On Joystiq today, there's an entry about a stylebook for video game journalism (shameless self-promotion). I agree that it would be a useful thing for video game journalism. There certainly is no shortage of it out there. However, I don't know if this book is such a good idea. For one thing, it lists 'videogame' as one word, and that 'wiimote' should not be used. I understand that a consistent style has to be used in order to lend legitamacy to the industry, as well as to keep consistency. But shouldn't the book for a new industry be consistent with the current standards? Shouldn't it reflect the standards now, setting them down in stone? I've not seen 'videogame' for a long time, though Microsoft Word doesn't seem to count it as wrong. AP style uses 'video game'. And if an established source uses it, then shouldn't you too? I'm wondering what gives you the authority to change something that everyone else seems to agree with. It's better to have no information than bad information. Usage of words, especially new ones (and there sure are a lot in the emerging technology age), always fascinates me, because the more people start to use a word wrong, the more it starts to become right.Labels: style, video games