But obviously there's an audience for truthy game reviews written by monk-like experts. I can't say that's the kind of stuff I want to write. And it's certainly not the kind of thing I want to read. Chuck Klosterman thinks we need a Lester Bangs, but most gamers (and Hodges it seems) are clamoring for a Ralph Nader.

Hodges' second suggestion for cleaning up games journalism is more interesting. He suggests that websites cut the cord when it comes to advertising. "This needs to become gaming's equivalent of the anti-lobbyist movement or getting off foreign oil," he says. "No more ad dollars from game publishers – period, end of discussion. You don't need them." I wonder how Village Voice media would do if they stopped selling ads to movie studios, record labels, concert venues and restaurants – all the same people their many weekly papers review, then pimp in annual "Best of" features? With Craigslist sucking up all their classified ad income, I'd imagine they'd have a hard time surviving on phone sex, escort services and strip club ads alone.

But I'm not here to play gotcha with Hodges (maybe just a little). He's doing important work, drawing attention to issues that Kyle Orland started with his video game ombudsman columns way back when. And this kind of investigative journalism is what The Village Voice and our country's other great local weeklies do best. It'll be fascinating to see this kind of dogged attention aimed at games. But pardon me if I'm a little disappointed. When I see a player like The Village Voice get into games writing I look towards my bookshelf and start fantasizing. There in my stacks is shelf after shelf of film books, including the excellent "The Village Voice Film Guide: 50 Years of Classics from Classics to Cult Hits." That's the kind of writing I want to read from these guys. Maybe they'll get to the world class criticism.

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Media Coverage is an opinion column. The opinions expressed in this column are solely the opinions of the columnist and are not necessarily the opinions of GameDaily.com.