We want to be something a little different here at Simplikation.
Criticism, not Journalism
Simplikation is a gaming critique site, not a gaming journalism site.
This means that our focus is not on whether a game is good and you should buy it, but rather why a game is good. Simplikation is about taking a deeper look at games, and that means discarding the pre-established narrative of game journalism. There are enough consumer advocates; let's promote the growth of criticism instead
Reader Funded
Simplikation will never run ads, and will never accept venture capital. It is funded by you, the reader.
The problems with game journalism are well known. Ads and external funding put pressure on writers to write about what they know will bring in hits and revenue, rather than what they may necessarily want to write about. It fosters an environment of populism and pandering, and that's completely unsuitable for Simplikation. This is a gaming criticism site, first and foremost, and that means ensuring the independence of editorial from any sort of money-making apparatus.
So how can you support us? Simple: donate to Patreon! The more money flowing through Patreon, the more time can be dedicated to Simplikation. New essays and autopsies will never stop, but more patronage means more content.
Intelligent Discourse
Simplikation is about discussion, which means that there will be comments.
While comments sections on gaming sites are traditionally terrible, thanks to the entitlement of self-professed nerds, Simplikations' comments will be heavily moderated to ensure a lack of bigoted language, baseless aggression, and otherwise really awful behavior.
Does this mean you have to back up every statement with concrete facts, or make sure your comments are grammatically correct? Absolutely not! While We would all appreciate it if you did, Simplikation is ultimately about expressing yourself; if you want to say "this gam sux" and leave it at that, you can. Just try not to be overly aggressive to the author or commenters.
Essays and Autopsies
The two primary article types you will read here on Simplikation are essays and autopsies.
Essays are just that: a long-form feature on a particular aspect of games or gaming culture. For example, the very first article posted here on Simplikation - why praising Dark Souls for its difficulty is incorrect - is an essay. These essays range from dissecting an interesting theme to criticizing elements of gaming culture to historical observations. The only unifying element is that of the topic.
Autopsies, on the other hand, are significantly longer and more complex. Rather than being about a specific topic, they cover a specific game in thorough, exacting detail. Reviews these aren't; autopsies are intended to be extremely involved deconstructions of everything about a game, from level design to weapon choices to artistic direction to mechanical interconnection. They are essentially novels, and as such are rather gigantic reads. Expect to spend multiple days reading an autopsy, especially since they won't be posted all at once.
Finally, there will be smaller, secondary articles. For example, the Patreon-exclusive "junk drawer" articles collect snippets of thoughts into a larger piece. Just don't expect to see them that often.