The Reboot: Tommy Tallarico on Video Game Journalism

[jamgrieve]

Though I agree with most of what he is saying, he is being a hypocrite about his EP/RotR days. Of course it was about the bad cop/good cop routine but is that really a good reason for being a dick on all of those episodes?

[Dietpill]

He needs to go back to G4. I loved Judgement Day a million times more than X-Play.

[Suibriel]

This is more relevant than ever before. Hi Jim Sterling.

[BakuMamX]

I get to meet this bro backstage in a few weeks!

[digitalimpulse]

@BakuMamX I met him in person and got his autograph both twice. Trust me, you're just another person to him. Don't expect anything more than a "heyyyy" and a handshake if you're lucky.

[BakuMamX]

@digitalimpulse Well I got to work at Video Games Live yesterday, so I got a photo with him, and an autograph.

[digitalimpulse]

@BakuMamX congrats. went twice, my second time I flew from the east coast to the west only to have him ban cameras at the autograph table. cool guy.

[urito18]

"You know..."

[XMarkusMaximusX]

Lots of Yahtzee hate on this vid, The guy clearly does those reviews in a comedic format, if you take what he says literally about games you either dont get his sense of humour or your just a very very boring individual.

[HelghastSoldier1]

N4G let me here :)

[TheRetronomicon]

Snarky describes so much... 1up, Destructoid, The Escapist, /v/... holy shit.

[xin0]

Thanks for this...this guy is right.

i hate it when people just steal sh* ALL THE FUCKING time!

no one never do research, they are all fake mother fuckers journalist!

[jumpinscarecrow]

@xin0 Why, after repeatedly saying 'Fuck', would you decided to say 's***'. Odd.

[xin0]

@jumpinscarecrow why do you take importance to it!? weird:/

[jumpinscarecrow]

@xin0 Some how, this one time, it just felt like it needed to be said. Usually I don't take to this type of approach, but just this once I indulged.

[jumpinscarecrow]

@xin0 Because it just proves you don't look at or think about what your writing properly. That's all. Maybe you should wonder why you don't take importance to it. Unwilling to admit faults? Ignorance? Please. Do tell.

[skullyfromlethal]

I can't believe so many people don't get Yahtzee's humour.. It's obviously not to be taken seriously. I watch his reviews every week, not to find out if a game's good or not, but to hear a satrical take on a game where he nit picks in a humorous manner that many enjoy. What this guy is getting at is the countless noname websites (and even the bigger sites) that post up gaming 'news' with a negative spin so that they can get hits

[Retro8bit]

Tommy Tallarico is awesome! I hope to visit a "Video Games Live" someday!

[amazingdany]

In his gaming show, I really hated that guy.

[curtisb3000]

What is real journalism in the face of media sensationalism?

[Silverson12]

SpoonyExperiment LOL

[uadfa]

What about the SpoonyExperiment?

[lneh]

Meanwhile professional reviews are worthless, for big games at least, basically paid ads.

[Strawberrycock309]

Jesus christ tommy the biggest faggot ever is giving possibly the best point I've ever heard.

[Cyberxion]

@Strawberrycock309 A guy with cock in his name is calling another person a faggot. Why the universe didn't implode when you posted that is a mystery that's going to go down in history alongside Sasquatch. The irony, it burns us.

[Strawberrycock309]

@Cyberxion

I never meant it as an insult honey, I think he's delicious.

[MashinBug]

he's got a good point. i miss electric playground.

[redmage661]

Where is the Journalism bro?

[jomo999]

true, so much hatred. too many close minded people in the gaming community, but it's not all bad, there are plenty of people that care too :)

[Fredrick2003]

This man was the last great thing on G4.

[Fauxity]

It's funny, doesn't make it good journalism, darkmooninc.

[incipidsigninsetup]

Didn't like the show he was on much but few people are as passionate about games as he is and VERY few are as extraordinarily talented as he is. I give respect where it's due.

[Emandudeguyperson]

@darkmooninc Screw you.

[icnfde]

lol this is Yahtzee to a tee.

[lespaulhero]

i miss judgement day

[UltraComboer]

I missed your mom last night. Hahaha! I'm only kidding. I miss Judgment Day as well.

[matthewdoucette]

tt's answer in a nutshell: DO ACTUAL WORK. funny how success comes down to that in every field.

[matthewdoucette]

this is exactly how i feel. why i loved tt's show and hated morgan webb (and that other guy)'s show... all they did was make fun of games. so lame and annoying.

[TripleM87]

Preach it, Tommy!

[g805ge]

The fact you have VideoGameOverThinker on your favorites invalidates your post.

[TripleM87]

Because?

[TheSubtleNinja]

Reviewer and Journalist

NOT the same thing

[CleverDjembe]

positivity

positivity, positivity

positivity, positivity, positivity

positivity, positivity, positivity, positivity FTW!

[g805ge]

You agree with him?

[mogul1265]

How can you not? Game sites are a joke and dont even bother with the forums.

[RobAlister]

I agree with Tommy, no offense to anyone here.

[g805ge]

Zero Punctuation fits into Tommy Tallarico's description of game journalism perfectly.

[TheSubtleNinja]

Nobody watches Zero punctuation because they're looking for a game to buy. They watch it because it's funny.

[ThisNameIsNotUsed]

yeah zero punctuation is all about bashing the shit out of most games but at least its funny and original

[g805ge]

At first but now its gotten old, I liked his monotone, cold voice a lot better.

[ThrobbingEgo]

Yahtzee, in his Zero Punctuation reviews, is NOT a journalist. He's not a critic either. He doesn't pretend to be. He's a game reviewer - a person with an opinion. You can't fault him for being an angry guy with an opinion because that's what he is. Yahtzee's job is to state his opinion on games and be entertaining doing it. Personally, I think he's damn good at his job.

[TripLeSh0t]

Actually. Zero Punctuation is more as a Gamer perspective as opposed to being a game reviewer. That is because no company is paying him to put up a positive or negative review video up.

[ThrobbingEgo]

That's not what a reviewer does. A reviewer's job is to either recommend or criticize... something. In Yahtzee's case, it's a video game. He provides video game reviews.

I don't see how he'd be less of a reviewer if no company is forcing him to write a positive or negative review. If that were the case, reviewers would be worthless.

[g805ge]

yahtzee actually does consider himself as a critic. he said so in a interview in the show "Not Quite Art". He says that a game reviewers talks about how he/she would recommend the game while a critic talks about the player's participation.

but in reality he's does niether.

[Letsplaythreadssuck]

If you judge your opinion solely on someone's opinion you don't deserve to have one at all. Tommy has done a lot for the industry, Yahtzee is just another blog darling, his 15 minutes are nearly up.

[tjag808]

Yahtzee is a constructive critic who sees games potential to become a art form. You're angry because most of the games he reviews are actually shit!

[telephonline92]

Bull shit

[Gothdemon01]

Great stuff! Tommy is a cool guy :)

[blackplastic420]

This made me think of Ben Crashaw to,

[MG720771]

Yeah, Yahtzee may be a great comedian but as a reviewer he's just another sensationalist as he obviously more nitpicky than honest or fair. Some of his fanbase takes his reviews so seriously as if Yahtzee could influence and change gaming into a art form but he however bashed several games that tried to transcend gaming into something new such as Oblivion, Mass Effect, Braid {only by a bit} and Uncharted. Oh yeah, I forgotten that his review of Soul Calibur IV was beyond weak.

[peregrin2]

I don't always agree with Yahtzee (I like JRPGs and such), but he does make many valid points about games. Oblivion was over-simplified for consoles, and was no more revolutionary than Morrowind. Mass Effect was fun, I loved it, but it IS wordy with tons of cutscenes/dialogue, even by RPG standards. Uncharted was just a mix of several previous games, and barely scored the radar with even mainstream critics. In fact, I'd say most critics are TOO positive, and we need someone to play hardball

[g805ge]

Those arguements can be easily refuted. Oblivion is more streamlined and accessible than "dumbed down", Yahtzee criticized the atmosphere not the gameplay of oblivion. Mass Effect's amount of dialogue depends on your dialogue choices where you can interact with the dialogue with your choices. Uncharted BURROWS many elements from other games but it seamlessly combines them and executes them so well it's refreshing and enjoyable, the storyline {continued}

[g805ge]

may burrow many elements from other sources of media and literature but like the gameplay and the Indina Jones movie it executes them so well that's it's fun and cinematic.

[Hardcoremadman]

@MG720771 His reviews should be taken lightly and he never wanted people to take them seriously since its comedy.

[tjag808]

Shut Up! Yahtzee is not a sensationlist. He's a excellent and hilarious critic. You people are afraid to see games adapt into a art form because you fuckers are old.

[Letsplaythreadssuck]

What is it like to be a sycophant?

[aviatcomicbookbin]

Gotta love Tommy. Always has great insights.

[GOG4891]

Ben Yahtzee Croshaw should listen and learn something from this guy.

[tjag808]

You remind me of a SSBB fanboy!

[Letsplaythreadssuck]

You sound like really angry, chill the fuck out, play some games.

Semper Games

[FourZeroToo]

@GOG4891

Thanks for reminding me to go check for new reviews from him :)

[jasamdomo]

@FourZeroToo

Zero Punctuation is like a one trick pony.

You watch one, you've watched them all.

*SPOILERS*

He dislikes 99% of the games he reviews.

I know it's for show, but come on.

[xin0]

@GOG4891 i don't get it why?

all he does is provide a logical review of what games are doing wrong. He does review and I find them funny especially when you have played and experienced the game yourself.

The Enslaved review was his best.

And the people that this video applies to are websites that do only reviews to get free games, copy and paste other sites news. Not people like Escapist Mag

[girlypop11]

I love Tommy T.(:

And I agree with what he says

[sean2339]

That's why I liked the old g4 shows. They did the in debth stuff and I could get all my info from one place. Now I feel like I'm drinking a diet soda version of true g4 when I watch xplay. That's why we need someone with the balls like Tommy and the passion like Victor to save fans of video games from g4usa and bring back our video game network.

[reflekshun]

This is brilliant!

[jordanhass]

Tommy Kicks Ass!

[tjag808]

Tommy Sucks Ass!

[Letsplaythreadssuck]

Yeah fuck him for having an opinion, but praise the other guy for having one.

[DrKillinSpillin]

my friends are dumb ass's im like telling them people who test games and write about them are journalists but my friends are like no they are game testers i mean wtf can u be any more idiotic

[BlueBlazer89]

actually game testers is a career. believe it or not its true and there are people that just test games and then give there opinions on them. hence there name, game testers

[Isomnophilia]

It is, but games testers usually need to find bugs and correct them from the programming code...

That's what it says in the application detials T_T

[AlexanderArts]

I agree with him. And I also don't think the AVN fits into this category since he is talking about old games, not current newsworthy stuff.

[CRITTERBUSTERS]

Tommy's work on the music in the terminator for the sega cd is amazing.

[stafax]

wow, sounds like he's talking about youtube as well. with all these so called "game reviewers" playing a game and calling it a "shit load of fuck."

[ColeDavis94]

someones been watching AVGN

[scornchie]

He is so right, listen to this man he is smarter than all of you!!!

Huge fan of ROTR and EP!!!

[bub777]

anyone pay attention to what Tallarico said @ 0:08? It sounds like he's saying "f--- it up".

[gkb116]

...he said okay. Okay?

[Studio6100]

What ever happened to the TRUE G4!!!!!!!!!!!

They fired him and a bunch of other people. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fucking x-play just grabbed the other's money. Now they have COPS, Japanese Ninja Warrior, crap like that.

Bring back G4 from 2003.

[channelfunk]

Wow. He is very attractive. And I love his music. =D

[TheSnowKid]

He inspires me more and more each day as an game designer and resourcer.

[VaanLeonis]

what it takes to be a games journalist...play alot of games...be honest...!

[exist12345]

Tallarico is an attractive man.

[RudolphTHE1st93]

i miss judgement day

[KnightTemplar108]

good points. but what if they go the otther way and say its good when its bad. like the Xbox 360 mag in austarila gives 9.5 and 10's to every game and ingnors the bad things. i would rather know whats wrong with a game rather than get a over-hyped "buy this" review.

[KnightTemplar108]

like Jeff Gerstmann getting fired because edios diddent like him telling the truth so thy stoped funding gamespot, and in turn fired him. i think trash talking games is better than lies ment to sell them

[Orionsaint]

Tommy's right, what's the point of on copying and pasting other people's news? Do research, try to get exclusives. Stop trying to get big reactions. That's why I only blog when I really have something unique and interesting to report or say rather.

[Orionsaint]

Tommy is referring about certain blog news sites, you know who you are. The reason people hate more than like is, let's face it. It's more fun to hate than like. It just is, you can rag on someone and crack jokes and get more reactions, more attention basically, but that's not Journalism anymore. That's sensationlism.

[HighOnCarFumes]

Tallarico FTW!!

[Sylocat]

The reason there is so much negativity in independent game journalism is because all the mainstream review sites are sycophantic circlejerks where the reviewers' paychecks come directly from the companies that make the games they're reviewing.

[wartarot]

You're exactly right Sylocat, and it's been going on for a long time. Anyone who thinks otherwise just look at Gerstmann's firing from Gamespot.

[KnightTemplar108]

he was fired fo telling the truth about the game.

[Sylocat]

Earth to Tommy Tallarico: The vast majority of game journalism sites out there have the exact OPPOSITE problem. They are paid to be positive about everything, and to ignore all downsides to a game so the sites they work for can make more adverizing bucks. Jeff Gerstmann, anyone?

[KnightTemplar108]

now that i think about it he may mean people like A.V.G.N. and yartzee. but thats just for fun nobody looks at them for the un-bias opionen of a review they look at them for reviews hidden behing comidey

[gabe0083]

I really like tommy but he should share the spotlight with the person interviewing him, not talk over him.

but he is right about what he says

[modustheoperandi]

I don't see how he can COMPLAIN about COMPLAINING when he even admitted to the amount of bitching he did on his other shows.

Negativity in reviews of video games is damn important since each game is 50-60 bucks a pop. The good aspects of a game should be able to shine through the negative aspects. Who wants to waste 50 bucks on a game just because a review they read avoided negativity?

[theheroslegend]

I think the point he was trying to make was more focused around the point that certain 'journalists' focus on certain products, and bash other companies or series as a whole through a biased outlook; rather than showing both good and bad points, like he was saying.

[TripleM87]

Kind of reminds me of Yahtzee and his attack-fests on the Wii.

[gabe0083]

he is talking about those that attack, not share their honest opinion

[GBallaJ]

@modustheoperandi could rent it...?

[arivonmilhouse]

Tommy is a faggot.

[TheSnowKid]

ANd for what? Creating oen of the most successful video game music tour of all time? Creating a very sucessful network for video game composers. Yep, he must be a fag for doign that.

[Tobanaman]

I use to hate this guy after seeing him on that show he was on G4, but now i think he's a cool guy

[TheSnowKid]

I was in the same boat as you, I hate him in the past, but now, as I listen to him now and his veiwpoints, I started to like him and respect him.

[blizzvalve]

he makes a lot of good points here.

[DennisMrozek]

A lot of good points there

[TommyTallarico]

I know that guy.

:)

T.T.

[MegaDaffy]

This explains so much about X-Play's review methods and why they gave Mega Man Battle Network 5 an automatic 3 out of 5.

[geekboy15]

Ok, here's a pitch. Adam sessler and Tommy Tallarico rip on other journalists 40 minutes a day.

[haitek]

I miss Judgement Day...

[Smood47]

Kuturagi is a dick! HAHAHAHAHAH. Tallarico is so great.

[jordanhass]

Tommy to AVGN & Irate Gamer - "BE NICE".

[coriachi]

maybe hes mad at AVGN