IGN Going Up For Auction

[Just Another Gamer]

None. I find watching gameplay videos of the game you want to be the best option since it lets you judge if you want it or not. Reviews are biased since everyone is biased so why not just see for yourself.

this is precisely what I do. I still check out a review or two just to see what people thought (gameplay videos can't tell you whether the game has good or clunky controls, for example), but I still use gameplay videos as my main source. That's what convinced me to get Cave Story on the 3DS eShop, for example, not the insanely good reviews it got everywhere or even the freeware version (which I didn't even bother trying before buying).

I also watch reviews from "independent" guys on Youtube. Since they're either unaffiliated with companies, or else more affiliated with smaller ones (id est, GameXplain, ReviewTechUSA), it seems to truly boil down to their opinion more often.

I sometimes watch independent reviews and I know that gameplay videos are usually not enough but it was a suggestion for those who want to see if a game is good or not. I get your point about the controls since its hard to tell if its good or not with a gameplay vid but that bit is usually the only bit of a review I read or I just ignore it and try for myself since someone might say its shit but it turns out to be alright for you.

Game reviewers really need to stop being biased towards X genre and then compare every other genre and game to it and saying its not that great or it could be better and actually play the game and review it for the game it is and not what it can be compared to, the exception is if its part of a series or sequel.

 

[omgpwn666]

I hate IGN reviews so much. But it's still sad to see a site shut down that has been around for so long. Assuming this is true of course.

 

[MADKATZ99]

Won't it still be there, just owned by someone else?

I usually really like IGN's reviews.

 

[JulietStMoon]

I sometimes watch independent reviews and I know that gameplay videos are usually not enough but it was a suggestion for those who want to see if a game is good or not. I get your point about the controls since its hard to tell if its good or not with a gameplay vid but that bit is usually the only bit of a review I read or I just ignore it and try for myself since someone might say its shit but it turns out to be alright for you. Game reviewers really need to stop being biased towards X genre and then compare every other genre and game to it and saying its not that great or it could be better and actually play the game and review it for the game it is and not what it can be compared to, the exception is if its part of a series or sequel.

Personally, I think bias is unavoidable. Everyone has it, everyone has that one genre they really like or that one genre they really dislike. At least with a lot of independent reviewers, they'll be honest and say "I generally don't like RPGs, so I might be biased," or something to that effect because they don't have to worry about getting in trouble from a larger parent company which would rather they just pretend they're not biased. You know?

 

[WiiUBricker]

I dunno. I'm not hatin' IGN. I use IGN for figuring out if some old games are worth it to play. Gamespot is much worse.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

I sometimes watch independent reviews and I know that gameplay videos are usually not enough but it was a suggestion for those who want to see if a game is good or not. I get your point about the controls since its hard to tell if its good or not with a gameplay vid but that bit is usually the only bit of a review I read or I just ignore it and try for myself since someone might say its shit but it turns out to be alright for you. Game reviewers really need to stop being biased towards X genre and then compare every other genre and game to it and saying its not that great or it could be better and actually play the game and review it for the game it is and not what it can be compared to, the exception is if its part of a series or sequel.

Personally, I think bias is unavoidable. Everyone has it, everyone has that one genre they really like or that one genre they really dislike. At least with a lot of independent reviewers, they'll be honest and say "I generally don't like RPGs, so I might be biased," or something to that effect because they don't have to worry about getting in trouble from a larger parent company which would rather they just pretend they're not biased. You know?

I know since everyone is biased but if you're not an independent reviewer then you need to put that bias aside and do a professional review not just put in a few pages just summing up that "this isn't latest shoot em up where you mindlessly shoot shit that I love so ima give this JRPG a low score since I can't follow the story and its gameplay doesn't involve smashing things" which I see happens a lot in these professional reviews even on telly. I mean there's a TV show here that criticized a game just because it only provided the original Japanese voices and they had to read subtitles, I mean WTF that's just stupid and I wanted to scream review the bloody gameplay and criticize that.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I know since everyone is biased but if you're not an independent reviewer then you need to put that bias aside and do a professional review not just put in a few pages just summing up that "this isn't latest shoot em up where you mindlessly shoot shit that I love so ima give this JRPG a low score since I can't follow the story and its gameplay doesn't involve smashing things" which I see happens a lot in these professional reviews even on telly. I mean there's a TV show here that criticized a game just because it only provided the original Japanese voices and they had to read subtitles, I mean WTF that's just stupid and I wanted to scream review the bloody gameplay and criticize that.

Um, a game SHOULD be criticized for not having a localized language. It's lazy localization on the developer's part. Keeping a Japanese voice option is fine, actually praise worthy, but including the language of the region the game is being released in should be a must. It reflects a severe lack of a quality localization if it doesn't.

Also I have never seen people go "This isn't CoD so 2/10" in reviews. Also I do find it rather hilarious that, in general, those who prefer Japanese gaming seem to categorize western gamers and reviewers as barbaric. Just from your example, if it doesn't involve "mindlessly shoot[ing] shit" or "smashing things", then it doesn't suit the western gamer. I for one find that rather offensive and incredibly immature. I'm a western-leaning gamer and I enjoy deep storylines and in-depth gameplay mechanics.

So your whole rant on bias in game journalism fell, for me at least, laughably flat on its face when there is a clear and obvious bias against western gamers as a whole.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

I know since everyone is biased but if you're not an independent reviewer then you need to put that bias aside and do a professional review not just put in a few pages just summing up that "this isn't latest shoot em up where you mindlessly shoot shit that I love so ima give this JRPG a low score since I can't follow the story and its gameplay doesn't involve smashing things" which I see happens a lot in these professional reviews even on telly. I mean there's a TV show here that criticized a game just because it only provided the original Japanese voices and they had to read subtitles, I mean WTF that's just stupid and I wanted to scream review the bloody gameplay and criticize that.

Um, a game SHOULD be criticized for not having a localized language. It's lazy localization on the developer's part. Keeping a Japanese voice option is fine, actually praise worthy, but including the language of the region the game is being released in should be a must. It reflects a severe lack of a quality localization if it doesn't.

Also I have never seen people go "This isn't CoD so 2/10" in reviews. Also I do find it rather hilarious that, in general, those who prefer Japanese gaming seem to categorize western gamers and reviewers as barbaric. Just from your example, if it doesn't involve "mindlessly shoot[ing] shit" or "smashing things", then it doesn't suit the western gamer. I for one find that rather offensive and incredibly immature. I'm a western-leaning gamer and I enjoy deep storylines and in-depth gameplay mechanics.

So your whole rant on bias in game journalism fell, for me at least, laughably flat on its face when there is a clear and obvious bias against western gamers as a whole.

On what grounds? None a localized voice track is purely up to the company and if they don't want to have a localized track then its up to them. That in itself doesn't make the game any better/worse just because it lacks that authentic american touch and neither does it detract from the gameplay since the voices only play during cutscenes which can be skipped.

I said earlier that everyone has their own bias but western game reviewers are horrible when it comes to reviewing Japanese games properly without comparing it to yet another western game and criticizing it for not being more western and have you even seen the majority of western gamers? they bash anything that isn't another CoD or shooter, just go into your local game store and that'll easily prove my point because I did and the only thing that happened was a debate started on which is better. You say you enjoy games with deep storyline and in-depth gameplay but a game from anywhere can have that which isn't exclusive to Japan.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

On what grounds? None a localized voice track is purely up to the company and if they don't want to have a localized track then its up to them. That in itself doesn't make the game any better/worse just because it lacks that authentic american touch and neither does it detract from the gameplay since the voices only play during cutscenes which can be skipped.

I said earlier that everyone has their own bias but western game reviewers are horrible when it comes to reviewing Japanese games properly without comparing it to yet another western game and criticizing it for not being more western and have you even seen the majority of western gamers? they bash anything that isn't another CoD or shooter, just go into your local game store and that'll easily prove my point because I did and the only thing that happened was a debate started on which is better. You say you enjoy games with deep storyline and in-depth gameplay but a game from anywhere can have that which isn't exclusive to Japan.

On the grounds that this is the point of a localization. Your job in localizing a game is to make it as accessible as possible to the market. That means translating it, buffing out inconsistencies, censoring it if needs be, and providing voice overs of that language. Not everyone wants to hear moonspeak, its their job to add language of that region. Japanese language isn't discouraged but it should be an option, not mandatory, for a LOCALIZED game.

Also it does make a game worse. An adage in film is that a movie is 60% sound. While the ratios are most likely different for video games, the concept holds true. Its indicative of a lazy job on localizing the game. When you get lousy voice acting in a game, it affects it A LOT. Look at Final Fantasy X. Admittedly the story would be shit either way but it would have been much more bearable if it was a bad story with good voice acting. Audio is just as important to a game as anything else.

Japanese reviewers are hardly spectacular in reviewing their own games. Look at Famitsu. It's hardly a review publication as much as it is a fan fodder machine. I think its even been said that they don't write reviews to be critical but to show what readers want. Readers want to see that a new Final Fantasy game is good so they review it well. Famitsu very rarely gets controversy over "bad reviews". They mostly get flak for giving good reviews to games that aren't that good but something that's obviously popular in Japan.

It's an absolutely offensive stereotype to say that western reviewers "bash anything that isn't CoD or shooter" when the WRPG market is enormous. Games that aren't CoD gain much higher reviews than CoD. You're building a straw man that's so cheaply built that it just uses plastic bendy straws instead of actual straw. If you actually look at real review sites you'll see that CoD and shooters alike aren't what gain the highest scores around. Last year it wasn't MW3 that was snatching GotY awards or the highest metascores. It was Portal 2 (which many people consider the greatest game ever at this point), Arkham City, Skyrim, games that are so far from CoD that the only thing they share is western development.

As I said before, your strawman is cheap.

EDIT: IN FACT...

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: 39/40 by Famitsu = 97.5%. Metascore: 91% average (between Xbox 360 and PS3 versions combined)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops: 39/40 by Famitsu = 97.5%. Metascore: 87.5% average (between Xbox 360 and PS3)
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: 39/40 by Famitsu = 97.5%. Metascore: 88% (between Xbox 360 and PS3)

EDIT 2: Metascores from Metacritic are only comprised of "western" (non-Japanese) publications.

 

[emigre]

Damn, Guild is in super angry augmentative shit mode.

 

[ichidansan]

if it does go up for auction, whoever does buy it should keep what core things they can.(as few as they are) and then make a decent amount of changes to get a more likable view of IGN. it's not a horrible site, just not one I, and many I know have on the list to view frequently. so whatever does happen, I hope it's for the better.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Damn, Guild is in super angry augmentative shit mode.

Or is that Just Another Gamer is in super inconsistent and incorrect mode today?

I just find that point that western gamers are essentially being called savages who can't appreciate anything that isn't shooting and smashing things is a thoroughly offensive thing to say, especially when it's wildly inaccurate.

 

[JulietStMoon]

[member=Guild McCommunist] I agree with your bit about voice acting. Whenever a game is localized without voice acting in that country's language and resort to subtitles instead, there's no possible way that can NOT be seen as negative. It would be no different than if a game was localized with untranslated subtitles, but voice overs to read to text in your language. It doesn't make any sense.

[member=Just Another Gamer] I do think you're being a bit hard on western gamers. Perhaps if you actually were IN the west, you would see just how untrue your claim is. Sure, there's shooter fanboys who can't appreciate anything else here and there, but there are just as many RPG weeaboos who can't appreciate anything else either. Just saying.

[member=emigre] I take your post seriously. Does that burn?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

[member=Guild McCommunist] I agree with your bit about voice acting. Whenever a game is localized without voice acting in that country's language and resort to subtitles instead, there's no possible way that can NOT be seen as negative. It would be no different than if a game was localized with untranslated subtitles, but voice overs to read to text in your language. It doesn't make any sense.

[member=Just Another Gamer] I do think you're being a bit hard on western gamers. Perhaps if you actually were IN the west, you would see just how untrue your claim is. Sure, there's shooter fanboys who can't appreciate anything else here and there, but there are just as many RPG weeaboos who can't appreciate anything else either. Just saying.

[member=emigre] I take your post seriously. Does that burn?

Almost anything that isn't Asia is considered "western". So Australia is basically "western" in a demographic sense but not a geographic sense.

 

[emigre]

[member=emigre] I take your post seriously. Does that burn?

Possibly. Or it doesn't. That's for you to decide. Actually it isn't but I'm sure you see where I'm coming from.

 

[BORTZ]

For as much hate as IGN garners, I will be sad to see them go.

Now lets let McGuildy and JAG get back to fighting.

 

[JulietStMoon]

Almost anything that isn't Asia is considered "western". So Australia is basically "western" in a demographic sense but not a geographic sense.

Hm. The way he's talking though, it sounds like he's not referring to Australia.

 

[ProtoKun7]

I remember going to IGN more frequently years ago when I would look for occasional hints for the GBA or DS games I had. I quite liked the various banners that would resemble the console of the section you were in.

I'd say there net worth is a 2/10. Improving them would be too hard.

Please tell me you didn't do this.

 

[Gahars]

I'd say there net worth is a 2/10. Improving them would be too hard.

Please tell me you didn't do this.

Hey, it's an easy mistake to make. They're's nothing wrong about it at all!

 

[JulietStMoon]

Hey, its an easy mistake to make. They're's nothing wrong about it at all!

Unfix'd.