Comments on: Unbridled insanity http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/ The professional website of Richard Mitchell, Video Game Journalist Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:56:52 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jayslacks http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/comment-page-1/#comment-8399 Jayslacks Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:59:48 +0000 http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/#comment-8399 I tried to learn to play guitar, but the calluses on my fingers made typing almost near impossible! How are you pushing through that? Love the X3f podcast, by the way. I tried to learn to play guitar, but the calluses on my fingers made typing almost near impossible! How are you pushing through that? Love the X3f podcast, by the way.

]]> By: Sense http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/comment-page-1/#comment-8323 Sense Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:57:14 +0000 http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/#comment-8323 Hey thanks! Honestly, I'm just happy a handful of people are actually reading this at all :) Hey thanks!

Honestly, I’m just happy a handful of people are actually reading this at all :)

]]> By: Eric http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/comment-page-1/#comment-8310 Eric Wed, 05 Dec 2007 03:36:50 +0000 http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/#comment-8310 Well, frankly, you're the only blogger who consistently responds to me with well thought out responses. I usually do try to make my own judgements, but you guys definitely have at least a different viewpoint than the average gamer. Thanks for taking the time to respond. By the way, you were able to drop a Larry Craig bathroom sex joke, and a pretty darned good Canadian impersonation into one podcast-- Kudos! Well, frankly, you’re the only blogger who consistently responds to me with well thought out responses. I usually do try to make my own judgements, but you guys definitely have at least a different viewpoint than the average gamer.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. By the way, you were able to drop a Larry Craig bathroom sex joke, and a pretty darned good Canadian impersonation into one podcast– Kudos!

]]> By: Sense http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/comment-page-1/#comment-8306 Sense Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:03:32 +0000 http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/#comment-8306 Good question. Believe me, blogs are still susceptible. I suppose my view is a little biased because it is a policy of the Joystiq network not to accept junkets. The only reason blogs are less susceptible otherwise is that they simply aren't as big as the major review sites (IGN, 1UP, GameSpot, etc.). Yet. We get offers, and so does Joystiq, but we turn them down. As blogs get bigger, and arguably indistinguishable from "news" sites, it will become more of a problem. As for integrity and previewing games, no, they don't have to take those trips. And it's possible not all of them do. Specifically I was referring to IGN about the trip to Hawaii to play DOAX2. I'm not saying you can't maintain your objectivity in such situations, but it's kind of hard to trash a game when someone flew you to Hawaii to play it. And that's exactly *why* they were flown to Hawaii. This resulted in a fairly positive preview for the game that made no pains to point out any flaws at all. Tiny example: here is a section describing DOAX2's flag race mini-game taken from the Hawaii preview: "This race is unrelenting, requiring a perfect start, incredibly fast button mashing, and perfect timing to grab the flag. The AI is extremely skilled and will always perform a near perfect race, so you have to play this one many times to get it right. " Here is a section taken from the review: "The beach flag race is forgettable as it's just a sprint across the beach performed by tapping on a single button and capping it off with another to dive for the finish. The entire game lasts about as long as it takes to load." Granted, the articles were written by different writers, but it's interesting, no? Anyway, my "inside baseball" view isn't all that inside anyway, so don't take anything I say as gospel. Like, ever. Seriously. Make your own judgments, that's what I say. Good question. Believe me, blogs are still susceptible. I suppose my view is a little biased because it is a policy of the Joystiq network not to accept junkets. The only reason blogs are less susceptible otherwise is that they simply aren’t as big as the major review sites (IGN, 1UP, GameSpot, etc.). Yet. We get offers, and so does Joystiq, but we turn them down. As blogs get bigger, and arguably indistinguishable from “news” sites, it will become more of a problem.

As for integrity and previewing games, no, they don’t have to take those trips. And it’s possible not all of them do. Specifically I was referring to IGN about the trip to Hawaii to play DOAX2. I’m not saying you can’t maintain your objectivity in such situations, but it’s kind of hard to trash a game when someone flew you to Hawaii to play it. And that’s exactly *why* they were flown to Hawaii. This resulted in a fairly positive preview for the game that made no pains to point out any flaws at all.

Tiny example: here is a section describing DOAX2’s flag race mini-game taken from the Hawaii preview:
“This race is unrelenting, requiring a perfect start, incredibly fast button mashing, and perfect timing to grab the flag. The AI is extremely skilled and will always perform a near perfect race, so you have to play this one many times to get it right. ”

Here is a section taken from the review:
“The beach flag race is forgettable as it’s just a sprint across the beach performed by tapping on a single button and capping it off with another to dive for the finish. The entire game lasts about as long as it takes to load.”

Granted, the articles were written by different writers, but it’s interesting, no?

Anyway, my “inside baseball” view isn’t all that inside anyway, so don’t take anything I say as gospel. Like, ever. Seriously. Make your own judgments, that’s what I say.

]]> By: Eric http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/comment-page-1/#comment-8292 Eric Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000 http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/#comment-8292 Richard- Another good post. Also, glad to hear Alex S. on the podcast. As to your post-- Why are blogs not as susceptible? (I'm really not being argumentative) Is it that they just don't get as many junket offers and what not? Also, do larger sites like 1up HAVE to preview games at the games company led by beautiful PR girls with all you can eat pizza and beer (or so I imagine)? Doesn't it make sense for their the quality of their integrity to NOT take these trips? I'm just curious, you've got the "inside baseball" view. Richard- Another good post. Also, glad to hear Alex S. on the podcast. As to your post– Why are blogs not as susceptible? (I’m really not being argumentative) Is it that they just don’t get as many junket offers and what not? Also, do larger sites like 1up HAVE to preview games at the games company led by beautiful PR girls with all you can eat pizza and beer (or so I imagine)? Doesn’t it make sense for their the quality of their integrity to NOT take these trips? I’m just curious, you’ve got the “inside baseball” view.

]]> By: DjDATZ http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/comment-page-1/#comment-8286 DjDATZ Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:28:59 +0000 http://www.8bitninja.com/2007/12/03/unbridled-insanity/#comment-8286 Look who it is...ME! :D On the fancast part, I'm going to guess it was Dustin, as knowing Knuckles lives in Vancouver, I haven't heard anything on our news about them getting anything other than the usual rain. On the whole Gamespot business, I hear ya, but frankly, I'm not really interested in anything except the overview. I don't care about petty rumours, I just want to see what the end result will be. I don't visit GameSpot much, either, save for the few stories that my Google Reader picks up that I think might be interesting and aren't featured anywhere else. Then, after that, I take that link, go to http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tips/ and submit it as a news tip. Usually it doesn't get featured because someone beat me to it, usually from another site, whether by another tipster, you or Dusty. (Looking at all my tips for X3F, there have only been 3 of 40+ of tips from Gamespot...they don't usually have breaking news...) I know how much impact this COULD have on the gaming news industry...but frankly...I couldn't care much. Nice quality post Rich! Look who it is…ME! :D

On the fancast part, I’m going to guess it was Dustin, as knowing Knuckles lives in Vancouver, I haven’t heard anything on our news about them getting anything other than the usual rain.

On the whole Gamespot business, I hear ya, but frankly, I’m not really interested in anything except the overview. I don’t care about petty rumours, I just want to see what the end result will be. I don’t visit GameSpot much, either, save for the few stories that my Google Reader picks up that I think might be interesting and aren’t featured anywhere else. Then, after that, I take that link, go to http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tips/ and submit it as a news tip. Usually it doesn’t get featured because someone beat me to it, usually from another site, whether by another tipster, you or Dusty. (Looking at all my tips for X3F, there have only been 3 of 40+ of tips from Gamespot…they don’t usually have breaking news…)

I know how much impact this COULD have on the gaming news industry…but frankly…I couldn’t care much.

Nice quality post Rich!

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