[quote=Sable]
http://themittani.com/content/traffic-control-getting-mad-video-games

"...who even gives a shit if games journalism is corrupt and full of trash? Fundamentally we are talking about video games. Diversionary entertainment. It is slightly more involved and engaging than watching Kim Kardashian's ass shake on reality television, but the truth is that there's not much difference between reading about video games while bored at the office and repeatedly F5ing a celebrity gossip blog to find out who Miley Cyrus licked today."

Something to chew on, mates.
[/quote]

I'd like to be the first to point out that this was posted by an 8-month old member of a play-by-post Roleplaying Forum. Apparently F5'ing for new RP replies is less diversionary than video games and celebrity gossip you guys.

But apart from that, here's why what you said is ridiculous: Celeb gossip is bullshit that's plastered for free across a million different channels around the world. You can see it on TV or google it, free of charge. The video games industry and the games journalism that accompanies it is constantly trying to convince you to spend between $5-$120 (Australian video game prices are also bullshit, by the way) [i]per game[/i]. So if games journalism is corrupt, how are we supposed to make an intelligent, informed [i]purchase[/i] of goods? Miley Cyrus licked someone? Great. You found that out for free on Facebook. That 10/10 game that IGN reviewed turned out to be a horrendous piece of shit that you just wasted $60 on or lost your pre-order deposit on? That's a direct result of corrupt games journalism lying their asses off whilst in the pocket (or pants) of developers or companies.

But sure, let's get back to the "diversionary" argument. Sports? Gone. You watch them as a diversion. Television? Gone. Racing? Board Games? The majority of Internet sites? YouTube? All gone. Because they are 'diversionary entertainment', as you put it. And yet, we still give a shit about corruption or cheating in any of those areas. Hell, we just had a big whinge about Net Neutrality when the majority of people use the Internet to come here and pretend to be superheroes or look at Win/Fail videos.

So you go ahead and point out the 'diversionary' aspect of entertainment all you want, but keep in mind that the site you're writing in right now is just as diversionary, if not more so. I mean let's be serious, I don't see you publishing anything you post here as the next Lord of The Rings or Game of Thrones.