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[TGN Army] General: Who Do You Trust?
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Last week, the TGN folks penned an article about some excellent Youtubers, and despite being titled a little misleading, it brought up a good point: who do you trust when it comes to Youtube videos? And yes, it’s OK if it’s not us here at MMORPG.com.
Read more of Bill Murphy's Who Do You Trust?
Comments
Now when it comes to management of this website, it's a completely different story.
Firstly, there are a bunch of writers for this site that clearly do NOT play the games they write about. Their articles come off as PR and hype machines and often contain information that's flat out wrong. Some of it is insulting, just how dumb they must think us gamers are.
Secondly, you do a very poor job of policing this for site for manipulation. Look at Marvel Heroes. All those votes came from people who have never been to this site before and have never been back. I'd imagine the same person probably voted 100 times with 100 accounts. You turn a blind eye to that.
While I'll take you at your word, that you've never accepted money to put up 'sponsored' content. Coming to this website and reading articles that often contain intentionally misleading information, checking out a poll that's clearly being manipulated then going to the forums and arguing with company shills doesn't lead to a good experience.
You know who I trust? There's like 20-30 super active forum goers here that will give you clear and unbiased opinions on just about everything. I trust them.
I share this exactly, i wish the MMOFTW had more visuality as i keep forgetting about it.
I am not commenting on anything about the web site as it doesn't concern me in a trust way, i read what i feel like reading, and i answer what i feel like i want to answer to, the rest i just put aside.
I trust TotalBiscuit, Boogie, and as a new addition, our own TheHiveMind. They seem to click really well with me, and I appreciate the sincerity that I feel they have.
TotalBiscuit is the more academic critic, Boogie is just close,warm and familiar, and TheHiveMind is insanely funny. But what they all have in common is sincerity towards their subscribers, and that's what matters most, for me.
You mentioned Totalbiscuit and this article is about trust so it just seemed fitting to drop by and point out some of the shady stuff that goes on in the game industry. Read the following with this ideal in mind: The following youtuber's even list on their patreon funding pages that they are the White Knights out to expose publisher and developer shady business practices. So Totalbiscuit, Northern Lion, and Kotaku all hyped a game called Gravity Ghost.
On it's release it cited these people as reviewers who supported and approved. Totalbiscuit also a Steam curator gave it his curator thumbs up. Seems normal, however after looking through the development team of Gravity Ghost you will notice a Courtney Stanton as the marketing/producer of Gravity Ghost. This will become very interesting in a second.
These reviewers are all friends(podcast together, tweet eachother's videos etc) of Jim Sterling another youtube reviewer who is known for being obnoxiously critical of games and game development companies. So then why is this all relevant? Jim Sterlings real name is James Stanton, if this isn't enough to raise some eyebrows search around the web for Courtney Stanton and you will find Sterling supporting several topics directly.
For a group of individuals who make an obscene amount of money ridiculing others and claiming to be white knights of the industry, it seems odd no one calls them out for their own behind the scenes shady practices.
Bill....for me......TRUST is not the issue when I watch a video presentation.
FOR ME....I want content I know I want to see......and nothing else.It makes me crazy to have to endure content I could care less about.
Imagine a magazine....you look at a page....you see a picture and a headline.....you decide if you want to read that content or not. A collection of news stories reviewing news from several games wastes my time. I want pithy business like presentations on a single topic that I am interested in.
Frankly I will watch/read about that subject from several sources and form opinions from multiple sources.
WHO DO I TRUST. Frankly....no one. Not because I think sources all have bias or agendas,but because I don't trust any game maker. I have too many scars from companies who have lied ,said one thing then done another and then they wonder why I rip them every chance I get.
Hello Bill,
I've always been of the sort to trust, but verify as the old Russian adage goes. Having said that I do watch every episode of the MMOFTW when it airs. MMOFTW seems more like a one man show that fits your schedule Mr. Murphy. Many times the episodes skip a week because of conflicts with your personal schedule. Which you say as much the following week of the start of the next show in the broadcast cycle. My suggestion instead of wearing this hat (duty) all by yourself you have an alternate host handle it when you're elsewhere personally or on assignment at a convention. That way your viewers don't miss out on the news for the week.
Maybe the alternate host could have their own saying aside from your PUG one. :op
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The Older Gamers
Totalbiscuit, Boogie, Jim Sterling are all OK.
But trust?
Trust nobody.
I trust Steam customer reviews (past the first few days). First few days respresent the marketing/hype level.
I think it would be foolish to trust anyone who have (even the slightest ) monetary link to gaming industry.
It is ironic, the timing of this article discussing 'Who do you Trust'. When a person started a forum post discussing the trustworthiness of certain game developers, is was promptly closed by moderators with no explanation.
The review process on MMORPG.com is intentionally watered down with every game coming in at a a high six to a nine. What's the point of having a rating system where six out of the ten possible scores are never used?
It is things like these that serve as a constant reminder that the opinions expressed on MMORPG.com are heavily policed in order to protect the advertising dollar. Want to know who trusts your opinion Bill? Try taking away the advertising revenue model and asking people here to pay a subscription fee to access MMORPG features. The people left that would actually do that are the ones that trust you. My guess is this site would promptly close, and so would the channels of the Youtubers that you mention.
When it comes to MMO's and games, I don't trust the writers here, Youtubers, or the advertisement banners on both of these sites. I trust the word on the street. That's solid.
That being said I do like your articles Bill. We're both former DAoC players who are searching for the hole in our gaming lives that DAoC left. What you do is quite entertaining...but it sure as hell isn't trustworthy.
Trust? Users.
I've pretty much stopped looking at professional and social entertainment reviewers. I just browse user reviews and try to piece together a picture of reality from the thought out non-extreme reviews.
Exactly. Bill thinks he's actually a journalist instead of an entertainer who's purpose is to generate 'clicks'. Journalistic integrity went out the window decades ago, if there ever was any.
MMOFTW here, too. It's an objective view from a knowledgeable person. Unfortunately, Bill's not a profanity spewing American or rambling snarky Brit, and he doesn't feel compelled to scream and act completely surprised every time something occurs on the screen, so they need to really advertise his stream if they want to get him the exposure he deserves.
Or boobs. He doesn't have those either... that I know of.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
My boobs are growing... I blame a sedentary life-style.
Why DON'T you trust us, or other media though? That's the root I'm trying to get at. I wish I could say "sure, we'll get rid of advertisers" but that's not my call.
And with ad-blocker taking away sales, it's very likely we'll see sponsored gameplay videos and the like pop up in the next year. Again, it'll be clear when something's sponsored just like the TB video above.
RE: Review scores, I think we'll make it clearer on the site that our scores are more like A-F grading scales in schools. You may not like that reason, but it's what I have our reviewers use. People like numbers more than letters, and the site's 12 year history runs on numbers, so I have to make it work as best as I can. In this case, anything under a 6/10 is failing. A 6 is a D (not good but passable), 7 is a C (passing and decent), 8 is your average B, and 9 and above is exemplary A-grade work.
Again, you may not agree with the methods of our scoring, but it IS what we do, and we think it's pretty clear when we think a game is good or bad.
You'll also notice that our video reviews don't include scores... because I can get away with it there.
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.
"If I offended you, you needed it" -Corey Taylor
I prefer YouTube over traditional media because i can SEE for MYSELF.
Traditional media puts up an article with lots of words, personal feelings, impressions (personal as well) ect. Nothing of that could hold true for ME. Or all of it. But i don't know for sure, so the value is very slim to me.
A Youtube video usually shows gameplay. You can see for yourself. If the guy says "the sound sucks!",.. i can hear it for myself. And i can, or can not agree on what he said. Therefore i know exactly if his point is valid FOR ME, or not. Same goes for grafics, combat styles, quests,... whatever.
If a youtube channel claims things that i agree with often enough, i don't "trust" them per se, but i tend to go there more for the simple fact that we seem to agree on aspects often enough.
Great example: TotalBiscuit
He does his reviews exactly as i like them (personal preference!). So i keep checking them out. Pure gameplay and commentary about the gameplay. He also very often, but not always, has the same feelings then i do. If he things the sound rocks, 9/10 times i agree. So i tend to value his opinion on audio, since the past showed that we both have a similar opinion on sound. The same holds true for grafics and gameplay. Tho i don't like the same genres as he does.
So do i "trust" him blindly? No. I don't do that. But i value his work very much. He does what helps ME the most to judge a game before buying. Showing gameplay is the best way to judge FOR ME, and having a commentator whos opinions reflect mine more often then not makes the whole experience great.
Can traditional media achive the same goal?
I am afraid it can not. And while i value your opinion (love you Bill!) just as much as i value TBs opinion... your format does not really help me decide if i want to buy a game. Written media just can not provide enough information FOR ME.
Bottom line: It all comes down to personal impressions and feelings. My personal feeling is that traditional media can not keep up with a simple video and commentary. Also has a much harder time getting my "trust" due to the missing possibility to easily check if the written stuff applies to me.
MMOs finally replaced social interaction, forced grouping and standing in a line while talking to eachother.
Now we have forced soloing, forced questing and everyone is the hero, without ever having to talk to anyone else. The evolution of multiplayer is here! We won,... right?
It is very funny because i was reading all sorts of articles on this topic just yesterday.
I decided to Whitelist this site because i trust them 100% with cookies.I am sure they are happy as well :P.
As for reviews,yes i read that information yesterday as well.I noticed the stance on how mmorpg works with advertisers seems ok in my books HOWEVER.MMORP's stance and what the hired writers believe is acceptable are two totally different things,There were also some nice wording that seems to steer away from the facts that really matter.
I do trust a few people,like Boogie man Francis,Total Biscuit is mostly hit and only slightly miss so he is rather trustworthy.Omegasin,i trust.
Here is one of those giants i do NOT trust...EA
Alpha Omega heavy language warning
There is another video following that one that again points at EA.
To put it into perspective,i trust game reviews about as much as i trust i can get into the emergency ward before a 2-6 hour wait.
We know that there are discussions on how far the site can go and a contract is signed.If the site fails on the contract it is only a small amount however the possibility is thereto be far worse.If it was up to the developers,they would write the article and have the reviewer post it as their review.
In the end ,game developers are not simply handing out free money,if they don't like the way you review,they won't do business with you again.
It is not tough at all to CLAIM you are ethical if you only talk about areas of a game that are meaningless and can't possibly have anything negative to say.I do not trust Ripper reviews/previews,not one bit and i did not trust Pokket either who used to work here for a short time.
Obviously some reviewers are as transparent as glass while others are like looking through a painted window.
"We just happened to stop in to the bla bla booth and got to sit down and talk with so and so".Umm ya no appointment or pre rehearsed material just a straight up,we just "happened by".
When you pay money to send someone out for a review or a Q/A,it is all planned.
I can't find Francis Boogie's video,but he gives a truthful and honest description about the WHY it is happening.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
If they are paid for endorsements, that information must be disclosed.
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-revised-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
I do trust you because I know you're a trustworthy person. I trusted you with web access. I trusted you with industry contacts. You have consistently given me reason to believe that trust was well placed.
I don't trust most other sources for an unbiased view because they seem to lean heavily in one direction or another - either in the direction of the money or toward proving they are against EvilCorpCo. The former doesn't necessarily believe what they are selling and the latter focuses more on selling themselves or their gimmick than the game they are talking about.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre