I agree with this. At Couch Campus we used to use a letter grade score to rate our games, but we realized the point was moot. Even within our ranks there were some games that we gave a lower score that we enjoyed more than a game another of us gave a higher one. The score really doesn't equate too well, and a lot of times that's all people see. Print, web, podcast, it doesn't matter how the opinions are getting out there, but they are way more important than a numerical score. Being outside of the Gaming Journalism jurisdiction through a self owned blog allows you to offer this opinion more. At the end of the day most people just hop over to Metacritic to make their final decision and that really is not doing much good. Unless its incredibly drastic in one direction or another it really doesn't give you a good idea on what the game has to offer.
I'm reading through these posts and I'm glad this point is being discussed from both sides. Growing up, gaming magazines were my only source of information in video games. I wasn't capable with a computer, and the only time I used the internet was to help write a report. To me, back then, it was a boring place.
I read GamePro...yes I know. It was never really a good magazine, but it was cheap and often times funny. Perfect for attracting the interest of a twelve year old gamer just looking to find out what was out.
Times have changed, and I do a bit more gaming than just using my allowance to buy a few games a year. The game industry has undoubtedly grown along with me. More coverage is required for more games. We have a thriving Indie community now with downloadable games on the rise.
It just makes sense that more and more things would move towards the online space. Our mobile devices our equipped with RSS readers, web browsers and podcasts. Gaming magazines are even branching out with their own sites, podcasts and web content. Everyone recognizes the shift is coming. When is the only unknown now.
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I agree with this. At Couch Campus we used to use a letter grade score to rate our games, but we realized the point was moot. Even within our ranks there were some games that we gave a lower score that we enjoyed more than a game another of us gave a higher one. The score really doesn't equate too well, and a lot of times that's all people see. Print, web, podcast, it doesn't matter how the opinions are getting out there, but they are way more important than a numerical score. Being outside of the Gaming Journalism jurisdiction through a self owned blog allows you to offer this opinion more. At the end of the day most people just hop over to Metacritic to make their final decision and that really is not doing much good. Unless its incredibly drastic in one direction or another it really doesn't give you a good idea on what the game has to offer.
I'm reading through these posts and I'm glad this point is being discussed from both sides. Growing up, gaming magazines were my only source of information in video games. I wasn't capable with a computer, and the only time I used the internet was to help write a report. To me, back then, it was a boring place. I read GamePro...yes I know. It was never really a good magazine, but it was cheap and often times funny. Perfect for attracting the interest of a twelve year old gamer just looking to find out what was out. Times have changed, and I do a bit more gaming than just using my allowance to buy a few games a year. The game industry has undoubtedly grown along with me. More coverage is required for more games. We have a thriving Indie community now with downloadable games on the rise. It just makes sense that more and more things would move towards the online space. Our mobile devices our equipped with RSS readers, web browsers and podcasts. Gaming magazines are even branching out with their own sites, podcasts and web content. Everyone recognizes the shift is coming. When is the only unknown now.