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After Destiny, do you trust the games media more?
- Thread starter alexandros
- Start date
Nope. Haven't read a review from the enthusiast press in over three years, and one aaa title getting middling reviews isn't going to change that. If anything, the press showing everyone they know exactly who butters their bread by following that ridiculous review delay and letting the game sit on shelves without any reviews for nearly a week does nothing but reinforce my low opinions of them.
Also trust is a weird word to use in this context. It's not really that I don't "trust" them. It's more that I just don't expect anything from them at all other than mediocre writing and piss poor criticism because at the end of the day most of them have no idea what they're talking about. They know absolutely nothing about how games are made and designed other than the little leaks and such that come out of the aaa industry, and their reviews reflect this by essentially being nothing more than running down a checklist and throwing around essentially meaningless buzzwords like "fun" to get around actually saying anything meaningful about the systems featured in the game and how they work.
It's why the best criticism of games often comes from designers themselves, because even if their prose may not be as elegant as the press can be at least I find out more about how the game works, functions, plays, was designed, and whether or not the decisions they made when designing it worked within the scope of the project.
Also trust is a weird word to use in this context. It's not really that I don't "trust" them. It's more that I just don't expect anything from them at all other than mediocre writing and piss poor criticism because at the end of the day most of them have no idea what they're talking about. They know absolutely nothing about how games are made and designed other than the little leaks and such that come out of the aaa industry, and their reviews reflect this by essentially being nothing more than running down a checklist and throwing around essentially meaningless buzzwords like "fun" to get around actually saying anything meaningful about the systems featured in the game and how they work.
It's why the best criticism of games often comes from designers themselves, because even if their prose may not be as elegant as the press can be at least I find out more about how the game works, functions, plays, was designed, and whether or not the decisions they made when designing it worked within the scope of the project.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
Dunno about trust, but I never buy a game based on review scores. I buy stuff I think I'll like.
ProfessorMoran
Member
I don't trust them at all, so I can't really trust them less.
No real change, considering that most of the depressions I depend on typically draw from the GAF thread. While we are all subject to hype, having the time to sit out the week that a game releases and then getting to see how GAFfers respond following 7 days of playtime gives me a more balanced response than initial previews.
WrenchNinja
Member
Absolutely. The game deserves the critique and scores it's getting.
AkelisRain
Member
Beta and Alpha hyped me, and still liking it.
TheGameChanger
Banned
No they did not. Maybe aside from IGN, Destiny wasn't getting much hype.
Don't bother. Showing positive previews is apparently "over hyping" things.
No, why should i trust them in the first place? I like the game much much more than those reviewers, anyway.
They aren't much more objective than me, and a mass of subjectivities does not equal to objectivity. So, i follow my opinion and that's it.
I think Destiny is a pretty good game, maybe my GOTY until another takes the crown. Why should i care about all this blabla then?
They aren't much more objective than me, and a mass of subjectivities does not equal to objectivity. So, i follow my opinion and that's it.
I think Destiny is a pretty good game, maybe my GOTY until another takes the crown. Why should i care about all this blabla then?
HiredN00bs
Member
Less. Having a fantastic time with Destiny. The game deserves a great rating.
No and I'll tell you why
They gave it a low score but I'm enjoying it
Where they gave Titanfall 9's and 10' and that game bored me to tears
So end of the day, a game reviewer is not me, the person at the end of the day that really matters
Imagine me missing out on a good game just because some random dude told me he doesn't like a game?
The only time you should trust a reviewer is situations like ALIENS: colonial marines
FriedConsole
Banned
Didn't read one review. If you are ignoring all the other media available like YouTube & Twitch which can you tell a lot more then words, I don't know what to tell you.
Destiny if freaking awesome. Reviews on AAA games are skewed down because reviews are written by hipster gamers who like to hype the latest cool indie games instead. All the sites outsource their Call of Duty reviews because nobody in house wants to admit that they are pretty good games and lose all their cool kid cred.
Destiny if freaking awesome. Reviews on AAA games are skewed down because reviews are written by hipster gamers who like to hype the latest cool indie games instead. All the sites outsource their Call of Duty reviews because nobody in house wants to admit that they are pretty good games and lose all their cool kid cred.
Sword Of Doom
Member
I don't understand what's wrong with destiny? Most people played the beta and knew exactly what to expect.
Ash_Killem
Banned
+1 the alpha and beta and the people who played it created the hype. Most people including the media didn't even know what to make of Destiny before then.
I would say a better example would be Titanfall. Games media hyped that game up so much and it didn't quite work out. Although I think part of the problem with that game is that it demoed very well so people couldn't get a read on how its longevity would be.
Not massively. I do like access to reviews and previews but I'm very careful how I use them.
What's interesting here is a majority of reviews seem to be touching on fair and common points vs usual gushing and putting the AAA experience above few flaws.
I could almost suspect it's a push back on the issues with getting early reviews and Bungie comments regarding veracity of initial reviews that has encouraged this.
What's interesting here is a majority of reviews seem to be touching on fair and common points vs usual gushing and putting the AAA experience above few flaws.
I could almost suspect it's a push back on the issues with getting early reviews and Bungie comments regarding veracity of initial reviews that has encouraged this.
Makoto-Yuki
Gold Member
Not really changed anything for me. This isn't the first a game has been hyped up then not lived up to it.
Personally, Destiny lived up to my expectations.
Before the beta I wasn't interested in at all but hey a free beta so why not see what the fuss is all about. I really enjoyed the beta and decided I was gonna buy the game. I didn't follow the game closely and didn't set any huge expectations of the game. I was just wanting more of the same that the beta offered and that's what I got. In fact, I find the game a bit more challenging now so that makes it even better. I'm actually enjoying it more than the beta.
For me I don't have many problems with it. I'm playing alone through the story (lvl 9) at the moment. I'm not really feeling the story so I'd say that's my only problem with the game at the moment. 9/10 for me. It might change as I spend more time with it of course.
Personally, Destiny lived up to my expectations.
Before the beta I wasn't interested in at all but hey a free beta so why not see what the fuss is all about. I really enjoyed the beta and decided I was gonna buy the game. I didn't follow the game closely and didn't set any huge expectations of the game. I was just wanting more of the same that the beta offered and that's what I got. In fact, I find the game a bit more challenging now so that makes it even better. I'm actually enjoying it more than the beta.
For me I don't have many problems with it. I'm playing alone through the story (lvl 9) at the moment. I'm not really feeling the story so I'd say that's my only problem with the game at the moment. 9/10 for me. It might change as I spend more time with it of course.
Jacksinthe
Banned
I'd agree but betas are hit or miss. They are good to judge gameplay but content is frequently skimped for sake of spoilers. In Destiny's case, we only found out that the content was basically the same after launch. Core mechanics? Sure, judge the gunplay. Story, content, social aspects, etc - can go either way. There is no rule of thumb with betas so absolutes like your comment can't work.
The review situation of Destiny is almost more interesting than the game itself. Who would have thought that a noteworthy part of gamers and press share the same opinion on the biggest game of this year without any big shitstorms happening because of low-to-mediocre scores; especially since Bungie is well beloved among gamers.
I wonder if there's more to it than just the game quality itself; is it because journos and gamers played it in around the same time and experienced the game simultanously? Or because Bungie's fanbase changed?
Nonetheless, my opinion wasn't really affected by Destiny. I've read hundreds of reviews in my life and know which journos I trust and which I better try to avoid. And thinking about it, I still believe in the necessity of having a good, brave press.
I wonder if there's more to it than just the game quality itself; is it because journos and gamers played it in around the same time and experienced the game simultanously? Or because Bungie's fanbase changed?
Nonetheless, my opinion wasn't really affected by Destiny. I've read hundreds of reviews in my life and know which journos I trust and which I better try to avoid. And thinking about it, I still believe in the necessity of having a good, brave press.
IAmRandom31
Banned
No, because I don't agree with the low scores or most of the comments.
So really its business as usual for me lol.
I think the Media are just butthurt that they had to wait like the rest of us to play.
So instead of being able to get that revenue stream up by posting the first reviews the morning of a big launch, they had to sit back and actually play a game with the rest of the community and experience it alongside them.
Or, maybe my tastes in gaming has changed and now I am so much in love with FPS's even the bad ones I like. Even though I hate FPS shooters. Weird.
Taking Jeff's opinion without your own filter means you're going to miss out on a lot of great games.
FriedConsole
Banned
If you want Jeff's take on any game you can assume it sucks unless it is campy, weird or made before the year 2000.
Coffee Dog
Banned
I have no doubt the reviews would be more extreme (to the high end and the low end) if they were written prior to launch. It was a very unique situation. If you want a similarly flawed shooter that was hyped to hell and reviewed crazily prior to release, look at Titanfall.
MightyHedgehog
Member
I don't really see it the way the topic sees it. It's always on a case-by-case basis and it's really hard to absolve the larger news and review industry of blame when they actively partake in hyping these games up during the preview period as overglorified PR outlets, rewording releases and hosting the same videos and pics. Without enough cynical but fair assessments as the hype machine is in motion, it's hard to implicitly trust them as a whole. That said, I am happier to read them and take their content a little more seriously when they do cut through the hype en masse. The review/preview methods and practices still seem vulnerable and given to seemingly blindly praising superficial shit and taking pubs and devs at their word too strongly. Also, fuck their continued use of the hundred-point/ten-point scales and which are still fucking worthless. As well, I doubt the value of individual sites more than ever when aggregators have fucked up all sense of perspective.
Everdred
Member
Yeah, I'm a little disappointed they didn't see what Destiny really is. The only thing weak about it is the story, lack of public voice chat and no match making for certain things. The game is incredible and could end up being one of my favorites games of all time. I can't remember the last time I played a game for 12 hours a day for 4 days in a row.
No, quite the opposite. There is one thing destiny had for me and it's fun. It's fun as hell, something a game hasn't had for me in a whole, opinions and all! Yeah the game is missing some features I agree, there's a lot more they can add to make it a fully fleshed out package, but a 6/10, come on.
Sorry to be rude, but I think this is a ridiculous statement.
I do find it slightly amusing you chose Destiny considering the sites have reviewed the game without playing the Raids. No matter what Raids are party of the Destiny experience therefore the reviewers should be taking them into consideration.
p.s. I don't care what any games "journalist" awards a game. As far as I'm concerned my own judgement is what is important - I buy what I want, even if random guy from random site thinks it is shit.
qa_engineer
Member
Replace destiny with titanfall. And the answer is still no. Publishers will always ink sponsored deals in which articles are published promoting new titles, same for all consumer products.
LegendofLex
Member
Pretty much this. Activision/Bungie don't need to pay for this game to get good reviews; they already made back their investment. So the only thing motivating reviewers is traffic.
Besides, we should have already learned from Watch Dogs and Titanfall that the initial hype matters much, much more than the review scores.
Man-is-Obsolete
Member
The only person who can decide what I like is me. I watch gaming coverage for the footage and the entertainment, not to guide my purchasing decisions.
Dirk Benedict
Member
Most gaming media are hot air and bait for hits. I trust this forum or any other gaming forum with reasonable logic behind the individual users, than any media outlet covering games.
Ultimately, I have preferences and tastes that suit how I like to stimulate my gray matter, so I choose what I like.
Destiny is a real fun game, it's like Halo had sex with Borderlands, and that isn't a bad thing. Let's get a 3 way going, Destiny.
Ultimately, I have preferences and tastes that suit how I like to stimulate my gray matter, so I choose what I like.
Destiny is a real fun game, it's like Halo had sex with Borderlands, and that isn't a bad thing. Let's get a 3 way going, Destiny.
xiceman191
Banned
I never cared about gaming media before why start now? I don't need someone to tell me what to think.
I'm more interested in user reviews that are from people I know or trust. All I bother with from game journalism is game info, which I normally get from reddit or GAF anyway.
Anything with such abundance of hype is often misguided and has just lead to me being more cautious, particularly of the massively marketed AAA titles. Most of them get talked up particularly here on GAF, even before and following betas, and then are largely reacted to with contempt on release as the reality sets in.
I'm not sure if for me personally the often biennial and uninspiring nature of the majority of AAA titles is caused by the games themselves or the hype and reviews that are so disproportionate to my experience of the games when they are available. Either way I'm finding my self completely ignorant of games journalists' opinions over that of GAF post launch, while also being far more interested in the games outside of the grandiose AAA titles generally as they tend to actually be worth my time for the most part
Anything with such abundance of hype is often misguided and has just lead to me being more cautious, particularly of the massively marketed AAA titles. Most of them get talked up particularly here on GAF, even before and following betas, and then are largely reacted to with contempt on release as the reality sets in.
I'm not sure if for me personally the often biennial and uninspiring nature of the majority of AAA titles is caused by the games themselves or the hype and reviews that are so disproportionate to my experience of the games when they are available. Either way I'm finding my self completely ignorant of games journalists' opinions over that of GAF post launch, while also being far more interested in the games outside of the grandiose AAA titles generally as they tend to actually be worth my time for the most part
How many times has it been proven that these cases aren't the norm? But keep that tin foil hat on, they are out to get you.
Amen.