well researched by a reporter for a publication such as TIME Magazine.
Grossman's article recognizes the stereotypes we deal with as gamers, but that's a long damn way from perpetuating them. And the "ghetto" uproar is ridiculous if you actually understand the meaning of the word.
You guys are too deep into this to go back now, so I guess your only option is to stick to your story. It's just a shame that that story is a reactionary hissy fit.
you're my boss? you must've been promoted! Nice work! Couldn't happen to a better guy :)
'Nuff said.
But in all honesty Jeff, while I think you make valid points from your side of the fence, we as a collection of editors and writers agree with our original story. I apologize if you take issue that we aren't of like-minds (you and I) but we'll have to agree to disagree.
cT
Though it has to be said he made the Bungie employees look a bit weird with that caffeinne part. he could have at least said "Well at least they have passion for there product" and bungie wouldn't mind Halo appealing to the masses but it could very well be the editors had something to do with it.
All in all a well written article that gives a nice insite into the Halo world.
"I’ll show respect when it’s earned, not because it’s expected."
Sir, I'd like to shake your hand after that comment.
"The action isn't nonstop; instead it includes dramatic beats and even moments of melancholy solitude, with Romantic weather effects and sublime vistas and soaring Gregorian chants. The game has a moody, Wagnerian quality--the Master Chief is dwarfed by towering alien architecture that recalls Piranesi. Halo takes itself seriously as, if not art, certainly a spectacle. But art seems more apt."
I doubt if you even read the article or if you did you have no capacity to read and process anything more intelligent than the back of a video game box. I love Halo and its people like you that are the ones keeping video games from being recognised as true art, by your inability to appreciate an eloquent and praising piece of journalism by the mainstream media.
hence the quotes I discuss in the article.
Halo is probably more well known than that magazine will ever be.
They think that the gamers are part of an "invisible geek ghetto"
Well you are WRONG.
Gaming is no longer a passing fad or simple sub-culture, but it has evolved into a full blown mainstream event, whether non-gaming individuals realize it or not: it's happening right now, and the popularity of Halo 3 (and the millions of dollars the gaming industry generates each year) is hard proof of its ascent. Therefore, Time decided to write an article about it to keep their non-gaming readers informed of this upcoming event that will be marked by the much anticipated release of Halo3.
The author employs the use of some stereotypes in his descriptions of gamers only to illustrate the change that has taken place. If he did nothing but rave about gaming and video games, then non-gamers would dismiss his article as clearly biased towards the gaming industry. People have to take into account that Time’s target audience is not just gamers but a much broader spectrum, many of whom have never even touched a controller.
By contrast, the writer’s description of Halo is quite poetic and complimentary, in order to show the non-gaming readers that there’s much more to video games then they assume. Even the author referring to the Scarab as a "sculpture" is a compliment, as a sculpture implies a higher level work of art. He could have dismissed it as a "gaming toy" or such, but didn't.
It’s regrettably clear that many individuals are over-reacting to Time’s article, probably without even reading the actual article through. If any article here in question is an example of slanted journalism, sad to say it’s clearly the one attacking it.
I can only hope that readers will actually take the time to read both articles all the way through for themselves and draw their own conclusions instead of immediately reacting to how the author of the attacking article tells them they should feel.
That said, their perspective (and consequently, the article's,) is simply ill-conceived, outdated, slightly patronizing, and poorly-research ed.
Its as though he was placating his demographic instead of educating them, a choice that he should be called out for, regardless of what the publication or audience is.
Basically, the article did nothing to aid in the mainstream's perception of gaming as the next big platform of entertainment, or even it's legitimacy to the mainstream in any way. Which is why people have brought up up sales numbers, gaming is already "mainstream".
And if sales numbers are not enough to indicate "mainstream," how do you? Public awareness? Do we need all the "35+" citizens to know the Master Chief before Halo is mainstream?
If so, well, no problem then. Just give it 15-20 years ;)
However, he is a gamer, maybe not hardcore (having invited him to some ih-house multiplayer Halo and Halo 2 games at Time Inc.), and maybe not that great, but he is one nonetheless. Also, way back in 2004, right before Halo 2 was release, he wrote a piece on how certain video games (GTA: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, and Halo 2) are transcending past *cult*, and moving into mainstream and art (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,995582,00.html). He even admits to "cry" from the "single most perfect video game of ever made," namely Halo.
As a writer, Lev has to take a perspective, present it in a manner that either provokes or intrigues, and follow through with details to the reader. Granted, I felt maybe he's being too liberal in trying to be hip with his phrases ("break out of the ghetto and become a mainstream, mass-market, multimedia entertainment property," "happy in their invisible geek ghetto"), but as someone else has commented, it's stereotyping (poor ones, admittedly) for the sake pointing out that game brands like Halo are no longer just for gamers, but for all people to enjoy. The problem is that the main demographic of TIME's readers do *not* view the Halo series as mainstream. We, as gamers, and anyone who knows a gamer, already accept it as such...this much we know. In my view, maybe he should have chosen his original word from his 2004 piece (cult) to solidify his point, and remain consistent to himself, and to better reach the TIME audience.
I have to admit, I, too, was disappointed with some of the poor research done by the staff, detailing the mass marketing products related to Halo 3's release, but I can say that's what happens when cutbacks take out a research department and forces writers to have to do all the nitty-gritty detail searching for themselves, all the while trying to meet deadlines. Those who write on blogs or personal sites have it easy, having arbitrary or casual times when writing a piece. TIME writers have to grind it out, and make the cut into a printed mag, or onto the online site, week to week. It's no excuse for poor journalism, but you have to go through it to know the perspective.
In the end, the best analogy to what this story evokes (especially in the last paragraph) is like calling a male pro athlete a jock, and the sports they play their jockdom. Would some athletes take offense to that? Possibly. But should they care if what they do makes them happy or money? Not at all.
That's a fantastic perspective on the entire thing, from both sides. I honestly and truly appreciate you commenting on the story in such a well-thought out way.
You final paragraph sums it all up quite nicely. Thanks for taking the time to contribute!
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625209,00.html
This is as bad as Jack Thompson, crazy-ass lawyer extraordinare, who thinks things like this lead to violence
he must read time
The guy is 38, by the way.
I love HALO 3!!!
How to get it?
I am from sweden.
My dad is 58 years old, and he loves video games. I would not say he is a "hardcore gamer", but he plays several role playing games, and he is looking forward to Diablo 3.
My grandfather is 72 years old, and he IS a hardcore gamer lol :)
example:
Doctor: Ma'am... I'm afraid I have some bad news about your son...
Mother: *scared look on her face* W...What is it?
Doctor: ... Well... Your son has... the bungies.
Mother: *BAWLS*