This
week, I read a review of the Oculus Rift, a new gaming device that puts the
user in a virtual reality by strapping on a headset, by a man named Andrew Gumbel. From the title,
Gumbel’s review sounds like it will be promoting this revolutionary device
that, “appears to be on to something”, but by the
end becomes a condescending reproach on not only all virtual reality divides
but the gaming community. Gumbel starts out his review with, “I have seen the future, and I’m worried it’s really going
to mess me up” this could mean that he is either scared of what’s to come or
humbled by how advanced this technology is, giving the reader mixed
impressions. After this he talks about his test of the Oculus Rift, but nowhere
tries to establish any sort of credibility whether it be a connection to the
gaming industry or prior experience with this technology or any technology. His
argument also doesn’t connect with the reader because he separates himself from
the gaming community, which is the assumed audience, by saying things like,
“what the virtual reality geeks refer to as” or, “a watershed moment for gaming
freaks” which not only puts space between him and gamers, but also insults his
audience by calling them “freaks” and “geeks”. Beyond his connection to the
gaming world Gumbel’s article is poorly formatted and very choppy, he starts by
talking about the Oculus Rift and what problems the company has faced, to describing
another companies device, then back to the Oculus rift and its developer. These
several leaps between topics with almost no transition are very confusing and
make it seem like Gumbel is doing his research as he goes and is writing
whatever the next hit on Google is. Overall Gumbel’s argument is ineffective
and at sometimes insulting towards its audience and offers little to no value.
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