According to Press Engine data, the global pool of games journalists has shrunk by 25%

“For quality games media, I continue to believe that the best form of stability is dedicated reader bases to remove reliance on funds, and a hybrid of direct reader funding and advertisements. If people want to keep reading quality content from full time professionals, they need to support it or lose it. That’s never been more critical than now.”

The games media outlets that have survived, except for Gamespot and IGN, have just about all switched to this model. It seems to be the only way it survives.

  • Nikls94@lemmy.worldEnglish
    22·
    7 hours ago

    Most “reviewers” get a version of the game with infinite money and health to get through the game quickly and only talk about story and size.

    I bet there’s bosses and quests that have a special place in our rage that these people just breezed through and they don’t remember them a single bit.

    • qarbone@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      11 minutes ago

      I’ve gotten release copies of games for review. Unless they have another secret tier of pressers, this is nonsense. If anything, review copies are more likely to have bugs that making completing the game harder.

    • ampersandrew@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      1 hour ago

      The most I’ve heard about reviewers getting extra help is that they have a small tip sheet for the trickiest parts, and only sometimes. If they need extra help beyond that, they’re messaging their colleagues on Discord who are also under embargo.