The cancer that is killing gaming: the source

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To be fair, you can save less nowadays when compared to most PC games from the 90's. Most console games don't have a quick save function like PC games did/do (to an extent).

 

I find the comments of "Well this guy is a reviewer and it's his review so just don't read it" interesting. Should game reviewers not have a duty to actually understand the games they're playing?

And it's a wide-spread problem, not just this mentally deficient piece of shit. I remember IGN bitching about Infinite Space because you couldn't "heal in-between battles", even though a character had a power to heal DURING BATTLE and the medical station would give HP back in between battles.

So many reviewers just completely ignore important nuances of games that it's absurd. If you review NiGHTS and you don't mention score, you missed the point. If you review a 2D shooter (like... most of IGN's Dreamcast shooter reviews back in the day) and you ignore the concepts of score and getting the 1CC ("you can beat it in an hour!"), you have absolutely failed at your job.

And in the end, if you can't figure out how to beat the bosses in NiGHTS over a few days in which you should be reviewing a game, you shouldn't be reviewing games. Really, if you can't figure out the NiGHTS bosses, you should probably stick to figuring out which shaped-hole the cylinder goes in.

 

You shouldn't have to go out and research a game beforehand, no. Would I select someone who is unable to give the game a fair shot? Probably not, but I don't run these companies. But if a game fails to communicate what it is about, then that is a design flaw in my opinion. I've had developers come to me and say "But but but, that's not how you are suppose to play the game!" If I don't know how to play the game, and the game doesn't communicate that, how is the average person going to figure it out?

And if you don't like what he says, talk to him like a human being. Don't bitch and moan "You're a poser," that does nothing at all.

Add on top of that the misconception that somehow these reviewers are the best and the brightest, and being paid a livable wage to play games. They aren't. Most are getting paid pennies for the amount of time they have to put in. Many reviews are kids, really, with little to no experience in writing (and those that can write typically don't pump out review after review).

 

That's what I hate about the new Fable games. Dying was extremely rare in the first game, but at least it was still possible. I still had to go into battle knowing that I could theoretically die and get a game over if I careless. In 2 and 3 when you "die", you just get back up with a scar. Where's the fun in that?

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we don't have games with Battletoads level of difficulty anymore. Too much difficulty is infuriating and cheap, but too little is insulting and gives no feeling of actual accomplishment. I just want a reasonable challenge, and I'm just not getting that with the majority of games today.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this, but Borderlands is literally the only game I've ever had to force myself awake while playing. I was playing with some friends and family and they seemed to love it, but I was so bored and spent the entire time trying to keep my eyes open so I didn't look rude and pass out while I was in the middle of playing co-op. It was painful. It wasn't because I was tired or sick or something, I was just that bored. Right after that we played Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and some other games and I was wide awake while playing those.

I really don't think it was a bad game overall, I just personally didn't care for it.

 

Loved Borderlands and currently enjoying the heck out of Borderlands 2

 

Well, I know ill be enjoying Nights tomorrow when its released on Xbox live tomorrow.

 

bummer then since my real life friends aren't in to gaming

 

I have the same problem. And even when i discover someone who likes gaming, they are addicted to Call of Duty / Battlefield crap.

 

Kind of topic but just throwing out some thoughts... The tumor really started to grow when children, parents and grand parents become just as profitable if not more profitable than the core gamers. I partially blame Nintendo for it, they opened the flood gates to an entirely new market of people by creating products that brought in more customers and money than anything before it. Suddenly creating a game wasn't enough, now you're marketing games at children going trough elementry education, or generations of parents who have never got into gaming before. Now everyone is a potential customer and if they don't understand how to play the game, then they will never adopt a gaming mind set and will not remain potential customers. Of course, companies just want to make money, and if that means they have to hold our hand every step of the way just so inexperienced players will be encouraged to buy more games, they'll do it.

 

Eurogamer's review of NiGHTS

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-05-nights-into-dreams-hd-review

 

This thread made me read the review, and it's more positive than you make it seem. I mean...

Remember that for most sites, a 5 out of 10 is average. Not bad, not great either.

Also, even the 9/10 review of Eurogamer agrees that..

Thing is, it's just a review anyway. That's his opinion. I already made my mind about Nights and don't need reviews to validate my opinion.

We would like to think that a great crime is being comited, but the truth is, we tend to operate under the influence of nostalgia a lot more than most. I guess sometimes it's hard to place the games in the proper context (comparing Nights to games released 1997 versus Nights and games that have been released THIS year. A lot has changed since then) And you know what, our tastes can be different and maybe some of us enjoy Nights more than others. I think Nights has its moments, but never really clicked with me that much.

And add me to the list of people that loves Borderlands. Not a perfect game, but so damn addictive. Started playing it last month thanks to Playstation Plus.

 

I think the cancer of this current gen is the flood of fps games. Sure i play cod once in a while but i like variety *sigh*

 

I don't think the cancer is the flood of fps games, it's the flood of fps casual gamers

 

Ive still got too many games to play (that I likely never will), so I really have no complaints about numbers. There is only so much time in the day. I am still working on Rayman Origins, which is just a stunning game.

 

I agree, rayman looks absolutely wonderful, I had just started it right before my jtag just bit the dust

 

This guy is a reviewer, its his job to do proper research beforehand

And to make it more of a failure he writes on a high-profile tech blog, you just can't toss a turd like that review and expect nobody will notice it

And this its not about the game Nights, its about a constant trend in the industry where everybody rants about stuff they dont even know

Case in point, social games and the retarded way pundits push the idea that gaming as we know it is over because you can play a shitty harvest moon clone on lamebook for free

They sure STFU when zynga crash and burned, or now that rovio is no longer making money on angry birds...

 

You would be hard-pressed to find a reviewer who has time to do research for a game beyond whatever a publisher hands him. Games sometimes come with fact-sheets, but rarely do they even have a manual to reference. It's usually not in their job description at this point. Journalists are paid bottom dollar for hours worth of work that they must pump out before every other blog gets to it. It is a race to the be first, not a race to necessarily be the best.

The market will take care of it, if people don't visit, they don't get ad traffic, and they will know they are doing something wrong. There have been a few attempts over the years for some high quality journalism related to games, but the money isn't there either.

 

And this mentality is why games begin with:
"OK, use the left analog stick to move. Good. Now use the right analog stick to look around. See if you can see the blinking light."

Also why Elder Scrolls games went from:
"Go to this region then head north, look for this landmark, east of that you will find a tomb, and inside you will find what you seek."

to

"Go here and find this." *player opens up map, clicks on yellow circle, and is at the location of the dungeon for the quest*


I completely disagree with you. You COULD play Gun Valkyrie like a typical 3rd person shooter, but if you spent the time to figure out how to get a good score, the game became much more creative and enjoyable. Really, NiGHTS is the same way. In fact, in my opinion half of the fun of a game is figuring out what it's about. If I'm just sat down and told to do x then it generally results in a fairly dull experience.

 

That's fine, but you can't be mad at a reviewer who doesn't want that. Realize that I have no problem with Nights.