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Welcome to the Bitmobber Twitterview!
A Twitterview is an interview done over Twitter. Each Twitterview will consist of me asking various questions of one of the Members of the Bitmob Community.
This Twitterview is with Brian Shirk. Brian is the most active member when it comes to reviewing games. He is the awesome guy who transfered a few issues of EGM into Bitmob form. He also writes plenty of posts about serious subjects such as racism.
This will also be the first Twitterview to start incorporating questions from Bitmobbers, so if you are on Twitter keep an eye out this week for the next Twitterview announcement!
Without further adieu, here is an epic Twitterview with Brian:
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm a 24-year old college grad who's been gaming for nearly twenty years on consoles ranging from the Atari 2600 to the Xbox360.
What is your earliest gaming memory?
My earliest gaming memory is playing Popeye for the Atari 2600. I remember having fun with it, but I'm sure it's a terrible game now.
What got you interested in writing about video games?
I'd say that EGM was my first inspiration, but something that also prompted me to write was founding an online gaming community.
Who are some Video Game journalists you admire or try to emulate?
I've always liked Shoe, Crispin, Greg Sewart, Jeff Gerstmann, and Brad Shoemaker's work. Heck, why not throw everyone who else who was in EGM in there.
How did you find out about Bitmob?
I found out about it through Shoe and Crispin's SoreThumbsBlog. As for how I found that, I have no idea.
You have written more blogs than anybody, I believe. You have done dozens of reviews, many interesting editorials on various subjects, and have also taken the time to do special pieces featuring certain EGM magazines, what are your favorite posts to write? Do you have a single favorite?
That's a tough one. Hmm...If I had to pick one favorite, it'd be my piece on Chrono Trigger, "Twenty Things RPG Developers Can Learn From Chrono Trigger." The ideas in that article were trapped in my head for years, so I was just happy to release them.
Alex has given me a few questions for you: Can have a Shirk Week when Discovery does Shark Week just like they did for Matt Shirk on at1up?
I have to say, Alex's suggestion is brilliant! A "Shirk Week" could be done depending on the timing. Perhaps it could coincide with a with a review marathon. And I still can't figure out who this Matt Shirk impostor is that stole my name!
Another Question from Alex - We've got necrophilia, bestiality, etc. What is sex with robots called?
I'm going to have to guess, Robotnika? Because you know, Dr. Robotnik prefers robots to woodland creatures.
Alex again: Do you have to plug into a wall every night or does your fuel replenish itself naturally because your from the future?
You know, I wish I could plug into a wall. Maybe instead of developing electric cars, automobile manufacturers could develop the technology necessary to keep me fueled. Perhaps then I won't look like a zombie.
You recently did a 300-word review on Peggle, it was quite a change from your usual work, what were your thoughts behind such a different take on writing a review?
There are two reasons why I altered my review style: I wanted to experiment with writing a review in the '90s era EGM style and I thought hardcore gamers would be more likely to read a Peggle review if I kept it short and to the point.
You have played A LOT of games. Could you name one or two that have had the biggest effect on you?
Xenogears and Super Mario 64. Xenogears impacted me in a major way, because of its complex storyline that intertwined religious and philosophical themes. Xenogears proved that video games could be a great medium for telling stories. Now as for Mario 64 -- that game was love at first sight. The visuals were mind blowing in 1996, and the controls were superb. Never before had I felt so in control of a video game character.
Is Xenogears on PSN as a Classic?
Sadly, it's only available in Japan like many other PSOne RPGs.
You have 7 pages of posts on Bitmob, what is it about the site that you like so much?
I love the supportive community, the concept behind the site, and I appreciate the fact that there's always an interesting article to read.
You have written several personal posts that discuss how video games and music have been a part of who you are, but you also have a degree in history! What led you to pursue your degree in that field?
During my Freshman year at the University of Oregon, I took an excellent introductory course on Western Civilization. Even though I didn't get an A, I actually enjoyed it unlike my business courses. I'd enjoyed studying history to some degree since middle school, so I thought that I might as well change to something I like. Plus, I thought that History would force me to write consistently and would be good practice for a game journalism career.
You often include a history of the game you are reviewing, does your interest in history include video game history?
How my interest in history and video games first intertwined was with Final Fantasy Tactics. That game had many parallels to Medieval and Renaissance Europe, and was part of my motivation to learn more history. But as for the history of video games, I've always enjoyed the topic. I love learning about old games and systems, so I'm constantly on the lookout for new information.
As someone who has likely wrote more reviews in the last few months than anyone on the net, do you have any tips or advice for those wanting to start writing reviews of their own?
I'd first recommend reading as many reviews as you can. Look at old issues of EGM, 1UP, Giantbomb, and IGN to get an idea of the types of reviews that are out there. Then, I'd also recommend reading user reviews on places like Bitmob, Giantbomb, and Amazon. Don't look at the score; instead, read the review and see if it was able to convey the necessary information to make a purchasing decision. Most importantly though, you want to start writing. Your reviews probably won't be great at first--mine sucked, but with enough practice, you'll eventually be producing quality content. I also recommend doing as much other reading as you can -- anything from novels to economics textbooks. Clear writing is critical to your success.
Do you think there is a difference between writing a review for a website as opposed to a print magazine?
Most definitely, when someone picks up a magazine to read a review, it's unlikely that they're doing something else simultaneously. With the Internet, you have to do more to draw your readers in, because it's likely, that they switch between windows and use Instant Messenger while reading a review. If they're not hooked from the beginning, they'll either leave the page or skip to the score.
Do you prefer reading print over websites?
To be honest, I'm not sure. I miss holding a magazine in my hand that reviewed practically every game released during the month of its issue, but I also appreciate the instantaneous nature of the Internet. The wealth of information available with just a few clicks or button presses is incredible. I guess my answer is that I'd like print and web content to coexist.
Do you think the game journalism industry is in jeopardy? Or is it strong and vibrant?
Game Journalism is currently stuck in a deep chasm. It's not the quality of the writing that's diminished -- it's the quality of the decisions being made by corporate executives. Large corporations have been taking advantage of the current recession to gobble up small writing outlets, and they've been focusing more on sensationalism than quality content. When quality writers like the guys who used to work for 1up got canned, you know there's a problem. Fortunately, people like Jeff Gerstmann, Dan Shoe, and Demian Linn are trying to revive game journalism, by coming at the subject from a different angle. Jeff no longer has to pretend that reviews are completely objective, and as a result the quality of his reviews have improved significantly. Likewise, Shoe and Demian do what they want to. They're aware of the surge of people that have enjoyed writing about games, since the advent of the Internet, so they're using this opportunity to promote quality community content.
I have noticed some of your Twitter Tweets, so how do you like Persona?
Persona is a love and hate affair. So far, I've enjoyed the story and character dialogue, but the cheap enemies and archaic gameplay elements make me wanna commit seppuku.
How do you feel about the response your posts have received on Bitmob?
For the most part, I've received great positive and negative feedback. Occasionally, I'll get some aggressive responses or people who think my review scores are unfair, but that comes with the territory. I've yet to receive death threats though, so I'm happy!
Did you not receive my death threats? Lousy mail!
Those death threats were from you? I thought they were from Jack Thompson. I used them as toilet paper.
Many people like to know the reviewer when the read the review, for what would appeal to one person may not appeal to another. Do you believe that this applies? For you have done a wonderful job of letting people get to know you.
Most definitely, I think knowing who the reviewer is, or at least his or her gaming background is essential. A person's background can greatly influence their tastes, so it's useful to know whether or not they played the Halo trilogy before reviewing ODST for example. Someone who preferred a game featuring realistic military scenarios would review a game far differently than someone who prefers to wreak havoc in futuristic arenas.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hmm let me get my Nostradamus on. I see three potential avenues: I could be writing for a game website, doing social work of some sort, or perhaps I could be a history professor. My senses tell me that choice number one is where I'll likely end up.
Any Last Words?
I appreciate you taking the time to interview me (this is my first interview), and I want to thank the Bitmob staff for providing people like us with a place to write.
Thanks Brian!!!
Selected Blography:
I May Game, But I Ain't No Geek
Racial Stereotypes in Video Games
The Reviews:
Peggle Wii Music Shadow Complex
Dragon Quest V Gears of War 2 Flower
Halo 3: ODST Super Mario All-Stars Secret of Mana
Mario & Luigi 3 Dead Space Sonic Adventure
