Leave it to my dumb ass to kick up a fuss on the internet just before the webzine goes on its yearly hiatus, this is the last week of posting for the 2008 season for Popmatters. After this, we all go on a much needed break and resume posting on January 6th. It’ll give me time to write, play games, and finish up the Kael project.
In regards to the Kael piece, I don’t want to give the impression I’m on some kind of terror. I just decided it would be a much more interesting piece if I actually tried out and had examples of her style. I think everyone, in all these threads, blogs, and webzines, likes video games and wants the medium to progress. Like I said in the second piece on her, I don’t personally agree with Kael’s methods. I also don’t think that any critic possesses the power to completely inhibit the distribution of a game, so there’s really no need to get up in arms about anything. I'm having a blast writing about games. Honestly, I'm amazed more people aren't in awe at this incredible opportunity. When does anyone ever get to be first at anything anymore? This is the period of an artistic medium where our Edwin S. Porter is about to come along. When our Miles Davis is going to produce something new. I’m just excited to escape from my own dull grind and be a part of it.
It occurs to me in all this Spike VGA hubbub and Best of 2008’s that there hasn’t yet been an award for Greatest Contribution to Video Games. This isn’t a cynical award, I mean this in earnestness. It goes to Maggie Greene. Her work on Kotaku introduced an entire massive audience to a degree of discussion and criticism that they both did not know existed and did not know they wanted. Every weekend, we all knew someone had gathered together an amazing array of genuinely interesting links that weren’t going to be PR, weren’t random rambling, but instead genuinely involved thoughtful discussion. Those links didn’t always produce the kind of results that linking to the latest rumor or inflammatory article would’ve produced, which would’ve paid off more for her. Instead each time a few more people were reached, each time the wave reached a bit higher up on the shore. I know I’d be just another face on the interwebs without that support, along with a lot of other people. Your retirement from Kotaku is sorely felt. Like Edwin S. Porter, who invented the concept of making a movie out of shots, or Miles Davis who just started jamming one day, you weren’t just doing something awesome. You were doing something at the time that everyone needed it most. Who can do it again? Nobody, the moment has passed and you were there to get it done. Imitators and protégés are never the same.
And speaking of final moments, I thought I’d end 2008 rocking the boat a bit.
3 comments:
If you read this Maggie, please keep us in the loop if you'll be blogging elsewhere (even if it's an individual blog.) Best of luck in all your future projects!
Farewell Maggie. I never got a link, but the love was felt, all the same.
Oh, now I'm all verklempt again.
If there's anything I'm sad about, it's that I don't have the opportunity to highlight things that really need to get more attention. But really, it was all thanks to writers like you - I just aggregated the stuff & didn't have to do the heavy lifting of actually producing it!
I should be popping up again in the more formal blogosphere shortly. Until then, I'll be happily reading away with no pressure!
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