I enjoy video games, and I like to write. What I don't like is reading the same old news in the blog section. My goal here is to write articles, in my own words, instead of doing the standard cut and paste of news stories that seems to be an epidemic on this site. If I want to read about the news I'll go to the news section. If I want to see an opinion of the news, I come to the blog section. Well, enough ranting for the day, on to the point.
I'm a little worried about the state of games for the Playstation 3. We keep hearing about how games coming out look or play worse on the PS3 versus the 360. The current game to go under scrutiny is The Orange Box. I have seen conflicting stories about how it's "unplayable" and about how it's "not that bad". My problem is with the fact that if this is a port and not a new game, why are we hearing "not that bad" instead of it being comparable to the other console. The technology behind the game uses an established engine, nothing new, so what's the problem? Is it the software itself, the hardware, or could it be an ineptitude or indifference with the developer that's causing an inferior product? Granted, the hardware is a completely new design, but after seeing a couple of outstanding games that look and play very well, I am less inclined to believe that is the problem. I know Valve passed on doing the port of The Orange Box and gave it to EA to do instead. Was it because Valve just did not have the personnel or time to make it happen, or was it something else? Gabe Newell's attitude toward the PS3 is disturbing and leans in the direction of being extremely unproductive. I know he doesn't like the hardware, and that Sony made some mistakes with the developers in the first year that they are trying to correct now, but should he punish the gamers for that. If its about profitability, I know the installed base of the PS3 is not close to the 360 yet, but it does have the possibility for a good game to be profitable. How is this going to endear him to the console owners when less than stellar games are given to the fans? I only mention Gabe and Valve because he is definitely one of the most visible and vocal (but by no means only) opponents of the current Sony console. For the sake of the fans, I hope they change their minds. Since a majority of developers are multi-platform these days, having quality games for all the systems will increase competition and be good for the games industry. I'd rather have a choice to spend my money on a couple of good games, then a couple of mediocre ones because a developer just didn't like my console.
I focused on the PS3 for this article, not because I'm a fan of the system, but because this seems to be more prevalent on that system, although this problem can effect all consoles if attitudes like this continue. As gamers we have to demand that the developers take the time to make a game right the first time. If it takes a little while longer to program for one system or another I'd rather see a game delayed and good, then on time and mediocre. If it does take longer, it doesn't have to be perfect but it had better be good.
Tell me what you think about this topic. I'd like to hear your opinion whether you believe the same thing as me or not.
Square Enix will release the PC versions of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind via Steam on June 13, the company announced.
Awesome though i hope the collection is around 30/40 dollars as any higher would be unfair for those of us waiting for the anti gamer EGS exclusive deal to expire.
IGN Entertainment has acquired the Gamer Network family of digital brands for an undisclosed sum. As a result of the acquisition, some redundancies have been made across the UK-based organisation.
Well this can only mean one thing... more job layoffs even in the publication industry.
“Layoffs occuring“
Yep. IGN now has a monopoly in the gaming media.
“As a result of the acquisition, some redundancies have been made across the UK-based organisation.”
“Gamer Network's publications are GamesIndustry.biz, Eurogamer (including six local language editions), Rock Paper Shotgun, VG247 and Dicebreaker. The business also holds shares in Outside Xbox, Digital Foundry and Hookshot (which operates Nintendolife, PushSquare, PureXbox and Time Extension).”
“IGN Entertainment is the division of Ziff Davis that includes IGN, MapGenie, HowLongToBeat, and Humble Bundle. It has acquired the websites from PAX and New York Comic-Con organiser ReedPop, which initially bought the Gamer Network business in 2018.“
All this means is a collective hive mind when reporting the news
They’ll discuss with each other how to handle topics and what kind of headlines to go with so they can fire round after round of whatever point they want to make
And the sad thing is over the many years even to the old GameGate days they love making gamers look bad as a collective. Anything for a hit piece.
Narrative control. I don’t like this at all.
Independent reviewers will be more important than ever.
Probably Microsoft's fault!
They surely gave IGN the idea.
What's next IGN Pass?
But joke aside let's hope that this makes the news better compared to some of IGN branches
Microsoft and IGN work quite closely so it isn't a stretch to say this is a move to control the gaming press to get everyone singing from the Microsoft hymn sheet. Not a good look at all. It is transparent stuff like this which is backfiring in Microsoft's face. First they want control of all the games now the media.
While there's obviously a desire to preserve add revenue and early access to review copies, I doubt there's the level of conspiracy here that you imply. I mean there's no direct link between MS and IGN right?
You're probably right!!!!
Here's MS evil plan
1) Make sure that Hellblade 2 receives inflated reviews.
2) Fire all the ppl across UK who gave Starfield the justified 6/10 reviews
3) Make sure that Game industry.biz stops giving Sony's president a tribute to spew their lies and have them talk to Sarah Bonds and Todd Howard only.
4) Control the majority of players for the GOTY award so MS wins from now on.
PPL needs to know about this!
@crazyCoconuts The world has moved on from "direct links" as companies were easily caught doing that. These days corporations can merely operate as a cartel through shared mutual interest which is not strictly kosher either but is also more difficult to prove. It's the fundamental flaw with big corporations in the US economy today and no one in power is addressing it.
Oh boy! If we've learned one thing about recent news, corporate shrinkage of an industry via buyouts from those at top only leads to good things for employees and consumers!
Ummmm not sure that’s a good thing that all these review sites are under the same umbrella. There’s no guarantee that they will maintain a non-bias opinion not paid for by the highest bidder.
Ouch, that does not sounds good for Eurogamer.
With so much of the industry media that will more or less follow the same editorial line, it will be harder and harder to distinguish PR from actual journalism in a couple of years.
Thinking about it, may it explain their review score for Hellblade 2?
***harder and harder to distinguish PR from actual journalism in a couple of years. ***
The age of gaming advertorials.
You're right all of this is just to promote Hellblade 2 and inflate the score.
Also the why cuts are indeed coming to Eurogamer and other UK branches because they only gave Starfield an average score.
Dark Envoy Director's Cut is an update of 2023's magic and steampunk sci-fi action RPG with elements of CRPG tactical combat mechanics.
I agree with what you have said, but I never really thought much about it. Instead of petitions or sending hate mails to these developers, I've simply skip out on purchasing games that doesn't seem to be worth the money. For example, recently I wanted to buy a football game, but instead of EA's NFL 08 for the PS3 for $60 I got 2K's All-Pro Football 2k8 for $15. I didn't do this as a boycott or protest; I simply didn't quite feel EA produced a game for the PS3 that was worth so much.
I agree as well. I changed my Orange box preorder for the PS3 to Burnout. Gabe is a joke and I wont support valve on any system due to his ignorance. My 360 or PC wont be seeing TF2 or HL2 anytime soon at all.
I fear that the time you spent writing a well done article will be picked apart and thrown aside by many a fan boy. You did hit on the many points I have had on my mind for a long time now. it is about the gamers but Devs and Producers have become so full of themselves along with the console companies themselves that we the gamers are suffering due to them all being either a. lazy b. greedy or c. unproductive and rehashing old crap for our next gen consoles i.e. Halo 3 and NG sigma come to mind. Great games both but I hoped for more being as we are next gen now...
Laziness will not be tolerated by gamers much longer. Its getting old.
you guys are missing out on one of the best games ever I beg you to reconsider.
Gabe is fat and lazy, but Orange Box for PS3 still turned out to be very good. Framerate inconsistancies only occur in remote, non-combat oriented areas. They're not even bad.
Still, screw lazy fat Gabe. His attitude towards more challenging (though more rewarding) development is pathetic. The more and more I listed to him try and insult the PS3 with burger chunks flying out of his mouth at the same time, the more I realized how fitting it was that greedy EA was publishing the Orange Box.
Stupid Gabe.