More trouble at Edge towers...

[Ady]

::ahem:

yay! And here was me thinking that noone read the damned thing!

Au contraire. I read that all the time.

"...It would be too ****ing easy to call it Wind Waker",
"Japanese ladies : We imagine what it's like to talk to one"

I was in stitches when I first saw those.

Anyway, to address some of the points in this thread; I like Jap games as much as the next person, but unlike our more blinkered breathren, I don't dismiss anything western. I'm not attracted to a game beacuse of its region.

I have met the type of 'hardcore' gamer stereotype being parodied on here and in RedEye's infamous article, and they are indeed a contemptible bunch. The flak they're getting now is long overdue.

As for Edge missing some groundbreaking titles... well, it's bound to happen, and surely the fact that they acknowledged Ore-no Ryouri eventually is a good thing? Better late than never as they say...

Also, having spoken to a couple of their (now ex) writers about this, many seem to forget that there's only so much that can go in a given issue, and interviews and articles are all down to the availability of required parties.

I reckon all the people who bitch should start a fanzine and show us all how it's meant to be done if they know so much. Anyone can get on a forum and start flailing their handbag around, but can they walk the walk?

[Max M]

As for pseudonyms, Max M is called Max... sheesh... it's been a long time since we met up now eh?

Yep, I was going to come to charlesr's meet, but he said there's no more room.

[Crispin]

As for RedEye I think it was wrong for him to insult 90% of Edge's readership, but then I guess it's nice and safe behind the RedEye name isn't it? I have little respect for people who can only speak their mind from behind a mask.

Ok, Max M...

That's not the point, we're writing to a niche games forum, not a respected magazine trying to get a point across to the industry.

Anyway sam1981, neither of us are hiding behind silly nicknames like RedEye or DarkDestroyer69 so we're ok.

Yeah, and in your neighbourhood, would it be possible to have a serious and interesting conversation with someone about how Sega's internal reorganisation and new mission statement as well as their interest with EA practices is worrying, and if the recent high profile main player walk out from both Hitmaker (IIRC) and HAL will affect their respective studios' output?

Not in my halls of residence mate. Won't ever happen. These forums are a necessity, simply because not everyone is a gamer.

And I've thought that some people use funny names online to distinguish themselves (too many sams and matts in the world to prevent an online conversation from ever making sense if they all used sam in their online names.), for a bit of escapism (see roleplaying chatrooms) or because people didn't trust putting any real details about themselves on the net.

Plus I can imagine Live! is a disturbing experience if you use your name as a gamertag. I worked at Woolies for three years, and everytime someone I'd never seen before called me by the name on my name badge, it freaked me out.

Yeah, I'm not using a funny name, but then again, Crispin Giles Walker-Buckton is pretty ****ed up to begin with.

[Max M]

I was only joking about the name thing. And yeah, it would be weird using your own name on Live, although I did feel kind of stupid once, when I had to tell the technical support people mind, over the phone.

[Crispin]

But thanks to Gamezville, the words 'hardcore' and 'elite' are going to become the new mark of coolness for which casual gamers everywhere will strive.

As the boyz say, "you aint 'L33T' until you've got the Gamezville elite certificate"

Best games prog ever, thanks to the genius who is the GAMES GURU *bows respectfully*...

I saw that on telly once. I had to cringe when I saw that they were explaining RPG. Did they have to do it sooo weirdly?

I think it's a fantastically good idea to demistify games to the masses, especially on such a mainstream media, but a person dressed like the Master Sith in A Phantom Menace, isn't going to work. Still I liked it, but I didn't want non-gamers thinking I dressed like that.

And then the engineer undergrad in my year sitting next to me burst into a tirade about how Diablo sucked and all that jazz and how he couldn't see the point of MUDs and whatnot. So I guess it has the power to bring gamers together.

Oh and I found out the other day, my fellow Mathematician friend bought PC Half Life just before coming down and brought it with him.
Right, all I need to do now, is get a copy and see if Lan games are feasible over the Oxford network.

Counterstrike and Half Life - you will be mine and I shall see what the fuss about HL2 is all about.

[Cacophanus]

I have met the type of 'hardcore' gamer stereotype being parodied on here and in RedEye's infamous article, and they are indeed a contemptible bunch. The flak they're getting now is long overdue.

Depends on the type of "hardcore" gamer though. There is a vocal minority that seem to think that subjugating others through apparently superior knowledge is the way foward (rather than playing, discussing and plain enjoying the games in question). RedEye was justifiably villifying the above individuals. However, there are a large amount of people that are sincerely passionate and knowledgeable gaming that are being lumped in with the fakers. This whole carte blanche attitude is pretty lazy really.

The games industry, in the West at least, needs more enthusiastic and creative individuals to populate it (especially in middle and upper management, as well as in the press). They are being hindered by old social stigmas ("Ugh! Geek!"). This is just dumb.

As for Edge missing some groundbreaking titles... well, it's bound to happen, and surely the fact that they acknowledged Ore-no Ryouri eventually is a good thing? Better late than never as they say...

Also, having spoken to a couple of their (now ex) writers about this, many seem to forget that there's only so much that can go in a given issue, and interviews and articles are all down to the availability of required parties.

That's a cop-out.

I reckon all the people who bitch should start a fanzine and show us all how it's meant to be done if they know so much. Anyone can get on a forum and start flailing their handbag around, but can they walk the walk?

Er...yes...or does not having a monthly column in a multiformat magazine count?

[Ady]

Depends on the type of "hardcore" gamer though. There is a vocal minority that seem to think that subjugating others through apparently superior knowledge is the way foward (rather than playing, discussing and plain enjoying the games in question). RedEye was justifiably villifying the above individuals. However, there are a large amount of people that are sincerely passionate and knowledgeable gaming that are being lumped in with the fakers. This whole carte blanche attitude is pretty lazy really.

I agree with you here and yeah, the generalising is lazy but it's not that much of a problem, imo.

That's a cop-out.

:hrug::

I'm not a journalist, so I can't comment, but I do know that all jobs have their limitations and the people in those jobs are only human.

Er...yes...or does not having a monthly column in a multiformat magazine count?

That's a cop-out. ::ahem::

Start a fanzine, dude.

[womblingfree]

[quote="Cacophanus"]

They are being hindered by old social stigmas ("Ugh! Geek!"). This is just dumb.

Anyone who contributes to an eight page (and counting) discussion on an import gaming website about an English video game mags disrespect of the 'hardcore' and letting down 'the scene', is the geekiest geek in the whole of geekdom......

That'll be me then

Actually that's a lie. The nerdiest nerds in the whole of nerdland reside on the X-Bomber forums. I went there once and felt dirty, but in a good way

[Crispin]

Uh oh, Cacky + Edge article. Never good.

Worse than me and a certain website that I shall no longer ever bash. Coz doing so got boring. At least it's active.

And I met Mushashi (aka Gouki13) and rjpageuk on that site (I shall always think of him as my Ikaruga mentor. May any God bless that guy for informing me about that ****ing beeyootiful title, I had forgotten how much I like to be humilated, gives me an incentive. Plus it's so cool pretending to wipe the blood from your mouth after getting your ass kicked. And then you hit the first boss. And then you hit the first wave on stage two and you concentrate on a tiny part of the screen, diving, weaving, moving, shooting). God bless you rjpageuk. God bless you!)

Back on topic, or at least the current topic train of thought, I try as hard as possible not to fit into the really bad, elitist, minority hardcore who think they're better than someone else or that their opinion automatically holds more weight. People who lambast other people for not having played the original OOT and thus really, really enjoying WW.

So I call myself or most of the people on here, avid or serious gamers. Gamers who play the for fun, not looking for an "interactive experience" (i.e. something that is all style), just fun. If the experience is there, then that is a bonus. I also very, very, very rarely smack talk.

The only person I do it to, is my elder Brother, on Mirror Time on the Eyetoy. Being an intellectually demanding game, and my family placing pride on being reasonably intelligent, they like to pit us against each other on multiplayer and after each one of us posts the new top high score, wind up the other by calling them inadequate. And then we start smack talking. Except it's an odd form.

Oh and I try to be a good loser or winner, if I'm playing against non-brother people. If it's Halo or Goldeneye, we play as hard as we can. I tend to congratulate him. He calls me cheesy for running him over. Which pisses me off when he does the same.

Still those moments when he outwits me in system link. Leads me into a sense of security. Priceless.

[Brats]

It's hilarious that some people on here think Edge has some kind of "duty" to report everything that's going on. They are a magazine. They can print what they like. Maybe they decided not to print about Game X because the editorial team at the time thought no one would be arsed. Get over it.

Japjac's comparison with film magazines was well off the mark. Film mags are notorious for missing key films that they later herald as classics. It's hardly exclusive to Edge or other videogames magazines. In fact, I know of no entertainment magazines that fully cover every area of their subject 100%.

And people moaning about Edge's Japanese coverage is laughable. If anything, it's their American coverage which historically has been poor. Despite the US providing us with some of the very best games experiences over the past ten years, coverage has been incredibly small, focusing mainly on iD and the odd Sid Meier interview.

They were very slow to pick up on the fantastic Bioware and Black Isle (Baldurs Gate 1 didn't even get a review), they missed key titles such as System Shock, Fallout and Abe's Oddysee.

Things have improved lately with the article on EA, more interviews with people like Warren Spector and Bungie and makings of on Metroid Prime and Halo.

If Japanese coverage has to make way slightly for a more balanced view of Western titles, then imo that's a good thing. The magazine only has so many pages.

[Crispin]

I have to agree with Brats on the last point, but only because I have slightly more chance of playing the game. But that won't apply to most people on this forum as they import. I don't. It's a thing I have, like a sexually transmitted disease. No one will touch you when they find out and they keep hurling abuse....

[Oh! My Car!]

actually, I too also used to really love Super play.
Wil overtons artwork was excellent

yeah...and some of his covers for N64 mag were "BADASS" too 8) shame he went to Rare tho...no more quality game mag covers...does anyone know if he still works there or not?

oh, and for all you SuperPlay/Wil Overton fans out there--->

http://childofmana.tripod.com/splay.htm

http://www.mcalvert.freeserve.co.uk/woaw/wilindex.htm
man, i love that second link

[Cacophanus]

I also missed this...

Famitsu is a rubbish magazone for reviews etc...its just pop corn, my standing complaint against them is their "review" of Enter the Matrix, the standard bearer for all magazines I think.

Question: Do you understand enough written Japanese to fully comprehend the reviews in Famitsu?

On a separate note, Famitsu is oft renowned for having its reviews "bought" by certain vested interests. To their credit, Famitsu do make this **** fairly obvious (unlike a fair few British magazines I would like to mention), but it is still very much a "bad" thing to be doing (minor understatement that).

I agree with you here and yeah, the generalising is lazy but it's not that much of a problem, imo.

It is when an entire group of individuals are unfairly stereotyped in the international gaming press.

I'm not a journalist, so I can't comment, but I do know that all jobs have their limitations and the people in those jobs are only human.

Yes, journalists are human but if they **** (which they do) they should have the balls to admit and move on. It's fair to not only themsleves but their damned readerbase too.

That's a cop-out. ::ahem::

Start a fanzine, dude.

I write on several fansites and also in professional publications (I also work as a lowly tester for godsakes), how is that not dedication to the medium?

[insin_]

Er...yes...or does not having a monthly column in a multiformat magazine count?

I thought you had returned from Japan - are you still writing the Japanese column?

[scottcr]

well.. my 2p

I love edge... I love the style, I love the art, I love the attitude and I love the humour.

It's the only games mag worth the price and the content is great.. I look forward to it popping through my door every month... it's the stuff you just CAN'T get on the web. GamesTM's features are badly written in comparison.

This months "tales from the ECTS bar" was great... well written and interesting look into the other side of these shows.

Personally, I'd be very sad if Edge became more mainstream, dished out more 9s/10s just to keep people happy. Hopefully, if this is the case, at least the old staff may start up their own competitor...