Notable online and print game critics roast the people who make games, the journalists who write about them, and the people who play them in this free video lecture from GDC 2009 courtesy of the GDC Vault.

Highlights of the rant include N'Gai Croal's take on the hardcore gamer and suggestions for new labels beyond 'casual' and 'hardcore.' Stephen Totilo offers four things ("not including lists") that should be banned in games writing, which would then provide clearer and more convincing work.

Later in the rant is Heather Chaplin on how game developers, not the art form, are stuck in adolescence, and Adam Sessler on Metacritic's score-molding practices and publishers using Metacritic as a gauge to reward developers.

The free video is available here.

Session Name: Burned by Friendly Fire: Game Critics Rant

Speaker(s): Eric Zimmerman, N'Gai Croal, Heather Chaplin, Adam Sessler, Stephen Totilo, Leigh Alexander, Jason Della Rocca, Tom Chick

Company Name(s): Independent, Hit Detection, Independent, X-Play, MTV News, Gamasutra.com, Perimeter Partners, Quarter to Three

Track / Format: Game Design

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent GDC events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers. Those who purchased All Access passes to events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC China already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscriptions via a GDC Vault inquiry form.

Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company. More information on this option is available via an online demonstration, and interested parties can find out more here. In addition, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault admins.

Be sure to keep an eye on GDC Vault for even more new content, as GDC organizers will also archive videos, audio, and slides from other events like GDC China and GDC 2013. To stay abreast of all the latest updates to GDC Vault, be sure to check out the news feed on the official GDC website, or subscribe to updates via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Tech.