I'm going to let you in on a secret: My life doesn't completely revolve around video games. In fact, the majority of my time is spent mired neck-deep in academia, inching ever closer to attaining a journalism degree. That doesn't mean I shirk my gaming duties as a consequence; the scarcity of free time simply devolves my play sessions into shortened bursts of enjoyment.
Writing about games, however, is something I strive to constantly hone and perfect through experience and insightful feedback. When I first stumbled upon Bitmob, I possessed a rudimentary understanding of the games-journalism industry and what role journalists played within it – hardly anywhere near the level of knowledge exhibited by other Bitmob staffers and community members, but adequate enough.
Sure, I understand the basic tenets of maintaining objectivity, and I realize the importance of Dan Hsu's crotch glow. But beyond that, I don't see a pressing need to memorize every last facet of the industry to claim credibility. Am I required to have an encyclopedic awareness of a franchise? Do I need to maintain a mental Rolodex of luminaries and their work history as a way of keeping abreast?
To clarify, I'm not endorsing a complete dismissal of knowing the inner workings of the industry. On the contrary, such a stance is quite irrational in the wake of the sheer amount of face time and contact information one receives as a games journalist. My belief is that passion and initiative are the keystones behind having the drive to debate about gaming.
Even though I don't know who Geoff Keighley is or why that HipHopGamer guy gets so much attention, I've promised myself to buck up and muster along in my burgeoning (and thoroughly awesome) writing career.
What do you think? Is it necessary to have an exacting knowledge of the industry to write about games?