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Totally fresh comments, never canned. . . catch up on all of the community happenings here.
Other Site Blogs
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Reviews Blog
Gears of War: Judgment review-in-progress update
The launch of Gears of War: Judgment is nigh upon us, and though our written and video reviews aren't ready just yet, the review...
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Producer's Note
GameSpot Versus: Beat the Pros Edition Winter 2012 MVP's
GameSpot Versus Beat the Pros Edition is a way for GameSpot members to test their skills against super star pro gamers. From FPS to...
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Rumor Control
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 arriving Nov. 13?
Source: A supposed Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 box art photo posted to the unofficial Modern Warfare 3 Twitter account. What we...
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Downloads Blog
Interested in a challenging yet fun indie turn-based strategy game?
You wake up in an unknown facility, in a medical gown and nothing else. The cold sense of reality sets in; you don't know your...
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Image Viewer Feedback
We've been working on an update to the GameSpot image viewer and would like to share the new in-page image experience. Which of the following set ups would you prefer?
Scenario 1: thumbnails below the image
Scenario 2: thumbnails above the image
Submit your feedback. -
Weekly Report: Springing forward!
Announcements
- GameSpot has a new site blog dedicated to continue coverage of Online games. Stop by to read the first post.
- Need for Speed decals giveaway (US/18+) begins tomorrow. Stop by this thread tomorrow morning to get the scoop about how you can enter the drawing.
- Missing the Reader's choice award emblem? Never fear! Post here from now until Friday, March 13, 2009. After this coming Friday the emblem vault will be closed for this ghetto emblem.
- Emoticons feedback is being considered. Stop to join in on the discussion.Member Spotlight
eajack has written a blog about the different kinds of characters found in games. He asks a variety of questions about why gamers play mute characters in some of our favorite game titles over the past year. Stop by his blog to read more about one-dimensional game characters.
User Reviews:
Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.- Killzone 2 (PS3) by wonderboy_46
- Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS) by nintendofreak_2
- Suikoden III (PS2) by 3KindgomsRandy
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (PC) by Domstercool
- GTAIV: Lost & Damned (360) by NBAmaster33
- Silent Hill (PS1) by Video_Game_King
- Ninety-Nine Nights (360) by zh666Featured Videos
- Banana's don't like chess by certifieddata
- Gabu singing Texas Flood by GabuEx
Honorable mentions: Easy cr0wned achievement by white_sox and Odd Keystone in Twinleaf Town by mastetofthedark.Randomness teh Awesome
- Off-Topic forum topic for this week is the 2009 OTcars Awards Ceremony. The OTcars is the Off-Topic Board's version of the Oscars. Users get a chance to nominate other users in categories like Best GS newcomer, Funniest User and King and Queen of OT.
- Legolas_Katarn recently posted a play by play of what happened in the Halo Wars marathon matches.
- Sackboy goes to Japan is a visual journey created by GameSpot's very own Sophia Tong.Union Activities
The Pokemon League Union is hosting a Diamond and Pearl Tournament. read the rules and sign-up!
Tip of the Week
We recently made an announcement in the Site Enhancement board about copyrighted and watermark user videos being removed from the site. If you have uploaded a video or watched a user video on GameSpot, stop by the thread for some important details .
Until next week! -
Weekly Report: March in with the goodies!
You thought presents were only handed out to everyone during December, right? Well, not if you're a GameSpotter. We would like to roll out as many goodies as we can at times you would least expect it! Post a response to let us know which one of these goodies are your favorite.
Announcements
For those of you with an iPhone, you'll be pleased to hear that a new version has been released. Visit the GameSpot URL while using your iPhone and check it out. I'm told there are capabilities to watch videos! I am now jealous of iPhone owners.
In other news, after about a month of public beta testing the new version of the WYSIWYG text editor has been rolled out on the site.
Last but not least is an experiment suggested by one of our creative users, Elk: Twitter style @reply tracking in the comments. GameSpot's bigethan implemented a way for you to respond to other members through comments. Stop by Ethan's post for further information. And if you have feedback, just let us know.Member Spotlight
EarthThatWas has caused an outbreak of discussion in the community! A variety of editorial blogs continued to pop-up because he got people thinking about downloadable content. He has racked up 83 comment responses since he posted his blog late last week. EarthThatWas also plans to create an ongoing DLC editorial series so stop by his profile and track him for future reads. On a related note, our honorable mentions go out to two other users who have an editorial about the same topic. Read what danny_dm_moore and mprezzy have to say about downloadable content.
User Reviews
Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.
- Infinite Undiscovery (360) by zh666
- Peggle Deluxe (PC) by doctor_kaz
- Stairway to the Destined Duel (GBA) by Robot_Vampire
- Genji: Dawn of the Samurai (PS2) by Setho10
On a related note, 17 GameSpotters received the Top 500 Reviewers emblem and 4 GameSpotters received the Top 100 Reviewers emblem. Check out the User Reviews recommendation thread to see who received the emblem or suggest other user reviews!Featured Videos
- Empire: Total War Video Review - gfile
- Fallout 3 National Guard Armoury Secret - champmanfan (aka wteSmithy)Honorable mentions
- Missile Dodging in Crisis - jstamm33
- Ted DiBiase vs. The Recession - BrianEK
Mod of the MonthEach month GameSpot volunteer moderators send in their votes to the Community Manager over a course of a week. This month's moderator of the month goes to Teufelhuhn. To identify the current moderator of the month,mods have a temporary emblem on their profiles. We think of it as passing around a trophy.
Remember last month's voting thread that gave regular users a chance to vote for who they would have chosen as the moderator of the month? Last month's votes have been tallied and the majority voted for the same moderator that the mods voted for. How's that for questioning the if the volunteer moderators are coosing moderators that deserve a pat on the back? Thanks to everyone who voted, Gabu received a pat on the back from the mods and from other GameSpotters.
Now that we've chosen the moderator of the month for March, stop by this user vote thread and select who you should choose as the mod of the month based on their contributions in the community.
Randomness teh Awesome
- Off-Topic Thread - MOCHIRON_MAN has created a thread entitled Things that make you go hrmmm. Maybe you can answer his question about lightning striking the sea. Do you know why the fish do not die?
- Are Special Retail Game Editions really that special? Check out what OmegaNemesis28 has to say about the recent shooter games.- AK_the_Twilight asks if the DSi will have a GBA. Would you buy the handheld if there was no GBA slot?
- The HotSpot homework emblem was handed jrabbit99 and thedarklinglord.
- Blizzard is welcoming patch feedback from Diablo II players. Stop by the official Battle.net forum to provide feedback that may be included in the next content patch.
PM Jody if you have any cool blogs, threads or images worth being mentioned! Make sure the PM subject title includes random teh awesome.
Union Activities
Gathering of PC Gamers Union has posted a guide that outlines some in-game general tips. Seems that nirmanag is a master of PC gaming knowledge because he plans to make a series about other PC games tips. Also check out his general gaming guide that was written a few weeks prior. Stop by the Union to check out any other happenings.
Tip of the Week
Want to know of ways to avoid getting moderated? This week's tip was written by nocoolnamejim, a GameSpot volunteer moderator. He's been a moderator since late last year and has decided to reach out to GameSpotters by providing a simple list about ways to avoid being moderated.
Below is an annotated version of his blog entitled, Five Simple Steps to Avoiding Moderations.
1. Listen, learn, and don't repeat: The moderation histories are there for you to learn from your mistakes and not continue with the same conduct.
2. Report, don't retaliate. Reporting and ignoring keeps the flaming/trolling user from having content to report you.
3. Right or wrong, the ToU is ALWAYS right. When you accepted the Terms of Use agreement, is intended to protect users and keep the community discussions civil.4. Don't be a rebel. You can be a rebel when playing the games, but GameSpot's community is not the place for it.
5. Remember, we can't hear the tone of your voice, see your body language or read your mind. Be sure to express your feelings or expressions through your text or use the emoticons.
The bold underlined content is his bullet pointed with a few comments from me. You'll want to check out his blog for his helpful information! Using these tips will keep you from getting any bad marks in your moderation history and continue with access on GameSpot.com.
Until next week!
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Weekly Report: Hello, Halo!
There are so many happenings this week. We have a marathon, return of user video categories, user contributions galore and more.
Announcements
- HaloWars Marathon is our first live marathon for the year. The marathon will be held on February 27th at 4:00pm PT until whenever. The marathon will show the gameplay and two GameSpotters will receive a copy of the game early to participate with staff members on the show. Mark your calendars to see the game in action days prior to the release.
- GameSpot is also a part of Youtube and Twitter. If you want to stay connected outside the gamespot.com website, the youtube channel features the recent interviews, features and video reviews. Stop by our GameSpot channel to subscribe, rate and add your favorite videos to watch at a later time. Twitter works a tad differently in the sense that only a couple of the most recent content for the day is mentioned on the GameSpot Twitter. If you're a fan of GameSpot UK you can also follow them as well! I have yet to pester GS AU about getting a twitter going for you Aussies.
- User Video categories have returned. Make sure your user videos have the right category to be filtered properly in the user video listings.
Member Spotlightarcticcop reminds us of the retro days. He may class himself as a middle school gamer, but we think he's still old school if he played some ofthe older generation platforms. Stop by to read his blog entitled, An old school gamers journey….or an older new school? Middle school gamer?
Honorable mention: wonderboy_46 is a very brave soul because he had the courage to admit that he is a Street Fighter series newb.
User Reviews
- Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror (PC) by SuperMooseman
- Bully: Scholarship Edition (360) by bacchus2
- Chrono Trigger (DS) by PAJ89
- Clive Barker's Jericho (360) by celtic1962
- Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS) by Platyphyllum
- Resistance 2 (PS3) by wonderboy_46Featured Videos
- Civ: Revolution Nuke by white_sox
- Brief Street Fighter IV Video Review by M3RC3tHeShOoTeR
Honorable mention: Video Blog Feb 2009 by DouglasBuffoneRandomness teh Awesome
- US vs Canadian Kit Kats blog post by johnsteed7
- Game collection pictures by smbius
- DSaholic images by soulreavercrossUnion Activity
- The Resident Evil Union has been excited about the upcoming release of Resident Evil 5. Stop by their forum to dive into discussion about the game series across many platforms.Tip of the Week
Unions that do not update their front pages with news are subject to be dismissed by potential members. When a newcomer comes across a Union through GameSpot featured listing on the Community page, Forums directory page or another website referral they will notice that the front page not being updated. This will cause a lurker to not even check into the Union any further. I often come across Unions that have no bulletin activity only to find that they are constantly discussing some interesting topics in the Union board.
Consider the following if you are a leader or officer of a Union.
1) You don't understand how the bulletin system works? That is quite alright. You do not have to have daily news. Consider making a weekly, monthly or quarterly update to your front Union page with a bulletin about the cool topics the members have made or the union's topic. For instance, if your Union is about the Halo series, why not post a quarterly what's up with the Halo community post of relevant news? Some Unions like to also post the top threads worth reading.
2) Some leaders become very concerned with how many people are officers and they limit their pool of users willing to keep the Union updated with fresh content. Consider going through your member list to find individuals that are trustworthy veteran members of your Union. If they are active enough they may want to take on keeping your front Union page up to date. Why not promote them from recruit to officer?
3) The Union level bug is a constant problem for you all, we know this. However, that doesn't mean you can't keep your Union up to date and recruit for new members in the Union recruitment forum.
4) If you come across a union that was featured on the community page and has not been updated in a while, drop me a PM with the subject titled 'inactive featured union'. I'll have the union removed from being featured. We want to make sure the active Unions are being displayed so you can definitely help out by reporting the inactive ones.I would say if the front page of the Union has not been updated in a year, it shouldn't be featured.
5) Be sure to post your Union activity for the chance of being mentioned in the weekly report.
Until next week! -
Last call for you Halo fanatics!
We plan to have a Halo Wars marathon on Friday, February 27th at 4:00pm PT. GameSpot staff will select two users to be a part of the live broadcast. We'll hand out a copy of the game early for two individuals who meet the criteria.
Respond before 3pm PT today, February 23, 2009. Those of you who meet the criteria will be emailed with further information. Thanks!
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Weekly Report: taterTOTS?
As many of you know from watching my video, I was investigating (or some would say snooping) to find some answers about the format changes to the On the Spot broadcast. The only clue I found was TOTS. Not many days later, there was a 'previously OTS video' posted with a return date of February 23rd at 3:30pm PT. Notice that date and time as well? Lastly, Ryan Mac Donald also posted a blog about the history of OTS and also hinted about being in the mood for tater TOTS? That's all I have for now. If there are any other details I'll be sure to let you know through the Spam Filter.
Here is this week's report!
Announcements
- The Reader's Choice Awards ended mid last week. The results can be found on any of the subcategory pages of the Best of 2008 feature Additionally, those who voted on multiple subcategories will receive an emblem some time in the next week. Thanks for participating!
- DownLOADED is a new blog about files uploaded on the site. The news blog will feature the top download of the week, indie games spotlight and a weekly wrap of files that were uploaded on the site.
- Community Game Night should be making a return very soon. Kevin recently posted a request for help from the community. We have received a variety of emails from many of you offering to help out. We will follow-up once we have figured out game plan.
Member SpotlightThis week's member spotlight goes to TreyoftheDead for his blog entitled, 'How dare you have fun with that game!' He talks about his childhood experience with fun games and leads up to today's games. One of the questions asked was about how much we no longer notice the fun factor in games. We also have a bonus because Treyofthedead's avatar reminds us to mark our calendars for the upcoming Watchmen film!
Honorable mentions! Elk goes back through time with his blog about retro games; canana gives us a regional look at the real plague in the gaming industry; lastly, vonstalhein reminds us about the invisible walls found in games.
User Reviews
Below is this week's activity from the top 100 and 500 reviewers list.
- The Bouncer (PS2) by grafkhun
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS) by LOLhahaDEAD- SAS: Secure Tomorrow (PC) by Azghouls
- Flower (PS3) by LiKBe sure to give these reviews a thumbs up or down if they have helped you.
Featured Videos
- Fear 2 Project Origin Video Review by makchady. An excellent review worth viewing.
- Zombies! - Whispers In the Dark by DeathByControl. The video displays a variety of games that have zombies in it.Randomness teh awesome
- The HotSpot homework emblem was given to bobbydazzler87.- Off-Topic Thread Alert! Big cats were examined (56k peril!) displays a detailed study of four majestic animals. Did you know that "tigers feed on sand and snow, but never both at the same time"? Or that the mane of a lion "bears a special secret power"? If you didn't, then this thread is for you. Thanks to Hungry_bunny for the tip.
- Have any random suggestions of well thought out discussion posts? PM JodyR with the subject title random teh awesome suggestion.Union Activities
Not much reported this week. Be sure to post any activities in the Union Recruitment sticky thread.
- Soccer Addict Union has a football wars feature that allows members of the Union to take part in a poll. This week they put two strikers from recent past.Tip of the Week
This week's tip will help you keep your community activity on the site completely under your control. We occasionally will come across reports from users who make the assumption that they are being harassed on the site. If you believe that you're being harassed or someone naturally ends up in every post you have on the site consider these tips!
REPORT & IGNORE! You cannot claim that you are being harassed if you are responding to the user causing the harassment. Report the violations if the user is flaming or trolling in your blog, comments or forum posts that you are a part of. Avoid answering any questions or forum posts they have directed towards you. If the harassing user figures out what buttons to push he or she will figure out how to get you to break the rules and they will report you for flaming or trolling them.
TRACKING YOU? People who follow or track you may only be fans of your contributions such as writing style in your reviews, user videos or they find your ideas of interest when you post blogs. Maybe they noticed you had the same game in your collections or that you are playing the same games as them. Either way, users who track other users have the right to do so. This is why we keep FRIENDS and TRACKING separate on GameSpot. If you do not want random people watching your contributions such as blogs and forum posting, set your preferences to allow only your friends to view your profile. To do this go to your preferences and click on Site Settings. We have two settings you can change:
- Who can see my profile and see my site contributions in the mini-feed
- Who can see my blog postings:Mark both of them with 'friends only'.
Example
Note: If you track a user and they track you back they are considered your friend. Make sure the user who is harassing you is not being tracked.
PRIVATE MESSAGING - If there is a user that continues to send you annoying private messages that may not violate the rules, click the IGNORE USER link. If the user is flaming or trolling you through the private messages click to report the offensive message link to report the message as abuse.
Until next week!
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Weekly Report: Hardware staff invasion
In my recent blog I mentioned how I moved my desk over to the editorial area. There is also a bonus video skit I made with Brian, Lark, Justin and Sophia. This week's community report is packed with announcements, communight highlights and links to a variety of staff profiles on the site. Check it out!Announcements
Event Coverage: Last week some of the crew attended the ComicCon in New York. Check out the Work in Progress previews blog for further information.
Site Blogs Index: In other news, we recently launched a Site Blog index page dedicated to our new blogs on the site. You can access the site blogs from the homepage subnav or the features page, as well as the 'see all' links found in multiple blogs. We also plan to roll out another new blog dedicated to downloads later this week!
Wysiwyg editor upgrade: We recently released a beta of the upgrade worth trying out. There are no enhancements, it just looks pretty and has a few functions that were fixed. Stop by the Technical Support board for further information.
Review Emblem returns with a purpose change: As mentioned a few weeks ago, any inactive users who had the top 100 or 500 reviewers emblem were given 2 weeks to update their profiles with a user review to keep the emblem. The inactive writers have had these emblem removed and replaced with a return of the Top 1,000 reviewers emblem. We changed the purpose of the retired top 1,000 reviewers emblem and brought it back with a new meaning. This emblem has been renamed to Grandfathered critic, but emblem design will remain the same. Although these users are no longer active review writers, we wanted to continue to recognize them for their previous efforts on the site..
Community Highlights
GameSpotterof the Week: Sandpiper121PP shares a wealth of information for those of you who want tips for surviving the depression. She goes into details about saving money on entertainment like movies and video games. Honorable blog mentions include Thorpe89 who celebrated 5 yeas on GameSpot and fat_otter who shares some of his hopes for video games in the next decade.
User Reviews: This week's user reviews came from recent activity written by users who have the top 100 or 500 reviewers emblem. You'll notice there is a variety of platforms and a variety of older to recently released games.
- BioShock (PC) by FernandoDANTE
- Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (PC) by -Twilight-
- Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) by Blace_07
- Far Cry 2 (360) by Soulreavercross
- Gears of War 2 (360) by JaMeS4418
- Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (DS) by Azghouls
- Prince of Persia (PS3) by ian_fisher.
- Prince of Persia (PC) by nutcrackr
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (PS2) by argianas
- Silent Hill: Homecoming (360) by Misfit1119
- Tales of Vesperia (360) by celtic1962
Featured User Videos:- GTA IV-Critical Dreaming by dD4679
- MotoGP 2 Fail by -DaNuTz-Honorable mentions
- CoD4 - Me Owning And Getting Owned by cjgangsta
- Mirror's Edge Speed Run: Part 1 by persianlink
- RockBand2 - Blinded by Fear Performance Mode by doom3kjcRandomness teh awesome:
- Emblem Granted! The HotSpot homework was handed out to OptimusPrime, trker91, Donniey21, GamerPhD.
- Off-Topic Thread! Your favorite Martial art topic reminds us all that Street Fighter IV is coming! Friendly warning about some grammar and spelling errors; be nice!
Union Activities:
- League of Reviewers currently has a vote thread of user reviews for the month of January.
- The Legend of Zelda Union consists of nearly 5500 and plans to work towards making the Union even better with the recent leadership change.
- The Mario Kart Club Union recently started plans for a Mario Kart Character voting event.
Tip of the Week: This week is dedicated to those of you who have pestered me over the years! Frequent asked questions include: "who is that new guy, Andre?" / "Please tell Sophia I want to marry her one day; she writes awesome previews." / "What is the username for this editor so I can track him?" / "I would love to see other reviews from my favorite review writer" Below is a list of GameSpot staff from almost every corner of the building. The list only consists of staff members who have updated their blogs at one time or another.
- Editorial: Ricardo Torres (check his feed) / JusticeCovert (check his feed) / Brian Ekberg / Andrew Park / Kevin VanOrd / Guy Cocker / Shaun McInnis / Sophia Tong / Chris Watters / Luke Anderson / Tom Mc shea / Laura Jenner / Randolph Ramsay (check his feed) / Dan Chiappini (check his feed) / Andre Segers (game guide writer)
- News: Tor Thorsen / Brendan Sinclair/ Tom Magrino
- GS Live/Video Content: Ryan Mac Donald/ Takeshi Hiraoka/ Tyler Winegarner/ Jim Maybury (no recent updates) / Justin Porter (no recent updates) / Aaron Sampson / Dan Mihoerck (no recent updates) / Homer Rabara (no recent updates)
- Hardware: James Yu (check feed) / Sarju Shah (check feed)
- Data/Files: Marco Martinez / Kim Cuartero/ Lee Alessi
- Community Staff: Jody Robinson / Alex Sassoon Coby / James Kozza
- Technical/Dev/QA/Other Behind Scene Staff: David Good /Stanley Lin / LarkAnderson / Philip Larson / Steven Ng / Sam Parker / Michael Tougeron / Vincent Lam
Your assignment this week is to start tracking your favorite staff! On a related note, if you check any editorial staff myfeed, it will display their recent site blog posts and reviews. You can also read their reviews on the site by clicking on the review link in their profile.
Customer Support Notice: We have had some Support staff changes so please be patient with them as they learn the ropes.
Until next week!
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Weekly Report: I may run out of word count
I have so much to tell you this week. Here is the latest scoop of all things community.
GameSpot Shows: Check out the GameSpot Live Union for links to the shows.
Featured User Videos (forums directory)
- Goofy, You're Supposed to Die! By TissueShoe
- Gears of War 2 movie preview by 5sonsmom
You all made it tough to choose this week! Here are some additional honorable mentions!
- Video Blog 5 by jediknight52501
- GTA fail 2 by dynam3
- My Top 5 Moments in Fallout 3 by RandomWarrior69
- How to Make Electronic Music by so_haiBlog of the Week: jsmoke03 gets serious about the PlayStation 3 and Killzone2. Read all about it in his blog 'Will Killzone 2 reverse the ps3's fortune?'
Two honorable mentions.
- There Should Only Be Two Consoles by daqua_99.
- One day… by Fobeus. Want something to make you smile? Check out his image.
User Reviews: This week's pick was chosen out of a batch of recent game releases.- Afro Samurai Review by jks22112 (360)
- The Maw by shadygeneral (360)
- Star Ocean: Second Evolution by silentnet (PSP)Note: PS3 players, get writing! Xbox 350 players are writing more reviews than you are.
February Mod of the Month: Congrats to GabuEx!
Who would you have chosen for the Mod of the Month? Each time we post a new mod of the month some of you ask why there isn't a type of users' choice award. Well, we have decided to have a little fun with the mod of the month selections. The moderator of the month will still be chosen by the mods, but the main difference is how everyone gets to participate in voting after we have chosen the mod. Check out the vote thread for the scoop!
Union Activities:
- Gamespot User Video Contest #4 is happening over at the GS User Video Union.- GameSpot User interview with cousin_edd y over at Social Cafe Union.
- More Union activities? Let us know.
Tip of the Week: Have you come across a warning mark in your moderation history about a review? It's your opinion you say. Well, user reviews are based on your opinion, but there are some guidelines to follow. Sometimes that content you posted is better for an editorial blog in your profile. We recently updated the review guidelines form to reflect the purpose of the user reviews. Here is a quick rundown of these guidelines:
- Reviews should be about the game.
- Do not write about a demo or trial of the game, post these in your blog.
- Never played the retail game and only viewed a video or some screens? Post these opinions in your blog.
- The game is awesome or it stinks? Back up your opinions with facts. Merely stating "this game sucks" or "this game is the best" is not enough.Customer Support Notice: If you have sent an inquiry about a moderation issue recently, we have changed the way you will receive a response for moderation concerns. Here are some guidelines to consider.
1. Banned, suspended or pending status – anyone who cannot access the site should contact support. Any inquiries will be answered after all subscription inquiries have been answered.
2. Warnings and Points loss – warnings are marks in your moderation history that are overlooked until you continue with the same conduct. Anyone asking about why they received a warning should ask their question in the Ask the Mod board. The same goes for points loss moderations.
3. Moderator abuse – Staff trained our volunteer moderators to ensure that the Terms of Use agreement is being followed even by them! If you do not understand a moderation, ask your question in the Ask the Mod board (excluding those who are suspended, pending or banned). The only time we will consider an inquiry for moderator abuse is when the user provides examples of proof that a moderator is abusing their moderation privileges and not abiding by the Terms of Use agreement. All other inquiries will not be answered due to the high volume of inquiries we receive for all things GameSpot.Until next week!
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Weekly Report: Oops, I spilt some level juice
Last week we made some revisions to the profile level system. Stop by this community announcement about the profile level changes. Here is this week's report of the latest community happenings on GameSpot.com!
GameSpot Shows: The OTS page was recently updated with news about the show making a return with a new format coming this February. If there are any other details worth sharing, it will be posted in the community news blog! Thanks for your patience. For the rest of the shows check out the GameSpot Live Union for the most recent news, thanks to c_rake's diligent efforts.Featured User Videos (forums directory)
- Random Video Blog by fat_otter; he has returned.
- Halo Suite by DroymacHere are some additional honorable mentions!
- Rocket Up a Cheetah's.. by Andy9Beans
- GTA LCS Day-Night Cycle by overkillers
- Resident Evil 4 Deaths by HelpMe454Blog of the Week: im-a-roustabout addresses some concerns about the recent multiplayer games. This week was a tough tie among three users; these runner-ups didn't fill out their 'about me' page to be featured in the community spotlight, but they still have some interesting blogs worth sharing. jsurfer200 reveals what many Wii owners want, while jrabbit99 has concerns with the recent ban of the child protection act.
User Reviews: This week's selection was pulled from users who have the Top 100 and 500 emblems.
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Review by Platyphyllum
- Dragon Warrior Review by smbius
- X3: Terran Conflict Review by DomstercoolImportant Notice to emblem holders: We plan to do some cleaning early next week. Anyone who has not added a review since December 31, 2007 or earlier will have the 100 or 500 emblem removed from their profiles due to no activity. A courtesy PM will go out to those who have their emblem at risk of being removed. You can avoid having the emblem removed by writing a review.
Randomness teh awesome:
- A Winner is Me! Emblem was awarded to Dayman5 and OptimusPrime for winning in TheHotSpot's homework assignment last week and this coming week.- Beaten games list enhancement idea by lettuceman44. Provide your thoughts in this thread!
Union Activities: I caused a little ruckus in the Union recruitment board last week when I asked Unions members to share their activities.
- Super Smash Brothers Tournament at the Great Nintendo Gamer Union. They have a few more spots open!
- Council Of Unions interviews GameSpot Union leaders. Check out their latest interview with The Gotei 13 Union.
Tip of the Week brought to you by Justin Calvert: Did you know that GameSpot now updates its reviews after they're posted in order to recognize bug fixes and improvements that are made in patches? Our "After the Fact " updates aren't used to detail every single patch and piece of DLC for every single game, but we think they're a great way for us to let you know when, as a result of a patch, the information in our original review is no longer entirely accurate. For example, when Castle Crashers was released on XBLA there were some problems with the game's online play and these were noted in the review . Now that said problems have been addressed, we've posted an After the Fact update on the review page acknowledging this.
Many of our After the Fact updates are posted after readers take the time to let us know about patches and such that we might otherwise have overlooked by emailing afterthefact@gamespot.com. When we receive those emails we verify the information as soon as possible and, if it all checks out, we post the update and award an emblem to the reader or readers who told us about it. The Castle Crashers update, for example, earned an emblem for Jerell_rast.Customer Support Notice: We have received a high volume of users contacting support about digital downloads. While we may be able to assist you with most issues, this one is completely out of our control. Drop by this thread in the Tech Support board to read about a variety of suggestions. You'll definitely find a solution to your digital download problem.
Until next week!
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Minor Profile Level Changes
If you had a GameSpot profile level between 16 to 23, level 46 & 47 and > level 70 you will notice a change in your profile level. We have made some changes to make the levels more fair. Many of you who reached level 20 understood how long it took to finally turn a level. We have changed the points required to achieve levels 16 - 23. This change makes it easier to get to some levels and more difficult for others. If you would like some further details, here is a thorough report from the GS King of Developement, Teivan!If you are curious about ways to level up, stop by the How To GameSpot forum.:Semi-unofficial response:The way that levels are assigned changed somewhat today for users between the levels of 16 to 23, level 46 & 47 and > level 70.
There has been no point loss and the total number of points needed to reach level 23 has not changed. Let me repeat that. There has been no point loss. Only the number of points needed to reach a level has changed.
The back story:
I'm sure by now those of you around (or past) level 20 have heard of how level 20 was called the h*ll level. I don't know the joke or the game, but I've been told that this was a an obscur reference to an older game (if you know which game, please post the link) where level 20 was practically impossible to get past. Over the years the joke stopped being funny and level 20 just became a level on GameSpot that everyone hates.
Over the last couple of months there has been a lot of discussion in the office around levels and how they should be assigned. That hasn't been worked out, but what did come out of it was that we didn't like level 20 either.
What this means:
In order to make level 20 less… well… insert your bad remark about level 20 here… we re-weighted the number of points needed to get past it to levels 16 - 23. This means that some levels are now easier to get to and some are more difficult. For example, you used to be able to go from level 16 to level 17 in a day or two. Now that journey takes a little longer but is not significantly more difficult. Level 20 on the other hand will no longer take 4x as long as going from level 24 to 25.
However, keeping somewhat in the spirit of the original joke, level 20 is still more difficult than the surrounding levels. It just won't drive you nuts anymore.
For those of you already past level 20, please do not get upset. As I mentioned above, the total number of points needed to reach level 23 are exactly the same as before. If it took you 3 years to reach level 23 it will still take the next person 3 years to reach level 23 (assuming they use the site exactly as you did of course).
Level 46/47 are now real levels. Through some sort of typo or long lost break in the fabric of time & space it took 0 points to go from level 46 to level 47. This essentially bypassed the level. This has also been changed.
Level 71 is no longer the max level available. Because of this, level 71 was given a new name so that the new max level can stay the king. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
I can't get into exact details of the required # of points for each level (that'd be cheating) but I hope this helps clarify what is going on.
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Weekly Report: No tacos for you!
Many places in U.S. were closed on Monday in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I had the chance to watch The Rosa Parks Story, which was very inspirational. The downside was craving chicken tacos from a nearby Mexican restaurant. I ended up eating cereal for lunch because the places that were walking distance were closed.
Community Game Night: Tonight's gathering has been canceled; Kevin is still recovering. He plans to post an announcement about the next Community Game Night some time this week.
GameSpot Shows
- GameSpot AU's Crosshairs will make a return on January 22nd! Watch the teaser.
- As for On the Spot, I'll post any information as soon as I can figure out how to pick the lock on the security safe.
Featured User Videos:
- Solitary Man by armydude101
- Humorous Half Life Glitch by doom3kjcBlog of the Week: finalcross is this week's member spotlight. He asks a question that all of us have been asking since the recent changes with some of our favorite print magazines. Check out his blog entitled, Is there an answer for Print Magazines?
User Reviews: Focusing on reviews about the recent game releases for the week of January 11th.
- Moon (DS) by Gacho
- Mirror's Edge (PC) by JustRen
- Mirror's Edge (PC) by sandrockcstm88
- The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Review (360) by Slaughtahouse
- The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Review (360) by shad0wlurK
Tip of the Week: When was the last time you tuned in to TheHotSpot? Have you participated in the weekly homework assignments for a chance to win an emblem? "What, Jody! Are you serious?" Yes, I am awesomely serious and they do give out a special emblem to those who submit the best homework. So, get going! Tune in to the TheHotSpot to hear about how the assignments work.
Customer Support Notice: For those of you who have been experiencing the game list bug this issue has been resolved. Head back to those gamespaces to add those games to your collection!
Until next week!
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Weekly Report: Can't blame me for rocking out
I had planned to post these reports on Mondays during the evening. I am a day late and I blame it on a Rock Band 2 party last night. I'll share a few pictures from the party in my blog later. Here's this week's report.
GameSpot Shows:
- Start/Select plans to go weekly in 2009. You can learn about the scoop by checking out the staff comments on the broadcast page.
- Podcasts galore! TheHotSpot, OzSpot and UK Podcast made a return last week. Listen to the replays.
- On the Spot (GS US) will be back later this month.Event Coverage: Most of you already checked out the CES coverage. Tor Thorsen updated his blog with tons of footage of the event. My favorites include CES 09: EA in PS Home and Tyler and Takeshi at CES 2009.
Community Game Night: Tonight's gathering has been canceled; Kevin is out sick this week. You should send him some get well messages!
Featured User Videos:
- A-Z of Great Gaming Music - C by GameBlender
- Basement Gaming Ep.26: BUZZ! by Banjo_Jake112
Blog of the Week: Wootex is this week's community spotlight. He has been a registrant since 2003 and a friend to many GameSpotters. He was recently looking at games today and comparing them to yesterday. Read all about it in his blog enttield, Looking Forward… Looking Back. He also posted a blog about a hefty list of games he beat in 2008.User Reviews: Focusing on users who started writing already in the New Year, this week's reviewers were pulled from the 'Top 500 Community Reviewers' emblem.
- Azghouls reviewed some oldies and labeled them either good or fair.
- Domstercool reviewed Valkyria Chronicles on the Playstion 3.
- smerlus reviewed Legendary on the Xbox 360.Randomness is teh awesome!
- OTS end of the year winners were recently announced.
- 10 Things to consider: Get your profile in supreme shape for the New Year!
- SoapBox has not had any new user additions in a while. We'll get back in the swing of things in the coming weeks.January 2009 Mod of the Month: GameSpot volunteers are known to help out in the community even until the wee hours just to keep order in the community. Each month the volunteer moderators will vote for a moderator that help other users and moderators. The first moderator of the month for the year goes to Caddy06_88. If you drop by his profile you'll also notice a mod of the month emblem that is given to the mod who reigns for the month. It's kind of like passing around a trophy. Congrats, Caddy!
Tip of the Week: When was the last time you were hunting for a modification, skin, map, or character model for your favorite PC game? Have you tried looking for the file in the GameSpot downloads page? If you notice that a file isn't on the site or you are a creator of custom files, why not let the Data team know? Email them at gsfiles@gamespot.com with the link to the file.
Customer Support Notice: Calling all Total Access and Plus subscribers! If you have been trying to reach support any other route than the customer support form, you may expect a delay in receiving a response. Customer Support does not offer phone or snail mail support. If you need any changes on your account, first start by going to your preferences to make the changes. If you continue to have problems, stop by the support form and let us know what you need.
Until next week!
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10 Things to Consider
GabuEx had a wonderful idea to start off the new year! Why not spice up your profile. His blog gave me some ideas about other things everyone can do to update their profiles.
1. Profile Banner: You can add or swap out your banner in your preferences under the Images section. Update the area titled Banner Image URL.
2. User Icon (also known as an avatar): The icons can be found on the top left corner of your profile and in your forum messages. You can upload or select an image by choosing a category in the dropdown menu. Go to your preferences under the Images section.
3. Blog Description & Header Image: Go to your preferences under the Blog section. There you can upload a blog header image, change your blog name, and add a snazzy description of what your blog will be about.
4. Signature Update: Make sure the URLs are working properly and nothing is outdated. You can find the signature field under the Forums section in your preferences.
5. About Me Page: Maybe you no longer remember what you had years ago and forgot about it. Either way, check to see if your About Me page is accurate. Make these changes in the About Me section under your preferences. Also, if you would like to add a picture of yourself, these changes can be made in the Images section under Profile Image.
6. Game Collections and Currently Playing: Did you get some goodies for Christmas? Add those games to your collection list! Are you still playing that game that was released two years ago? Delete it from the current playing list and add the latest games!
7. Newsletters: Make sure your newsletter subscriptions are what you want, and why not add some that you haven't tried before? You can make these changes under Preferences/Email at any time.
8. Contact Info: Has your e-mail or mailing address changed? When you plan to be a part of a trivia, contest, or giveaway, we go to our records to mail out prizes to you. Make sure your e-mail and mailing address are current.
9. User Reviews: If you have been expressing your opinion about a game and it's almost review worthy, why not create a user review about the game? User reviews have their own page, and they'll be separate from your blog. To write a review, go to the gamespace for the game you are playing and click on the button called REVIEW THE GAME.
10. New Friends! Here at GameSpot it's easy to make friends. Many of the users you mingle with in the forums could be your friends, which will allow you to track their activity on the site. If you go to someone's profile and click the TRACK ME button on the left-hand side menu, this will track the user. If the user tracks you in return, then both of you will become friends. So why not go to your friends page in your profile to see who is tracking you. Track them back and become their friend!
This list is the top 10 to get you started. There are many more things you can do with your profile. Feel free to post any other ideas you have in the comments. -
Weekly Report: Kicking off the New Year
We're back from the winter break with a robust weekly community report about activities happening on the site.
GameSpot Shows:
- On the Spot (GS US) will be back later this month and will bigger, badder and better.
- Start/Select (GS UK) will be back this Friday.
Stay tuned for more information about the rest of the GameSpot shows.Event Coverage: Computer Electronics Show (CES) is around the corner. We'll have an events page later this week.
Community Game Night: GameSpot Game Night #70: Call of Duty: World at War (360 and PS3)
User Videos:
- Doom Achievements Guide by Dysitis
- Remember the name Halo by Raiken56
Congrats to both of you for receiving the emblem entitled, As Seen on GameSpot.Blog of the Week: bacchus2 is this week's community spotlight. He has been thinking about buying or renting games. Stop by to read what he and other GameSpotters have to say in his blog entitled Games: Collect, trade, rent?
User Reviews: Focusing on recent game releases, this week's user reviews were chosen from users who have the 'Top 100 Community Reviewers' emblem.
- Prince of Persia review (360) by grafkhun
- Call of Duty World at War review (360) by Maluigi
- Call of Duty World at War review (360) by Setho10Tip of the Week: Have you come across a user that does not have a user review emblem in their profile, but he or she is a good reviewer? Recommend this user by going to this thread located in the Site Enhancement forum.
Customer Support Notice: If you have contacted support during the holiday break, please expect a minor delay in receiving a response. The offices were closed and we are in the process of catching up. Lastly, if you are disputing a recent moderation please expect a response later in the week. Thanks for your patience during this time.
Until next week!
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Forums now faster
We heart RockMFR! Thanks to his tip, we have dramatically improved the speed of the forums (and GameSpot in general), especially for the users of IE7. If you see RockMFR around town, tell him you think he lives up to his rockin' moniker. -
Community Video Blog #2
We have another edition of GameSpot's community video blog. This video consists of this week's announcements, ways to keep your GameSpot account secure and what you can do in your preferences. Check it out!
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Wide Forums! Contests! Video Blogs!
Hello there, gentle readers! Hopefully you're surviving the busy fall/winter release season with your thumbs fully intact. For those of you with time to come up for air, here's some of the community happenings that you may have missed over the past couple of weeks:
Wide Forums!
Bigger, longer, and uncut, the wide version of our forums launched this Monday. Though mainly a cosmetic change to match the rest of the site, we've sprinkled some additions here and there to enhance your forum-browsing experience. Enjoy the new boards, and if you've got suggestions for us, of course we'd love to hear them! Get thee to the Site Enhancements & Feedback forum and drop your pearls of wisdom.
Community Video Blog!
Join Sondra, Jody and I as we chat on-video about fun stuff going on around the site! Learn helpful tips that will keep you from getting banned! See Sophia's awesome homemade Sackboy! It's so great, we brought cake. (No pie. Get out of here, pie-lovers, you'll have your day when Don video blogs.)
Contests and Emblems!
The end of October saw the conclusion of our first Halloweenmania Scavenger Hunt, and now many users sport the super-attractive emblems of skilled participants. BEWARE THE HALLOWIENER! Those who tuned in to our Gears of War 2 gameplay marathon and enjoyed the resulting bloodbath were provided with… a bloodbath. Doesn't that just look so inviting?
Thanksgiving's coming up soon. Boy, wouldn't that be a good time for another contest, hmm? I wonder…
November Mod of the Month!
Duxup is the winner of this month's award, and it's because he's awesome. There's a distinct possibility that he also bribed the voters with delicious candy, but we're pretty sure he's awesome. He helps keep the community clean for you and has done so for some time, so give him props!
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Beta and emblems and modlings, oh my!
We've been busy as bees in community-land lately, working on various projects to make your time on GameSpot even more spiffy. Some behind the scenes, some in the scenes, and some adjacent to the scenes that you might not have seen before. Madness!
GameSpot Forum Beta
This has been in full swing for some days now, showing off our forums kitted out to match the rest of GameSpot Wide. If you haven't already, please check out the beta at http://beta.gamespot.com/forums/index.html and tell us what you think of the forums embiggened. Quick note--if you're missing your profile summary on the beta site, don't worry, as it'll be making its return really soon.Emblem Explosion!
It's new emblem insanity! We've got emblems for those who watched our Little Big Planet gameplay marathon (there were some code hiccups with the award mechanism for these, but don't worry, they're coming!), emblems for GameSpot's HotSpot and sports podcasts, a sweet Sunday Driver emblem for our habitual GameSpot chatters who get together to game, and not one but TWO Sackboy emblems from a UK contest. It's like emblem fever, and everyone's caught it!
New Community Moderators
Power to the people! We've brought some new community volunteer moderators on board, to protect and to serve. Valiantly they shield you from the nefarious internet elements that attempt to interfere in our lovely community. Conscientiously they moderate violations. Also, they are snuggably soft. Welcome them:
Cube_of_MooN, Hungry_bunny, SophinaK, and Teufelhuhn! -
Holiday Banners Bundle Activity
We have nine more days left for GameSpot Live's holiday themed banner contest. The current submissions have been excellent! If you haven't submitted your banners yet, stop by this thread for further details. -
Ultimate Street Fighter Showdown
Every year, GameSpot tries something new by hosting a live event that will take you away from your desk or couch. We have recently announced a live event for the Street Fighter series. The live event will be held in San Francisco and will host two Street Fighter tournaments. You can also expect to see arcade and console systems to play other old school Street Fighter games. If you're interested in attending the event, stop by this page for further details. The event is free!
If you can't stop by San Francisco on September 30th, we still have Community Game Night happening. The game will be Street Fighter 2 HyperFighting on the Xbox 360. We'll follow-up with further instructions on how to play other players at the event for those of you who will be playing from home. In the meantime, if you can get out to San Francisco, be sure to pre-register for a spot! You can also register at the San Francisco location but pre-registration gives you a guaranteed spot.
For those of you who would like to participate in the tournaments, this will only be at the San Francisco location. With $2,500 in tournament prizes at stake attendees will have two chances to win something.
