Saying the reviews are biased... OF COURSE THEY ARE!
They are biased because it is the OPINION of someone else, alongside with some FACTS.
And this is essential to any and all reviews, otherwise you would be bored because it would be like you were reading a technical sheet out of the QA team of the Developer!
I will give you an example of how these things differ:
Opinion A:
- Game "INSERTNAMEHERE" is tediously grindy, it is boring to do all those daily quests "every day"
Opinion B:
- Game "INSERTNAMEHERE" has a lot to do, you have all these different quests and achievements to do everyday, so you dont get bored easily.
Facts:
- In Game "INSERTNAMEHERE" you have to collect X amount of tokens in order to buy a piece of set gear. This can be done either by doing Dungeons or by doing the Daily quests and achievements. The amount of tokens you get varies, Dungeons offer you Y tokens and doing quests offers you X tokens.
See the difference?
In every review you will have a mix of OPINIONS and FACTS. It will ALWAYS be biased because every individual testing the game will see things differently.
But a good review, and the reason I am still coming back after all these years, is that this website reviews tend to have good to read/funny/meme worthy BIASED opinions AND facts!
If it was only one or the other it would probably be dull and I would have not been here all this time.
I personally come back for the users I respect. There's quite a few of them, and if you're among my favorites, it's probably obvious to you (cheers, Frenchie). But even some of the users with whom I often disagree (namely Torval and DMKano) have my respect and regard.
I can count on one hand the users that I actually have problems with (edit: a certain lol-spammer who won't go away obviously being one of them), and that's fairly remarkable. It's a pretty healthy forum.
Gdemami, helping us all get to Legendary status that little bit faster.
I saw where he once missed the LOL button and accidentally hit Awesome. Any coincidence that the reaction counter was broken for awhile today?
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
It's not what it used to be, all I see are biased posts and sponsored content.... You can lie about it, but it's still there...
So here's a thought, you are basically making a claim that no one can defend against. if you don't like what they say you can easily say they are selling out AND they are lying no matter what.
Couldn't we do the same about you? You are from other sites, other developers and you are here to sew discord/disparage the games on this site. You can lie about it but we know it's true.
there you see?
It's ridiculous.
It doesn't foster good discussion and just seems like a dysfunctional way of operating.
Do they have sponsored content? Yes absolutely. They do mark it as such.
Some people have had issue as to where that message is located and it seems that is more about growing pains than anything else. Lately you see it in the title.
Other than that I have no problem accepting that people have different tastes and that not everyone has to see eye to eye on everything. Just because you have your own tastes and disagree with people from the site doesn't mean that these people are being paid to put one over on you.
Because that's a seems bit paranoid. Unless of course you truly paid to attack columnists and other games.
Unfortunately that is today's culture where there is no real middle ground. You're either with us or against us. Something in the middle isn't allowed. Extremism is alive and well with the rest of us stuck in the middle watching it all come down.
I'm not an IT Specialist, Game Developer, or Clairvoyant in real life, but like others on here, I play one on the internet.
I personally come back for the users I respect. There's quite a few of them, and if you're among my favorites, it's probably obvious to you (cheers, Frenchie). But even some of the users with whom I often disagree (namely Torval and DMKano) have my respect and regard.
I can count on one hand the users that I actually have problems with (edit: a certain lol-spammer who won't go away obviously being one of them), and that's fairly remarkable. It's a pretty healthy forum.
Cheers, sir!
And I agree, I come here because I like the folks (even ones I argue with, sometimes moreso because I can argue with them without it becoming more than what it is- heated debate) that post here.
That also includes the staff here, and I make no apologies for that. Tim's articles are a hoot, Suzie's sass is impeccable, and Bill has always struck me as a genuinely good guy, just to name a few.
But, if I'm being honest, the number one reason I continually come here, is because if I didn't, my bestest online frann would miss me... Isn't that right, @Gdemami?
I personally come back for the users I respect. There's quite a few of them, and if you're among my favorites, it's probably obvious to you (cheers, Frenchie). But even some of the users with whom I often disagree (namely Torval and DMKano) have my respect and regard.
I can count on one hand the users that I actually have problems with (edit: a certain lol-spammer who won't go away obviously being one of them), and that's fairly remarkable. It's a pretty healthy forum.
Cheers, sir!
And I agree, I come here because I like the folks (even ones I argue with, sometimes moreso because I can argue with them without it becoming more than what it is- heated debate) that post here.
That also includes the staff here, and I make no apologies for that. Tim's articles are a hoot, Suzie's sass is impeccable, and Bill has always struck me as a genuinely good guy, just to name a few.
But, if I'm being honest, the number one reason I continually come here, is because if I didn't, my bestest online frann would miss me... Isn't that right, @Gdemami?
I should say that my good feelings do extend to the staff. Especially Susie, who is always a delight to interact with, and Tim, who I haven't seen much of, but seems to have a real sense of humble integrity to him. And Bill's a great guy, provided that the Anet/Jessica Price debacle is far behind us.
It's not what it used to be, all I see are biased posts and sponsored content.... You can lie about it, but it's still there...
You do realize that its literally impossible to review something without bias right? Reviews are literally just explanations of your opinions on something and your reason for holding those opinions.
Edit: nevermind. I see a couple people seem to believe reviews are supposed to be based on... Cold unfeeling science i guess? This is basically the mentality that anything they agree with is objective but anything they dont like is either biased or shilling.
I don't think it's "impossible" to review something without bias. There are plenty of things about a game that can be covered without bias.
Reporting on bugs or features or performance they encountered during their playtime are quite unbiased, though potentially localized to their own experience/machine.
Did a game have functional co-op? Did it work without lag/disconnects?
Were there graphical glitches all over the place? Were animations funky with characters sliding around? And, so on...
The one thing that is impossible to cover without bias is "fun".
When they use "scores" in reviews, it's hard to keep bias completely out, because everyone tends to view those scales differently.
I think it's ridiculous when an awful game or movie gets a 7/10 and no one seems to ever go lower. The scale might as well just be 1-4 or something, if you aren't going to use 60% of the possible outcomes. But, all reviewers tend to stick to that small region of the ratings scale.
The catch with unbiased reviews, of course, is that they are likely to be more technical and stiff/boring.
Maybe the solution is to break all reviews in half. Cover all the stuff that bias plays no part in, such as how systems work, game issues, etc., and have a separate section that covers their personal reviews/enjoyment/anecdotal stories.
Personally, I have no trouble picking those things apart, but others seem to go crazy over it.
It's not what it used to be, all I see are biased posts and sponsored content.... You can lie about it, but it's still there...
You do realize that its literally impossible to review something without bias right? Reviews are literally just explanations of your opinions on something and your reason for holding those opinions.
Edit: nevermind. I see a couple people seem to believe reviews are supposed to be based on... Cold unfeeling science i guess? This is basically the mentality that anything they agree with is objective but anything they dont like is either biased or shilling.
I don't think it's "impossible" to review something without bias. There are plenty of things about a game that can be covered without bias.
Reporting on bugs or features or performance they encountered during their playtime are quite unbiased, though potentially localized to their own experience/machine.
Did a game have functional co-op? Did it work without lag/disconnects?
Were there graphical glitches all over the place? Were animations funky with characters sliding around? And, so on...
The one thing that is impossible to cover without bias is "fun".
When they use "scores" in reviews, it's hard to keep bias completely out, because everyone tends to view those scales differently.
I think it's ridiculous when an awful game or movie gets a 7/10 and no one seems to ever go lower. The scale might as well just be 1-4 or something, if you aren't going to use 60% of the possible outcomes. But, all reviewers tend to stick to that small region of the ratings scale.
The catch with unbiased reviews, of course, is that they are likely to be more technical and stiff/boring.
Maybe the solution is to break all reviews in half. Cover all the stuff that bias plays no part in, such as how systems work, game issues, etc., and have a separate section that covers their personal reviews/enjoyment/anecdotal stories.
Personally, I have no trouble picking those things apart, but others seem to go crazy over it.
I've said this a few times in other threads, but I think the solution is short blurbs or mini-reviews from other MMORPG staff members.
I'm not suggesting that everyone on staff should play each game, but there are bound to be times when multiple staff members do. Maybe Susie or Tim also played Fallout 76. Maybe their opinion is different, maybe it isn't. If they played it and have an opinion they would like to share, they could just plop it into the bottom, and add more nuance to the review. Maybe that opinion is a counter to the review, or maybe it agrees and simply adds a little more personal experience. Either way, value is had.
Use this site and its varying perspectives to your advantage, MMORPG.
What led to this article? It sounds like you posted something, got blasted for it in the comments (because that's what happens when you post things on the Internet), and are now all defensive about it.
I realized long ago that MMORPG was bought by the companies. I'm here anyway. It's how you make your money. Although the so called 'giveaways' have become a colossal joke. I'm here to keep up on new released and occasionally take part in the fan conversation. But I post a tiny fraction of what I used to. Most of us are aware that pretty much anyone can be bought.
Oh please, whisper your suspicions to my wallet because it begs to differ.
I have been here for almost a decade (December 2009!) and I can tell you that we haven't changed one bit editorially, though writers have come and gone, as have users. I'm sure if you were inclined, you could go back 10, 12, 14 years and find the same accusations because people like conspiracy theories.
In the meantime, we'll just keep doing what we do with our integrity intact.
You could make that case for the game coverage. But 10 years ago, you didn't have today's editorial slant that all hardware is awesome and deserves a glowing review.
Quizzical said: What led to this article? It sounds like you posted something, got blasted for it in the comments (because that's what happens when you post things on the Internet), and are now all defensive about it.
Quizzical said: What led to this article? It sounds like you posted something, got blasted for it in the comments (because that's what happens when you post things on the Internet), and are now all defensive about it.
I really like this website despite not always agreeing with opinion pieces and seeing occasional erroneous information. You guys generally make up for it with ethical games journalism and not talking about political / sjw (*cough* Massively *cough*) / anti-sjw agendas, ect. I respect that a lot and it is why I have been here for over a decade. We might have an incredibly cynical community, but it is one of the best out there if you ask me.
Some games reviewed in beta, some weeks after release, some the next day. I will never forget Bill saying “if they are charging they are released”, then proceeding to review my beloved Wushu.
I remember being banned weekly it seemed when I was basing the hell out of GW2. Talking about their gambling boxes, gold for in game currency and such.
What I’m getting at is no matter how you slice it money seems to influence how a mmorpg is handled. If a certain person, who bashed the hell out of a certain game this author’s artical is addressing, did the same to GW2 while it was being developed, that certain person would have been perma banned by the powers that be.
I still love the site, but I’ve been around far to long, read far to many post, been banned far to many times to be told “money has nothing to do with coverage”.
There is a difference between having a bias and pushing an agenda. both the editors and readers of this site all have some type of bias. This is fine.....your allowed to like/dislike things more then other things. The problem is when people start pushing their agenda on other people. The media as a whole has this issue. BUT.....
Id say this site has actually improved a lot over the years and is acceptable in its presentation.
Some games reviewed in beta, some weeks after release, some the next day. I will never forget Bill saying “if they are charging they are released”, then proceeding to review my beloved Wushu.
I remember being banned weekly it seemed when I was basing the hell out of GW2. Talking about their gambling boxes, gold for in game currency and such.
What I’m getting at is no matter how you slice it money seems to influence how a mmorpg is handled. If a certain person, who bashed the hell out of a certain game this author’s artical is addressing, did the same to GW2 while it was being developed, that certain person would have been perma banned by the powers that be.
I still love the site, but I’ve been around far to long, read far to many post, been banned far to many times to be told “money has nothing to do with coverage”.
More than likely you were banned because of the way you were talking to other posters when you were bashing GW2.
I'm one of the oldest members of this site (that still uses it), I've been using this site longer than the people that now run it and I've seen it all too. I even have a warning on my profile right now.
From everything I've seen others get banned for and the things I was banned for in the past.. I can say without a doubt that it wasn't because of what they were saying, it was the way they were saying it. You included.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Quizzical said: What led to this article? It sounds like you posted something, got blasted for it in the comments (because that's what happens when you post things on the Internet), and are now all defensive about it.
If this whole article is in response to one developer not liking one article that you wrote, then you need a thicker skin. I hope that's not the case.
You've been around long enough and often enough to know Tim's articles are pretty much always a stream of his personal consciousness. Many of his articles build off of one another, and this one is no different.
I don't think Tim was sitting around all week trying to figure out how to redeem himself in the eyes of Caspian like this:
i've been visiting this site on a daily-weekly basis since 2004 hype for WoW vs EQ2.
i don't post much. don't care to. i come here to read, but this article prompted me to show my support.
please keep doing what u r doing.
please keep the topics to games.
please continue to keep political activism out of your articles.
don't pander to the few who will attempt to drag people into political arguments. in today's world of social media, somehow screaming comments or sharing thoughts about anything and everything has been confused with virtue.
please steer clear of the bandwagon of hate that makes laps around the internet.
i applaud you for stating facts and not just unknowingly spewing biased opinion.
in the end, avoiding these traps will keep the community much more united and on topic than caving to a deranged sense of virtue.
I don't really understand what this article is all about and that's a consistent problem with too many articles. I want to like this site but I've just read too many amateurish articles. Over time I've come to the conclusion that many are written by gamers who really do want to be writers, and I can appreciate that. I don't know if I'd go so far as calling it "sponsored", although that is what I'm told by my trusted gaming friends. If it's not sponsored, it does often read like it is. Or at least there's too many literacy problems in the writing to call it consistently professional.
Comments
Saying the reviews are biased... OF COURSE THEY ARE!
They are biased because it is the OPINION of someone else, alongside with some FACTS.
And this is essential to any and all reviews, otherwise you would be bored because it would be like you were reading a technical sheet out of the QA team of the Developer!
I will give you an example of how these things differ:
Opinion A:
- Game "INSERTNAMEHERE" is tediously grindy, it is boring to do all those daily quests "every day"
Opinion B:
- Game "INSERTNAMEHERE" has a lot to do, you have all these different quests and achievements to do everyday, so you dont get bored easily.
Facts:
- In Game "INSERTNAMEHERE" you have to collect X amount of tokens in order to buy a piece of set gear. This can be done either by doing Dungeons or by doing the Daily quests and achievements. The amount of tokens you get varies, Dungeons offer you Y tokens and doing quests offers you X tokens.
See the difference?
In every review you will have a mix of OPINIONS and FACTS. It will ALWAYS be biased because every individual testing the game will see things differently.
But a good review, and the reason I am still coming back after all these years, is that this website reviews tend to have good to read/funny/meme worthy BIASED opinions AND facts!
If it was only one or the other it would probably be dull and I would have not been here all this time.
/salute MMORPG
New players can get a welcome package and old/returning players can also get a welcome back package and 7 days free subscription time! Just click here to use my referral invitation
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Unfortunately that is today's culture where there is no real middle ground. You're either with us or against us. Something in the middle isn't allowed. Extremism is alive and well with the rest of us stuck in the middle watching it all come down.
I'm not an IT Specialist, Game Developer, or Clairvoyant in real life, but like others on here, I play one on the internet.
And I agree, I come here because I like the folks (even ones I argue with, sometimes moreso because I can argue with them without it becoming more than what it is- heated debate) that post here.
That also includes the staff here, and I make no apologies for that. Tim's articles are a hoot, Suzie's sass is impeccable, and Bill has always struck me as a genuinely good guy, just to name a few.
But, if I'm being honest, the number one reason I continually come here, is because if I didn't, my bestest online frann would miss me... Isn't that right, @Gdemami?
I'm not suggesting that everyone on staff should play each game, but there are bound to be times when multiple staff members do. Maybe Susie or Tim also played Fallout 76. Maybe their opinion is different, maybe it isn't. If they played it and have an opinion they would like to share, they could just plop it into the bottom, and add more nuance to the review. Maybe that opinion is a counter to the review, or maybe it agrees and simply adds a little more personal experience. Either way, value is had.
Use this site and its varying perspectives to your advantage, MMORPG.
I remember being banned weekly it seemed when I was basing the hell out of GW2. Talking about their gambling boxes, gold for in game currency and such.
What I’m getting at is no matter how you slice it money seems to influence how a mmorpg is handled. If a certain person, who bashed the hell out of a certain game this author’s artical is addressing, did the same to GW2 while it was being developed, that certain person would have been perma banned by the powers that be.
I still love the site, but I’ve been around far to long, read far to many post, been banned far to many times to be told “money has nothing to do with coverage”.
Id say this site has actually improved a lot over the years and is acceptable in its presentation.
I'm one of the oldest members of this site (that still uses it), I've been using this site longer than the people that now run it and I've seen it all too. I even have a warning on my profile right now.
From everything I've seen others get banned for and the things I was banned for in the past.. I can say without a doubt that it wasn't because of what they were saying, it was the way they were saying it. You included.
I don't think Tim was sitting around all week trying to figure out how to redeem himself in the eyes of Caspian like this:
i don't post much. don't care to. i come here to read, but this article prompted me to show my support.
please keep doing what u r doing.
please keep the topics to games.
please continue to keep political activism out of your articles.
don't pander to the few who will attempt to drag people into political arguments. in today's world of social media, somehow screaming comments or sharing thoughts about anything and everything has been confused with virtue.
please steer clear of the bandwagon of hate that makes laps around the internet.
i applaud you for stating facts and not just unknowingly spewing biased opinion.
in the end, avoiding these traps will keep the community much more united and on topic than caving to a deranged sense of virtue.