Feature: Winners & Losers Subscribe to this RSS feed
Every Thursday, we present the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the gaming universe. This week:
Winners--GameSpot, 1up, and GamePro
Losers--IGN, Game Trailers, E3 Insider
Like you, we browse scores of gaming-related stories every day. Some of them get our head nodding. Others get our blood boiling. Consequently, we decided to share those experiences with you, given that the Games.net mission of bringing you the very best and worst the gaming universe has to offer. Every Thursday, our hackneyed crew of web monkeys will mete out the sordid stories that made us laugh, cry, and blow snot bubbles in agony.
Our criteria for a winner: lasting effects of intellectual engagement, profound thoughtfulness, and funky humor. Everyone else: a loser. And then there's the pwned, which is another story entirely.
And now on with the W&L!
THE WINNERS
GameSpotGameSpot is certainly a winner this week. In particular, the site's live feed of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft's E3 press conferences worked like a charm. But why should we pay extra for a full screen video? Nevertheless, from now on, we don't need to butt heads with those smelly game journalists and fan boys in attendance anymore; we can, instead, stay home and watch the events unfold in privacy.
1upIt's still a small timer in the world of gaming sites, but 1up certainly shines with its front page presentation--that is, if you can get it to fully load on your computer. This week, like the rest of us, this hip site covers E3, but the accessibility for users stands out above everyone else. Right at the front door, you can choose in which platform you want to dig deeper. The other sites, however, do a good job of mixing and matching everything together without any real order. At least for this week, 1up is truly one up above everyone else.
GameProFinally, after six years, GamePro gets an overhaul. From the redesign and accessibility to the one-on-one contact with the infamous editors, this site is back and better than before. GamePro is a great balance between community interaction and up-to-date game coverage. Now who's that dang Four-Eyed Dragon?
THE LOSERS
IGNTalk about being lost in translation. IGN's coverage of E3 reflects its jumbled and overwhelming take on the gaming industry. For instance, what's up with all those small icons with the games listed? Do I really need to squint to find what I'm looking for? Rest assured, the dizzying effect continues when today's highlights are buried into oblivion.
Game TrailersSure, the redesign looks good, but Game Trailers has an organizational problem, much like IGN and GameSpot. Just look (or attempt to find) all those cool E3 videos. Where to even begin? A suggestion: an option to sort videos alphabetically. Hey, wait a minute, the entire site is a mess. A great alternate is GameVideos.com.
E3 InsiderAs the official E3 site, E3 Insider's blog section blows. Seriously. Who in the right mind even cares about "Wednesday Swag Recap" or a 500-word diatribe of Ageia's new development kit? Moreover, I can't even comment on the dumbness of each blog entry. Dear E3 Insider: Next year, please put more effort in giving us a true "insider" look of E3. Blogs are a good way, but you screwed it up this year.
THE PWNED
E3 officials swore that only conservatively-dressed booth babes at this year's E3 were allowed. Yeah right. Word is that the Namco Bandai models (aka strippers) out did last year's Tecmo's scantily-clad eye candy. My favorite at this year's E3, however, was Hudson's attempt to make their models more...um, personable by having you get to know the Hudson models at its web site. Classic! To the E3 officiating team: You've been PWNED!
