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[Spruchy]

I'm sorry Mr. Gies, you will never become the likable gaming personality that you think you are.

Agreed.

Wasn't pretentious like the trailer but I feel like the episode really lacked focus. I probably would have been doubly confused if I wasn't familiar with the work of most of these guys, can't imagine someone who isn't invested in game's journalism to have a clue on what the point of this episode was.

And what exactly were they pitching to EA? Exclusivez???

 

[outunderthestars]

For those interested in seeing some of Polygon's better feature articles here is an archive.

 

[EleventhDoctor]

I'm sorry Mr. Gies, you will never become the likable gaming personality that you think you are.

Yep. Pretty much.

 

[AutumnAve]

Dayum that shit is the illest. I wonder what gang signs Polygon crips flash when they see each other on the street? Do you do a triangle if you're a neophyte, and add more sides until you're a hexagon like Big ArthurG? You know he's a bad-ass gamesjourno because he was making Gs as a REBEL even before kickstarters started sprouting up and any little thug with a webcam and bluetooth headset knew how to get dat VC $$$.

I really like this post. A+

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Laughed at the board room scenes where only Chris Grant bothered to wear something reasonable. On his side you've got people with t-shirts and shitty hats. Amazing.

 

[Arnie]

Decent video, even though i was initially critical of the pretentious trailer, although did anyone else find the unintentional, and slightly awkward irony between cutting from Gies talking about all these likeable people that you wanted to understand from 1up, and then cut to McElroy?

 

[WickedCobra03]

I would not call these bloggers "accomplished" or "journalists".

Never forget!

I don't mind Justin McEleroy so much, and think he is alright at talking about games. But then when they go up their own asses about it thinking of themselves as a collective think-tank for the industry, and have nothing to back that up, that is where I start losing it with them. They don't even have their own website launched yet either? Confirm or Deny this happening ever?

TL;DR. I generally liked most of the personalities in their past efforts (yes, even you Arthur), but I feel like you need to have something to back it up before saying you are defining a new era... Right?

 

[outunderthestars]

I don't mind Justin McEleroy so much, and think he is alright at talking about games. But then when they go up their own asses about it thinking of themselves as a collective think-tank for the industry, and have nothing to back that up, that is where I start losing it with them.

Have you never undertaken a creative endeavor with other people? You spend an incredible amount of time just talking about ideas and what you want to accomplish and what not. These videos just seem to be a reflection of that time.

 

[hiryu]

I thought the first episode was pretty interesting and didn't really have any of the stuff that made the previews annoying.

 

[Bgamer90]

They really shouldn't have released those trailers last week, lol

Agreed. They should have just released this video (the first episode) to start things off.

 

[graboids]

Arthur is one the few reviewers that I actually seek out reviews from. I also enjoy him on Rebel FM, but I get why someone wouldn't be a fan, but that stuff just never bothered me too much.

 

[Megasoum]

It's gonna be the first website building documentary where the engineer won't be able to bitch about the fact that the website nevers works in IE lol.

 

[Felix Lighter]

I used to listen to the Joystiq podcast a few years ago. Chris Grant and Justin McEleroy did a good job with the podcast. I just wasn't a fan of the blog itself. I'm glad to hear the teaser and the trailer didn't represent the actual tone of the series because I couldn't think of a worse way to promote a videogame site.

As for Arthur Gies, I'm not as familiar with him as many others seem to be but what I have heard and read from him completely turns me off. There are writers that I don't often agree with but I still read them because I'm interested to know what they have to say. Gies is not one of those writers.

 

[Curufinwe]

Arthur is a nice guy. (serious)

Arthur accuses fellow game journalists of being involved in conspiracies, or of going in to reviews with predetermined high scores when they happen to like a game more than he does.

 

[John Rabbit]

wait.

wait.

did that knob seriously attempt to pass off the site's ability to scale the content depending on the browser window size as "new technology"?

oh jesus.

 

[Bomber Bob]

PRESENTED BY INTERNET EXPLORER

 

[snap0212]

PRESENTED BY INTERNET EXPLORER

First mobile device to be mentioned was also Windows Phone 7.

 

[DTKT]

Rarely do we get a chance to see the in-between: The late nights; the frustration; teams working together from remote locations; features that didn't make the cut; last-minute changes; near-derailment; minor victories.

Fuck that.

This isn't war journalism. You write about games, there is nothing glorious and hard about that.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

I'm sorry Mr. Gies, you will never become the likable gaming personality that you think you are.

If you are really into Xbox or faking your way through technical discussions, you might like him.

I like what's left for what it is worth.

 

[Shinta]

Wasn't nearly as intolerable as I expected. Those trailers were a lot worse.

I still don't quite see what the "revolution" is though. They are going for some more long-form features, which can honestly be commended, and some of their article layouts are going for magazine quality visuals, which is nice. That's all I've seen so far. Their reviews need some work.

I'll be interested to see what this finally turns out to be, especially the commenting layout.

 

[KalBalboa]

I've learned to see Gies for the good writer he is, but I've learned to take his perspective with a grain of salt.

 

[7threst]

Agreed. They should have just released this video (the first episode) to start things off.

Yeah this. This whole episode was just nice to watch. Even if the tattoo scene didn't make sense at all

Also, I really, really liked the first 2 and a half minute game journalism recapped and the way they presented it.

Question: what exactly did that A. Gies character do that got him so much hate around here?

 

[Curufinwe]

The middle of the Vanquish thread is a good place to start.

If you are really into Xbox or faking your way through technical discussions, you might like him.

You need those people just to balance out the angry fans of Hydro Thunder. And boy are they angry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6pVriyn_O0

 

[Samus4145]

wait.

wait.

did that knob seriously attempt to pass off the site's ability to scale the content depending on the browser window size as "new technology"?

oh jesus.

It's funny because I just had a company pitch that as a bullet point in their platform the other day.

 

[DTKT]

Yeah this. This whole episode was just nice to watch. Even if the tattoo scene didn't make sense at all

Also, I really, really liked the first 2 and a half minute game journalism recapped and the way they presented it.

Question: what exactly did that A. Gies character do that got him so much hate around here?

He's a member of the Rebel FM crew and comes off as really bitter and cynical most of the time.

 

[Chuck]

Definitely liked the first episode and really interested in seeing more of the site itself. I just hope that whoever was involved in the Verge's design is not involved in Polygon at all.

The one thing I'm most curious about Polygon is how they're going to do video content. I feel like if they're a site looking to the future, then one of their top priorities has to be getting video stuff right. They also talk about showing off personalities that people can relate to -which is maybe part of the reason they're doing this documentary in the first place- but if they don't do content which shows off those personalities, then it will be much, much harder to get that feeling across with what seems to be very serious writing for the most part. Arthur said on twitter to expect video reviews which is good, but to put it bluntly, they need to either rip off Giant Bomb and do knock-off Quick Looks or think of something else totally new and different.

And I like Arthur and don't really understand the hate.

 

[eznark]

wait.

wait.

did that knob seriously attempt to pass off the site's ability to scale the content depending on the browser window size as "new technology"?

oh jesus.

Maybe their site is using squarespace!

 

[Zia]

They really shouldn't have released those trailers last week, lol

LOL, no they shouldn't have. The first episode was a really nice, unpretentious little slice.

 

[Meatvillain]

I'm sorry Mr. Gies, you will never become the likable gaming personality that you think you are.

I haven't seen a whole lot of Arthur Gies, but he has never really come across that way to me. Always seemed more the self-deprecating/loathing type. (Haven't watched Press Reset)

 

[Shinta]

I've learned to see Gies for the good writer he is, but I've learned to take his perspective with a grain of salt.

I know some people on this site have some grudges against him. My only disagreements with him were about their Kingdom Hearts 3D review on The Verge and their scoring system for reviews. His justifications for the score didn't make any sense at all. But that's my only issue I had with him so far.

Hopefully they can turn it around though. I was mentioning that they didn't even put in a single reference to the production values in the game at all; graphics, voice acting, music. In their next review though, Phillip Kollar had a section for the soundtrack with a song sample embedded. Maybe just a complete coincidence, or maybe they're open to adjusting to feedback; I hope.

For the most part, the staff has been nice and commented a few times in various articles and threads. Crecente and Chris Plante were asking for community ideas on site design a while back, so that's always a nice gesture in my book.

 

[FStop7]

Seems the idea came from business team. Which is not exactly very encouraging for the future of the site.

http://adage.com/article/digital/vox-hypes-gaming-site-documentary/236827/

Oh bullshit. They dove headfirst into that shit and are only backpedaling after the negative response.

 

[MrDaravon]

The problem with Arthur and why I don't think he's really likeable is that even though I find myself agreeing with him 90%+ of the time (even when it's an unpopular opinion) he manages to convey every point and argument in the most arrogant, pretentious way possible. It was starting to get painful listening to Rebel FM for example because even though I'm totally on board with his point, he's usually being a huge dick about it. It actually reminds me a lot of Amirox.

 

[Jhriad]

Yeah, not bad. Tattoo scene was unintentionally hilarious

Found the references to venerable outlets like EGM to be gratuitous. At least Arthur's mention of 1up made sense and gave some context as to why he got into the industry. The early history of games media/name dropping just felt like they were attempting to put themselves in the same echelon as those outlets when they haven't earned it yet. "Hey remember X, Y, and Z? Yeah, we're the next big evolution of that."

 

[whalleywhat]

Haven't watched. Does he buy a samosa or what?

 

[Felix Lighter]

Question: what exactly did that A. Gies character do that got him so much hate around here?

For me personally, it's just the way he dismisses anyone that doesn't share his opinion. He concocts, in his head, ridiculously condescending reasons why someone would possibly not agree with him.

 

[Shinta]

Found the references to venerable outlets like EGM to be gratuitous. At least Arthur's mention of 1up made sense and gave some context as to why he got into the industry. The early history of games media/name dropping just felt like they were attempting to put themselves in the same echelon as those outlets when they haven't earned it yet. "Hey remember X, Y, and Z? Yeah, we're the next big evolution of that."

That's true. It also heavily glosses over the flaws of website journalism compared to magazine. The sensationalism, the manufactured controversies, the major downgrade in reviews (EGM had 4 people review each game), the commenters and the general toxic environment games journalism now finds itself in ...

 

[FStop7]

This is when I got banned from Kotaku.



This is what I said that got me banned from Kotaku.

Isn't Crecente the one who also did that terrible interview with Jason Rubin?

Yep, sure enough

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/6/8/3071167/thq-e3-2012-jason-rubin

 

[John Rabbit]

It's funny because I just had a company pitch that as a bullet point in their platform the other day.

i mean its an important aspect to think about if you're designing for multiple platforms, but to pass off standard web practices as "new technology" is snake oil of the highest order.

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

Disappointing. Wanted more unintentional comedy.

 

[KittyKittyBangBang]

Isn't Crecente the one who also did that terrible interview with Jason Rubin?

Yep, sure enough

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/6/8/3071167/thq-e3-2012-jason-rubin

Crecente has a long line of theis types of ridiculous "reporting." If dude spent half the amount of time on verifying sources as he did on his hair, he may not be a complete hack.

That said, I like all the other folks at Polygon and looking forward to what they have in store

 

[railGUN]

wait.

wait.

did that knob seriously attempt to pass off the site's ability to scale the content depending on the browser window size as "new technology"?

oh jesus.

Hilarious right? @media so revolutionary.

 

[Jhriad]

Question: what exactly did that A. Gies character do that got him so much hate around here?

I think SailorDaravon pretty much hit it on the head with his post. Arthur just doesn't come off very well when you listen to him discuss things with other people. Occasionally you'll see it in his writing as well.

 

[Curufinwe]

I think SailorDaravon pretty much hit it on the head with his post. Arthur just doesn't come off very well when you listen to him discuss things with other people. Occasionally you'll see it in his writing as well.

Unfortunately, the other members of Rebel FM are as submissive as they are uninformed, so Arthur can make up pretty much anything he likes to support his arguments and they'll accept it as fact.

 

[Harlock]

I miss the namby-pamby style from the teaser

 

[firehawk12]

Unfortunately, the other members of Rebel FM are as submissive as they are uninformed, so Arthur can make up pretty much anything he likes to support his arguments and they'll accept it as fact.

I haven't listened to the podcast in ages, but is it really still like that? lol

 

[Messofanego]

Here's the CAGcast segment that spawned this event.

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/podcast/bullshitblogcontest.mp3

And here's the deliberately bullshit user blog post that Kotaku took the bait on: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?u=89202

OMG this is so fucking glorious to read! I love how Totilo in interviews never admits that Kotaku is blatantly a tabloid that's just hungry for any rubbish.

Is there a thread for the WORST Videogame news websites and all their fuck-ups over the years?

 

[Neuromancer]

I wish the video had had a better closeup shot of Gies's armpit hair.

 

[Shinta]

The one thing I'm most curious about Polygon is how they're going to do video content. I feel like if they're a site looking to the future, then one of their top priorities has to be getting video stuff right.

I asked if we can expect video production quality on this level for future Polygon stuff, or if this was a special case, and they said it's produced internally and will be similar quality level. Regardless of content, the videos look great, so that's a good start.

 

[- J - D -]

Having just watched episode 1 first and then, only after, saw the trailer, I'm glad I had the benefit of being late to this raucous hate party because I like what they're trying to do and thought ep. 1 was a great kick off to this project of grand ambition that lacked much of the delusions of grandeur found in the trailers. The intro was pretty slick, though brief.

I don't know who this Arthur Gies is, but yeah the tattoo scene was a bit much lol. And the scene that had McElroy reacting to seeing a farmer's market as "that's bangin'" was unintentionally funny.

 

[GG-Duo]

You mean like Gamasutra and Rock, Paper, Shotgun?

This is the thing that I don't get. Polygon has said a lot of puffery about creating a revolution in the enthusiast press, assembling a team of the "best of the best" to accomplish "the impossible."

But with that in mind, all the guys they drafted onto the editorial team are basically "the best worst dudes." The two biggest groups of alum come from extremely similar blog-style news/preview/review sites with heavy ownership emphasis on pageviews (particularly in the case of Kotaku) driving the editorial mandate.

They didn't get anyone from Rock Paper Scissors, they didn't poach anyone from Gamasutra or Kill Screen, they didn't get any of the great indie writers or anyone that you'd see regularly on Critical Distance (of course most of those are already devs, natch), they didn't even get anyone who was like, ex-Edge or Next Gen.

For all their talk, I don't see any guys who have real track records of pushing the discourse of the enthusiast press in new directions. What I do see is a bunch of guys who are going to do basically a Kotaku/Joystiq mishmash with a heavy dose of the terrible version of "New Games Journalism" as described much more artfully than I could ever hope to by the Artful Gamer:

Instead of becoming deeper and more insightful, we became pretentiously intellectual. Instead of writing about our personal connections to games and what they mean for the entire social collective as loving/breathing/thinking human beings, we write about our individual opinions. Instead of understanding the game-player dialectic as a holism – one implying and transforming the other – we atomize and deconstruct gameplay and player experiences as separate things. Instead of providing deep critiques of games and reflect upon what they express of our societies as they are now, the vast majority of critiques cherry-pick superficial aspects of a game – such as an NPC’s skin-colour or gender – and perpetuate the very stereotypes they wish to undermine. Journalistic objectivity has been replaced by opinion and thinned-down experiences, rather than exploring how games-publishers-societies-experiences set the stage for our opinions of them. We ignore hundreds of years of thought on the review of art and aesthetics, and instead feed off of the blogs and inane personal judgements of game developers who are themselves part of the mess.

This is a great post. You've identified the source of unease that I've felt about Polygon.