So if game reviewers are no longer getting to play a game before it's released, (see also: zero day patch) and top-selling games come out without any fanfare (select the Top Sellers tab), what exactly is the function of a game review again?
(My 2c: What it has always been. Reassuring you that you've made the right decision buying/not buying a game).
For me, they've always been about finding out what people hate about the game. Then I decide if that's something I care about before I decide to purchase or not.
ReplyDeleteCertain titles skip the process and are pre-orders for me, but most wait until I can get a few professional and a few gamer reviews to help me decide. A demo is even better, but they're shying away from that lately.
The lack of fanfare and pre-release reviews has actually cost them a lot of my money. Now, I quite often don't even learn about a game until it's discounted. Their loss.
Well, I can only speak for myself. Given that I never pre-order anymore and I'm not worried about waiting a couple weeks or months to play most games, it doesn't really affect my purchasing habits. It's been years since I seriously personally looked for reviews to find out about games; I mostly just listen to what the people I know are playing or anticipating.
ReplyDeleteIndie game blogs are probably the closest thing to traditional previews that I still read.
No fanfare? For Terraria? Seriously? I've barely seen anything else mentioned for the past week.
ReplyDeleteWill: Aside from the previous post where I said I was falling in love with the game you mean?
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to write a deeper analysis, but I end up playing instead... :)
Definitely more to come. I'd be curious though, as I'm having difficulty finding anyone writing about Terraria...
I mean: I'd be curious though where you're seeing the game written about...
ReplyDeleteJournalists shouldn't be allowed to make reviews, all they do is hype, point out wikipedia facts and complain about difficulty.
ReplyDelete