That's exactly the thought that ran through my mind when reading this. I thought that maybe the people writing isn't the same people deciding what ads should be running on the site though.
Actually this has been confirmed by staff, the team managing the business side has nothing to do with the editorial content, so that does explain the disconnect.
This, a thousand times this. The owners handle all the ads, and leave me and our editorial staff to do anything at all we wish with the content. There are many emails when Craig/Ben and I have had to set the record straight with PR, marketing, etc. Editorial is separate from ads, and we can't be expected to avoid negative opinions just because you bought ads on the site.
Though some would love to believe that our writers are "bought and paid for", nothing is further from the truth.
Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.
Did Bill write his review of scarlet blade while the wife was looking over his shoulder?
So what if scarlet blades has art style reminiscent of anime porn?
Does every mmo have to be designed to please everyone?
Did anyone write a negative review on sgra for swtor and that being too sexual for a teen rated game?
I sense a double standard, and its not cool to see that when people embrace one thing trying to be with the fashion but then still be all principled where it does not even fit from the previous perspective of said fashion.
Write bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble
The only one I played on the list is Wizardry Online and it definitely deserves a spot on the list. Game is just badly designed in just about every way imaginable. Was expecting so much more from it. One of the worst MMOs I've played ever.
This, a thousand times this. The owners handle all the ads, and leave me and our editorial staff to do anything at all we wish with the content. There are many emails when Craig/Ben and I have had to set the record straight with PR, marketing, etc. Editorial is separate from ads, and we can't be expected to avoid negative opinions just because you bought ads on the site.
Though some would love to believe that our writers are "bought and paid for", nothing is further from the truth.
It does seem that way with a lot of mmorpgs, SWTOR/Bioware to name one. Maybe it's just loyal fans to certain IP's that make some of you seem more biased.
This, a thousand times this. The owners handle all the ads, and leave me and our editorial staff to do anything at all we wish with the content. There are many emails when Craig/Ben and I have had to set the record straight with PR, marketing, etc. Editorial is separate from ads
Originally posted by JerYnkFan Kinda funny that Scarlet Blade is on here, but the MMORPG advertising department sure didn't have any problems taking their $. Guess that blows up the trading positive reviews for $ conspiracy theory that has been going around here. Plus if I wanted to look at boobs in a MMO, I'd play AOC. Their character models are much better ~
Lol, AoC does have better character models.
On a serios note though, the disgusting thing with SB is not just the half naked character models, but the cartoonish and pedo-inviting half naked character models.
When someone here gives a first impression of a game they've played for 15 minutes they get raked over the coals for it. Apparently it's ok to vote something the worst game of the year even though you've never even touched the game because being an uptight prude makes it ok.
SB may well be one of the worst mmos made this year but " because it makes me touch myself " shouldn't be your reason.
I've played all these and out of the 5 Asura Force is the worst it has zero redeeming qualities. The War Z is so bad that everyone should play it and see, Wizardry Online had a terrible launch but it has it's niche, DK Online had horrible optimization but it tried RVR, but its actually shut down already, and Scarlet Blade has the best game play of the games on the list but its just too generic to stand, it could be 100 other games but with half nude anime women.
There's a certain inherent American weakness when it comes to anything regarding sex - the ancient Puritan inevitably creeps in.
When politics, and political correctness, become a part of the review process, that's pretty much when I discount the credibility of a site's reviewers wholesale.
I think the writer missed more deserving games, like Darkfall, as one of the worst games of 2013 so far.
There's a certain inherent American weakness when it comes to anything regarding sex - the ancient Puritan inevitably creeps in.
When politics, and political correctness, become a part of the review process, that's pretty much when I discount the credibility of a site's reviewers wholesale.
I think the writer missed more deserving games, like Darkfall, as one of the worst games of 2013 so far.
The writer voted Darkfall as one of the best of 2013 if I remember correctly. It was terrible, shouldn't have let a few people here talk me into wasting my money on it, heh.
A lot of lost credit to you in my book, especially about the Scarlet Blade thing. I mean yeah it isn't for everyone, but neither is Hello Kitty or some other random genre of gaming. As an MMO reviewer it is important to remain as unbiased as possible and review games for what they are trying to present and accomplish. I don't know why everyone on the MMORPG.com board is so infatuated with Darkfall but not seeing it up there in the top 5 is kind of interesting.
I know you've been slammed a lot for your best list... /sigh sorry for you man. You might try listing them by numbers base on cold facts next time. How much was spent to develop vs. how much made? How many subs at start vs. how many left in a few months? Opinions are great, but will always bring down infernos.
I did agree with one reader WoT... Why not there? However, I don't think it's a true MMO (it's online, massive number of players, but not "MASSIVELY ONLINE" all at once in a persistent world - which I think is a true MMO), but you do list it on the site as an MMO. It's makes it in money and number of players. Has a growing business and more games coming. I really hate the game, but why didn't it make the list?
Enough about that.... 2013 duds so far.... Not a bad list.
3-5) I don't care about so they must belong there. lol
2) I saw that getting a smack down and a hand shake even before I read the readers replies.
I'm happy to see that the adds are not connected to reviews. I disagree with the one reader who says that the sex shouldn't be connected to the review of the game. They clearly stated, IN THEIR OWN ADs, that the games most important content was gratuitous sex content. The sad side is that there are those who might push this even further for more dollars in the future. I know there are porn games out now, but I'd hate to see it become any more "in your face" than it already is. It's not so much about the kids (start being guardians parents), but the lack of good content. Why write good content if all you have to do is flash some skin. SB is just sad.
1) I think WOW should be number one and WarZ should be forgotten, "not worth mention". WOW is loosing subs big vrs the amount spent on programming staff, ads, etc.... They are a massive failure when looking at their futures. They are not able to see the number of players that are sick of their weak game for the temp players and baby sitting tools they have today. They have lost their hardcore players for short term profit. I hope they enjoy their grave. My only wish for them is that they give me a server with Vanilla WOW or at most the Burning Crusade, and then NEVER touch it again with their ignorant hands.
Scarlet Blade's inclusion is not about the soft-core pornographic nature of its presentation, rather the fact that the game leans on that crutch so heavily when the rest of the title is merely bland at best. Perhaps that wasn't made clear enough. It's like the old Skin-emax movie Bikini Carwash. Sure, anyone attracted to the feminine body can appreciate the base desires a movie like Bikini Carwash strives to endulge, but would you call it a great movie worth recommending to other fans of cinema? Right up there with the likes of Fargo and The Big Lebowski?
If your answer is yes, then this List probably isn't going to sit well with you.
PS, off-topic - What ever happened to late night Cinemax? Is it still soft-core porn, or has it changed? Genuinely curious. One would think with the invention of the internet, that little corner of cable is no longer necessary.
Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.
Scarlet Blade's inclusion is not about the soft-core pornographic nature of its presentation, rather the fact that the game leans on that crutch so heavily when the rest of the title is merely bland at best. Perhaps that wasn't made clear enough. It's like the old Skin-emax movie Bikini Carwash. Sure, anyone attracted to the feminine body can appreciate the base desires a movie like Bikini Carwash strives to endulge, but would you call it a great movie worth recommending to other fans of cinema? Right up there with the likes of Fargo and The Big Lebowski?
If your answer is yes, then this List probably isn't going to sit well with you.
PS, off-topic - What ever happened to late night Cinemax? Is it still soft-core porn, or has it changed? Genuinely curious. One would think with the invention of the internet, that little corner of cable is no longer necessary.
Oh, it's still there in full force. And it is just as bad as ever.
Scarlet Blade's inclusion is not about the soft-core pornographic nature of its presentation, rather the fact that the game leans on that crutch so heavily when the rest of the title is merely bland at best. Perhaps that wasn't made clear enough. It's like the old Skin-emax movie Bikini Carwash. Sure, anyone attracted to the feminine body can appreciate the base desires a movie like Bikini Carwash strives to endulge, but would you call it a great movie worth recommending to other fans of cinema? Right up there with the likes of Fargo and The Big Lebowski?
If your answer is yes, then this List probably isn't going to sit well with you.
PS, off-topic - What ever happened to late night Cinemax? Is it still soft-core porn, or has it changed? Genuinely curious. One would think with the invention of the internet, that little corner of cable is no longer necessary.
Maybe this works better :
'even if the game was a stunning achievement of MMO design and depth, we’d still find it shockingly and face-palmingly shallow in its audacious attempt at gaining players by appealing to our love for violence',
Which can be said for many games in general. Also very good games.
Edited for clarification :
My point is that you basically admit that you didn't know at the time of writing whether SB is a good game or not,but used its obvious appeal to a primitive desire as reason to default it as bad game.
Comments
My worst games of 2013 would be:
1. Guild Wars 2 (over-hyped and over-advertised solo orientating, with no real endgame content)
2. Diablo 3 (i know that its not MMORPG, but still listing it, its a huge disappointment after D2)
3. Neverwinter Online (solo orientated P2W, buggy as hell)
4. WoW's new expansion (getting really tired of the serie)
Everyone has his own taste!
This, a thousand times this. The owners handle all the ads, and leave me and our editorial staff to do anything at all we wish with the content. There are many emails when Craig/Ben and I have had to set the record straight with PR, marketing, etc. Editorial is separate from ads, and we can't be expected to avoid negative opinions just because you bought ads on the site.
Though some would love to believe that our writers are "bought and paid for", nothing is further from the truth.
Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.
My Review Manifesto
Follow me on Twitter if you dare.
You lucky, lucky, bastard.
Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.
My Review Manifesto
Follow me on Twitter if you dare.
Did Bill write his review of scarlet blade while the wife was looking over his shoulder?
So what if scarlet blades has art style reminiscent of anime porn?
Does every mmo have to be designed to please everyone?
Did anyone write a negative review on sgra for swtor and that being too sexual for a teen rated game?
I sense a double standard, and its not cool to see that when people embrace one thing trying to be with the fashion but then still be all principled where it does not even fit from the previous perspective of said fashion.
Write bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble
Worst mmorpg's in this year?
1. Neverwinter
2. Age of Wushu
The sht what the small companies makes... Only the big fails interest!!
It does seem that way with a lot of mmorpgs, SWTOR/Bioware to name one. Maybe it's just loyal fans to certain IP's that make some of you seem more biased.
What happens when you log off your characters????.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFQhfhnjYMk
Dark Age of Camelot
Ah well that does explain a lot.
Lol, AoC does have better character models.
On a serios note though, the disgusting thing with SB is not just the half naked character models, but the cartoonish and pedo-inviting half naked character models.
When someone here gives a first impression of a game they've played for 15 minutes they get raked over the coals for it. Apparently it's ok to vote something the worst game of the year even though you've never even touched the game because being an uptight prude makes it ok.
SB may well be one of the worst mmos made this year but " because it makes me touch myself " shouldn't be your reason.
Me neither
Although I have read about a few of them and The War Z is in the right place.
There's a certain inherent American weakness when it comes to anything regarding sex - the ancient Puritan inevitably creeps in.
When politics, and political correctness, become a part of the review process, that's pretty much when I discount the credibility of a site's reviewers wholesale.
I think the writer missed more deserving games, like Darkfall, as one of the worst games of 2013 so far.
Hell hath no fury like an MMORPG player scorned.
The writer voted Darkfall as one of the best of 2013 if I remember correctly. It was terrible, shouldn't have let a few people here talk me into wasting my money on it, heh.
What happens when you log off your characters????.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFQhfhnjYMk
Dark Age of Camelot
*Crazy display of violence*... meh ok.
*Nipples* ... oh noes! ban that evil game!
A lot of lost credit to you in my book, especially about the Scarlet Blade thing. I mean yeah it isn't for everyone, but neither is Hello Kitty or some other random genre of gaming. As an MMO reviewer it is important to remain as unbiased as possible and review games for what they are trying to present and accomplish. I don't know why everyone on the MMORPG.com board is so infatuated with Darkfall but not seeing it up there in the top 5 is kind of interesting.
Good morning Bill,
I know you've been slammed a lot for your best list... /sigh sorry for you man. You might try listing them by numbers base on cold facts next time. How much was spent to develop vs. how much made? How many subs at start vs. how many left in a few months? Opinions are great, but will always bring down infernos.
I did agree with one reader WoT... Why not there? However, I don't think it's a true MMO (it's online, massive number of players, but not "MASSIVELY ONLINE" all at once in a persistent world - which I think is a true MMO), but you do list it on the site as an MMO. It's makes it in money and number of players. Has a growing business and more games coming. I really hate the game, but why didn't it make the list?
Enough about that.... 2013 duds so far.... Not a bad list.
3-5) I don't care about so they must belong there. lol
2) I saw that getting a smack down and a hand shake even before I read the readers replies.
I'm happy to see that the adds are not connected to reviews. I disagree with the one reader who says that the sex shouldn't be connected to the review of the game. They clearly stated, IN THEIR OWN ADs, that the games most important content was gratuitous sex content. The sad side is that there are those who might push this even further for more dollars in the future. I know there are porn games out now, but I'd hate to see it become any more "in your face" than it already is. It's not so much about the kids (start being guardians parents), but the lack of good content. Why write good content if all you have to do is flash some skin. SB is just sad.
1) I think WOW should be number one and WarZ should be forgotten, "not worth mention". WOW is loosing subs big vrs the amount spent on programming staff, ads, etc.... They are a massive failure when looking at their futures. They are not able to see the number of players that are sick of their weak game for the temp players and baby sitting tools they have today. They have lost their hardcore players for short term profit. I hope they enjoy their grave. My only wish for them is that they give me a server with Vanilla WOW or at most the Burning Crusade, and then NEVER touch it again with their ignorant hands.
Scarlet Blade's inclusion is not about the soft-core pornographic nature of its presentation, rather the fact that the game leans on that crutch so heavily when the rest of the title is merely bland at best. Perhaps that wasn't made clear enough. It's like the old Skin-emax movie Bikini Carwash. Sure, anyone attracted to the feminine body can appreciate the base desires a movie like Bikini Carwash strives to endulge, but would you call it a great movie worth recommending to other fans of cinema? Right up there with the likes of Fargo and The Big Lebowski?
If your answer is yes, then this List probably isn't going to sit well with you.
PS, off-topic - What ever happened to late night Cinemax? Is it still soft-core porn, or has it changed? Genuinely curious. One would think with the invention of the internet, that little corner of cable is no longer necessary.
Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.
My Review Manifesto
Follow me on Twitter if you dare.
Good call on warz, horrible, questionably legal attempt to cash in on the success of both day z and the book / upcoming film the war z.
Oh, it's still there in full force. And it is just as bad as ever.
Maybe this works better :
'even if the game was a stunning achievement of MMO design and depth, we’d still find it shockingly and face-palmingly shallow in its audacious attempt at gaining players by appealing to our love for violence',
Which can be said for many games in general. Also very good games.
Edited for clarification :
My point is that you basically admit that you didn't know at the time of writing whether SB is a good game or not,but used its obvious appeal to a primitive desire as reason to default it as bad game.