Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Newsletter/20140702/Interview

Featured editor: CR4ZE

Interviewed by Thibbs

This issue we interview CR4ZE, who has been editing at Wikipedia since July 2008. CR4ZE has successfully promoted 1 article to FA status, 4 articles to GA status (2 during this quarter), and had 4 articles featured as DYKs (3 during this quarter). He is primarily active within Wikipedia's Video Games project and you will often encounter him providing peer review services and working as a nominator to promote quality content. Read on to learn what motivates him.

What drew you to Wikipedia, and what prompted you to begin editing?
In late 2006, my brothers and I put our money together to get a 20 GB white Xbox 360. Saints Row was the first game I purchased for it, and next to Oblivion and NFS Carbon it was one of my early favourites. Having grown up with fond memories of PS2-era GTA, I loved playing something that took the GTA model to a new generation. When Saints Row 2 was announced, naturally, I was very excited. I joined The Row community right after the announcement, and religiously followed the information dribble. As VG Editor, I worked on the article up to, and following, its release. After taking the article through a failed GAN in September 2009, my editing waned. Like most, I hadn't grasped policy. I knew that the quality of my writing was nowhere near what it could be.
What's the significance of your username? How did you select it?
Admittedly, it was just something I thought of on-the-spot and have been running with it ever since. I wanted something short and unique. Spelling "craze" (as in, my editing is the latest craze) with a "4" sounded cool, so I went with it. There's not much of a story. I wanted to rewrite the lead for Assassin's Creed II and be credited as a member for it, so I thought up the name in about two minutes.
How did you become actively involved with WikiProject Video Games?
I always worked on the games that I was excited about but I never really actively engaged with the community. I worked on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim right up until it launched. After that I sort of stopped, which I'll probably put down to the fact that the game is a 100-hour time-sink. Between November 2011 and November 2012, I didn't edit. I sporadically edited until coming back for good in August 2013 to work hard at Grand Theft Auto V, after reading developer interviews and seeing that there was lot yet to cover in the article. Because it's such a high-profile game, I began interacting a lot more with other editors and I realised how much I missed the community vibe of the Project, so since then I've thrown myself into actively participating wherever I can. I love reviewing GAN's, especially for games I'd never even heard of (take Drakengard).
How much of a gamer are you and toward what types of game do you gravitate?
I don't play anywhere near as much as when I was a kid. I've got a shiny new Xbox and PlayStation under my TV, but I jump in to play something probably every second day, and only for a couple of hours. No doubt that'll change come Broketober. I have a library of 360 games so large that I don't have a chance of finishing it, but I sometimes jump on that and play some of my old favourites. I love open world games, RPGs and racing games. Survival horror (and, I mean, true survival horror) and tactical shooter games these days are a rarity, but these are the kinds of games I love as well. I used to spend hours a day tac-knifing in Modern Warfare 2 deathmatches and wreaking havoc on civilian buildings in Bad Company 2, but nowadays I'm not as big on online FPS's. I like non-linearity and good story. BioShock is one I still rave about. As a long-standing Saints Row guy, I have to say that the franchise has run its course and needs a reboot. Saints Row: The Third left me disillusioned. I never touched Saints Row IV.
What would you say exemplifies your best work on Wikipedia?
The obvious answer would probably be my only current FA, Grand Theft Auto V. But then, Wikipedia writing is an infinite learning process and in retrospect I think the quality of writing I'm doing on Infamous Second Son is far better. Every time I move on to writing about a new game, I'd like to think it gets tighter and more engaging. I've learned a lot since the SR2 days to not bog sentences down with too much fluff. GTA V wouldn't have been possible without others like Rhain1999, X201 or Czar, so I'd like to think that I learn from them and they learn from me as well.
Are there any other areas of Wikipedia where you have involved yourself beyond WikiProject Video Games?
I sometimes edit/involve myself in discussion with artists that I like, but I mainly work within this Project. I like this place. We have great communication and coordination. Our writing standards are much stricter than they were five years ago, and while that's a challenge, it's ultimately a good thing. Gaming is the sort of medium that wasn't considered mainstream enough to grab attention from the wider community, but I'm seeing a gradual shift in attitude that's bringing more and more people to the Project and that's really great to see.
You've spent a fair amount of time engaged in deletion discussions at AfD, TfD, etc. What is your philosophy regarding proposed deletions?
I don't think I have much of a philosophy because I like to look at each article/template on its own merits and see what the best move is. For example, when Los Santos (Grand Theft Auto) was brought to AFD in September 2013, I thought it might be best to let the sources calm down and see if there was notability. I had a change of heart during the proposed merge with GTA V in March 2014 because I concluded there still wasn't enough. I don't immediately think back to policy when I'm voting: I use my gut feeling first, and then refresh my memory by reading policy to help shape my vote.
You've also made a few policy-based proposals in the past. One that would seem to stand out is your proposal to reduce WP:VG's use of the term "universal acclaim" in reviews. Could you explain this briefly?
I just find that it's an overwrought term that we see too much of in articles. I'd never vote for striking it out of articles completely, but I hate to see articles following the same formula of "the game received universal acclaim" all the time. Using "rave reviews" to me is of even greater concern, though, and as a huge Kanye fan I gagged a little while reading the lead for Yeezus. (And admittedly listening to most of said album). I don't want to see repetition in similar articles all the time, and I think that kind of language ought to be treated more carefully than it has been. That, and I just don't see how Metacritic should be the be-all-and-end-all for summarising reviews. For those interested, the discussion referred to is here. Nothing significant has come out of it yet, but when I feel I've got a new, airtight policy perfected I'll put it up to a vote.
What do you consider the most difficult part of editing at Wikipedia?
Cutting through the enthusiasm that journalists are allowed to use while writing previews to keep Wikipedia's tone factual. Sometimes it's hard to dig the fact out from the puffery. I also find it hard to gauge what information may be trivial, because the last thing I want is for readers to feel alienated or disinterested from what your article is trying to explain.
What advice would you give a new editor interested in working on video game articles?
My first advice would be to read a really good Wikipedia article. I think it's better to see the "finished product" before you throw yourself into the text-walls of policy and guideline. It will probably spur you into an attempt at brilliant, but don't feel pressured to get everything right the first time. This is a community built around collaboration, so there's always someone there to mentor you. Never be afraid to ask for help and input from editors who've been here longer than you. We are, mostly, a friendly bunch.
You began editing at Wikipedia under the name VG Editor. What prompted the change to CR4ZE?
Maybe it signaled a new era of editing. I looked back on the work I'd done on Saints Row 2 and realised that there was a lot of substance but not enough quality. I went through style guides and essays and tried to adopt that into my writing, so the switched account hopefully signified an improved application to my editing.
What are your plans for the immediate future? Are there any projects with which you are currently involved or which you are thinking about starting?
I have a long-term goal to get a featured topic for GTA V. I'd also like to continue improving the quality of the Saints Row articles. Other than that, I have a keen interest in Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5 so maybe one day I'll look into working on those. That, and the huge influx of games coming this year and next, so I'll probably end up involving myself in some of those.
Anything else you want to say to our readers?
This Project needs you (yes, you) in order to keep growing. I've watched this Project grow out over the years, and now more than ever, we rely upon each-other to make editing here pleasant and productive. We don't always agree on things, but that's a good thing. I commend the entire Project for the great level of communication between editors. Having that communication between us keeps the Project healthy. This is a vibrant community with editors from all walks of life, and we all share the common goal of creating the very best online resource for all things gaming. Will we ever reach an end-game where Wikipedia is looked at as the best history book on the world's fastest-growing entertainment medium? Maybe not. But we're off to a hell of a good start.