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[Gigglepoo]

Dante's Inferno is the perfect example of how game reviewers are out of touch.

Every review panned it for being too much like God of War, but the game is really damn good.

Perception and artistic merit seems to mean more to the gaming media than anything these days.

It wasn't panned for being like God of War, it was panned for not being good.

 

[JayDub]

Reviewers point out the bad just for the sake of adding another bulletpoint in their "cons" list. Its almost a fear of seeming unbiased, and that recognizing a game's faults strengthens their credibility. It really doesnt.

To me, you should only mention a flaw if it directly affects the game. If you say, "If I HAVE to nitpick.." well, you dont. So dont.

Dont point out how something is linear, if the game works best with linearity.

Don't point out that the game is too easy, when the game is aimed for a broader audience.

Don't point out the fact that the game doesn't have multiplayer, when the game was designed as a single player, story driven experience.

Don't point out the "relatively rare" slowdowns, because it's relatively rare.

What reviewers don't grasp is that, like it or not, their word and their score has a huge influence on a buyer's decision. The reader trust that this reviewer has played the game and has given his professional opinion. The reader hasnt bought the game yet, and is certainly going to exercise caution for something that costs $66 and some change after tax. Knowing this, they should choose their words wisely. Should this small "flaw" affect the score? Is it worth mentioning?

Guess who else trusts your words? People who develops the game. You make them think that there is some flaw in the design of their game, and all of a sudden, they feel they need to say, "OMG, OUR GAME IS TOO LINEAR. SANDBOX IT."

I blame you for the fact that Metroid Prime 2 and Bioshock 2 included a half assed multiplayer (well, maybe not half assed in BS2's case).

Only. Mention. Flaws. If. It. Actually. Is. A. Flaw.

 

[sky]

I don't care about individual reviews... but metacritic and the like are usually a good estimate.

 

[teh]

When I was in high school I was reading GAF onthe family computer when Jaffe said he was railin ppls moms and left the browser open and left for school, well I asked my mom for God of War for my birthday later that day and she said shell think about it.

well birthday morning i open my presents. no god of war and i asked why??? and she said well that video game is made by that disgusting "David Jay-fee" and that she read his comments and maybe if he wasnt a foul mouth his games would be allowed in the house

she got me ninja gaiden for xbox instead b/c the games rep person told her it was "full of ninja wisdom", and that game was way better imo

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

they care about sales

They do care about reviews to an extent. When a game doesn't sell (like Jaffe's last game), you have to resort to the Metacritic score for justification.

And when there are no sales OR justification, then you get serious problems from higher up in the chain.

 

[Afrikan]

:lol at teh high school story

 

[Haunted]

You're in luck, OldJadedGamer!

I think that's an old tweet from Calling All Cars.

 

[JayDub]

It wasn't panned for being like God of War, it was panned for not being good.

Except, they did it pan it for being too much like God of War. Thats the problem with reviewers. They cant distance themselves and really bring out an objective review. Before they started the game, it was, "ok, so lets see what this God of War ripoff is made of." They're playing the game and notice the similarities, but not just noticing them, they're putting weight on them. They get to the point where they dislike the game for being too much like the game that damn well evolved the action genre.

And these are the same people who say, "If more action games were like God of War 2..." in their GoW2 reviews.

You can tell by Giant Bomb's Quicklook, that even the innocent little jabs at DI's similarities mean that they went into the game with bias. Let the game stand on its own.

 

[shuri]

Most major review sites have absolutely no credibility in my eyes. An inordinate number of so-called gaming "journalists" come across as delusional fanboys that desperately pander to their readers by telling them exactly what they want to hear. I'm glad that sites like IGN and Gamespot are becoming increasingly less relevant.

To be honest, official threads are starting to get pretty fishy sometimes...

 

[Haunted]

Except, they did it pan it for being too much like God of War. Thats the problem with reviewers. They cant distance themselves and really bring out an objective review. Before they started the game, it was, "ok, so lets see what this God of War ripoff is made of." They're playing the game and notice the similarities, but not just noticing them, they're putting weight on them. They get to the point where they dislike the game for being too much like the game that damn well evolved the action genre.

And these are the same people who say, "If more action games were like God of War 2..." in their GoW2 reviews.

You can tell by Giant Bomb's Quicklook, that even the innocent little jabs at DI's similarities mean that they went into the game with bias. Let the game stand on its own.

But see, that's exactly the problem with DI. How can you judge a game on its own merits if it doesn't have any? There isn't much left if you remove the GoW elements from DI.

To be honest, official threads are starting to get pretty fishy sometimes...

40-post MGS4 OP, never forget. Preposterously epic, though.

 

[Weenerz]

Can't be Jaffe, he isn't saying fuck every other word.

 

[shuri]

Also, didnt Jaffe shat on gaffers last time he had one of his meltdown on the forum?

 

[OldJadedGamer]

You're in luck, OldJadedGamer!

That's good, now we can see more of him on upcoming episodes of The Tester.

 

[Haunted]

Also, didnt Jaffe shat on gaffers last time he had one of his meltdown on the forum?

no, just kittonwy.

 

[elrechazado]

dude, he made Twisted Metal 2......Twisted Metal 2 dude.

haha...but seriously, I just like to know what makes people tick sometimes.

lets just carry on then...back to topic.

but I agree with Jaffe...I go about reviews in a similar way..

I look out for opinions from;

1st - fans of the franchise.
2nd - fans of the genre.
3rd - watch gameplay video or if possible play the demo...and then make my own assessment.

and maybe editorial reviews just for the heck of it.

very apparently

 

[LoneWolf296]

David Jaffe is the new Lady Gaga.

Davey Jaja?

 

[JayDub]

But see, that's exactly the problem with DI. How can you judge a game on its own merits if it doesn't have any?

There is no doubt that the game draws HEAVILY from God of War. If I wanted to be harsh, I could call it a rip off. But as reviewer, you really need to ground yourself and see who this game was aimed at. Obviously, people who enjoyed God of War.

If thats the case, then let's focus the review on how well it uses existing mechanics, how well it is executed.

Its like judging Saints Row for trying too hard to be like GTA.

 

[bhlaab]

They should have panned Dante's Inferno for being a ripoff of another game. They should also tear into it for being a hackneyed take on a literary classic.

 

[RockmanWhore]

"going out of their way to praise the artistic for its own sake at the expense of video games"

I have to agree with that, reviewers tend to over hype "artsy games", ambiance and story and tend to forget about gameplay. But maybe that's just my opinion, since I don't give too much attention to these kind of things, for me it's all about the gameplay, if there is a nice story on top of a great game that's fine. Unless it's a game solely designed around telling a story, like point & clicks or stuff like Heavy Rain.

Like Jaffe I accrod much more credit to impressions of gamers in forums like Neogaf. There are some problem with them too, like suspicions of troll whenever someone says a bad thing about a super hype game :lol There is some kind of denial in the first days/weeks after release, but that's understandable.

That said, between the reviews, and the gamers impressions, the job is done, good games usually gets good reviews and shitty games get low scores. There are some exceptions like God Hand, but overall, it's pretty accurate.

 

[Y2Kev]

That's good, now we can see more of him on upcoming episodes of The Tester.

So you're actually watching that trash?

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Yeah I agree with Jaffe. I value the overall user opinion I see on Gaf more than anything and because of that I got to experience games like:
Condemned, Folklore, Risen and others that would have never been on my radar otherwise.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

When I was in high school I was reading GAF onthe family computer when Jaffe said he was railin ppls moms and left the browser open and left for school, well I asked my mom for God of War for my birthday later that day and she said shell think about it.

You mention this like it was that long ago. :lol

Yeah I agree with Jaffe. I value the overall user opinion I see on Gaf more than anything and because of that I got to experience games like:
Condemned, Folklore, Risen and others that would have never been on my radar otherwise.

I still rent. GAF has pretty specious taste in games as far as I'm concerned.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

I still rent. GAF has pretty specious taste in games as far as I'm concerned.

Didn't like Demon Souls huh.

 

[Gigglepoo]

Except, they did it pan it for being too much like God of War.

Eh, maybe some people did. I sure didn't, though. I pointed out that it was nearly identical functionally, but the fact that it was a rip off wasn't why I gave it a 6.5. Just that it wasn't particularly good. I have no idea what the mindset of other reviewers are, though, but I don't think it's fair to assume everyone who gave it a sub-7 score only did because it was derivative.

 

[Peronthious]

Good for him! Neither do I. Not the traditional, split game into bits and comment on each one (audio, gameplay, graphics, blah, blah) and toss a score in, anyway. I care about the franchise, I care about the developer, I care about the opinions of the collective. If a blog I follow or a podcast I listen to comments favorably on a game, that dramatically increases the chances of my picking it up. If I get to hear the developer talk about the mechanics and it sounds like something I'd enjoy, so much the better.

 

[thcsquad]

There is no doubt that the game draws HEAVILY from God of War. If I wanted to be harsh, I could call it a rip off. But as reviewer, you really need to ground yourself and see who this game was aimed at. Obviously, people who enjoyed God of War.

If thats the case, then let's focus the review on how well it uses existing mechanics, how well it is executed.

Its like judging Saints Row for trying too hard to be like GTA.

From what I've read, the negatives in Dante's Inferno reviews are a combination of both. If it was a well-executed God of War clone, it would have gotten much better reviews. I'm not saying it wasn't a good game, as I haven't played it. But the impression I've gotten from reviews were: 'If you're going to rip off a game, you'd better do it excellently, or there's no point. What is the point of playing a game which does what God of War does decently when you could play a real God of War game that does those things superbly?' And still, Dante's Inferno reviewed decently. A 75 metascore isn't bad.

 

[Oblivion]

Of course Dave doesn't care about reviews. He cares about bias.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) The media has made great strides since the invention of the Printing Press. From the days when a person could be jailed and even executed at the slightest criticism of the government, the media now wields a great deal of freedom and power. However, some feel that the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction, and they're determined to make a stand and leading the charge is acclaimed video game developer, David "The Fucking Man" Jaffe.

It seems that Jaffe was outraged at a questionnaire sent to him via e-mail from an anonymous reporter from MSNBC, which Jaffe insists was flagrantly biased against the PlayStation 3 video game system. Jaffe was so disgusted in fact, that he didn't even deem the interviewer worthy of a response. "This guy had the gall to ask only about the negative aspects of the PS3 while totally ignoring the positives. Not to mention completely ignoring the missteps that Microsoft had with the Xbox 360." said the illustrious game designer. Jaffe's noble crusade already caught the attention of former U.S. President, George W. Bush. "I see where this here Jaffe fella is coming from. The media always painted me as the bad guy, like I was the only president that took away civil liberties. Why does that Lincoln guy get a free pass? There have been worse guys than me in history, dagnabbit!". The former leader of the free world went on to state that he would be fully backing Jaffe's cause by refusing to address any future interviews unless they specifically mention the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Osama Bin Laden as well. Jaffe has received support from hundreds of other political leaders and corporate figureheads. "This is great." says one anonymous CEO of a Fortune 500 company. "Without the need to refute, rebut, spin, or even outright lie, we're saving bucketloads of money on PR. Hell, we just fired most of the marketing department this morning."

The subject of Sony's position in the current console market has been something of a touchy issue for the PlayStation faithful. Reuters asked Sony advocate and Neogaf poster "dfyb" how he feels about the PlayStation 3's situation. He responded by yelling "KILLZONE 2 DOT GIF!" for thirteen minutes straight before eventually passing out. The doctors say he'll make a full recovery.

Of course the possibility of Jaffe merely misinterpreting the journalist's intentions was brought up. "Look, I'm not a psychic. Do I look like Professor fucking Xavier to you?! I may not know everything. But I sure as hell know when I'm being played." Jaffe also added: "I don't play sales, I play GAMES. I mean, who other than fanboys would want to worry about crap like sales when you have stuff like God of War 3 coming out (btw, Cliffy I think you rock and Gears 2 is awesome as shit and all, but seriously, no contest)."

Whether you agree or not with Jaffe, there's no doubt that such an endeavor is at the very least admirable. Lastly, Jaffe agreed to actually comment on the financial side of the PlayStation 3...under the stipulation that Reuters ask Cliff Bleszinski how he feels about being on his 5th Xbox 360.

Source: Reuters

 

[JaxJag]

But see, that's exactly the problem with DI. How can you judge a game on its own merits if it doesn't have any? There isn't much left if you remove the GoW elements from DI.




40-post MGS4 OP, never forget. Preposterously epic, though.

Uncharted 2 wouldn't be all that if you remove the Gears of War elements.

See how that can work for just about any good game that isn't innovative?

 

[paranoidfortean]

I let reviewers think for me. I then use their opinions on message boards.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Didn't like Demon Souls huh.

Haven't played it.

Although I've enjoyed From Software games long before it was the vogue thing to do. <= Where GAF tends to fail IMO.

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

Jaffe is becoming more and more irrelevant each time he opens his mouth lately....Quit being such an internet drama queen and actually release a new game.

 

[Dogenzaka]

Jaffe is becoming more and more irrelevant each time he opens his mouth lately....Quit being such an internet drama queen and actually release a new game.

He's actually working on his newest game and he said it would be out in 8-9 months.
When you, you know, work on good games, you don't just pop them out every year. That's why Jaffe's been at work for quite a while.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Jaffe is becoming more and more irrelevant each time he opens his mouth lately....Quit being such an internet drama queen and actually release a new game.

:lol :lol :lol

I'm sure on 2ch, there's someone saying "Itagaki is becoming more and more irrelevant each time he opens his mouth..."

Meanwhile spooging over the Jaffe trash talk translations.

 

[riceandbeans]

Of course Dave doesn't care about reviews. He cares about bias.

That was pretty funny. I missed the profanity in the first paragraph and almost believed that up until the Bush part

Don't care for reviews and opinions that much anymore either, especially from message boards and shit sites like Kotaku and Joystiq. Everyone has different tastes and, I feel a lot times, the internet blows things way out of proportion sometimes and focuses a bit too much on the negative.

Shit, look at all the drama surrounding FFXIII with the port, gameplay, linearity, etc. It can't all be candy canes and lolipops, but still, too much negativity man... it's a fucking drag. Where's the fun, where's the love? Where's Lightning's sweet, sweet chocobo scented pits when I need them?

 

[bhlaab]

The only things that keep David Jaffe and Itagaki from becoming irrelevant is the fact that they keep opening their mouths

 

[Buckethead]

Most of the time I find Jaffe loud and obnoxious, but damn do I respect this comment.

Metacritic can burn in hell. Fuck that website.

 

[Witchfinder General]

 

[slamskank]

Not to overtly fellate this board but I tend to weigh people's posts here about a said game above the average game site review. The only sites I really consider dependable for reviews are gametrailers and shacknews.

 

[Dresden]

Jaffe sure does talk a lot of shit for a short fat white guy.

 

[Sullen]

He shouldnt, gaming press is a fucking joke anyway. :lol

 

[Salazar]

Jaffe sure does talk a lot of shit for a short fat white guy.

I'd find a Churchill pic if I had more energy. In any case, how is being short, fat, or white, or all three at once, a disqualification from talking shit ? Absurd idea.

 

[Dresden]

I'd find a Churchill pic if I had more energy. In any case, how is being short, fat, or white, or all three at once, a disqualification from talking shit ? Absurd idea.

He's pretty much a caricature of the internet tough guy, except that he's actually made games.

 

[Jtrizzy]

Reviews really are bad these days. IGN just reviewed BFBC2 today and gave the sound design a 9. If you aren't familiar, the game has maybe the best sound design of any out there.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Haven't played it.

Although I've enjoyed From Software games long before it was the vogue thing to do. <= Where GAF tends to fail IMO.

Hey I am right there with you bro. I grew up on the KF series and Eternal Ring. You should really give DS a go though especially if you liked Kings Field.

Reviews really are bad these days. IGN just reviewed BFBC2 today and gave the sound design a 9. If you aren't familiar, the game has maybe the best sound design of any out there.

Joke post?

 

[J-Roderton]

Yea totally, I pretty much only go to neoGAF for my game news.

 

[Dresden]

Reviews really are bad these days. IGN just reviewed BFBC2 today and gave the sound design a 9. If you aren't familiar, the game has maybe the best sound design of any out there.

OMG 9 THIS IS A MORTAL INSULT

get a grip.

 

[Byakuya769]

Jaffe or Pachter, GAF?

 

[TheThunder]

After GTAIV and Ass Creed I stopped really caring about reviews tbh.

I still of course go to the websites for screens, trailers ...etc.

 

[templeusox]

Jaffe or Pachter, GAF?

Jaffe, easy. Dude is cool.

 

[Byakuya769]

Jaffe, easy. Dude is cool.

The question is more about who does GAF get a hard on to prove wrong or belittle.. it's kind of hard to tell, but I'm leaning towards Pachter.