As video games have steadily increased in popularity, the amount of media coverage has grown along with the hobby. If you want information on upcoming games, you have your choice of online publications, print magazines, or even a cable TV channel. They all cover the same material, but each does its job with its own signature style that appeals to a variety of audiences.

Whichever source you choose, you've undoubtedly come across a recent ad for Lost Planet: Extreme Condition on the Xbox 360. Whether you see the ad on websites, in magazines, or on television, the content is relatively the same; a lone man fires his gun into a crowd of not-so-friendly-looking aliens on a barren, icy wasteland. If you look a bit closer, you'll see that each ad (be it on the internet, in a magazine, or on TV) contains various pull-quotes from numerous sources. The magazine and internet ads take their qutoes from sources like GameSpot, IGN, or Games Radar, while the television ad contains quotes from such ubiquitous media behemoths as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or even USA Today.

Theoretically, the different media forms cater to different audiences. Those of us who read the magazines are more likely to recognize and lend credence to gaming websites, while the people who see the television ad are more likely to recognize the NY Times or the Wall Street Journal. But is that really the case?

As the gaming industry grows, those of us who started playing years and years ago are still playing. Obviously, the New York Times is a respectable publication. But it's not where I get my gaming news from. I trust experts from the enthusiast press, not the mainstream media, for my information. And I imagine that I'm not the only one.

How long will it be before CNN brings in personalities from GameSpot or EGM instead of the NY Times for their sensational stories on how violence in video games will be the downfall of our society? Do we even want to take part in stories like these? How much legitimacy do enthusiast sites like GameSpot or IGN have with the general public? Would it be better for these outlets to remain "enthusiast?" When will we see a video game version of Ebert & Roeper? Do we even want a video game version of Ebert & Roeper? Interesting questions.