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Mediawatch: Candidate for Dumbest Word

How Dumb is this article's use of the word "arguably"?


  • Total voters
    24

Marvel14

Banned
So IGN just published an article about the 18 Mario titles on Switch with this as opening line:

Arguably one of the biggest gaming IPs of all time,

Is this inarguably one of the worst uses of the word "arguably" ever in gaming journalism?

The IP made over a billion USD at the movie box office this year, it appears in 18 games on one console, it has its own theme park, and is as venerated as its possible for a gaming IP to be. WTF is there to argue about?
 
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Deft Beck

Member
So IGN just published an article about the 18 Mario titles on Switch with this as opening line:



Is this inarguably one of the worst uses of the word "arguably" ever in gaming journalism?

The IP made a billion USD at the box office this year, it appears in 18 games on one console and is as venerated as its possible for a gaming IP to be. WTF is there to argue about?

You sound like you wanna argue about it. If you want to be pedantic, then Pokemon is more lucrative by sheer franchise value. Mario has better recognizability.

On a more meta level: keep in mind that they have to write every article as if it is the first one someone will read. That's how you get similar bylines like "Video games sure have come a long way from Pac-Man!"
 
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Topher

Gold Member
A thread because IGN used the word "arguably"?

The Office I Give Up GIF
 

IFireflyl

Gold Member
If Mario is an IP with 18 games, then Final Fantasy has more games released than Mario. So "arguably" would be an appropriate word since it would depend on how one defines "biggest IP". Are they going off of total number of games? Amount of revenue? Mind share? Even after determining that, how many IPs are we including to say it is "one of the biggest gaming IPs"?

This was a pointless thread.
 
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Marvel14

Banned
If Mario is an IP with 18 games, then Final Fantasy has more games released than Mario. So "arguably" would be an appropriate word since it would depend on how one defines "biggest IP". Are they going off of total number of games? Amount of revenue? Mind share? Even after determining that, how many IPs are we including to say it is "one of the biggest gaming IPs"?

This was a pointless thread.

The metrics of what defines the 'biggest' game IP of all time. It's going to be different depending on the standards you want to include.
You all need to learn to read. The phrase is "arguably one of the biggest" not "arguably the biggest".

Find me a dumber use of a word in a games article. I dare you.
 

FeralEcho

Member
If Mario is an IP with 18 games, then Final Fantasy has more games released than Mario. So "arguably" would be an appropriate word since it would depend on how one defines "biggest IP". Are they going off of total number of games? Amount of revenue? Mind share? Even after determining that, how many IPs are we including to say it is "one of the biggest gaming IPs"?

This was a pointless thread.
But it doesn't say THE biggest it says one of the biggest as if it's debatable it's in the top 5 biggest IPs which is stupid since it's uncontestable that it is in fact one of the top 5 biggest ips in gaming.
 

IAmRei

Member
You what more annoying to me :
Listicle and ugly bait, completed with SEO in the google.

Top 10
Epic
Best

I think its overused
 

RyRy93

Member
There are like 7/8 gaming franchises that have been more profitable so yes it can be argued
 
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DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
I wish they would’ve used the word “obviously” instead of “arguably”, just so I could see the flame war that ensued where a bunch of pedantic dorks try to dispute that claim.
 

Zuzu

Member
I can't think of any way to argue against it being one of the biggest IPs of all time. Whether you choose to rank it via game sales, brand recognition or games made under the umbrella of the IP there's really not much else that beats it. So yeah, it's not really arguably one of the biggest franchises. It IS one of the biggest franchises.
 

IFireflyl

Gold Member
You all need to learn to read. The phrase is "arguably one of the biggest" not "arguably the biggest".

Find me a dumber use of a word in a games article. I dare you.
But it doesn't say THE biggest it says one of the biggest as if it's debatable it's in the top 5 biggest IPs which is stupid since it's uncontestable that it is in fact one of the top 5 biggest ips in gaming.

Read my post in its entirety before replying to me:

...how many IPs are we including to say it is "one of the biggest gaming IPs"?

One person could say that two IPs are considered. Another could say that ten IPs are considered. A third person could say that 100 IPs are considered. Depending on how many IPs people take into consideration, Mario is arguably one of the biggest IPs.Like I said, this was a pointless thread.
 

FeralEcho

Member
Read my post in its entirety before replying to me:



One person could say that two IPs are considered. Another could say that ten IPs are considered. A third person could say that 100 IPs are considered. Depending on how many IPs people take into consideration, Mario is arguably one of the biggest IPs.Like I said, this was a pointless thread.
It's still not arguable no matter the amount of mental gymnastics we try to apply to this shit... It's unequivocally,non arguably a dumbass use of the word in the context at hand. I do agree it's a pointless thread though...
 

IFireflyl

Gold Member
It's still not arguable no matter the amount of mental gymnastics we try to apply to this shit... It's unequivocally,non arguably a dumbass use of the word in the context at hand.

I provided an example of how the word would be applicable. You can rail against it all you want, but to do so is to argue against logic. It is a fools errand, and you can have fun with your own idiocy without me. Bye girl.
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
Articles need to reach a word quota, and adverbs are very useful when you need to write more words and to sound ”professional” while misusing words. Adverbs sound nice, and they’re so abused that most people won’t pay attention to their precise meaning.
 

FeralEcho

Member
I provided an example of how the word would be applicable. You can rail against it all you want, but to do so is to argue against logic. It is a fools errand, and you can have fun with your own idiocy without me. Bye girl.
Who shat in your soup?

Chill Out Dancing GIF


And all you provided was an example of what the author "might" have meant or "might" have been talking about. Might being the key word here.So we are basing your examples on speculation since we don't actually know what the author meant but whether the author of the piece meant 2 or 3 or 5 or 100 other games it still would be insane to advocate Mario as an inconclusive,arguable one of the biggest IPS of all time when everyone and their mother knows who Mario is so no,your example still doesn't work.

If it was "arguably one of the best ips of all time" then your example would work since it depends on various factors to take into account like personal preferance,competition,technology etc. But it being one of the biggest ips isn't a debate. It's like saying China is arguably one of the biggest countries on planet Earth.Its not a debate!
 
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Marvel14

Banned
Seems to be a lot of arguing in this thread so I guess IGN was right for once.
Damn... looks like it!

I thought this would be a " this example from this media outlet is even dumber" thread discussion, but instead you've got snowflakes doing mental gymnastics to claim Mario may not be one of the biggest gaming IPs and the usual shitters' threadnihilist angst.

Damn damn damn...
 
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Marvel14

Banned
I provided an example of how the word would be applicable. You can rail against it all you want, but to do so is to argue against logic. It is a fools errand, and you can have fun with your own idiocy without me. Bye girl.
Using your logic any gaming IP could be considered "not one of the biggest" as all IPs will fail to be "the biggest" on any given criterion.

Thus your logic renders the concept of " one of the biggest" meaningless and adds no useful insights.

Thank you for playing my child. When you're a little older hopefully you'll learn there is more to discussion than mindless devil's advocacy. But I'm not holding my breath.
 
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IFireflyl

Gold Member
Using your logic any gaming IP could be considered "not one of the biggest" as all IPs will fail to be top on any given criterion.

Thus your logic renders the concept of " one of the biggest" meaningless and adds no useful insights.

That's not what I said at all. I said there is different criteria that could be used to determine what is the biggest IP (mind share, revenue, titles sold, et cetera), and then there is the additional criteria to determine how many IPs would be included to incapsulate "one of". If you want to act like a dumb cunt who calls someone a child just because they disagree, that's your prerogative. But I am certainly not the one who is dismissing logic here.
 

Marvel14

Banned
That's not what I said at all. I said there is different criteria that could be used to determine what is the biggest IP (mind share, revenue, titles sold, et cetera), and then there is the additional criteria to determine how many IPs would be included to incapsulate "one of". If you want to act like a dumb cunt who calls someone a child just because they disagree, that's your prerogative. But I am certainly not the one who is dismissing logic here.

You have failed to explain how my extension of your logical reasoning is invalid. Simply repeating what you previously said does not invalidate my response which is an extension of your logic.

And after putting someone else down by calling them a girl you resort to even ruder playground insults when you're faced with a similar put down.

If you can't stand the heat 🔥 don't play with the adults. Go back to the playground with the other kiddies.
 
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IFireflyl

Gold Member
You have failed to explain how my extension of your logical reasoning is invalid. Simply repeating what you previously said does not invalidate my response.

And after insulting someone else and calling them a girl you resort to even ruder playground insults.

If you can't stand the heat 🔥 don't play with the adults. Go back to the playground with the other kiddies.

Welcome to my ignore list, bitch! 🤣
 
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