Your Favorite Game Sucks: The Trouble With Video Game Journalism

Some games are heavily hyped by publishers, developers, and even console makers. When a reviewer is constantly exposed to spin and positive statements about a game, it colors his impressions dramatically. The corresponding review scores are accordingly inflated. The game's marketing affects what is supposed to be an objective measure of a game's quality. We buy the game largely as a result of these impressions and reviews and only realize after the marketing has subsided that we may have been duped.

Games journalism, in its current state, is largely a shill for moving product. It's either an industry that is so reliant on staying in the good graces of publishers that they sacrifice journalistic integrity, or phlegmatic enough that it is an unwitting branch of a publisher's PR.

[DethWish]

Read the review.. don't care about the score

Only kids does !!

[Maddens Raiders]

I Digg this.

[edit/] Wrong Xi. I digg it because it's a good article that states the truth and sheds light on a broken segment of the industry (reviews+publishers+money= scores & job). Since you were so quick to accuse me and defend Halo, I'd say that the article is "spot on."

[Xi]

if it diggs on halo you're going to approve it, it's who you are.

[bootsielon]

Should ring enough bells

[malingenie]

Too bad the guy is a redneck with a triforce tattoo

[IGNFTW]

IS GAMESPOT,1UP,AND SONYDEFENSEFORCE.

[macalatus]

Uh oh, the article mentioned Halo 3 (and did the 'unspoken' about Halo 3). Alright guys, start building bunkers, prepare armored vests, stock on survival supplies...'coz the MS fanboys will soon launch a tactical counterstrike on all of us!!

[tk]

"What does this all mean? Mainly that games journalism, in its current state, is largely a shill for moving product. It's either an industry that is so reliant on staying in the good graces of publishers that they sacrifice journalistic integrity, or phlegmatic enough that it is an unwitting branch of a publisher's PR."

Well put. And if it means attacking a competing product for a few bucks - that I would not put above them.

Can you say R&C review of 6? I think this article is a sign of things to come. People had enough of the "reviews" put out by sites and the blatant bias shown. 10/10 scores for preferred platforms and 6/10 scores games like R&C.

[gamesblow]

I love Lair, by the way. It's an amazing game and I'm glad I gave it the buy now. I'm so happy in fact I bought it for 3 people as a gift now. Lair is that good... it's just review sites were that lame. The motion controls "and I hate motion anything" were vastly improved over what I'm playing on the Wii. It's almost as if they marked it down so low just for spite, the review guys. Know what I mean? Almost like, hey Nintendo has their motion thing... lets not give this one a chance. That's my take.

[Blabbermouth]

Is that reviewers are just normal people and their reviews should be viewed light heartedly. And people should just try the game themselves once released or make what they can from the review instead of relying so much on the final score.

With motion controls, for example. I know alot of people hate motion controls, including my friend. Even if it works well like in Warhawk. Or with some Wii games, my friend dosn't really get it as to why people find it fun, even when he can use the controls well.

With alot of the reviewers, did it ever occur to people that alot of them might be a bit uncoordinated. I just can't imagine many of the game reviewers being very good at sports and such.

[GIJeff]

Freaking rules. Anyone who has actually played the game through knows that. Its great mission based air combat. Reminds me of those star wars games for N64..a blast to play. And the graphics are breathtaking. Only took me about 30 minutes to get used to the controls, then i really really enjoyed it. It felt like I was the one flying the dragon. I was impressed.

[Gorgon]

"The reason Halo sells so absurdly well is because of its marketing, not its quality".

Amen. It just goes to show how the console crowd needs to grow up, and fast.

[Blabbermouth]

go on about these reviewers on game sites or magazines, how their expert reviewers and how much they trust there opinion. But they fact is that a review should be taken lightly because the reviewers are no different from everyone else.

[I Am Anduril]

Reviewers are people who get paid to spout an opinion. Pure and simple. At the end of the day, use your own brain, rent a game first to see if you like it and if you do, drop the coin. Period. Does it really matter what anyone says? Your opinion counts just as much as the reviewers ... it's just that he/she is getting paid to write it.

[aba]

We all know the only reason this sh*t is getting so much attention is because of certain ps3 game reviews.

[malingenie]

But Lair was not good. And not just for the controls. IMHO anyway. But then again I love games that people dont like (Folklore) many times so kudos to you if you liekd it.

[Mcrmarcher]

He's Right, reviewers most of the time don't know what there talking about they just go with the flow. Halo 3 is alright but it's not brillant iv'e played 1 & 3 and will there not that good. (ps not a sonyfanboy own both)

[Mcrmarcher]

Plus Lair is amazingly fun =)