I know I said I wanted to focus on positive things here. But this particular issue has been annoying me for a long time, and I think it’s worth addressing: clickbait headlines in video game journalism.
Let me be clear: I’m not talking about the many excellent journalists who do serious, thoughtful, and passionate work in this field. This has nothing to do with them.
This is about sensationalist websites that twist words, omit context, and essentially lie to their readers. All for the sake of a few more clicks.
And since I don’t see the point in hiding which website it is in this example, let’s look at one in particular: Gamebible.
The Headline Problem
Here’s one of their headlines:
“Uncharted’s Nathan Drake is officially returning in a new PlayStation release.”
Sounds huge, right? The beloved hero is back? A new Uncharted game? Maybe a spin-off or crossover? Surely something in development at Naughty Dog?
Not quite.
What this headline actually refers to is a new batch of Magic: The Gathering cards featuring PlayStation characters. Nathan Drake is one of them. That’s it.
So yes, the headline is technically correct. Nathan Drake is returning. It is official. And it is a PlayStation release in the sense that Sony licensed it.
But “technically correct” is often the worst kind of correct.
The Art of Lying Without Lying
Anyone who has studied law or, let’s be honest, spent time as a criminal, knows the most effective lie is the one told through truth. You don’t have to say anything false. You just carefully omit context and let the audience deceive themselves.
That’s exactly what’s happening here.
Any sensible reader would reasonably assume that headline refers to an actual PlayStation game. Maybe not a full-fledged Uncharted V, but at least a spin-off, cameo, or crossover. Something you can play, preferably with a gamepad.
And that’s why people clicked.
The editor knows a headline like “Nathan Drake gets a Magic: The Gathering card” isn’t going to drive much traffic. So instead, they choose to mislead, dangling the suggestion of a new PlayStation game to bait people in.
You click. You get served a bunch of ads. The website gets paid.
All built on a lie.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just lazy journalism. It’s unethical.
The headline is only “technically” true in the same way it is only “technically” not false advertising. The goal isn’t to inform, it’s to trick. And when the press does that, it erodes trust, not just in those sites, but in games journalism as a whole.
And the saddest part? This practice is widespread. Gamebible is just one example among many.
We all deserve better.
What do you think of this article?
