Press Reset: The Story of Polygon - financed by Microsoft for $750,000
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DangerStepp
Member
Edit: figured it out.
I think it's a bit funny/ironic that Arthur (infamously accused time and again of having a MS moneyhat) works for a site funded by Internet Explorer.
Not that I condone that idea, just funny.
I think it's a bit funny/ironic that Arthur (infamously accused time and again of having a MS moneyhat) works for a site funded by Internet Explorer.
Not that I condone that idea, just funny.
I like N'gai, very smart dude, though at points I felt he tamed the podcast to an extent so I could see why that could be a minus.
hey_it's_that_dog
benevolent sexism
I have no problem with N'Gai as a commentator but his personality wasn't the best fit with all those other guys who know how to mix up serious with funny in just the right amounts.
That's another good way of putting it.
WhiskeyKnight
Member
If Arthur Gies really believes that a single review has the power to shut down a multimillion dollar studio, his delusions of grandeur are worse than I thought. People's lives hang in the balance!
You would think that they'd be able to pay someone to fly to Japan to cover the MGS event with all of that VC money. I guess it's easier to steal a non-media members tweets and post them as your own news. Just toss a link to the twitter feed at the bottom of the page and you're good to go. There appears to be no need for independent confirmation in new games journalism. It's the same old garbage that Kotaku does with some indie hipster vibe sprinkled over it. I guess it's also good to post inaccurate information because you are racing to post stolen news on your site before all of the other story sharks copy and paste the chum's twitter feed.
N'Gai is cool. I don't know why people don't like him on the podcast.
He chomped and slurped and sighed and breathed loud a hell. His contributions to the discussions were great though.
This video still needs more Griffin being funny.
If you hadn't instantly paused the video to post your snarky comment you would've seen him say that that thought is ridiculous.
If you hadn't instantly paused the video to post your snarky comment you would've seen him say that that thought is ridiculous.
Very accurate!
Maybe because people here care about games and good journalism? And there are probably tons of people on GAF writing there ass off for websites while not getting paid anything, while these people are acting like they are going to reinvent videogame journalism and getting paid for doing it but they are acting like fucking martyrs. It's the whole pretentiousness of it that stings, mixed with jealousy at people getting to do a job while there are tons of people far more deserving of a job like that.
No one is hating on them for making a documentary about the site.
People are criticizing the documentary's overall tone as well as the statements in the video footage.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
So Arthur Gies thought he almost shut down Danger Close because he gave Medal of Honour a 6?
Huh?
Huh?
Arthur is INSUFFERABLE. A crushing thud of a person.
Sort of the antithesis of Giant Bomb. Instead of declaring their opinion absolute, you can understand where the reviewer is coming from based on their personal tastes, which they constantly restate.
It's why I had to give up on Rebel FM once he took over. His constant declarations of how everyone else was wrong.
No clue why everybody wants to hire this guy.
Sort of the antithesis of Giant Bomb. Instead of declaring their opinion absolute, you can understand where the reviewer is coming from based on their personal tastes, which they constantly restate.
It's why I had to give up on Rebel FM once he took over. His constant declarations of how everyone else was wrong.
No clue why everybody wants to hire this guy.
BruiserBear
Banned
Well, if people really care about good journalism in videogames they should be happy someone is even trying to change that, because right now it's pretty abysmal overall.
Also, your comments about people here writing about games for no money, just reinforces my thought that a lot of this is just pure jealousy.
I also think Brian Crecente is one of the better ones out there, so as a basis for the news team, I'd say they're doing OK.
Just to be fair, he said someone on the development team told him that. A major site like IGN giving your game a 6 can be a pretty big blow. I don't think it's that hard to imagine working on a major game, and it hurting pretty badly when IGN gives it a 6. It's not necessarily the name attached to the review, but the site that carries weight.
DangerStepp
Member
You got a hearty chuckle out of me over here. Easily my favorite post of the day.
Also, I share your opinion. As a newbie to Giant Bomb, they have never struck me as disingenuous or snide if it wasn't in jest.
'Insufferable' has never been needed more than to describe an individual.
pseudomyxoma
Member
Agreed but this documentary is serious business
slightconfuse
Banned
I'd hardly call being the man behind Kotaku one of the better ones.
Mostly it's because few media companies pay what a good critic is worth.
When your editorial salary is budgeted at $35k/yr per head you're not going to get cream-of-the-crop writers.
Because it's vidya games though, you WILL get a shitload of people all willing to do the job.
They won't be awesome, but they will be "good enough" to get content up and pull eyeballs for the ad dollars.
That is the general model for the industry.
The last "serious" gaming mag in the US was Next Generation.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
No kidding. Most people that write about videogames are lucky to be "paid" in review copies.
ChosenPredator
Banned
from what im reading in this thread everyone on that team is terrible and the site is going to fail amongst gaffers - should be interesting to see what happens once it pops up.
Anton Sugar
Member
Love how one writer says something akin to, "I'm not going to take it seriously. We are reviewing video games, after all."
Cut to Arthur's edit: "Don't use 'rather'. You are not from England."
They'll get exclusive stories that get threads on GAF because they're well-funded and have connections.
The quality of the writing will be low and their editorial and review policies will be largely the same as everyone else's.
People here will complain and continue to give them hits.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
This sagas been so entertaining. Hope theres more to come.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
If I'm going to expend a good portion of my life pursuing an interest I'd at least attempt to be somewhat serious about it.
Yup. My first encounter with him was his brief stint with Joystiq. He acts like no one and nothing are worth his time, and he preaches his opinions like they're Truth. I was initially excited when all these folks were coming together to start Polygon. Then I saw they'd brought Arthur Gies with them. Couldn't believe that they thought he should be part of their core crew tasked with "reinventing" game journalism. Ugh.
And this video series is nonsense. It's been nothing but a constant build-up of disingenuous gravitas. It's not even that it needs humor. It just needs some deflating. Nothing and no one in the games industry (journalists, developers, publishers, retailers, etc.) deserve this much seriousness and self-importance. I understand that it's hard (and expensive) to start a big new website, but that doesn't have to mean you're saving the world one game at a time.
They need to tone it down a bit and get some perspective. The content that they're writing for the Verge right now is nothing new or original. I don't see that changing when they finally go "live" with Polygon. Looks like the same stuff everyone else is doing. The writing's not especially thoughtful. Or funny. Or smart. Or deep. It's perfectly fine. The only real "revolution" they keep hyping so far is the layout and tech. And if that's the case, there's nothing preventing any other site from doing the same or better.
Interficium
Banned
Goodnight sweet credibility.
There's a very obvious difference between making a funny video and reviewing a game. I think anyone who uses that Skyrim gif as proof of anything is an idiot, because it was meant to be a silly joke and it was funny. Justin doesn't deserve NeoGAF's weird hate obsession with that gif.
A funny video is completely removed from a piece of criticism, like a review, that is written to aid consumers and has a very real impact on developers thanks to the questionable metric that is Metacritic. Equating the two is disingenuous in my opinion. The NIER review is fair game, though.
Anton Sugar
Member
I should clarify that it was in response to a wall of edits that Arthur sent to her, not necessarily the job itself. However, I thought it was amusing, given the super-serious nature of the doc series.
This. I've been reading reviews from Polygon lately, and haven't really found anything special about them, other than the layout and tons of cropped screenshots.
I'm amazed he was able to find the X to sign beside on the contract, if only he'd given up on that as easily.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Yeah Yeah I know...More context.
How unexciting.
"We're going to be serious about everything...except for the content we're covering."
What...the...hell?
BruiserBear
Banned
and your point is?
I've seen CNN report on things that they later found out weren't true at all. That doesn't mean CNN has zero credibility does it?
Except for the sensationalist world of videogame message boards, where one mistake means you're the laughing stock of an industry for the rest of time, because you know, you posted a hilariously inaccurate story 4 years ago. Dude, I even have the link to prove it! Good luck ever getting a job again!
I don't care about the above discussion, but CNN is basically a joke at this point.
Interficium
Banned
Yeah, come on guys, that's why everyone loves those videos Ebert comes out with of him humorously humping Scorcese's leg.
Jake Tower
Banned
I think we found Crescente's alt
YianGaruga
Banned
Their reviews have animated gifs.
Text and images resize better to fit different screens/devices.
No one decries Giant Bomb as having no integrity after all the funny nonsense they pull.
Example: http://www.giantbomb.com/i-hell-mondays-051412/17-5978/
I CAN NEVER TRUST THEIR OPINION ON DIABLO 3 AND THEY ARE BAD JOURNALISTS.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
I support the use of that dancing gif. I know that it's a joke and it really has nothing to do with his work but damn it, it's funny.
Interficium
Banned
It's staffed entirely by all-star alumni from Gaf's absolute favorite two websites, Kotaku and Joystiq.
DangerStepp
Member
With world famous and well-respected video game pundit, Arthur Gies,
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
I've seen you in other threads, going ham - don't let me down BB.
Giantbomb staff never take themselves seriously in any context though
These guys wanting to be all srs bsns while simultaneously making stupid jokes is open season for criticism
Joystiq, where Justin was working when he made that video, didn't exactly take itself seriously either.
pseudomyxoma
Member
But I think again the difference there is no one at GB claims to be the second coming of games journalism, even Patrick doesn't and he is a very talented writer. GB is about video games and fun and GB along with Twitch TV have showed me that reviews are obsolete. Anyone that takes reviews as seriously as some posters do (see EDGE review threads) are pretty fucking ridiculous and so is Polygon if they're putting this much weight on reviews. I would rather watch a GB quicklook, some twitch tv playtime or one of 1up's old school round table talks. I get nothing out of reviews except the enjoyment of watching people whine about them on neogaf and the like
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