The End of Gaming Reviews? - #179

"Hate sandwich" is my new favorite Ashleyism.

How do investors not think the Switch is accessible?! It's quite possibly the most accessible Nintendo console since the 64. Console gamers? Check. Nintendo gamers? Check. Mobile gamers? Check. PC gamers always on the go? Probably. Tons of third-party titles on the way? Check. I've never owned a Nintendo console and I'm interested.

*whispers* im actually super pumped for the Switch and it's probably the only console I'm ever going to buy close to it's actual release........god bless......

This is why I watch Giant Bomb, they have quicklooks where they play (for the most part) all versions, if multi consoles, and critiques each version seperately. They go in depth on their podcasts and only review games they want to review, not games they already like.

Steam Cloud Saves? Yes, why not put all our eggs in that one basket.

Reviewers have a watch dog complex. Not the video game Watch Dog. But that they believe they are the vanguard defending consumers against shitty video games. They believe they exist to keep people from wasting their time and money. I'm not saying this to be snarky towards them. It's a noble thing and I'm glad they do it. I don't follow a ton of critics but I do like to see what the general consensus is. And personally I'm a huge fan of TotalBiscuit.

So when you position yourself as the first adopters, those who bite the bullets for the benefit of the masses, you'll want as much time as possible to formulate your opinion and give it to people. So they're going to be furious over a change like this. I believe they have every right to be. And I believe that this decision is anti-consumer. The only people who benefit from this is Bethesda and suppressing any negative press. Sure launch day is a community event but I call bullshit that this decision originates from a bottom of their hearts desire to ensure everyone "experiences our games at the same time." At best they're taking a very shitty approach to stop spoilers and at worst they're doing what I said, actively suppressing the media's ability to do it's job. Not to mention Bethesda blacklisted Kotaku. No matter what you feel about Kotaku this is a terrible thing to happen to the press. Imagine if a democratic president prevented Fox news from attending any kind of government conferences or refused to respond to inquiries. And now EA has blacklisted Jim Sterling for being a "wildcard." 

And then to turn around and give the game to "influencers" and entertainers early? How does that help everyone "to experience our games at the same time"? I actually hadn't known that last bit until this podcast. That's really damning as to what their true intentions are.

This is bullshit. And they're going to get away with it because they're Bethesda. Just like they get away with everything. Well, except for paid mods that is.

I use a combination of reviews & let's plays to judge games I'm not sure of. My preferred outlet for reviews is by far Easy Allies (the old Gametrailers folks), just because their opinions and knowledge is something I respect a lot. But Let's Plays can demonstrate some interesting things that get missed in a game, or demonstrate how fun some games can be just in ways that it wasn't meant to be played.

That said if I do jump the gun and go in without fully doing my homework, its on me if I don't like it, because by waiting a day or more, all the information needed is out there in no time anyway.

I know it's easy to say "well you're not going to please everyone," but holy god, this podcast has become 50% VR talk and it's a bit much. I've been watching since this podcast started and I still enjoy listening/watching, but for the first time I find myself loading up a podcast knowing i'm going to have to jump around to find conversations that aren't about VR, and it's slowly killing my enjoyment. 

You can dismiss this comment as a single review of a fan who just doesn't share the same interests as the show, but like I said, I've been watching for years and typically really enjoy the Patch, so I may actually be a good representative for a lot of listeners. Maybe go 1 week without VR talk and see how it goes?

I honestly couldn't care less about reviews. I don't think I've ever bought or not bought a game based on a review. Seeing someone play a game an actually enjoy it has more of an impact on me. For example, I hate Rockstar, and I've found myself wanting to buy GT5 based on AH's let's plays in that game.

I like reading reviews but they do matter less. These days I prefer deep dives in to games through videos and podcasts. I still believe that GiantBomb is the best at what they do. 

Gus I did the exact same thing!

RT/AH/TK seem very cosy with Battlefield One at the moment...