Hard4Games.com

Contrary to popular belief, writing about games isn't exactly the most fun job in the world. In fact, I would probably say it's the hardest job I've ever had in my life.

Or, let's put it another way: Your job is that of a craftsman. You are someone who, in essence, forms OPINIONS as a profession. This sounds like a dream job, initially. Then you realize that somewhere out there, some random asshole thinks he knows more about any given topic than you do, regardless of whether or not he actually does. Furthermore, he will spare NO expense to attempt to prove to you, and potentially every other person who reads your work, that you are wrong and your opinion means nothing. It goes without saying, that this will make you feel like throwing something through a window. The real hypocrisy that comes into play is that this person typically chooses to be 100% anonymous and, rather than stepping their game up and proving they ARE better, they would rather sit back and run their mouths non-stop about how much YOU are a pile of fail.

This can lead to a lot of frustration. But that isn't what I wanted to talk about today.

I wanted to talk about that subject that constantly comes up, but is rarely addressed; Professional bleed-through.

What I'm referring to, specifically, is when I'm sitting there having a discussion with people on any wide range of topics unrelated to my work, and suddenly my PERSONAL opinion about a particular topic comes under undue scrutiny, simply because I have opinions as my main form of work.

So, I'd like to make something quite clear. I will say right now that I am 100% UNQUALIFIED to speak on behalf of ANY other video game critic, reviewer, or pundit. However, I would like to BELIEVE that my sentiments are probably echoed by at least a few others.

Whenever I write a piece on a given game or game related topic, my professional opinion BEGINS when that article starts, and my professional opinion ENDS when that article stops, just as much as your typical job starts when you punch in, and it ends when you punch out. Writing, to me, is no different.

People seem to have developed this strange idea that suddenly, every opinion that comes out of my mouth must absolutely, positively without a shadow of a doubt be dissected, torn apart and then thoroughly analyzed in order to attempt to make me look like an idiot in front of... whomever they're currently trying to impress that week.

Let me give you an example. Knocking about on facebook as I normally do, I updated my status on the topic of Tron Legacy. Let me tell you, that was a BAD FUCKING MOVIE. You know why it's a bad movie? Because in my PERSONAL OPINION, it's a bad fucking movie. I do not feel like I got my money's worth out of watching that film. My regular readers know that I can be a bit of spitfire at times, and as with anyone who has strong opinions, the very anti-thesis of that person is never too far away. So, no one should be surprised when I say that a few "friends" and other casual facebook acquaintances tried to goad me into going on a tirade about it (notably because they liked the film and wanted to try and tear into me). I didn't fall for it, and chose to keep my mouth shut.

Unlike a great many other critics who like to play things close to their chest, I like to do the opposite, for the most part. I like to keep an air of transparency about me. Now, that doesn't mean I drop every little bit of information about my personal life out there for everyone and their mother to see, but I do like to maintain a standard of not acting like I'm on top of some goddamn gilded pedestal, to be admired by all the lesser creatures beneath me. No, I'm a regular asshole just like everyone else. I just happen to be the asshole with a sanctioned megaphone.

So, let me tell you not what my job is, but what my job ISN'T:

1. I am not a film critic.
2. I am not a book critic (although technically, I could be. But, that is NOT my profession, nor my specialization).
3. I am not an automobile critic.
4. I am not a music critic.
5. I am not a tech gadget critic (outside of video game hardware, obviously).
6. I am not a (insert your own goddamn blank) critic.

So on, and so forth. I am not a critic in any of those fields, and probably not a critic in any of the other possible blanks you might have filled in there. You know why? Because frankly, I am not educated on, nor do I have any real tangible experience with any of those fields outside of being a consumer of said products that come from them. But since we ARE on that topic, let me tell you what my job IS:

1. My job is to observe, teardown, critique, and review video game software, hardware, and video game accessories (propane)
2. My job is to be objective in regards to video games.
3. My job is to be unbiased in regards to video games.
4. My job is to present the facts CLEARLY on video games.
5. My job is to formulate a clear, concise opinion based on the FACTS presented about video games and related topics.

So I find it to be an incredibly strange phenomenon that now, as a critic of a very specific field of entertainment, others find it necessary to rain on my parade whenever I have an opinion about ANYTHING. So let me try and break it down for you nice and plain, folks at home.

Just because opinions are my work, does NOT mean I suddenly lost the right to have completely biased, non-factual, skewed opinions about everything else. You know, like any other person. You know what? I like Coke and hate Pepsi. Why? Because I fucking hate Pepsi, that's why. I think Coke is a tasty beverage, and if given the option, I will chose a goddamn Coke over a Pepsi. That's my perogative. I'm not in the business of giving a fair, critical angle on the merits or faults of a particular soda. I'll leave that to the soda critic.

I am in the business of being critical about games, and I follow the guidelines up above about how I go about doing my work. This business is built on having a reputation as someone who is credible in regards to their chosen topic, in my case gaming. So you need to realize that when I boldly praise or harshly condemn a piece of game software, know that I am very carefully weighing all things before I open my mouth. After all, being caught in a lie or appearing to be coerced by outside forces is a fucking death sentence for a critic, even if it comes down to something simple as merely having the wrong information and reporting it as being true. People will string you up on a fucking yard-arm and you'll never cease hearing about it.

The business of having an opinion is a thankless job. More often than not, the people who actually read and value your opinion? They'll never tell you. You won't even know that they're there. It's the motherfucker who has too much time on his hands, and has a REALLY small ego that needs some kind of boost, he's the one that's going to try and play pretty peacock and puff up his non-existent plumes to make himself feel better that day.

Do you know why some of your favorite writers hardly speak anywhere outside of their actual work? Because of the audience, that's why. They KNOW that you are sitting there waiting for them to say something that you disagree with, simply to give them a hard fucking time so you can feel like a cool kid. Well guess what? You're an asshole, and that's why they don't talk.

Now, it might sound like I'm saying "You aren't allowed to have an opinion because it's not your job." I want to be EXPLICITLY clear on this point. That is NOT WHAT I AM SAYING AT ALL. What I AM saying is... people who are in the business of having professional opinions, have to restrain themselves a LOT MORE than people who are not. We pay for this by having people spit on us, detest us, and drag our names and our words through the mud for little compensation in return, at least intellectually.

So why do we do it? There can be a huge variety of reasons. Again, I can only speak for myself here, but the reason I do it? Knowing that for every random hundred dickheads I encounter, there is at least ONE person who silently has paid attention, nodded, and taken my words to heart. Those are the people I really care about, and cherish. THEY are the ones who make it worth it to me, that see the value in the things that I have to say. I'm not in the business of turning those people away, I'm in the business of helping them.

When all is said and done, you need to realize this: Just because this is my job, I do not have to be NICE to you. My niceness is a courtesy, extended to you, because I want you to pay attention to the things I have to say, based on my qualifications to say them. But know that I didn't magically stop being a person with varying and probably illogical opinions about a wide variety of other topics. Lo and behold, I'm just as much of a dickhead as you are. The only difference is that there is a very distinct line where my dickheadedness starts and stops.

But that's like, you know. My opinion, man.