IGN wtf?

[Skykid]

So Greg Miller, is this guy a professional games reviewer or just some random guy who's allowed to contribute? I've never read any of his stuff before (I only bother with Eurogamer when it comes to commercial games sites), but this Dead Space 2 review is actually unreal. Who's his boss? Or is this the general quality of IGN's staff writers? It's like something a kid out of high-school would write on his blog.

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/114/1145332p1.html

[njiska]

Sadly that's pretty much IGN these days. Not that i go there often.

[Vyxx]

Yeah, that's IGN on a regular basis.
Pretty sad.

[Skykid]

Wow, really? So this guy is actually an employee then? Like, getting paid and stuff?

I never go to IGN, but that's not out of bias or disdain, just because I don't care about anything they're talking about really. In fact, I don't go to any mainstream review sites much. I have noted that the quality of Eurogamer's journalism is generally (but not always) pretty good.

Is this what most mainstream sites are like then, or just IGN? Isn't IGN the biggest games site in the world, or is that no longer the case?

I thought games coverage had actually come a long way and grown up quite a bit. Dunno where I got that notion from.

[CMoon]

It is terribly written.

[drauch]

"Dead Space 2 is an amazing game. I'm going to write about its scary moments, cool kills, and how much I dig the main character's internal struggle, but Dead Space 2 is about more than this."

-After mom picks me up from the mall.

[cj iwakura]

I'm usually the first to criticize IGN, but they gave 999 a genuinely good review, so they're not all bad.

Just mostly.

[njiska]

Is this what most mainstream sites are like then, or just IGN? Isn't IGN the biggest games site in the world, or is that no longer the case?

Eurogamer is one of the best. 1up is actually pretty good for well thought out reviews as well. Oddly i think some of the best game reviews i've read lately were by Arstechnica. They don't do them often, but when they do they're written to a way higher journalist standard then any games mag.

The important thing to remember when looking at reviews though is how well they're written and how the points are made. Too many people base their opinion of a reviewer or a website off of whether or not he gives scores they agree with. In reality a reviewer should be judged on the quality of their prose and their ability to convey their opinion clearly.

[Skykid]

"Dead Space 2 is an amazing game. I'm going to write about its scary moments, cool kills, and how much I dig the main character's internal struggle, but Dead Space 2 is about more than this."

-After mom picks me up from the mall.

As well as this, I was under the impression it was journalistic suicide to talk about oneself in the first person unless it's a unique opportunity to tell an anecdote or something.

Maybe the copy editors at IGN don't know that, or don't have the heart to tell the guy he writes like a ten year old.

[rancor]

I'm astounded that this writer is a so-called professional, and our forums' own "Mischief Maker" is not.

Alltynex Trilogy Review
http://www.caltrops.com/review0066.php

Sora Review
http://www.caltrops.com/review0065.php

Seriously - is Greg Miller banging the owners daughter or something? The posted article is - at best - early high school writing. It's not even an entertaining read.. I like the game, and it felt like a chore slogging through that.

[njiska]

As well as this, I was under the impression it was journalistic suicide to talk about oneself in the first person unless it's a unique opportunity to tell an anecdote or something.

Maybe the copy editors at IGN don't know that, or don't have the heart to tell the guy he writes like a ten year old.

Absolutely not true. You do want to avoid any reference to yourself when reporting, but for opinion pieces such as editorials and reviews it's perfectly acceptable. After all a review is telling the reader what you think and how you felt experiencing a product, not a factual, technical breakdown. You want your review to have a voice, that's how the reader can know and identify with you. Roger Ebert does it all the time.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

For me personally, the only gaming sites i tend to frequent are Destructoid (which has decent editorials and half decent readership), Rock paper shotgun (for PC stuff) and Siliconera (for japanese games including shmups.)

I quite enjoy those gaming theory Jimquision videos Jim Sterling does at destructiod as its simlar to what Icyclem does at insomnia.ac, exept jims videos are tunge in cheek and get straight to the point unlike Icyclem who seems to have totally lost the plot lately

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

"You can't spell IGNorance without IGN."

[Skykid]

Absolutely not true. You do want to avoid any reference to yourself when reporting, but for opinion pieces such as editorials and reviews it's perfectly acceptable. After all a review is telling the reader what you think and how you felt experiencing a product, not a factual, technical breakdown. You want your review to have a voice, that's how the reader can know and identify with you. Roger Ebert does it all the time.

I suppose it's just personal taste. I find it kind of clumsy, perhaps because I was advised against it once upon a time. There's definitely no set rule to writing, that's the beauty of it, but if there's a skill to subtly making first person references work, Greg Miller ain't got it.

Icyclem

I'm sure you mean Icycalm, so the appropriate response would be AAARGH!

[TrevHead (TVR)]

ahha he is a calm not a clem is he? my bad

[gct]

I suspect it may be in part an effort, or lack thereof, to write using language which the intended audience understands. You more sophisticated folks here may take offense to that, but unfortunately a larger portion of the gaming public might think nothing of it at all. Having seen the comments here before reading the review in question greatly biased me, but I agree that the language used is inappropriate for a professional publication and I stopped reading partway into page 2.

It is one thing to be 'a professional' - someone who is paid to do a job, and another to be 'professional' - someone who maintains a standard of quality and conduct in his work.

[drunkninja24]

I suspect it may be in part an effort, or lack thereof, to write using language which the intended audience understands. You more sophisticated folks here may take offense to that, but unfortunately a larger portion of the gaming public might think nothing of it at all. Having seen the comments here before reading the review in question greatly biased me, but I agree that the language used is inappropriate for a professional publication and I stopped reading partway into page 2.

It is one thing to be 'a professional' - someone who is paid to do a job, and another to be 'professional' - someone who maintains a standard of quality and conduct in his work.

Yeah, but when it reads like a fucking high school (or even middle school) book report, it's kinda ridiculous. I mean, EGM in the 90s probably had a mostly teen/middle school audience, but still had much better writing overall.

[Shatterhand]

You can complain with IGN through their twitter account. Maybe they will read, maybe not.

[Elixir]

The Shmups forum is an amazing forum. I'm going to write about its scary moments, cool posts, and how much I dig Skykid's internal struggle, but the Shmups forum is about more than this. When I read it for the first time, I sat on the couch with my heart racing and dissected the journey I had just taken. Then, I read it again, and when that was done, I jumped into Off-Topic for the third time. Shmups forum is just that good.

[njiska]

I suppose it's just personal taste. I find it kind of clumsy, perhaps because I was advised against it once upon a time. There's definitely no set rule to writing, that's the beauty of it, but if there's a skill to subtly making first person references work, Greg Miller ain't got it.

Like I said it comes down to the quality of writing. You don't fill the article with, "I like this" and "i like that" but you can say things like, "Personally I prefer Auto-Correct as it feels the most like slide control and is the only control option that allows you to vary Reco’s speed."

Examples of my own writing with personal references:
http://njiska.com/2011/01/pc-review-cogs/
http://njiska.com/2010/11/ios-review-mu ... bug-panic/

Both of these articles feel a hell of a lot more professional than that Deadspace review. Not that i'm giving myself praise for being anything more than an average blogger.

[drauch]

The Shmups forum is an amazing forum. I'm going to write about its scary moments, cool posts, and how much I dig Skykid's internal struggle, but the Shmups forum is about more than this. When I read it for the first time, I sat on the couch with my heart racing and dissected the journey I had just taken. Then, I read it again, and when that was done, I jumped into Off-Topic for the third time. Shmups forum is just that good.

Sig worthy.

[Skykid]

I suspect it may be in part an effort, or lack thereof, to write using language which the intended audience understands. You more sophisticated folks here may take offense to that, but unfortunately a larger portion of the gaming public might think nothing of it at all. Having seen the comments here before reading the review in question greatly biased me, but I agree that the language used is inappropriate for a professional publication and I stopped reading partway into page 2.

It is one thing to be 'a professional' - someone who is paid to do a job, and another to be 'professional' - someone who maintains a standard of quality and conduct in his work.

Yeah, but when it reads like a fucking high school (or even middle school) book report, it's kinda ridiculous. I mean, EGM in the 90s probably had a mostly teen/middle school audience, but still had much better writing overall.

I remember the golden era of games mags fondly, but looking back the quality of writing wasn't particularly high. But the audience was a niche market of school kids, so the caliber of journalism didn't have to be particularly impressive, it just had to be fun.
I think Edge was the first magazine I remember that changed this by being a magazine for the industry rather than the schoolboy. They were ahead of the times in hindsight. Even though I didn't (and still don't) dig their clinical approach, they definitely raised the writing standard, and now it's generally accepted that games coverage should attempt to appeal to a very broad audience, both male and female, of all ages and education.
But then I realise IGN is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. With that in mind I don't know why I'm expecting much from Greg Miller.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Personally I don't mind first person writing as such. What I mind is slagging off People Who At Least Tried™ by the People Who Have Never Tried But Have Chosen Nitpicking For Life Instead™ if it makes any sense. So what if the guy is all sappy about the most recent big budget game he just played? If I feel he's doing it just for the heck of baiting, though, it's another matter...

[drauch]

First person writing can be okay, but regardless, I think the main issue here is that an official "editor" on IGN writes like it's his freshman year in high school.

[Skykid]

Personally I don't mind first person writing as such. What I mind is slagging off People Who At Least Tried™ by the People Who Have Never Tried But Have Chosen Nitpicking For Life Instead™ if it makes any sense. So what if the guy is all sappy about the most recent big budget game he just played? If I feel he's doing it just for the heck of baiting, though, it's another matter...

Ahh relax willya. As drauch kindly explained:

the main issue here is that an official "editor" on IGN writes like it's his freshman year in high school.

If threads that discuss and criticise anything except frame rate offend you there's plenty of other topics for debate elsewhere.

[burgerkingdiamond]

IGN is horrible. Their critics have ZERO credibility for me. MGS4 got a perfect score didn't it?

[Obiwanshinobi]

If threads that discuss and criticise anything except frame rate offend you there's plenty of other topics for debate elsewhere.

It's cool, apparently

Dead Space 2 is an upcoming survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.

The "Microsoft Windows" part sounds like they are making it for the PC. Not EVERYTHING is lost, then.

[Skykid]

Dead Space 2 is an upcoming survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.

The "Microsoft Windows" part sounds like they are making it for the PC. Not EVERYTHING is lost, then.

The review is for the PC version.

[Obiwanshinobi]

So, the PC won, eh? Amiga bites the dust, eh? OUCH!

[evil_ash_xero]

That did suck. I don't write actual reviews because my writing sucks, but this would actually give me hope.


But it didn't.