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I now understand why some of you have become a bit cynical towards games media.
- Thread starter hwy_61
- Start date
Thanks for saying the thing I haven´t been posting.
I have absolutely no idea where the hype comes from.
On the other hand, I am not a COD or multiplayer FPS-gamer either. So I guess that´s why I am not the slightest excited.
The problem I have found over the years has been that bigger sites like gamespot and ign are only allowed to write positive previews.
I don't remember ever seeing a preview that has any real negativity. Maybe it's changed now because I haven't read those sites in a long long time.
I understand that they are trying to give most games the benefit of the doubt, but I agree, sometimes previews are just plain dirty.
I don't remember ever seeing a preview that has any real negativity. Maybe it's changed now because I haven't read those sites in a long long time.
I understand that they are trying to give most games the benefit of the doubt, but I agree, sometimes previews are just plain dirty.
I suppose another problem especially with games that receive so much marketing to build hype, is that a large portion of coverage is designed to take advantage of the click bait nature of internet game journalism for that sweet ad revenue.
You used to see it with COD and now you see it with titanfall. Even non-gaming sites claw on any old coverage they can because they know people are feverishly clawing for more coverage no matter how poor the sites are. You even see it with all the Half-Life 3 stuff. No matter how unsubstantiated or minimal the actual "news" is, there some over glorified opinion and speculation that just turns into a diarrhoea trail of Chinese whispers across the web with massive chunks of "our reputable but mysteriously anonymous and trustworthy source" this that and the other.
Urgh
You used to see it with COD and now you see it with titanfall. Even non-gaming sites claw on any old coverage they can because they know people are feverishly clawing for more coverage no matter how poor the sites are. You even see it with all the Half-Life 3 stuff. No matter how unsubstantiated or minimal the actual "news" is, there some over glorified opinion and speculation that just turns into a diarrhoea trail of Chinese whispers across the web with massive chunks of "our reputable but mysteriously anonymous and trustworthy source" this that and the other.
Urgh
CassidyIzABeast
Member
I haven't read a preview or review in full in almost a decade. Thus games media doesn't bother me.
Are you sure both came from the same writers? Because there's nothing hypocritical about two writers posting different opinions on the same site. Also, I'm not sure if hypocritical is even the right word for what you're talking about.
Doctor_Thomas
Member
"While the game lacks polish, it is Respawn's first step into the foray and the mix of on foot shooting and Titan combat is sure to appeal to Call of Duty and Armoured Core fans alike. With blistering action, fast paced gameplay and an engaging story, it's easy to see why this will be the biggest game of 2014. It does nothing new, but it also does nothing wrong. It doesn't need to innovate and your XBox One has been begging to see Titanfall." - 10/10 IGN's Editor's Choice Award.
Allnamestakenlol
Member
Right or wrong, I'm in the same boat. I pretty much only visit gaming sites for screenshots and the occasional video. As for reviews, I now stick to related forums and user reviews to gauge whether I might like a game.
Dragonborn
Member
It's just the way it is. Titanfall is way overhyped and you can bet it's reviews are bought and paid for (you can bet it'll be nothing below a 9).
It's a good game but nowhere near as good as the media would have you believe. Reminds me of the yearly Call of Duty hype machine. I can't wait for it to come out so that we can finally move on.
It's a good game but nowhere near as good as the media would have you believe. Reminds me of the yearly Call of Duty hype machine. I can't wait for it to come out so that we can finally move on.
mullet2000
Member
.
Haunted
Member
hence astroturfing
As long as no one argues that it should be shown to aliens to teach them about humanity.
KING OF UGUU
Banned
Youtube and Twitch streams have pretty much made game reviewers irrelevant. I prefer to hear what actual gamers without an agenda have to say about something. Now, not only can I read what they say, I can watch them play it.
I stopped paying attention to games journalism around 5-6 years ago and haven't looked back. I think that was around the time 1UP liked using the descriptor "oozing" no less than 20-30 times per review. Also I think that was around the time of GTA4's oscar caliber story embarrassment. Also using a thesaurus in their reviews didn't make them come off as smarter because it had the unintentional effect of muddling and obscuring what they were trying to say, so it was a bunch of nothing.
Now most games media is a bunch of hyperbolic and clickbait junk meant to stir up controversy. I do like Giant Bomb though because it does the best at what it does: a bunch of dudes sitting around playing video games.
I stopped paying attention to games journalism around 5-6 years ago and haven't looked back. I think that was around the time 1UP liked using the descriptor "oozing" no less than 20-30 times per review. Also I think that was around the time of GTA4's oscar caliber story embarrassment. Also using a thesaurus in their reviews didn't make them come off as smarter because it had the unintentional effect of muddling and obscuring what they were trying to say, so it was a bunch of nothing.
Now most games media is a bunch of hyperbolic and clickbait junk meant to stir up controversy. I do like Giant Bomb though because it does the best at what it does: a bunch of dudes sitting around playing video games.
After now having played Titanfall for a bit and being soured on the game while being very positive the last few months (my post history in most threads about Titanfall are evidence of this) I think I know what the issue is.
I think the game demos very well if you only play very little of it or watch the official footage.
I still think this is a good evolution for COD. I've been blind to how much I still think those fundamentals are not worth that much for my gaming taste.
I am still pissy about BF4, it worked pretty well for me when it came out except it took me 15 mins to get into a game.
Now I get into a game it outright crashes my pc and I get a dx11 error which mentions should be investigated. This also occurs when switching to mantle. I got an r9 290. This shit is ridiculous I have taken a huge break for majority of the bugs to be sorted and now I get full freeze crashes.
I think you got to be cynical when it comes to the media or you will regret it.
Now I get into a game it outright crashes my pc and I get a dx11 error which mentions should be investigated. This also occurs when switching to mantle. I got an r9 290. This shit is ridiculous I have taken a huge break for majority of the bugs to be sorted and now I get full freeze crashes.
I think you got to be cynical when it comes to the media or you will regret it.
I've sort of come to the conclusion over many years that there's basically not a single games journalist where I actually value their opinion enough to really care what they say.
I can typically figure this sort of stuff out on my own. I haven't read a "preview" in years, because they almost always give the developer the benefit of the doubt about any problems, so they always seem like overly positive fluff pieces.
I don't really read too many "reviews", because there's not a single journalist out there that I can find that seems to match my own tastes. I make my buying decisions mostly upon my own feelings of seeing media like gameplay videos, my own tastes. Aggregate review scores only play a small part.
So I pretty much only pay attention to mainstream games for hard news. Opinion is almost completely left out. I do watch Kyle Bosman because I think he's a smart guy and he makes his show entertaining. I do watch Extra Credits because I actually do think I'm learning something there. But otherwise, it's hard for me to recommend anyone.
I can typically figure this sort of stuff out on my own. I haven't read a "preview" in years, because they almost always give the developer the benefit of the doubt about any problems, so they always seem like overly positive fluff pieces.
I don't really read too many "reviews", because there's not a single journalist out there that I can find that seems to match my own tastes. I make my buying decisions mostly upon my own feelings of seeing media like gameplay videos, my own tastes. Aggregate review scores only play a small part.
So I pretty much only pay attention to mainstream games for hard news. Opinion is almost completely left out. I do watch Kyle Bosman because I think he's a smart guy and he makes his show entertaining. I do watch Extra Credits because I actually do think I'm learning something there. But otherwise, it's hard for me to recommend anyone.
SMOK3Y
Generous Member
-Pyromaniac-
Member
There's a lot of hyperbole in games journalism but the quote amirox posted is just WAYYYYYYY too much. Like that's insane.
I wish conspiracy theorists could come up with something more exciting than "reviewers are bribed!" for gaming. If you're going to pass around flights of fancy, might as well make them as complex and imaginative as possible.
entremet
Member
GAF is not one person and neither is IGN. People are writing these reviews/previews.
We need to focus on the writers moreso than the publication, although the latter can be a culprit.
Even though the Gies obsession here gets overbearing, I do like that he's called out specifically for whatever inaccuracies or inconsistencies. That's a better approach.
Fantastical
Death Prophet
God damn that is gross.
I think the only time it was kind of confirmed was with what happened to the guy from giantbomb when he worked at gamespot and didn't give a good review to kane and lynch... or something.
I don't think I've really had faith in games journalism since since it seems worse now than it was then in terms of games I play that I think are shit getting 90+ scores on the mainstream gaming sites. Not that that proves anything other than my opinions are completely opposite to most games journalists.
Asking Gaffers and watching youtube stuff is always better for me
Barack Lesnar
Banned
Wait, I was under the impression that Titanfall delivered? The feedback I've read from the beta threads is almost unanimous about how good and fun it is. I haven't played it yet. Maybe the media overhyped it (I even made a thread about this around E3) but it seems like it actually delivered and I can't wait to try the pc beta. /shrug
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
"Hey, like games?"
"Sure"
"Youza game journalist"
"Sure"
"Youza game journalist"
Dude, have you seen the gift sets that reviewers get sent?
You think that's bad, this is from an actual review of Journey.
Polygon said:
Yeah, Gerstmanngate was the former owners of GameSpot stepping over the line and firing him because the bad reviews were right next to their Kane and Lynch ad coverage. That was ages ago, GameSpot changed hands to CBS, and everything is peachy.
And yeah, I totally get not agreeing with reviewers and finding someone else who better matches your opinion. I just get a little miffed when people are throwing around accusations of something as serious as bribery when the writers are just offering an opinion that the accuser disagrees with.
Natureboy99
Banned
Agreed. For me its not about being cynical. its lack of respect. Ive played too many games where I thought reviewers were WAY off. When you start wondering why, you realize they actually dont care about an objective opinion. Its all about clicks. If you give Titanfall a 10/10 or a 6/10 you are guaranteed lots of clicks. People will spend hours in the comments arguing about why you are right or wrong.
In some cases I think it has really hurt gaming. Specifically, I think Nintendo was over praised by critics over the last 8 years. It has caused them to become complacent, thinking everything is ok. Its not. Mario Galaxy is not the best game of the last decade. Its not even top 25. But it made so much sense to rate it high regardless of its quality. Wii was starved for core attention. Mario Galaxy reviews got major attention. When I got around to playing it, I though it was condescending candy drenched dribble. After Mario Galaxy I have never taken a Nintendo review seriously.
So yeah, I dont care for game media anymore. Demos, videos, and user comments in generic game sites like like Neogaf are the way to go.
Dragonborn
Member
Yup, it's ridiculous. Their agenda is incredibly obvious and I've been glad, as of late, to see that these "journalist" don't have as much power as they thought (especially with the whole DRM debacle)
The untested truths spun by different interests continue to churn and accumulate in the sandbox of political correctness and value systems...Everyone withdraws into their own small gated community, afraid of a larger forum. They stay inside their little ponds, leaking whatever "truth" suits them into the growing cesspool of society at large...The different cardinal truths neither clash nor mesh. No one is invalidated, but nobody is right...
And this is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper.
FloweryMarston
Member
When these game sites gives a game that people are excited for a low score, people lose their minds. when they give a high score, people lose their minds.
So i don't know, the biggest problem about reviews right now is having a number associated right beside it. There is a lot of subjective things, so trying to be objective with a score, it's kind of ridiculous.
So i don't know, the biggest problem about reviews right now is having a number associated right beside it. There is a lot of subjective things, so trying to be objective with a score, it's kind of ridiculous.
Yup! Most of them are opened once or remain sealed, then auctioned off when Child's Play or some site sweepstakes roll around. That or they get stuffed under some drawer, never to be seen again until it's time for a little spring cleaning and the "swag" gets excavated.
Honestly, I'd be more worried about the way many YouTubers react when they get gifts.
TheSpoiler
Member
I hope some people realize that these reviews aren't necessarily stating factual tiers of quality. If a game is rated 10/10, it doesn't mean it's flawless, and if a title is rated GOTY by a website, it doesn't exactly mean that they are pushing their opinion as fact.
Obviously, when a website DOES go so far as to throw up a 10/10, not really explain why they felt that way, and touts it as a fact, then grab the pitchforks and go at them (which is being done in here, since the hyperbole in some of these articles is ridiculous).
But on the other side of things, writing off media completely when it doesn't align with your personal opinions is silly.
And to those lumping all of the media together, please stop. There are plenty of great websites out there that aren't IGN/Kotaku/Gamespot. It's a huge disservice to them.
People expect a subjective review when reviews are merely opinions. There is no bar, no form to fill out, no checklist beyond technical mullings. It's better this way.
Obviously, when a website DOES go so far as to throw up a 10/10, not really explain why they felt that way, and touts it as a fact, then grab the pitchforks and go at them (which is being done in here, since the hyperbole in some of these articles is ridiculous).
But on the other side of things, writing off media completely when it doesn't align with your personal opinions is silly.
And to those lumping all of the media together, please stop. There are plenty of great websites out there that aren't IGN/Kotaku/Gamespot. It's a huge disservice to them.
People expect a subjective review when reviews are merely opinions. There is no bar, no form to fill out, no checklist beyond technical mullings. It's better this way.
There is lots of good games journalism/criticism out there, and more choices than before. Just like news outlets, there is lots of bad and good. I'm not sure Titanfall's early reactions were unwarranted or a sign of the "overhype" times. It was the most exciting game to those who played it, journalist and gamers alike.
You must not have read one word of anything about doritogate or machinama's antics last month
OT for a second:
I was skeptical before I played the beta, as when I watched videos it looked like COD with mechs. After playing it, it's definitely not worthy of the over hype it currently has (don't get me wrong it's a fun game and its a nice refinement to the fast pace fps). My twitter feed is plastered with Titanfall, it's actually becoming rather gross.
Back on topic:
I'm sort of in the same boat as the OP. And I agree with some other statements around here about some reviewers/journalists lacking in technical understanding. I want to see the media celebrating technological advancements in gaming. Obviously thats not as important as how the game plays, but it would be nice to see.
Mr. Luchador
Member
If they (Gaming Media) weren't posting on a media website/blog and were posting the exact same stuff on NeoGAF as normal members how would you react to them?
The same. Why would that matter?
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
I confess to not knowing what this is from or how it relates to my hilarious post
Mr. Luchador
Member
Just curious as to people's perceptions, it was an open question to all.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
lol that one is more funny than disgusting to me.
Doritogate: What, the bit where Geoff Keighley held an interview surrounded by advertising?
Machinima: If we want to discuss the wild west of YouTube criticism, I do have a much different opinion on the matter, yes. I think a lot of people who rise up through the YouTube charts and when they get contacted by a major corporation, they get stars in their eyes and think "Wow, this is it, I've made it!" And since they have little to no experience with this sort of thing, they accept the gifts, agree to the terms without really thinking about how it will affect them in the long-term. I don't hate them for it, I just recognize that I have to take every opinion with a grain of salt, no matter the source, because even if it's honest I might just disagree with it.
Oh I was just quoting MGS2, it's only tangentially related to your post. Rather, I was highlighting how the internet has given everyone a mouthpiece and thus anyone with a computer is potentially a "game's journalist" and the resulting problems it creates.