Video game journalism

Computer games journalism (including video games journalism ) is a form of journalism, which specializes in the testing and writing of new and old computer and video games. As well as the normal results of journalistic work and computer games journalism for different mass media ( print, television, and in recent years especially the Internet) can be exercised.

Molding

For computer games journalism include:

  • Preliminary reports of upcoming and in development of computer and video games
  • Reviews for recently released titles, usually with a rating on a scale from 0 to 100
  • Reports on trade fairs and exhibitions in the industry
  • Interviews with developers of games
  • Retro reports on games and systems of the past
  • Background reports, for example on the development of a game, technical backgrounds, etc

History of computer games journalism in the German-speaking

Known magazines devoted exclusively to the topic of computer and video games, there were in German-speaking since the 1980s. The first publication of this kind was the short-lived Tele match, which was published between late 1982 and early 1985. The first magazine that has established itself on the market in the longer term, was the ASM, which appeared under the direction of Manfred Kleimann from 1986. Also, the computer magazine Happy Computer was in 1988 at a monthly supplement, which dealt with interactive games. This leaflet was headed by Heinrich Lenhardt and Boris Schneider- Johne, two well-known pioneers of the German computer games journalism. From 1990, this leaflet was published under the name Power Play as a separate magazine. As of 1992, PC Games, one of the oldest German game magazines appeared. Often the magazines also take a disk with demos and full versions of some older games was initially mostly a floppy disk, CD- ROMs, and later today, mostly DVDs.

With the increasing spread of game consoles, released in the early 1990s also own publications for console games, such as the Gamers from 1991 or the MAN! AC (now M! Games) from 1993. Particularly well known was the PC games magazine PC Player, which appeared from 1992 to 2001. Also, this book was founded by Heinrich Lenhardt and Boris Schneider- Johne. Also historically important was the establishment of Gamestar, which is still regarded as one of the most influential journals in this field.

Today, there are magazines that are dedicated exclusively PC games (Game Star ), as well as those only with specific consoles ( about 360 Live, PS3M ), various consoles ( M! Games), or with both PC games and console games deal (about computer Bild Spiele ). By Making Games Magazine since 2005, there is also a magazine for developers of computer games.

After the spread of computer gaming magazines continuously increased in the 1990s and early 2000s, a drastic drop in circulation figures of many newspapers is since around 2005 can be seen in this genre. This is often justified by the increasingly widespread use of broadband Internet access. Demos and full versions on the accompanying media, often the main incentive for the purchase, can now be obtained as comfortable over the Internet. Also, reviews are often found earlier on the Internet than in print magazines.

Therefore, the computer games journalism is becoming more widespread on the Internet, such as on sites like IGN Entertainment, Games World, 4Players or Gamespot. With GIGA there was even a German in the meantime Games TV Station.

Known Magazines

German-speaking

  • 360 Live
  • Buffed
  • Computer Bild Spiele
  • Consol.at ( in Germany as ConsolPLUS )
  • GamePro
  • Gamestar
  • Games Aktuell
  • GEE
  • M! Games (formerly MAN! AC)
  • Making Games Magazine
  • N- Zone
  • PC Action
  • PC Games
  • PS3M
  • Play ³
  • Wii Magazine

Internationally

  • Edge (United Kingdom)
  • Famitsu (Japan)
  • Game Informer (USA)
  • Game Developer (USA)
  • Jeux Video (France)
  • Nintendo Power (USA)
  • Video Mania ( Russia)
Aktueller Software Markt CD-ROM GIGA Television Edge (magazine) Game Developer (magazine)
199590
de