Has Gamespot lost its hardcore appeal?

So because you don't agree with one subjective review score, GS sucks? Allicrombie

arguing on who/what is "hardcore" is the video game witch hunt of today, so i'm not getting into that.

however, i think it's odd how gamers focus so much on averaging scores like metacritic. people talk about how it's suspicious when a reviewer gives a game an especially how or low score, but i worry more when every source gives the same review. especially in an interactive medium, people should be having different experiences. i hope at least some reviewers will be individuals and actually react to a game.

Who gives a $*** about SCORES in the first place? That's the equivalent of Roger Ebert's "Thumbs Up!" Scores, "fresh/rotten", "thumbs up/thumbs down" and star ratings have pretty much always been inherently stupid and largely meaningless. Yeah, I get that reviewers put that $*** in anyway as a quick indicator for readers who just want a quick general concensus, but that $*** has never really had any relevance to quality or merit. You can't sum up any work of art fairly with "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". Giving the Mona Lisa an 8.9 score doesn't mean anything, and neither does giving Call of Duty a 6.7. You want to complain, then complain that the content of the review was innacurate. Take issue with what they SAID about the game. But seriously...f*** scores. "Oh boo hoo, this game got a bad score when I think it sucks." If you're so hardcore, then why do you care so much about a f***ing number? Scores and numerical ratings are the kinds of $*** that only exists for the sake of casual audiences who don't want to dig deeper, so what the hell reason does a HARDCORE fan have to go ape$*** over that stuff? F*** scores. If you're really hardcore, then you wouldn't give a $***.MrGeezer

arguing on who/what is "hardcore" is the video game witch hunt of today, so i'm not getting into that.

however, i think it's odd how gamers focus so much on averaging scores like metacritic. people talk about how it's suspicious when a reviewer gives a game an especially how or low score, but i worry more when every source gives the same review. especially in an interactive medium, people should be having different experiences. i hope at least some reviewers will be individuals and actually react to a game.

LoG-Sacrament

[QUOTE="LoG-Sacrament"]

arguing on who/what is "hardcore" is the video game witch hunt of today, so i'm not getting into that.

however, i think it's odd how gamers focus so much on averaging scores like metacritic. people talk about how it's suspicious when a reviewer gives a game an especially how or low score, but i worry more when every source gives the same review. especially in an interactive medium, people should be having different experiences. i hope at least some reviewers will be individuals and actually react to a game.

MrGeezer

Seems to me that someone doesn't understand the concept of subjectivity.

It seem that this is less to do with if Gamespot has not lose its hardcore appeal but more about your standers are unreasonably high.

I find they are better now than they were in the past tbh.

There's not so many unreasnobly high scores just to please the fanboys of *insert random gaming system here* anymore.

I mean, in the past a game like Tony Hawk 3 could score a 10... (and the worst PS2 version for that matter)

Some games were also rated unreasnobly low (for example Diddy Kong Racing).

They still happen to "tear down" some games for questionable reasons but like I said atleast there's not that many "9.5s" and "10s" to please the fanboys anymore...

In the end, every review is an opinion so people going mad over them are silly tbh.

I dunno about the whole "hardcore" aspect of it, but I do think that Gamespot's review system has lost a lot of overall quality, especially since the overhaul. A lot of objectivity in the reviews has been lost and I feel like they give out high scores to high profile releases automatically.

They've just completely lost my respect. Their articles oftentimes aren't worthy of appearing in a high school newspaper, there's absolutely no thought put into them. They read like something a student wrote just to get their assignment turned in on time. As far as their reviews, I might as well ask the kid behind the counter at Gamestop what I should buy. Mostly the big AAA titles, though he probably doesn't like a couple of them - the whole damned thing is utterly useless to me. They've given lousy scores to some of my favorite games of this gen - and from reading the reviews after playing the game myself it's obvious they spent very little time with it and made no attempt whatsoever to review it in a professional manner. And at the same time I've got half a shelf full of mundane mainstream junk that they literally wet themselves over. :roll:

My bookmark for this site takes me straight to the forum index.

Mainstream games have changed. Modern games are easier and more casual but can still be great fun. I can find myself in most GS reviews actually.

Gamespot is actually the lowest avg score of review sites, most of the time. The day I actually take one of GS reviews seriously is the day I quit gaming, they are so inconsistent with their reviews (actually that's the majority of reviewers now and days).

Hey there's bugs in this game, lets give it a 4.5, bugs in this game hell lets give it a 9. The one I love most "this sequel is better than the previous entry but it scores lower", god that pisses me off.

Gamespot is actually the lowest avg score of review sites, most of the time. The day I actually take one of GS reviews seriously is the day I quit gaming, they are so inconsistent with their reviews (actually that's the majority of reviewers now and days).

Hey there's bugs in this game, lets give it a 4.5, bugs in this game hell lets give it a 9. The one I love most "this sequel is better than the previous entry but it scores lower", god that pisses me off.

Ballroompirate

Now, I don't want to ruffle any jimmiesrobotapple

Is this the right time for that So Hardcore pic? Or is that a bit too System Warsy?

Gamespot is as mainstream as a gaming website comes, what do you expect? They don't like zombie U, oh the horror. [QUOTE="robotapple"]Now, I don't want to ruffle any jimmiesskrat_01

Under Kasavin's rule this site panned casual games with shallow gameplay.

I'd wager half the AAA titles this gen would have not see their scores.

I've never regarded GS, IGN, and other general review sites as "enthusiasts" sites. Now, genre-specific game sites are a totally different matter. Flight sims (not the arcade flight games) are almost unknown here at GS except for a few. But, there's a surprising number of sites that cater only to flight sim enthusiasts.

It didn't used to be that way.

Under Kasavin's rule this site panned casual games with shallow gameplay.

I'd wager half the AAA titles this gen would have not see their scores.

robotapple

For some reason I'm still drawn to Gamespot, and while I don't agree with some of the scores, the reviews themselves are mostly well written. Gamespot has lost some of it's appeal mainly because it's nearly as broken and buggy as Big Rigs Over the Road Racing.