Editorial NMA complains about media whores

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks

<a href=http://www.nma-fallout.com>NMA</a> has written an <a href=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=37708>article</a> dedicated to professional gaming journalism.
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<blockquote>The (p)reviews were unanimously impressive, generally a sign of a durably classic or alternatively a good game that'll wow you out of your pants the few times you play it. I can't claim my personal experience playing through Oblivion matched up with what I had read in the previews or reviews. More importantly, there's something odd that's been going on more recently, concerning this title.
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The first sign of a paradigm shift on the horizon was PC Zone's top 101 games of all time (ref), where they placed Morrowind (#4) above Oblivion (#13) with the note Ooh, aren't we controversial? Yes, but constant bickering among the PCZ team has left the Vvardenfell lobby victorious. The argument runs thusly: Morrowind is a better game than Oblivion, if only for the things that Bethesda sacrificed in their pursuit of making the latter that bit more action-orientated.
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That looks odd when you compare it to the opening of their review of Oblivion (ref): Magesterial. That's the word we're looking for. Morrowind can take the plaudits for laying the groundwork and scrubbing out the rules of location linearity in role-playing, but The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion takes that model, streamlines it, seamlessly integrates exhilarating combat, smothers it in beautiful graphics and takes both Tamriel and the art of role-playing to an unprecedented new height.
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Where the faces in Oblivion sometimes looked a bit mushed and repetitive, those in Fallout 3 have much more lifelike detail. - IGN on Fallout 3 (ref)
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Actually engaging NPCs in conversation is absolutely impressive - IGN on Oblivion (ref)
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Now, environments looking fantastic in a Bethesda game aren’t exactly new: both Morrowind and Oblivion had fantastical environments, though the characters themselves looked a bit off; not so in Fallout 3. - RPGFan on Fallout 3 (ref)
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Character models are well-drawn and animate with a surprising amount of grace and fluidity. Lips move in synch with speech. Eyes blink, facial expressions change, clothes move. All in all, the characters look strikingly real (save for the fact that most of them look like they have no teeth when they talk…a minor quibble) - RPGFan on Oblivion (ref)
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Without quoting further, a strong impression is left that Oblivion, universally praised as a perfect reinvention of role-playing, has suddenly been demoted to nothing more than a springboard for Fallout 3.</blockquote>Unfortunately, it's a <a href=http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3751>common problem</a> these days.
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Tech TV NWN review: The 60-hour campaign included with "NWN" isn't superfluous. It's long, bold, and features the kind of slick storytelling BioWare is known for. You can create any character race and class you like and immediately you're immersed in the story line.
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Tech TV SoU review: Lame. Dull. These are words that come to mind when we think of the single-player adventure released with the original "Neverwinter Nights" title.

 

[Naked Ninja]

Tech TV NWN review: The 60-hour campaign included with "NWN" isn't superfluous. It's long, bold, and features the kind of slick storytelling BioWare is known for. You can create any character race and class you like and immediately you're immersed in the story line.

Tech TV SoU review: Lame. Dull. These are words that come to mind when we think of the single-player adventure released with the original "Neverwinter Nights" title.

Thats...pretty two faced. I also remember there being praise for NWNs awesome graphics. Someone was high on the smell of freshly printed money that time, that's for sure.

 

[spacemoose]

the codex should compile all the instances of this hype-to-the-sky upon release, then admit flaws once a sequel/expansion comes out business into a feature. call it "the janus of video game journalism"

make a news post asking for submissions of shenanigans like this. should be interesting

 

[Brother None]

Yeesh, why didntcha provide those quotes when I asked for them, VD.

Yeeesh, man, yeesh

 

[Volrath]

Good article.

We'll definitely see the same trend when TESV is released after FO3

 

[Vault Dweller]

Yeesh, why didntcha provide those quotes when I asked for them, VD.

Yeeesh, man, yeesh

I PM'ed them to you. Did you check the first link?

 

[Brother None]

For shits you did. Why didn't I include that?

My bad.

 

[aries202]

Didn't we have this discussion a while back :
Anyway, yes, it happens. And people being critical of games, tv-shows, etc. risk not getting invited to game previews or movie previews etc. But so be it.

No game, in my book deserves a 98% rating, since this is saying this game is near perfection and can't be made any better. You can always make any game better, always...

 

[Monolith]

It can't be pointed out too often. At least until it changes. And this won't happen without some pressure. Or never.

 

[Sonic The Hedgehog]

Good call, Morrowind was infinitely better than Oblivion and people still called it the greatest ever. And now what are they playing? Not Oblivion, that's for sure.

 

[SimpleComplexity]

Or never.

vote communism.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Good call, Morrowind was infinitely better than Oblivion and people still called it the greatest ever. And now what are they playing? Not Oblivion, that's for sure.

Will you get that fucking page-stretching URL out of your sig, http://tinyurl.com/ is your friend

 

[Sonic The Hedgehog]

Will you get that fucking page-stretching URL out of your sig, http://tinyurl.com/ is your friend

*salutes*

 

[Joe Krow]

There's always the "held up better" loophole. "Oblivion was the better game but Morrowind held up better over time." This way they are forgiven for hyping the shit out of a game on release and can still take an objective position in the long-term. It's bullshit, of course, but when has that stopped them before?

 

[stargelman]

Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?

Translation:
What do I care about my stupid blathering from [b[yesterday[/b]?

 

[fastpunk]

Media whores fighting media whores! Niiiiice!

 

[OSK]

Good article. I think more people need to read this.

 

[cuthbert]

I remember one of the pc magazines (if I find it I'll post it) giving nwn a 6/10 but then they added 2 points because of the possibilities of the campaign editor. Even then I knew they were trying not to displease bioware (for a good standing for exclusives maybe?) and gave nwn a sympathy score instead of being a critical review and showing some integrity.

 

[hotdognights]

I remember one of the pc magazines (if I find it I'll post it) giving nwn a 6/10 but then they added 2 points because of the possibilities of the campaign editor. Even then I knew they were trying not to displease bioware (for a good standing for exclusives maybe?) and gave nwn a sympathy score instead of being a critical review and showing some integrity.

I actually think this isn't an entirely unfair review.

NWNOC and HoTU were both utterly dismal(I kinda liked parts of SoU), but the custom content really did turn out to be excellent for the game. I was amongst those skeptical of Bio's "toolset, not game" spin on NWN's release, but this design theme actually panned out. Still, it's a pretty big gamble for a reviewer to give a game extra points based on potential future content.

Compare that to Bethesda, who expects gamers not just to create their own content with their toolset, but fix design flaws(not bugs) with it. This has led to the incredibly stupid position amongst all gamers of, "if you don't like it, mod it."

 

[kris]

If I had a penny for every time gamespy said (3 years later):

"this game was very hyped and we must admit that we also did"

Though it wouldn't surprise me if they don't even wanna call out on that anymore.

 

[cuthbert]

hotdognights wrote:

I actually think this isn't an entirely unfair review.

NWNOC and HoTU were both utterly dismal(I kinda liked parts of SoU), but the custom content really did turn out to be excellent for the game. I was amongst those skeptical of Bio's "toolset, not game" spin on NWN's release, but this design theme actually panned out. Still, it's a pretty big gamble for a reviewer to give a game extra points based on potential future content.

Compare that to Bethesda, who expects gamers not just to create their own content with their toolset, but fix design flaws(not bugs) with it. This has led to the incredibly stupid position amongst all gamers of, "if you don't like it, mod it."[/QUOTE]



So we're supposed to give a higher score for future potential? Does that mean half-life deserves a 12/10 because someone might create a absolutely great mod (counter strike) or maybe VTM: bloodlines should get a 10/10 because fan patches may fix it later on? A reviewer has to review whats in front of him not what's it might turn into later or promises of a developer and their products potential (starwars galaxies anyone?).

 

[hotdognights]

So we're supposed to give a higher score for future potential? Does that mean half-life deserves a 12/10 because someone might create a absolutely great mod (counter strike) or maybe VTM: bloodlines should get a 10/10 because fan patches may fix it later on? A reviewer has to review whats in front of him not what's it might turn into later or promises of a developer and their products potential (starwars galaxies anyone?).[/quote]

No, but if a reviewer actually took a look at the toolset and its flexibility and user-friendliness, I think that's a legitimate basis to make a score on.

 

[Claw]

the codex should compile all the instances of this hype-to-the-sky upon release, then admit flaws once a sequel/expansion comes out business into a feature. call it "the janus of video game journalism"

make a news post asking for submissions of shenanigans like this. should be interesting

That would make a great daily feature, like a quote of the day.

 

[Claw]

Morrowind can take the plaudits for laying the groundwork and scrubbing out the rules of location linearity in role-playing

It can?

 

[cuthbert]

hotdognights

[/quote]No, but if a reviewer actually took a look at the toolset and its flexibility and user-friendliness, I think that's a legitimate basis to make a score on.[/quote]

No it wouldn't because as a whole it would be a positive reason weighed against the negatives on whether to buy the game and not a separate mitigating factor. There are many games that come out with sdk kits but does that make the product better?, no of course not. Bioware decided to package the game with tool kits from the start to foster a game community and ultimately the longevity of nwn but neither they nor the reviewer knows the day the game launches if it will be an overall plus in the future. That is why you can't really change the overall score on something that might not even be used by the consumer and just review what is in front of you.