Feature: Winners & Losers Subscribe to this RSS feed
Each week, we present the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the gaming universe. This time:
The Winners--1up, IGN, Game Daily
The Losers--Games Radar, G4TV, GameSpot
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 10 Commandments of Agent 47
It's not everyday that a game site strays away from the normal review template. But Robert Coffey at 1up did exactly that for his review of Hitman: Blood Money--and it turned out well. Instead of going through the usual smattering of a game breakdown, Coffey had fun with his review by detailing how Agent 47 breaks the 10 Commandments. This is a great example of how the next generation of game writers can break out of a traditional editorial mold and still write quality stories. Alas, now we have to break out of the pudgy, hairy, and smelly game journalist mold and we'll be well on our way.
No, that is not a shiny paper weight
It's a risky move, but IGN brings back full coverage of Sega's now defunct Dreamcast complete with a revisit of the entire game library. With the advent of retro gaming through Game Tap, Xbox Live, and eventually Wii, it makes sense to bring back what has been arguably one of the best gaming systems in history. This is also a Dreamcast fanboy's...er, dream come true--and IGN seems the best site to pull it off. Does this mean I can't use the Dreamcast as a doorstop anymore?
Did you say attack the funeral procession?
It's usually seen as an ancillary subject, worth little attention, yet Steven Wong at Game Daily delves deep into the lack of communication improvements in the MMO world. The story is a worthwhile read as it argues the point of having communication technology that should be up to par with the latest MMO games. With a true, clear way of talking to a group of people at once, your experience in a role-playing game especially shouldn't get lost. Huh, what did you just say?
THE LOSERS
Rayman making headline news? Only on Games Radar
What exactly constitutes a news story? Certainly not this turd on Games Radar. First, the topic is about a viral Rayman video, and it's not even about Rayman. The clip is actually a video of the Rayman creator getting pummeled by wigged-out animated rabbits. It sounds better than it really plays out. And this is what the entire "news" story is about. Is Games Radar really hard up for news editors? Whoever green lighted this story has a lot of explaining to do.
Wii release date finally revealed...sort of
Ah, the once 24-hour-gaming-channel-now-reduced-to-Morgan Webb-and-The Man Show-reruns are still trying to make a splash toward gamers. But the only way G4TV can garner any type of online traffic is to post a quick news story like this. Sure, the headline is catchy, but the Wii release date is totally speculative, especially considering the sources of this story--yet the article doesn't explain any of it. This is one sad way of trying to get attention for an already flailing site.
Come on, do you really want this shirt?
How many times do I need to say it? Enough with the E3 coverage. E3 is done. Over. But in a bid to put closure to its E3 coverage, GameSpot publishes a "flair guide" as well as a sweepstakes to give away its schwag (aka Junk) that they collected at E3. BFD I say. Seriously, are people really interested in all the freebies game journalists receive? Plus, the story's been done to death.
THE PWNED
Really, the PS3 is the bestest system evar--trust me!
Sony is in a world of PR hurt right now. Everyone from business analysts to media reports is sticking it hard to Sony's plans for the PS3. The most recent uproar revolves around the PS3's motion sensor controller. Sony says it's an idea that they've been working on for a looong time and that it didn't steal the idea from Nintendo. Well, comments like these have led to even more Sony-bashing from, well, gamers who know much better than Sony execs. Places like Kotaku are where you can actually find some level-headed comments of how Sony has thus far been wrong in its statements--which points to Sony being...well, you know: PWNED.
