Would NPR let a sports reporter do a story on movies? Probably not. Then why would they send a reporter who usually writes about motherhood (oh, and sometimes bingo) to cover the Halo-best-selling novel phenomenon? First, let me say that I find the Halo books kinda boring (I prefer to spend my time reading non-game-related tomes). But at least I’ve played the games and know that the books do indeed flesh out the characters in detail. Joffe-Walt not only hasn’t played Halo, not only hasn’t read the books: she doesn’t think gamers can read. She actually said that to the series writer, Joseph Staten. Hey, Chana: I’m a gamer who won a national magazine award and had a book serialized in the Times of London. And every game critic I know in New York is just as accomplished or more accomplished.

When Joffe-Walt uses the word ‘geeks’ in her audio story, it’s with vitriol and sarcasm. The fact that NPR let this badly-researched, mocking story pass muster makes me thing they’re all a bunch of old fogies who don’t know games, either. Witness this:

Joffe-Walt: "Yes, my fellow non-gaming Luddites, there is a story to Halo. I know, I thought the same thing. Isn't gaming all just shoot'em up? Why do you need story?

Staten: I think to understand why stories are important in games, you need to actually play them.

Joffe-Walt: Which brings me to another frank and ridiculous question, Do gamers read?

Staten: You're dealing with an internet connection, high savvy audience.

Joffe-Walt: Geeks, you're dealing with geeks.

Oh, isn’t she so funny, so witty, so NPR? To NPR: please, please get someone who knows a modicum about the art form before you embarrass yourselves again. Because Chana Joffe-Walt is mostly attitude without the proper research, she’s VH1 Game Break’s Idiot Of The Week. And you know what? I know it’s only January, but she might just be a candidate for Idiot Of The Year.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17938562

http://www.prx.org/user/chana/pieces

http://kotaku.com/343554/do-gamers-read