Critical Distance was established in April 2009 to serve the burgeoning field of games criticism by highlighting the excellent writing being produced by videogame bloggers and journalists.
Critical Distance is neither a wholesale aggregator nor news website, instead maintaining a curatorial focus and approach. We rely on submissions from both readers and contributors who are themselves members of the field of games criticism–some being scholars and teachers, others members (or aspiring future members) of the games industry, while others still are enthusiasts with a passion for games and writing about them. Critical Distance is staffed by a group of volunteer editors who have input on the goals and direction of the site.
With our coverage we aim to provide both an entry point into the wide network of like-minded blogs and websites, and to promote up-and-coming or lesser-known authors. We are not, however, a site for original writing that is criticism itself, instead we aim to capture the videogame criticism ‘zeitgeist’ and act as a ‘memory bank’ in this notoriously short-sighted and quick forgetting industry. We believe in the power of drawing upon our and our readers’ collective memories and experiences, gained by reading the diverse range of blogs and websites we frequent.
