By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Gaming Discussion - Malstrom: Game Industry tries to justify corruption

LordTheNightKnight on 07 December 2009
rocketpig said:
LordTheNightKnight said:
"Comparing game reviewers to soldiers is just stupid"

No, just as a counterpoint to the claim the job of a reviewer is hard.

Reading comprehension FTL.

Where did the reviewer say that his job was hard?

You guys are letting Malstrom put words in the reviewer's mouth, completely misinterpret what he said, and you don't seem to even notice...

Not those exact words, but the various comments:

"I'd driven a hundred miles to get there, to play Infinity Ward and Activision's blockbuster shooter for a review. It was my second time sequestering myself in a hotel room to evaluate a video game."

Now I do say Maelstrom did exaggerate some points, but he didn't pull them out of nowhere. In fact, Maelstrom missed a great opportunity at the end of the Kotaku article.

"Bitmob's Dan Hsu may say it best.

"As long as the game reviewers can treat the product fairly and objectively, the same as if he were playing at home or in his own office, I don't see a big problem with this," Hsu says of the conditions. "It's either that, or if you want a truly untainted review, stop listening to the professionals and get your feedback from the community instead.""

"There's nothing lavish about being cooped up in a dark hotel room for two days. It's annoying," Gerstmann says. "And unless you have direct questions about a game, the company reps at the event usually just stay out of your way. Most of the time they don't even ask us what we thought of the game. They just sort of hang back and, I guess, hope for the best."

"I sort of get the impression that no one involved on either side really enjoys these events," Gerstmann adds. "But between us wanting timely coverage and publishers feeling protective of their biggest releases, I don't see these events going away anytime soon, either."



A flashy-first game is awesome when it comes out. A great-first game is awesome forever.

Plus, just for the hell of it: Kelly Brook at the 2008 BAFTAs

Around the Network
Avinash_Tyagi on 07 December 2009

"stop listening to the professionals and get your feedback from the community instead."

This is the most important part of the article



 

Predictions:Sales of Wii Fit will surpass the combined sales of the Grand Theft Auto franchiseLifetime sales of Wii will surpass the combined sales of the entire Playstation family of consoles by 12/31/2015 Wii hardware sales will surpass the total hardware sales of the PS2 by 12/31/2010 Wii will have 50% marketshare or more by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  It was a little over 48% only)Wii will surpass 45 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  Nintendo Financials showed it fell slightly short of 45 million shipped by end of 2008)Wii will surpass 80 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2009 (I was wrong!! Wii didn't even get to 70 Million)

rocketpig on 07 December 2009
LordTheNightKnight said:
rocketpig said:
LordTheNightKnight said:
"Comparing game reviewers to soldiers is just stupid"

No, just as a counterpoint to the claim the job of a reviewer is hard.

Reading comprehension FTL.

Where did the reviewer say that his job was hard?

You guys are letting Malstrom put words in the reviewer's mouth, completely misinterpret what he said, and you don't seem to even notice...

Not those exact words, but the various comments:

"I'd driven a hundred miles to get there, to play Infinity Ward and Activision's blockbuster shooter for a review. It was my second time sequestering myself in a hotel room to evaluate a video game."

"There's nothing lavish about being cooped up in a dark hotel room for two days. It's annoying," Gerstmann says. "And unless you have direct questions about a game, the company reps at the event usually just stay out of your way. Most of the time they don't even ask us what we thought of the game. They just sort of hang back and, I guess, hope for the best."

"I sort of get the impression that no one involved on either side really enjoys these events," Gerstmann adds. "But between us wanting timely coverage and publishers feeling protective of their biggest releases, I don't see these events going away anytime soon, either."

So the guy didn't like having to do that (and again, I don't blame him, I wouldn't care for it either) and therefore he deserves to have his quotes blown completely out of proportion and made to look like an ass as if he was comparing his job to that of a soldier's?

You guys just aren't seeing it. Malstrom is the one being a giant douchebag... again. This isn't the first time I've seen him take someone else's rather innocuous quote and snarl it into a malicious rant, completely making the person look like an asshole in the process. He seems to get off on taking a simple quote and trying to make someone into a villain over it... and the readers eat it up.

The guy is an asshole and I don't know how some of you read his stuff.




Or check out my new webcomic: http://selfcentent.com/

Avinash_Tyagi on 07 December 2009

^Whether or not you think he's an asshole or whether his ranting can go a little over the top, he tends to be right, and has good insight into the business of games, hence why people read what he writes



 

Predictions:Sales of Wii Fit will surpass the combined sales of the Grand Theft Auto franchiseLifetime sales of Wii will surpass the combined sales of the entire Playstation family of consoles by 12/31/2015 Wii hardware sales will surpass the total hardware sales of the PS2 by 12/31/2010 Wii will have 50% marketshare or more by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  It was a little over 48% only)Wii will surpass 45 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  Nintendo Financials showed it fell slightly short of 45 million shipped by end of 2008)Wii will surpass 80 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2009 (I was wrong!! Wii didn't even get to 70 Million)

rocketpig on 07 December 2009
Avinash_Tyagi said:
^Whether or not you think he's an asshole or whether his ranting can go a little over the top, he tends to be right, and has good insight into the business of games, hence why people read what he writes

If the guy would have stuck to writing about the industry and leaving most of the vitriol behind, I may have been a fan. Some of his points (especially his Nintendo writings early in the generation) were well thought-out and interesting.

As it is, I view him as an insufferable, mean-spirited little prick and have (mostly successfully) avoided his writing for over two years now.




Or check out my new webcomic: http://selfcentent.com/

Around the Network
noname2200 on 07 December 2009
rocketpig said:

As it is, I view him as an insufferable, mean-spirited little prick.

Now that's unfair!

 

Well, okay, maybe it isn't.

 

He occasionally has some great ideas that no one else I know of does, so I still find him worth reading. No one can reasonably deny that you have a point though.



griffinA on 07 December 2009
rocketpig said:
Avinash_Tyagi said:
^Whether or not you think he's an asshole or whether his ranting can go a little over the top, he tends to be right, and has good insight into the business of games, hence why people read what he writes

If the guy would have stuck to writing about the industry and leaving most of the vitriol behind, I may have been a fan. Some of his points (especially his Nintendo writings early in the generation) were well thought-out and interesting.

As it is, I view him as an insufferable, mean-spirited little prick and have (mostly successfully) avoided his writing for over two years now.

You say "insufferable, mean-spirited little prick," I say "melodramatic exagerator" but I still think he's worth reading. I certainly don't agree with all his positions/insights but I don't need to either.



"Pier was a chef, a gifted and respected chef who made millions selling his dishes to the residents of New York City and Boston, he even had a famous jingle playing in those cities that everyone knew by heart. He also had a restaurant in Los Angeles, but not expecting LA to have such a massive population he only used his name on that restaurant and left it to his least capable and cheapest chefs. While his New York restaurant sold kobe beef for $100 and his Boston restaurant sold lobster for $50, his LA restaurant sold cheap hotdogs for $30. Initially these hot dogs sold fairly well because residents of los angeles were starving for good food and hoped that the famous name would denote a high quality, but most were disappointed with what they ate. Seeing the success of his cheap hot dogs in LA, Pier thought "why bother giving Los Angeles quality meats when I can oversell them on cheap hotdogs forever, and since I don't care about the product anyways, why bother advertising them? So Pier continued to only sell cheap hotdogs in LA and was surprised to see that they no longer sold. Pier's conclusion? Residents of Los Angeles don't like food."

"The so-called "hardcore" gamer is a marketing brainwashed, innovation shunting, self-righteous idiot who pays videogame makers far too much money than what is delivered."

vanatos on 07 December 2009

Why is everyone making a big deal about his 'attitude'?

I really don't understand, it never affected me the way it seems to affect some people, he says such and such sucks.

ok? i dunno wut the big commotion is.



Avinash_Tyagi on 07 December 2009

^ I think its because its easier for people to attack him then his points



 

Predictions:Sales of Wii Fit will surpass the combined sales of the Grand Theft Auto franchiseLifetime sales of Wii will surpass the combined sales of the entire Playstation family of consoles by 12/31/2015 Wii hardware sales will surpass the total hardware sales of the PS2 by 12/31/2010 Wii will have 50% marketshare or more by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  It was a little over 48% only)Wii will surpass 45 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  Nintendo Financials showed it fell slightly short of 45 million shipped by end of 2008)Wii will surpass 80 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2009 (I was wrong!! Wii didn't even get to 70 Million)

noname2200 on 07 December 2009
vanatos said:
Why is everyone making a big deal about his 'attitude'?

I really don't understand, it never affected me the way it seems to affect some people, he says such and such sucks.

ok? i dunno wut the big commotion is.

Most of us find it grating; arrogance is difficult to stomach when it comes from a person who you don't need to listen to (and even when you do have to listen to the person). Additionally, calling your readers "idiots," "fools," etc. is not a wise way to get people to listen to you. There's more, but to summarize: people often have better things to do than listen to someone insult them or pleasure himself to his own written words.