Comments on: The Video Game Review Thing http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/ Never Safe For Work Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:37:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Abhay http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-27620 Abhay Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:56:02 +0000 http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/#comment-27620 Newsweek's online people wrote a nice essay about the Kane & Lynch thing: http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/12/05/reflections-on-videogame-publisher-and-employer-contempt-towards-the-enthusiast-press.aspx. Newsweek’s online people wrote a nice essay about the Kane & Lynch thing:
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/12/05/reflections-on-videogame-publisher-and-employer-contempt-towards-the-enthusiast-press.aspx.

]]> By: Chris http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-26454 Chris Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:21:28 +0000 http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/#comment-26454 Hah, maybe I was just a stupider or less cynical kid. I totally got behind (and agreed with) the reviews in EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly, for the uninitiated) which were basically bullet-point reviews, but with number grades and from folks with different personalities and writing styles. Maybe there was a corporate heirarchy there, demanding 9s and 10s for Super Mario Bros. 3, but that game TOTALLY EARNED THOSE NUMBERS... heh. As for 'cartoonishly corrupt', the story of the guy getting sacked for his Kane & Lynch review all the while the company protesting that it wasn't because of the Kane & Lynch review? That story is to standard-corruption as Dr. Evil is to Dr. No. - Christopher Hah, maybe I was just a stupider or less cynical kid. I totally got behind (and agreed with) the reviews in EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly, for the uninitiated) which were basically bullet-point reviews, but with number grades and from folks with different personalities and writing styles. Maybe there was a corporate heirarchy there, demanding 9s and 10s for Super Mario Bros. 3, but that game TOTALLY EARNED THOSE NUMBERS… heh.

As for ‘cartoonishly corrupt’, the story of the guy getting sacked for his Kane & Lynch review all the while the company protesting that it wasn’t because of the Kane & Lynch review? That story is to standard-corruption as Dr. Evil is to Dr. No.

- Christopher

]]> By: Simon Jones who is blogless http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-26450 Simon Jones who is blogless Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:14:32 +0000 http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/#comment-26450 Video games journalism has always been corrupt. Even back in the eighties it was obvious to my ten year old self that some magazines were always going give good reviews to big advertisers and that some companies were going to get shut magazines out of any sort of previews or review copies or whatever when they gave a bad review. But now it's gotten almost cartoonishly corrupt because there's just so much damn money involved now. Video games journalism has always been corrupt. Even back in the eighties it was obvious to my ten year old self that some magazines were always going give good reviews to big advertisers and that some companies were going to get shut magazines out of any sort of previews or review copies or whatever when they gave a bad review. But now it’s gotten almost cartoonishly corrupt because there’s just so much damn money involved now.

]]> By: Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Dec. 6, 2007: Calling Dr. Wertham http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-26349 Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Dec. 6, 2007: Calling Dr. Wertham Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:32:30 +0000 http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/#comment-26349 [...] “So, yeah. The Penny Arcade guys are totally right. But the point is, it’s nice to know that reviewing is corrupt in every industry! I just wish there was more money in comics to justify the kow-towing to Marvel and DC.” - Christopher Butcher [...] [...] “So, yeah. The Penny Arcade guys are totally right. But the point is, it’s nice to know that reviewing is corrupt in every industry! I just wish there was more money in comics to justify the kow-towing to Marvel and DC.” – Christopher Butcher [...]

]]> By: Jones, one of the Jones boys http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-26258 Jones, one of the Jones boys Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:44:26 +0000 http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/#comment-26258 You mean you haven't been getting the brown paper bags full of cash? So that's why you haven't been showing the love for the Sinestro Corps and instead it's all manga this and quality independent comics that. You mean you haven’t been getting the brown paper bags full of cash? So that’s why you haven’t been showing the love for the Sinestro Corps and instead it’s all manga this and quality independent comics that.

]]> By: Porno Simon Jones http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-26252 Porno Simon Jones Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:05:53 +0000 http://comics212.net/2007/12/04/the-video-game-review-thing/#comment-26252 Mainstream game reviews will always struggle with articulating the sense of drive and the clarity of purpose that truly great games impart to the player, since it's a quality that is difficult to quantify. It's what makes Halo 1 superior to its sequels, why Call of Duty 3 just didn't feel right even though it shares the same engine as Call of Duty 2, and why I own all 3 versions of Silent Hill 2, and still play it occassionally despite the ancient, clunky game mechanics. It's a quality Assassin's Creed definitely has. Can't trust the scores on this one... Mainstream game reviews will always struggle with articulating the sense of drive and the clarity of purpose that truly great games impart to the player, since it’s a quality that is difficult to quantify. It’s what makes Halo 1 superior to its sequels, why Call of Duty 3 just didn’t feel right even though it shares the same engine as Call of Duty 2, and why I own all 3 versions of Silent Hill 2, and still play it occassionally despite the ancient, clunky game mechanics.

It’s a quality Assassin’s Creed definitely has. Can’t trust the scores on this one…

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