EDGE 150 Reviews

[englishbob]

I used to like ZZap64's approach to reviews, 3 views on the same thing, after a while they became personalities you could identify with. I always went with Julian's viewpoint over time because after playing the games he'd said where good I really enjoyed playing, so it became easy to identify with.

I realise that most of you won't have a bloody clue what a Zzap64 is, I am showing my age. As I sit here listening to vinyl as a type, sometimes new ideas aren't really any better than older ones!

[Strider]

We have different opinions on rg. Readers know our tastes and so on.

[englishbob]

whats an rg?

[Sketcz]

RG = Regional Grass

It's a small, independent gardening magazine Strider set-up. Each week he samples the world's finest grasses to make sure you know the difference between wicked weeds and good grass. Oftentimes he and the team test out fancy mowers. Lovely magazine. Smells like pine forests.

On one hand I don't get why writers should be credited. On none of the software my company produces am I credited, nor have i been at any other company.

Do you mean computer/game software? That's a team effort, so maybe your name can't be on the front, but surely there's a credits page somewhere?

When writing an article an individual will sometimes spend months, maybe even a year or more, interviewing people from around the world just to produce 4 pages. It is every writer's right to be paid for services rendered, and to be credited appropriately. If for nothing else, then for your CV and portfolio, otherwise what proof do you have?

Can I ask what you recommend as a good review source? Do you still use reviews of any kind?

I've been burned so many times by poor reviews I just don't trust anything any more. Forum commentary is my number one resource, specifically from a select few whose opinions I know are similar to my own. Magazines like EDGE and GamesTM haven't been a source for opinion in many years - I only used to read GamesTM for the features (probably written by me) and previews (the mini previews are great).

Right now it's forum opinion. Some of the best games I've played have received negative reviews and vice versa. Catherine, El Shaddai and Shadows of the Damned are all ****, yet magazines loved them. Operation Darkness and Deadly Premonition were panned, yet I think they're great.

Trust no one.

[Strider]

whats an rg?

Regional Grass! we also go under the name Retro Gamer

[Strider]

I think reviews become a lot more relatable once you realise that it's ultimately just one opinion, an opinion that's no more valid or relevant than your own (although a good review should offer a valid concise and unbiased opinion of whatever is being covered). I used to get massively annoyed with reviews, now I'm on the other side though I just laugh. They really don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

[averybluemonkey]

Do you mean computer/game software? That's a team effort, so maybe your name can't be on the front, but surely there's a credits page somewhere?

When writing an article an individual will sometimes spend months, maybe even a year or more, interviewing people from around the world just to produce 4 pages. It is every writer's right to be paid for services rendered, and to be credited appropriately. If for nothing else, then for your CV and portfolio, otherwise what proof do you have?

Video game developers are the only software engineers who get their names in lights, the rest of us don't get any recognition. When someone else pays you for work it becomes theirs to do with as they please, you give up rights of ownership.

[Strider]

Agreed you'll often know before hand where you stand from a credit point of view. It's then your decision, do you want to be recognised or not. I personally don't care about not being recognised for most things (it diverts flack when you give a game a low score like I did in gamestm recently) but I can totally understand why it's important to most freelancers and I always credit writers in RG.

[S_rank]

Reviews are to open to abuse if i would persume that 50% of the advert in game magazine are games are they really going to piss of one of the main revenue sources .

[Brad]

@scetcz
Firstly I do get why writers need to be credited so I'm really playing devils advocate. Software is a team effort just as a magazine is a team effort. I prove the work I've done by putting it on my cv. Potential employers can check with previous companies I suppose. Why are writers different to that?

[rmoxon]

Reviewers shouldn't be credited in order for people to be able to throw praise at them, reviewers should be credited becuase as a reader it is nice to know who is writing whatever you are reading. When there is no name attached to a review it's a colder experience for it, one of the reasons I use to like reading gaming mags in the past was becuase you'd get to know the writers, they all had personalities, it would seem that is a thing of the past however.

[JU!]

I do like to sometimes know who writes articles or reviews for example I love a bit of Sid Lowe in the Guardian Sport for Football or Jonathan Wilson. But can't say not knowing the reviewer in Edge gas affected whether I like to read it or not. I still think it gets good interviews with Miyamoto etc. in te end although i dint always agree with Edge reviesws it is just an opinijn and its good to get a balanced view.

Is there any other reviews of the 150 Edge ones that are controversial besides Gunstar Heroes? I thought the old Edge reviews were pretty much spot in regards to thier reviewing bar maybe the controversy over the Halo/GTAIII reviews I think it was?

[Party boy]

I remember Edge giving an example of how they spent their time a while back, and they spent more time arguing over the review score for Banjo Kazooie or some such than they spent playing games.

[fishbowlhead]

You are an enemy to writers everywhere.

So i express my opinion on something, as you did, and i suddenly become the enemy of writers everywhere? what a mature statement. If you dont like how EDGE operates or writes, dont read the mag or ask for a job there. Simple as that isn't it.

[Sketcz]

Writers deserve to be credited, and most if not all would agree with this statement. You said EDGE were doing the right thing by not crediting writers (quote: "good on them"). Ergo, my generalisation that writers are not going to like you for thinking this. It's not about maturity; no one who writes for a profession is going to pat you on the back and say: "Well done fishbowlhead for siding with those who wish to keep us down."

This video is more about the problem of paying the writers, rather than crediting them, but the sentiment is the same. Writers seldom if ever get what they're due. As he says, companies always want to pay the writer as little as possible, many write for free, and no one wants to credit the writer either. And, as Harlan points out, there's the problem that several places can't even be bothered to send you a complimentary copy of whatever you've contributed to*.

****, I actually hate writing.




* In fairness, Strider has always been very good about providing his writers with complimentary copies - I'm just talking in general.