What is the point of gaming web sites? (not including Forums!)

[jim g]

I just checked the following sites:

EG
EGM
Joystiq
CVG
Gametrailers
IGN

Pretty much all of them have the same stories with the same press releases just cut and pasted into "a new item" and all have the same features. Now, because they all agree to "embargoes" they all release their reviews at the same time! So, What is the point of gaming web sites?

How do these guys exist? I know it is not an exhaustive list, but for me they are getting paid for not contributing a lot to the market. No doubt there are other sites with the same stuff on them also. Forums are where there is least some discussion, moans, rants, great info, stuff you didn't know about etc. The main variable seems to be review scores (and we all know hoe they are manipulated)

If I was an advertiser I would asking "why should spend money with you, you are all the same?"

So I ask again "What is the point of gaming web sites? " I will still read them cos I am stupid, and I guess the same could be said for all "news" media, they all tell us the same ****!

[Duncan James Waugh]

Same reason there's more than one console, different sites appeal to different people. Advertising on one reaches an install base that advertising on another may not reach.

[DoDonJoshua]

You're also checking the wrong sites.

Polygon, Kotaku, and Eurogamer (I give you that one!).

Anything else and it's overkill

[Lebowski]

News reviews comment Ect, i like to listen to people talking about games, or read impressions from many different sources, i much prefer sites like Giantbomb, or Videogamertv, as they seem to be passionate about there hobby rather than a faceless media conglomerate like the above sites you mention, they serve the purpose of getting the news out i never trust there reviews though, there far to close to the advertisers and are reliant on them to keep going.

[speedlolita]

Are you seriously recommending Kotaku?

Lol!!!

[BaronSqwelch]

They sometimes do great features too...Polygon did an awesome feature on Streetfighter 2 lately. Which Eurogamer shamelessly ripped off ,partly, in their feature on SF Bootlegs.

[DoDonJoshua]

I really like some of their Game articles, they cover lego and random stuff it's got a ++ from me!

[Lebowski]

kotaku is not that bad, ok there reviews are bad, but there is some good bits on there leo takes a look is very funny

http://kotaku.com/tag/leo-takes-a-look

I love his deadpan style of delivery

[speedlolita]

The quality is far too inconsistent, some of the anime stuff is just plain ridiculous too.

For me it's just forums and Giantbomb really. GAF, here and podcasts too..

[wakka]

News sites will always end up covering the same ground as each other. You can see it on sites for regular current affairs too.

The differentiators are features, etc.

[charlesr]

Some of the items that qualify as "news" is almost beyond a joke on most games sites.

[sj33]

It's a broad problem with so-called games journalism in general. It's not really journalism, not in the true sense - you rarely get investigative reporting, attempts to dig below the surface. The gaming journalism industry is too close to the industry that it reports about. That's why sites obey NDAs and the like. You think a real journalist would let that get in the way of reporting a story? Unfortunately the gaming journalism industry, and websites, rely on the publishers to be able to actually have some thing to publish. As a result, most articles are essentially glorified press releases.

This isn't helped by the rampant glorified plagiarism. Sites essentially reporting news posted on each other, albeit crediting the websites (but usually not crediting the *original* source, which tends to get lost in the game of Chinese whispers that is gaming news.

Honestly, I just use sites as a way to find out what games are on the horizon.

[Brad]

Honestly, I just use sites as a way to find out what games are on the horizon.

And neoGAF find out before the major sites do so I just pop in there occasionally. GiantBomb do interesting things and their podcast is a great listen but they are the exception. The likes of IGN, urgh.

[charlesr]

This isn't helped by the rampant glorified plagiarism. Sites essentially reporting news posted on each other, albeit crediting the websites (but usually not crediting the *original* source, which tends to get lost in the game of Chinese whispers that is gaming news.

This bugs me. It's also the reason so many bits of made up rubbish get reported as fact, because no one can be bothered to spend 1 minute checking the real source.

[eastyy]

i really really hate embargos and non disclosure agreements i just get the impression that publishers have to much of a hold over some game websites....Remember the days when reviews used to be out well before the game was released ?