• 15Apr 09

  One Paragraph Reviews

  So I'm doing this thing on my personal blog, DownWriteFierce.com, where we're going to be writing reviews in a single paragraph. You can see why here, but the gist is that David Jaffe and I don't see eye to eye on how reviews should be done, and why they exist to begin with.

  So for the entire month of May we'll be doing a one paragraph review every day until the end of the month, and follow it up with some articles about how the adventure went for our writers, how readers are responding to it, and ultimately, whether or not a review should be as brief as a paragraph, or as in-depth and thorough as they are here at GameSpot. Clarity is something that GameSpot is passionate about. Giving readers an intimate look at their thoughts, sharing explicit details, and dishing out examples is something that is important when it comes to deciding whether or not you want to check out a game. But if it's limited to a single paragraph, will it be as worthwhile for you as a consumer, rather than a reader?

  I'd like to take early feedback for a future feature, though, so if anyone has an opinion on the validity of a one paragraph review, please let me know. Leave comments, send messages, emails, whatever. I am compiling as many useful thoughts as I can into a large thing, so if you wanna see your name in an article or something (or, you know, want to contribute because it's interesting) please do!

  • Posted Apr 15, 2009 8:31 am PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 4 Comments
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• 8Jan 09

  Reviews: What do you think?

  Let me know. I'm really curious.
  • Posted Jan 8, 2009 1:19 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 3 Comments
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• 7Jan 09

  Regarding Ziff

  It sounds so lame to say it, but 1up has been a staple of my life for years.

  Its predecessor, Gamers.com, was the first community I was ever actively involved in.

  EGM was the first videogame magazine I ever read. I inadvertently stole my first issue, a purple-plastered Mortal Kombat-cover behemoth, from a good friend. I threw it, along with my space-taking collection of old-ass mags, in a recycle bin in late '08.

  Official PlayStation Magazine was the first place my name ever appeared in a magazine. I did two consecutive months worth of reader reviews. I wrote 100-word reviews of X-Men Legends II on PSP and Goldeneye 2 on PS2, which shocked me to the core upon sight. Few things inspire career ambitions more than seeing them realized in a smaller capacity.

  Todd Zuniga, a 1up freelancer, gave me the greatest advice I've ever received. While it's not necessarily the best stuff I've heard from a word-typing-pro, it was the best advice I could ever have had given to me at the best possible time. Read what Todd had to say in my "Year One" post from a week or two ago.

  1upYours has, unquestionably, been the greatest impact on my writing career — the thoughtful discussions and entertaining banter taught me a lot about writing, the industry, and tons more. I owe those guys a lot.

  Being able to meet relative newcomer to the industry at PAX, and have him give me kickass advice about freelancing/landing a job at a big editorial outlet, was absolutely incredible. Thank you, David Ellis, who continues to work with 1up.

  Shane Bettenhausen, James Mielke, Anthony Gallegos, Ryan Scott, Andrew Fitch, Nick Suttner, Giancarlo Varinini, Greg Ford, Phillip Kollar. These people have been some of the most influential and inspirational people in my entire life. To see these awesome guys kicked to the curb in a single evening is kind of surreal.

  The f***ed up kind of surreal.

  Best wishes to everyone who's suffering from the losses. That is to say, the entire staff of what was once Ziff Davis's 1up.com and Electronic Gaming Monthly. Much love. Thanks for all the great times with the podcasts, The 1upShow, and of course, the amazing editorial content.
  • Posted Jan 7, 2009 12:52 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 3 Comments
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