GameSpot Mobile Channel Opens...with Mobile Reviews

  • By AndrewP, GameSpot
  • Posted Oct 6, 2009 5:26 pm PT

Hi everyone. You may have noticed that GameSpot has opened up a new mobile games channel. We'll be starting off covering games for five major operating systems: iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm WebOS for the Pre, Google Android, and Windows Mobile. We are covering mobile games in response to the huge...

Hi everyone. You may have noticed that GameSpot has opened up a new mobile games channel. We'll be starting off covering games for five major operating systems: iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm WebOS for the Pre, Google Android, and Windows Mobile. We are covering mobile games in response to the huge growth we've seen in mobile gaming, particularly in the case of the iPhone, which has thousands of games to play on the App Store. The site itself is intended to be community-focused and powered by your opinions, so please feel free to dive in, discover new games, and submit your own thoughts on your favorite (and not-so-favorite) games in a reader review.

And yes, with a new site comes some new GameSpot reviews of mobile games. Keep in mind we're not looking to cover every single mobile game on the planet right now, which is why you'll see GameSpot's reviews appear in a limited fashion on the site. This is because the world of mobile games is both enormous and constantly changing, so rather than focus on every last little detail, we're instead working to bring you coverage on the most important developments and absolute best of the best top games in the world of mobile gaming, to help you cut through all the clutter and zero in on the good stuff, and on the stuff you should know about. So, we're starting off GameSpot's mobile reviews covering a combination of both the absolute best in mobile games and also the highest-profile mobile games you may have heard the most about...the two are not always exactly the same. (And so, if you're wondering why your favorite mobile game wasn't covered, this would be why. Please do feel free to leave your own thoughts in a reader review for that game in the meantime.)

To this end, we've enlisted help from a content partner site, SlideToPlay.com, a site that fully focuses on covering mobile games, to help us with our reviews. Note that although the reviews are coming from a different source, they are still edited and checked by GameSpot's editors to be consistent with our site's standards of quality and consistency. Also, please note that GameSpot does not currently plan to post new mobile reviews every day, but rather, in regular updates throughout the year. Again, rather than looking to cover every last little detail in the mobile space step-for-step, we're looking to encourage you, our readers, to use the mobile site to discover and share your thoughts on new games while we here at GameSpot periodically weigh in with our own thoughts on the absolute cream of the crop.

That's it. Please feel free to start poking around and explore the site. Thanks.

37 Comments

  • Steve_P

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 11:17 pm PT

    @lookmark Our Spider review should be live...

    http://www.gamespot.com/iphone/action/spiderthesecretofbrycemanor/review.html

  • lookmark

    Posted Oct 8, 2009 9:21 pm PT

    re the new iPhone review section on GS - awesome. Much appreciated.

    I highly recommend adding reviews of Spider: Secret of Bryce Mansion and Ramp Champ, two excellent (if very different) iPhone/Touch games.

    Look forward to checking into GS much more often to see what's new.

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Oct 8, 2009 8:42 am PT

    @Steve_P Ah, I thought I recognized the name from somewhere! I had been looking at some of GameSpot's old mobile game reviews not long ago for some some reason, so your name had come up in the process.

  • spyroiskool

    Posted Oct 8, 2009 3:03 am PT

    make a section for retro games.

  • Steve_P

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 11:08 pm PT

    Hey everyone. My name's Steve Palley, and I'm the founder of Slide To Play.

    It's good to hear all the opinions on both sides regarding this new section. It's especially interesting for me, personally, because I used to work for GameSpot. I was the editor in charge of GS's ORIGINAL mobile section, which is now as dead as a doornail.

    We worked our butts off back then, but the simple fact is that 2004 and 2005 was too early for mobile gaming. 2009 is prime time, thanks to the IPhone. These games are cheap (usually no more than $3), plentiful (around 23K at last count), and a few of them are really good.

    The games featured in this section don't represent the top 10% of games on the App Store, or the top 1%. We're talking about the top .1%. How many games were developed for PCs, consoles, and portables in the last decade? I have no idea. But if you make a list of the top .1% of those games, you're gonna have a pretty solid list. Regarding quality of coverage... I learned everything I know about games journalism and criticism at GameSpot, from guys like Greg Kasavin, Jeff Gerstmann, Ryan Davis, and Andrew, too. I founded STP on the same set of editorial principles; in fact, I basically set out to make the GameSpot of iPhone gaming. Minus the resources, of course Believe you me--we know we have plenty of work to do! It's our hope that this deal with GameSpot will give us the boost we need to improve our game in all aspects.

    Anyway, guys, please enjoy the content.

  • solar3137

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 5:14 pm PT

    I'm glad you guys are adding a mobile game review section back to Gamespot. I play a good deal of games over a wide array of devices and sometime I play mobile phone games also. Frequently i'm left to roll the dice on whether something is worth the money or not when i'm "bathroom gaming". It'll be nice to have another mainstream resource to check before I buy. And by the way, those of you who don't like/care about mobile game reviews....just don't read 'em. problem solved.

  • dvillamizar

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 4:45 pm PT

    @_heretic
    LOL, you're a funny guy. Ok, dude, just click on "Read the Review" at the bottom of the short description and it'll give you something longer, with more substance. Please, stop ignorantly judging something without trying it first. It's really quite a good game and could be compared to anything in the DS or PSP. Yes, I said it!

  • DamnedApples

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 4:15 pm PT

    I've been a long-time gameboy/DS owner, but in terms of gameplay, the itouch/iphone is pretty good. To say that "iphone games suck" is to damn about a thousand different game all at once. If you're that sure about your knowledge of what you've never experienced, then all power to ya.

  • TheFreeloader

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 3:34 pm PT

    Awesome! Great to see that Gamespot finally does an attempt at tackling the problem of iPhone games. The platform is so rapidly growing to become the most used hand-held gaming device (and maybe even biggest gaming device in general :O). But still a big problem for reviewers because of the sheer games getting released everyday in the App Store. Just one measure of the size of the iPhone game archive is that most iPhone game review sites out there have only a minority of the games reviewed in common.
    I think in light of that, it is good approach that Gamespot is taking, by letting the community do most of the job of rating the games, so as to not divert too much of the review team's attention away from the big releases on the four big platforms.

    @ Zartan3000
    Why do you say that apple is that great, when this orange will beat it any day of the week?

    It is totally different things you are comparing. This is just like when downloadable games are reviewed by gamespot. When a game like World of Goo gets a 9.0, that does not mean, that it is as good as full feature retail games like Batman: Arkham Asylum or Dead Space also getting a 9.0. If you were expecting that you would probably be disappointed when you get the game. It just means that for the price-point the game is at, it is a great buy. And isn't that basicly what you need to know from a review?

  • Zartan3000

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 3:23 pm PT

    @heretic

    Totally agree with you mate! Someone explain to me how the PS3's 9.5 rated Uncharted 2 is no better than something like 'Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid' (also 9.5) other than the fact it's $6! They should be in different ranking tables not all lumped together. They aren't in the same league!!!!

  • ntblood_basic

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 2:05 pm PT

    I've been a daily watcher of IGN's mobile reviews for my iphone and it's great. I'm glad to see Gamespot do it.. finally I'm playing Robocalypse and DungeonHunter as well as Sandstorm & Hybrid when I get the chance. Robocalypse has pulled me in as well as as DungeonHunter to some degree, diablo clone. Amazing what games are out now
    http://wireless.ign.com/index/reviews.html

  • Who_Dat_Ninja

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 1:27 pm PT

    @LordAndrew

    It's been what, three weeks now?

  • phimseto

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 12:32 pm PT

    @Kevin-V - Ah, so you went from being in the forefront to playing Johnny Catch-Up. ;-)

    I kid. Just goes to show how little attention I pay to the mobile scene that it went without my noticing. Well...welcome back.

  • jimy1475

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 11:59 am PT

    where is symbian? i beter go to another site for a thing like this. anyway if you hawe an iphone than thats bad i heard they break every time (no thanks il use buttons instead)

  • david1233

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 11:31 am PT

    Cool just as i was thinking of getting an iPhone they set up a mobile section Gamespot

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 11:11 am PT

    @Who_Dat_Ninja and other people who mentioned Bowser's Inside Story: It's my understanding that it's still being worked on. The new mobile coverage will not affect the review of the game, because the reviewers are not shifting their efforts to mobile platforms. Those games will be receiving reviews from Slide to Play's review team.

  • Who_Dat_Ninja

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 9:35 am PT

    How about instead of reviewing (usually) mediocre phone games, you review Mario: BIS?

  • _heretic

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 9:06 am PT

    @Valacan
    I agree. Gamespot already covers a wider range of platforms than most people actually play, and there are already enough review sites on the internet for phone/iPhone apps.

    Also, the few of the iPhone reviews I have read on Gamespot have been much poorer in quality than most Gamespot reviews. They are essentially just short descriptions of the game, and somehow seem to even very basic descriptions of the gameplay involved. And are we to believe that Rolando 2 is rated 9.5? How does that actually make sense with respect to Gamespot's review scale? I haven't played it, but I have a hard time believing that any iPhone game can compare favorably to an Xbox360/PS3/PSP/DS/Wii game. I've played a few iPhone games, and the controls are terrible compared to anything on dedicated game platforms. The other iPhone scores recently posted also seem artificially high.

  • reckeweg

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 8:09 am PT

    Bout time the iPhone is starting to get some recognition as a gaming platform.

  • Valacan

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 8:05 am PT

    Dammit, IGN used to do this and now I'll have to ignore half the reviews on Gamespot as well. How annoying. Some of us use their cell phone for talking and use a DS or PSP for gaming. I don't need a half assed version of both crammed into one thing.

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 7:47 am PT

    @zilcher The Zune is not listed as a platform. They are only covering games for the the five platforms mentioned. Three of them were added about a month ago, and two of them have been around for a long time.

    And the main focus will be on iPhone games, so I'm sure their pockets being stuffed with Microsoft cash has absolutely nothing to do with this.

    @TripSe7en Mobile user reviews will be subject to the same rules as user reviews for other platforms, so you shouldn't be seeing reviews like that.

  • TripSe7en

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 6:39 am PT

    Finally! Although I am sure the user reviews for the iPhone games will be just as annoying and pointless as the reviews on the App Store ("Should be free", "One Star, this game costs to much", or my favorite "I beat the game and I want my money back") But at least GS will sift through the clutter and review games that actually merit being reviewed!

  • charras8

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 4:04 am PT

    Nice! Gamespot is getting better and better. But.... NO SYMBIAN!? I'm sure most of the readers in this web page have a symbian, more than a Blackberry or Palm.
    In my opinion should be: Iphone, android, symbian, windows mobile.
    Well, good job anyway, I hope it's just a matter of time until symbian gets on the list.

  • zilcher posted Oct 7, 2009 2:07 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    zilcher

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 2:07 am PT (hide)

    Is it just coincidence that GS is starting this just as Microsoft puts out a mobile device that supports games? I always knew they loved anything MS did, probably because they stuff their pockets with cash. Be interesting to see what scores these new Zune HD games get.

  • prateekdwivedi1

    Posted Oct 7, 2009 1:47 am PT

    Why not symbian and ngage?
    they too have good games.
    do add them too.

  • jimy1475

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 10:41 pm PT

    just another way of making money

  • ShockG707

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 10:33 pm PT

    I'm feeling this, I just wish you had reviewed the new Oregons trail before I blew 6.99 on it.

  • Kevin-V GameSpot staff member

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 10:29 pm PT

    @phimseto -- We haven't reviewed mobile games for quite some years now. To everyone wondering about scores, the reason they seem relatively high is because we will not be covering every game, but ones worth playing and drawing attention to. By very nature, they will score higher. This isn't due to lax standards, but rather, to the very nature of the mobile coverage. Feel free to offer any other suggestions you may have! It's great to hear your feedback.

  • Junior_AIN

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 10:08 pm PT

    I see how GameSpot should include mobile games, as they are effectively games, but they are also so lame...

  • DemonIced

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 9:55 pm PT

    Nice, I just bought an iPod 3G, so I'm glad this addition is being made, can't wait to see what it will become...

  • Echofoxz

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 8:14 pm PT

    i second what WAIW said.

    the scores of most of the IP games are 8.0 - 9.0, in console games, those scores are hard to come by.

    I suggest the IP and mobile games have a different rating system than the console. Gameplay, graphics, etc on IP games are un-comparable to console games, and they should have their own rating system. That way console games have a fair competition, which costs a lot more money and man power to make. (im just expressing my opinion, if GS are actually doing my suggestion, it will be a pain in the... )

  • WAIW

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 7:54 pm PT

    After the first slew of reviews, I'm a bit disappointed that the partner site's staff has such a... different... sense of tastes than I do. I thought they were a bit lenient scoring-wise, but they explained the pros/cons of the games pretty well (though on second thought, most of the titles reviewed are pretty simple, so it's to be expected). Oh well, good for Gamespot as a site. Won't affect which iPhone games I burn money on.

  • hashabnelah

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 7:53 pm PT

    While some mobile games are being positively reviewed by a partner site, GameSpot has yet to post a review of "Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story." It has been nearly a month since the game's September 14th release date. This game is of more importance to gamers than the mobile games reviewed.

  • phimseto

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 7:08 pm PT

    Haven't you guys been reviewing mobile games for years? What was that guy's name that used to do it? Avery Score? Did I miss a change in policy somewhere in there that you are now coming back to?

  • 8smokes

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 7:06 pm PT

    Honestly, I believe this is a good business push for Gamespot. Good choice guys.

  • grassdream

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 6:41 pm PT

    I've been eagerly waiting for this addition for a long time, nice work GSpot.

  • Neosword

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 6:39 pm PT

    I think this is a great addition, if only for the iPhone game reviews.

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