Is video games journalism dying? Or is it more vibrant than ever?
You now have access to my recent talk at NYU Game Center, previously only heard by 200 or so people in downtown Brooklyn. The lecture, given last Thursday, is titled "The Nine Lives of Video Games Journalism," and in it, I suggest where the games media is heading by comparing the current trends to the past 50 years and the many publications that have come and gone.
You’ll hear me try and fail not to cry about halfway through, when it hits me mid-sentence that I’ve unintentionally written a eulogy for hundreds, if not thousands, of careers in this space – including potentially my own.
And yet, people who attended the talk – including people in games media – described it as moving, validating, and cathartic.
[The talk moves fast. I crammed about 90 minutes of lecture into an hour. So I’m making the Google Slides deck available for folks who’d like to follow along. You can find them below. I’ve also edited the audio to smooth the flow here and there. ]
*An unedited video version will be available on the NYU Game Center’s YouTube page in the coming weeks.
Patreon Bonus: A 30-Minute Post-Talk Q&A
Patrons get an extra ac: 30-minute post-lecture Q&A hosted by NYU Game Center’s assistant arts professor Charles Pratt, featuring additional questions from the audience!
The Nine Lives of Games Journalism Slides
An Incomplete Catalogue of Games Media in 2026
5 Must-Listen Episodes: The Post Games Starter Pack
This Week in Video Game Links
A Virtual Escape for Rikers Inmates (NYTimes)
Meet the players who lost big money on Peter Molyneux’s failed Legacy (ArsTechnica)
Can a game be 'so bad it's good'? (Jank)
Titanium Court Makes You Reckon With Your Own Magic (Exalclaw)
'Any objections, Lady?': On linearity, subservience and feminine agency in Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Other M (Mothership)
Love And Deepspace Gives The People What They Want (Aftermath)
Free Game of the Week: KuloNiku: Bowl Up! demo
From the Steam summary: "Prep your stations for a management-sim cooking game with attitude! Utilize long-honed recipes as you prepare unique meals for quirky small-town locals, upgrade and customize your shop, compete in thrilling cooking battles to become top chef, and protect your family’s long-running restaurant!" (Steam)
What Else I’m Enjoying
Where Have All the Book Reviews Gone? (NYTimes)
My Adventures With ‘The AI That Actually Does Things’ (Intelligencer)
The Gods of Logic: Before and after artificial intelligence (Harper’s)