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 we look at post-E3 coverage:
The Winners--GameSpot, CNN, Bloggers
The Losers--1up, Game Daily, IGN
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
The people, not GameSpot, chose Link
GameSpot is definitely on a positive roll. First its refreshing redesign, then its kick-ass live E3 press conference coverage, and now this: a post E3-wrap up that connects directly to its readers. Sure, every other site has their "editor" picks from E3 (see Loser 1up below), but GameSpot ranked the best games shown at E3 by the number of clicks-of-interest each game received from the readers. Of course, there aren't any surprises with the most clicked games chosen, but that's not the point. GameSpot kept you involved at E3 even though you couldn't be there. See, E3 isn't just for sweaty, overgrown males in the industry anymore.
Er, your name isn't Lara, is it?
Whatever your name is for them--booth babes, hired models, or fanboy fantasies--coverage of these live game vixens is always high at E3. But when everyone else is pointing you to the best sexy pose they got on camera, CNN takes a different (yet still titillating) route. Reporter Chris Morris not only puts a real face on one of the models, but he also paints a funny story about her experience at E3. It's a different and refreshing take on E3 eye candy to come this way in a long time. Now wipe that drool away from your mouth.
Who the heck let the bloggers in?
E3 has become a haven for the media elite (and not so elite), jockeying for exclusive first-look stories about the latest games to come out later in the year. Originally, however, E3 was supposed to be a convention where game publishers can show off their goods directly to retailers. More recently, the traditional publications and key web sites got all access media passes to E3; they also complained about the fan sites that somehow "snuck" in and ruined the entire experience. Times have changed, and as the Washington Post reports, even bloggers are now being allowed in. Note in the article the requirements to get in E3 as a blogger. Might as well open E3 to the entire public next year.
THE LOSERS
Eh, standard booth babe coverage
Look at 1up's post-E3 coverage, and you'll see the now standard, oh-hum template of best-games-at-E3 presentation. And I had high hopes for 1up in this department. But alas, this story best reflects what you'd normally see in a print publication, broken all the way down to the same generic categories. There's no personality, not even a small editorial for each pick. My God, man--what were you thinking? Oh right, everyone likes lists, right?
Wii price point announced, kind of
If done right, a speculation story is hot. If done wrong, a speculation story is this piece of work from Game Daily. The headline certainly catches the eye, and most of the story is detailed--in a dry, Game Daily kind of way. But to then start speculating the Wii's price point yourself in just two lines is, well, not a very fun and interesting read. Rewrite this story citing more sources and more (real) reasons why you think the Wii will sell below $200--instead of just, "the demand would be astronomical"--and then you'll have a compelling read. In its current state, this feature feels rushed and should have been just a news article. This loser has been edited.
Only IGN could include this duo
I know "Top 10" lists are still popular on the net, but come on IGN--this top ten stinks. What's the matter, you ran out of subject matters? And the headline is a bit misleading: Games That Should Never Come to Pass. Now if the list consisted of games currently in development, but shouldn't be completed, then that would be a total draw. A lack of effort means a lack of ingenuity. Not even a nice try on this one.
THE PWNED
PS3 or BS3?
Word on the street is that Sony didn't make a strong showing at this year's E3. In fact, the nickname for its new game system is already "BS3." Much of the criticism is aimed at the PS3's two expensive price points: $499 and $599. And then there's Bloomberg's recent report about the system's lack of a powerful game lineup. The story is backed by key developers that claim they haven't even received development kits yet. Can Sony crawl out of this PR crap hole? With its marketing track record, probably--but for this week, Sony has been PWNED!
