90TilInfinity
Member
I remember reading he said on a podcast that Vanquish was overrated because it was reviewed by biased journalists, but what did he say about Demon's Souls & Uncharted 2?
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Games Journalism! Wainwright/Florence/Tomb Raider/Eurogamer/Libel Threats/Doritos
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I remember reading he said on a podcast that Vanquish was overrated because it was reviewed by biased journalists, but what did he say about Demon's Souls & Uncharted 2?
SolidSnakex
Member
He tweeted more about Vanquish after the embargo was up. One of his criticisms was that's "very Japanese".
RedNumberFive
Banned
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
Isn't it kind of weird that "very Japanese" is a criticism but "very western" isn't?
That shit is fucking ridiculous. Not to mention obnoxious since you already know that the reviewers are going in with an ignorant bias.
RedNumberFive
Banned
You've got to tow the line to get your foot in the door with Microsoft.
yeah, I never bought it for a second. You don't break the mold by starting off saying, "we're going to break the mold!" They have some decent editorial pieces from time to time, but are no different from Kotaku or Joystiq or whatever other news blog you might go and look at.
Fuck me that's some shameful bullshit right there.
Ivan A Nguyen
Member
Polygon seems like its trying to be the Fox News of gaming with Gies leading the charge. He's right when he says it's not the cure for cancer. It's just them trying to entertain you by taking a strong stance on issues. They won't bite the hand that feeds them, so those stances will be in favor of the game makers. They see us as the game takers and are not afraid to call is out on it.
So let's stop trying to make them into what we want or what they promissed. Let's enjoy them for who they are, entertaining news that present one side of an argument and call themselves fair and balanced.
So let's stop trying to make them into what we want or what they promissed. Let's enjoy them for who they are, entertaining news that present one side of an argument and call themselves fair and balanced.
I don't think it's anything that obvious. The biggest problem that plagues game journalism is that it barely exists outside of the PR cycle and reviews - it's an entire industry almost completely built upon rewording and reposting the output of another.
With sites closing and lay-offs happening on almost a monthly basis, you're noticing a lot more sites 'circling the wagons' in an effort to protect that single biggest source of access to the video game industry - publishers and PR. It also doesn't help that a publisher/PR job is a very common career move that many journalists want to keep as an option should their publication shutter.
Racism, how does it work.
Interfectum
Member
Most of the time when games journalists say it's "very japanese" it's anything but a compliment and you know this.
In full context, it absolutely could not have been interpreted as a compliment.
See the post below mine
When I say something is "very Japanese" it's totally a compliment. >_>
Incontinentia Buttocks
Banned
Um, do you have any idea how this thread started?
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
Fucking hell, do you have any idea what thread you're posting in?
He's a pretty well respected guy with some very strong opinions, and he's right in this instance.
thatsthejoke.gif
Read the thread.
Lol jk. But seriously, he's even in the thread title. There's a recap in the OP.
Incontinentia Buttocks
Banned
I hate my life.
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
Did I just get Astrolad'd? 
Air Zombie Meat
Member
gaf has a low threshold for sarcasm clearly
Cold blooded.
Lord_Nergal
Member
Gies has a history of being labelled a Microsoft fanboy. He loves Halo and Gears, and is perceived as hating on Sony.
I won't say much, because I've told my story to a reporter and I'm pretty sure he's still working it into a larger overall story, but I've been offered an exclusive pre-embargo review before as long as my score was above a certain threshold. It was offered exactly like this: "You can publish before the embargo, as long as your score is above X.X."
It was crazy. In the end, I didn't publish first, even though my score was high enough. I just thought it was gross. The person that published first ultimately gave that game its highest score out of anybody else on metacritic/gamerankings. A little fishy, huh?
That is no secret. Numerous writers have shared similar stories. It is the direct reason why early review scores are always demonstrably higher than the average review post-embargo. It's not to say those specific reviews can't be trusted, but the metascore for the early reviews can't be.
Whenever someone uses "very Japanese" as a pejorative, it tells me right away that nothing they have to say about video games is of any value to me.
I'm cool with you using the term as a positive though Jason, and in fact I welcome people out there recognizing that it's okay to be unabashedly Japanese and not have to westernize the hell out of every single game. Just make sure to clarify that it is in fact a good thing so your statement doesn't get taken out of context. Because we all know that all too often in this industry the word "Japanese" is used to just outright dismiss a game without having to actually justify what it does wrong.
I'm cool with you using the term as a positive though Jason, and in fact I welcome people out there recognizing that it's okay to be unabashedly Japanese and not have to westernize the hell out of every single game. Just make sure to clarify that it is in fact a good thing so your statement doesn't get taken out of context. Because we all know that all too often in this industry the word "Japanese" is used to just outright dismiss a game without having to actually justify what it does wrong.
I wish I could be even slightly surprised.
This is the sort of stuff that needs to be blown wide open, the rotten core of the 'industry' opened up and scrutinised.
Hopefully something comes from this, quality games writing and reporting does not deserve the shilling, corrupted company it keeps.
Hope you had the balls to at least name the game in question.
RedNumberFive
Banned
Here you go Arthur:
www.microsoft-careers.com
https://jobs.ea.com/
Why don't you cut the pretense and get the job that your highly inflated ego deserves?
www.microsoft-careers.com
https://jobs.ea.com/
Why don't you cut the pretense and get the job that your highly inflated ego deserves?
He did. It's part of a big story I've been working on. Stay tuned.
Did I just get Astrolad'd?
Ha, made me chuckle.
Kobun Heat
Member
Quick, name the last time someone ran an exclusive review of a triple-A game.
This practice is close to dead. The old guard of enthusiast publications never reported on it, but the explosion of blogs and more independent coverage of games over the last decade exposed it to scrutiny, and now I don't even know if any outlets accept exclusive reviews anymore, let alone trade exclusivity for scores/placement. Do any at all?
Real edit:
Nice.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
GamesMaster in the UK is a pretty dubious rag with continual "exclusive" reviews. Think the last one was Tomb Raider, so I wouldn't be too surprised if thats the bastard. Its also a game that, while no doubt good, has a bit too high a hand of 10/10's for me to not make overbearing sniffing noises.
This practice being discussed has nothing to do with exclusivity, so I have no idea why you're asking?
ooh I cannot wait to read it. I've been waiting for something like this and can't wait to read the publisher in question's inevitable reply of "misunderstood/outright lies." Good on you guys.
I think it's the mid-tier games that get shopped around in this manner the most. And I don' think it's big sites that get hit up, because they have more to gain by blowing the whistle than by a single early review of a moderately anticipated game.
Well, there are those timed exclusives that come out before anyone else... but we know how those turn out (/cynicism).
Lactose_Intolerant
Member
Big AAA games get reviewed at hotels or offices to control everything.
Kobun Heat
Member
That's precisely what it is: Allowing one or more outlets to put up their review first because the scores are higher. Or in exchange for placement.
Jason just messaged me and said "Dragon Age 2!" He's right. And that was a huge controversy that looked bad for everybody: EA *and* the Escapist. Probably did more damage to the Escapist than EA.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Dat bait!!
Nice. Everyone knows shit like this is happening constantly. It needs to be called out more often.
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