The Disconnect Between Game Reviews And Gamers

Far too much of the gaming "press" has been taken over by militant SJWs who have an agenda to push.

Rock Paper Shotgun used to be decent until John Walker turned it into Rock Paper Gloria Steinem. Kotaku is typical Gawker trash (it's revenge porn when you post pictures of a naked woman but when you post a sex video of Hulk Hogan, suddenly it's legitimate journalism). PC Gamer is well past it's prime (I miss the days of the 400+ page issues).
 
I really don't mind if reviewers insert their politics into a review, but their own personal issues with the game beyond the game itself should not factor into the final score. I think ChristCenteredGamer is a good example of how it can be done, offering a "Game Score" that judges the game itself and a "Morality Score" that judges the game based on the moral values of the reviewer. A good example is Dying Light, reviewing the game at 88%, but scoring only 43% on morality due to the violence, language, and what is considered blaspheming to Christians.
 
I don't get why anyone likes MadMax, I didn't like Shadow of Mordor either, it felt very repetitive and it. We all have our preferences and pet peeves. The hand to hand combat system was so boring after about 5 minutes

I agree 100% that sites should judge a game only on what it presents as a game and leave their agenda out of it.
 
Are there really that many gamers you take "professional" reviews seriously anymore? I haven't used a professional review as the basis for my game purchases in 20+ years. I'd rather just go to a few gaming forums and see what people are saying about a game.
 
I stopped reading reviews for my own enjoyment about a decade ago. But then I was a PR guy for a couple of years and had to read what the idiots had to say about the products we were selling and determine whether we should continue contributing to their magazines and TV shows. I can tell you contributions were well worth it.

Even if we ignore the fact that most of today's gaming journalists basically spew PR crap most of time, for a guy like me, who's been gaming for almost 3 decades, it's painfully obvious that almost none of them used to game as a kid. Sorry, I am not gonna listen to someone who's knowledge is way below mine.
 
Total Biscuit takes 10 minutes of discussion and adds an additional 30 minutes of blather.
 
It's too bad that escapist magazine fell off the map. Those game and movie reviews tended to be spot on for me.
 
Armenius said:
I really don't mind if reviewers insert their politics into a review, but their own personal issues with the game beyond the game itself should not factor into the final score. I think ChristCenteredGamer is a good example of how it can be done, offering a "Game Score" that judges the game itself and a "Morality Score" that judges the game based on the moral values of the reviewer. A good example is Dying Light, reviewing the game at 88%, but scoring only 43% on morality due to the violence, language, and what is considered blaspheming to Christians.
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Wow, I'd never heard of that site.

Their approach sounds solid, but the fact that a "Christ Centered" gaming site even exists sounds like pure comedy gold to me :p
 
Jim Kim said:
Total Biscuit takes 10 minutes of discussion and adds an additional 30 minutes of blather.
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What I assumed.

I never really watch video commentary, video reviews, or video guides, unless there is something very specific that requires a visual component.

Anything video is usually more time consuming, more difficult to navigate, and less useful than anything written.
 
Koolthulu said:
Are there really that many gamers you take "professional" reviews seriously anymore? I haven't used a professional review as the basis for my game purchases in 20+ years. I'd rather just go to a few gaming forums and see what people are saying about a game.
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Well, there's like another side of that coin too. Because of a combination of like stereotypes, esports publicity, and recent very loud responses made by people claiming to be gamers to their world about how they feel, there are very few "professionals" who take gamers seriously and it's really hard to blame them for that even though its really easy to forget that most of them are just average people and there's really nothing at all behind the self-made title PLUS the ones that were making the most noise were people that would prolly have trouble getting along in normal society anyway with they way they present their thoughts about women unless those were just made up showboating comments (very likely given the show-and-tell nature of people who use the internet) that were not very serious, but that's hard to accept completely since some people are insane enough to make public death threats over video games of all things.
 
I can't watch the video at work but I trust Steam ratings/reviews more than a review by gaming "professionals".
 
cvinh said:
I can't watch the video at work but I trust Steam ratings/reviews more than a review by gaming "professionals".
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I would too, but honestly I have never read a single game review, either "professional" or by users on steam.

I don't just buy games for the sake of games. I only buy games I hugely anticipate, and I know about even without reviews.
 
CreepyUncleGoogle said:
Well, there's like another side of that coin too. Because of a combination of like stereotypes, esports publicity, and recent very loud responses made by people claiming to be gamers to their world about how they feel, there are very few "professionals" who take gamers seriously and it's really hard to blame them for that even though its really easy to forget that most of them are just average people and there's really nothing at all behind the self-made title PLUS the ones that were making the most noise were people that would prolly have trouble getting along in normal society anyway with they way they present their thoughts about women unless those were just made up showboating comments (very likely given the show-and-tell nature of people who use the internet) that were not very serious, but that's hard to accept completely since some people are insane enough to make public death threats over video games of all things.
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Check keyboard, your period key is broke.
 
Exyia said:
I miss Adam Sessler

:(
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I don't.

He was an industry reporter, reporting in a way that was sympathetic to the industry being sold down media channels whose primary audience were the consumers.

I wouldn't say he was a shill as much as sympathies were not with consumers. Which is fine. Just forcing him and other like him down channels where to the consumers ultimately support the product, his paycheck and everyone else' paycheck is frustrating for those consumers.
 
Wow, this guy loves to here himself talk.
Either way, i like many others just dont bother with reviews, but i do tend to read the comments on steam and other sites. Back in the day, PC gamer was my favorite way to see what games and tech were coming out, but then they changed their format and i couldnt stand to read it. Something about they way it was laid out, gave me a head ache. Its like aesthetics went out the window. I do miss the demo cd's... it was like a little gift every month :D
 
I see a bunch of comments in this thread that have not actually watched the video because they are taking such one sided opinions.
 
Steve said:
If you have a spare 40 minutes, you really should watch this video.
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the reason there is a disconnect is quite simple $$$$ and the gaming media living in their own little world. Really wish [H] did some game reviews back in the [H]ardgaming days cause it is ever so difficult to wade through the bullshite.
 
maxius said:
the reason there is a disconnect is quite simple $$$$ and the gaming media living in their own little world. Really wish [H] did some game reviews back in the [H]ardgaming days cause it is ever so difficult to wade through the bullshite.
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I know I'm pointing this out again because I just posted, but I swear people have become more retarded since they read the title and start assuming things. Especially when their reply is so cliched and contrived.
 
Banko said:
I know I'm pointing this out again because I just posted, but I swear people have become more retarded since they read the title and start assuming things. Especially when their reply is so cliched and contrived.
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you actually had time to watch a video? you are clearly a superior human and your comments and baseless judgements show that you are as dense as a solar core. :rolleyes:
 
Zarathustra[H];1041857012 said:
Oh no! I hope it doesn't have to file for bankruptcy! :D
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That was 100% awesome and given how this thread is going, I'm pretty sure that if my period key was gonna file for bankruptcy it'd only be for moral bankruptcy.

Jim Kim said:
Check keyboard, your period key is broke.
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Why do I need to check? Is it because you FEAR MY INTENTIONAL RUN-ON SENTENCE?! By all means, please cower before the unstoppable might of missing periods (yes, the kind without two pink lines on the tester even) and recoil in horror as it simply drones on and on to near infinity! MWA HA HA!!!!
 
brentsg said:
Game journalism should be ignored in general, IMO. It's all trash.
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+1 i ignore most of them since they get paid to hype up a game. the times i have fallen for them i was disappointed every time. now i wait for most games to come back and wait for gameplay videos. angryjoe has a good channel, i can agree with most of what he says. so far, in my opinion he is one of the best reviewers.
 
Darunion said:
I miss reading Gamepro magazines....
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Same here. Gamepro, EGM (except for Sushi-X hated everything...), etc..

Reviews are based on the reviewers biases. Those old Gamepro mags had a couple reviewers opinions on game sometimes. One would give it an 8, the other guy would give it a 6. Read multiple reviews. One guy might be a hard core fan of the series and love it. Another might not be a fan, and the game is just so-so.

Star Wars Battlefront - if you're not a Star Wars fan, it's just a reskin of Battlefield. But, for us fans, it's going to be a great game!

I check out reviews so I can see some game play. Most of the reviewers are idiots and I hate hearing them try and be funny or put some weird agenda into a game that isn't even related... I like to read people's thoughts in various forums. Actual gamers that don't have an agenda, don't have a site to get ad revenue and just give an honest review on the game.
 
maxius said:
you actually had time to watch a video? you are clearly a superior human and your comments and baseless judgements show that you are as dense as a solar core. :rolleyes:
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Yes I did have time to watch the video. This thread is about the video and the points TotalBiscuit makes. If you have not watched the video your comments are worthless because they add nothing to the discussion especially when it's something as common as it being all about the $$$.

Anyways, his point in the video is that both the gamers and game reviewers are not wrong, especially in the case of Mad Max.

The reviewers point out legitimate issues they see with the game, which to them as a reviewer makes the game at best mediocre, since it tends to use the same mechanics, or that there isn't any innovation.

He agrees that most gamers don't need to see innovation in a genre to find it good, just like how Call of Duty sells every year. He also used the Transformers movies as an example, where the reviews were horrible but all people wanted was too see gigantic robots & explosions.

Here gamers are enjoying the fact that this is an open world game filled with Batman style combat, and busy-work open world style game play. Yet those are the points the reviewers didn't like about the game.

I personally agree with the critics here because these open world games are getting to be the same thing with just a different skin. However I can see why a lot of people would find this type of game fun.
 
I stopped reading game reviews when everything got a 7.8 outa 10 or higher. The game could BSOD and blow up the video card and the reviewer would just say its a prelaunch bug.
 
I don't have 40 minutes to listen to some blathering.

I do have some time to blather myself though.

I only read/watch reviews by Jim Sterling these days. He's honest about things, including that he scores based on how he enjoyed the game. Reading a review he may sing praises about different parts but ultimately if its just not fun to play (which is a personal opinion, but that's how reviews work.) he will score it as such.

He does also critique on the industry as a whole. Things like preorder culture and on disc dlc, he is against and open about it. He's also fully independent now. He runs off of patreon donations and discloses exactly how he received the copy of his game. It's those sort of little things that I like. Even if I disagree on his opinion of a game, I don't mind knowing his opinion.

Professional gaming journalism could probably be written off as a whole, many do seem to be paid shills. Some don't. If you care at all, find one who's writing style and opinions you enjoy and read just them. If you can't find one. Steam reviews can be semi reliable.
 
Mad Max is a shitty mass produced lager. If that's what you like, then enjoy (also you've probably never had a good beer.)
 
Nolan7689 said:
I only read/watch reviews by Jim Sterling these days. He's honest about things, including that he scores based on how he enjoyed the game. Reading a review he may sing praises about different parts but ultimately if its just not fun to play (which is a personal opinion, but that's how reviews work.) he will score it as such.

He does also critique on the industry as a whole. Things like preorder culture and on disc dlc, he is against and open about it. He's also fully independent now. He runs off of patreon donations and discloses exactly how he received the copy of his game. It's those sort of little things that I like. Even if I disagree on his opinion of a game, I don't mind knowing his opinion.
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Just an FYI, Totalbiscuit operates on the exact same principles and speaks out against the same things, so based on that, you may like him as well. Whether you like his style/presentation is a different thing though. TB offers both his objective and subjective conclusions about a game and tries to make it clear which is which, but he does not give a "score" (if you meant that literally with Jim). He's against "scoring" games, one of the things with which I disagree with him, but it does not effect the information/entertainment from this videos for me. Also, he does not thoroughly review games from beginning to end, he only gives "first impression" reviews, though he still spends several hours with longer games (such as Mad Max).

I have never really checked out Jim's videos thoroughly, will have to do so eventually.
 
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