An Evening With The Crappy Games Industry

Expecting to have something to write about concerning PC gaming following Microsoft’s event on the platform, Gamers With Jobs got little from the gathering other than another look at how bad the gaming industry can be.

“I’m proud to be a part of the world’s largest platform for gaming …” the voice continues, and I tune out. I arrived about 30 minutes ago, along with some bloggers from the Joystiq network, looking to see some PC games; to write about them, to sing the praises of the ‘dying’ platform that is Windows gaming. Instead of showing off the brand, the event codified, for me, why Microsoft hates the whole ‘PC gaming thing.’

It also underlined, in a single evening, absolutely everything wrong, horrible, and debased about the games industry.
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There are a lot of games journalists that deserve the reputation we have as a group.

He asked hard-hitting questions like, “When will I get to play it?” “How did you make it cooler?” and, my favorite, “How did you make that so badass?” The only thing more annoying was his cohorts, who towards the end of the demo took up residence right behind me. One pressed the top of my chairback down as he leaned over me to look at the screen, while another bounced his knee off of one of my chair legs. I’m not sure they knew what country they were in, let alone what game they were watching. The demo took half an hour, and I walked away relatively pleased that it had gone well. I’d asked some followup questions that had uncovered some interesting insights – pretty much the only reason I wake up in the morning.

I stood in front of one of the televisions making notes, waving away the buzzing waiters, when I realized that the current trailer wasn’t for a PC game. It was for a 360 game. Journalists at this point were hovering freely near the booze and food stations. The few reputable outfits I had recognized at the beginning of the evening had either already left, or were skulking about the corners looking about as pissed as I felt.

Games writers don’t write about PC games because they’re not ‘sexy’

As one last harrah, I attempted to get an interview with one of the execs. It was not to be – appointments for the gents’ time had filled up before the event had even begun, I was told. (Was this in the invitation?) I asked. I was given polite smiles and ‘˜thank-you-for-coming’s in response. Tail firmly between my legs, my will to continue for the evening defeated, I hooked up with my fellow bloggers and made for a hotel cab stand across the street.