| 8 MAY 2008 at 6:36pm |
antlerIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 51
Joined: 28 NOV 2007
Status : Online | Randy I don't know if Gameboomers has on staff reviewers, however, they do have a lot of publishable looking reviews. To people who visit these sites, JA- Gameboomers- Adventure Gamers the Gameboomers reviews look equally professional. In other words as a gamer I did not know they, (GB) did not have reviewers. I thought they did.
I looked up the review you questioned, ( Jack Keane ) the quote is unclear in regard to meaning. The reviewer, gremlin, does not say what he or she means by Monkey Island done right. I read the entire paragraph containing the quote. I surmise the reviewer is saying it's as good as or better than M.I.
To answer your question, "First of all, why is Gameboomers being quoted?" They do have professional quality reviews on the site and a lot of them. I suppose they are quoted because it is a popular site. Also when it comes to reviews of Adventure games, GB, JA and Adventure Gamers have far more credibility than Gamespot, IGN, et all. I will not read reviews on the later three because with most of their Adventure reviews I see nothing relevant just bias against Adventure games.
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| 8 MAY 2008 at 6:47pm |
ShanyGuild Master
Posts : 3313
Joined: 19 JUN 2003
Status : Online | That Jack Keane quote is wrong, but I guess it's just too long to write "This is a game that pays tribute to Monkey Island done right", or "This is a Monkey Island clone done right".
Judging by the demo, it's definitely NOT Monkey Island done right - they'll need better voice actors and some freaking feedback for that to happen, but I hear it's a pretty good game.
The Sherlock Holmes ones are stupid. Since I heard this game is pretty good, it's partly the problem of the person who selected the quotes.
But box quotes are just a stupid thing that's meant to hype up the game. The same thing is done with movie posters - a reviewer is quoted, whether in context or not.
By the way, what you mean by Gameboomers not having reviewers? I'm not sure I understand.
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| 8 MAY 2008 at 8:15pm |
Jenny100Guild Master
Posts : 3510
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Randy-JA (8 MAY 2008 5:56pm)
First of all, why is Gameboomers being quoted? ont' get me wrong, it's a nice site, but they don't have reviewers like Gamespot, IGN, Just Adventure, etc.
Sure they do. Unless you're talking about reviewers that get monetary reimbursement. Gameboomers reviewers don't get any of that.
As for quotes taken out of context not making any sense, that's not the fault of the reviewers. And I see the publisher left the "in my opinion" off one of the quotes. But I'm surprised you're getting so upset over a few box quotes. Shany is right
Originally Posted By Shany (8 MAY 2008 6:46pm)
But box quotes are just a stupid thing that's meant to hype up the game. The same thing is done with movie posters - a reviewer is quoted, whether in context or not.
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| 8 MAY 2008 at 10:24pm |
IviniaGuild Master
Posts : 4459
Joined: 7 JUN 2003
Location: US
Status : Offline | Ok, that Sherlock Holmes one is just plain funny. That's like putting a quote on an FPS game that says, The weapons available just makes you want to shoot at things. :
You lost me on Gameboomers not having reviewers though. Did you think they came from forum posts?
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| 9 MAY 2008 at 2:19pm |
infernoj13usaIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 79
Joined: 14 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Hi Ivinia
That "quote" was taken from a staff review and not a post. Also --- it was grossly misquoted, I guess we all are from time to time.
Here is the original context.
In conclusion, I would recommend Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsène Lupin to those who have been playing the series, as well as to those gamers who have not yet tried a Sherlock Holmes adventure. For this one has all the elements there waiting for you to uncover the mystery of Arsène Lupin and why Sherlock is so fascinated with him.
Stupid -- insipid? I had no idea that my little scribblings were enough to cause such dissatisfaction and woe in another forum. I do apologize and wish that the publishers had quoted correctly. Ah well, I do appreciate that you have brought this to my attention, Randy (you are such a dear), and you have my promise that when I am quoted again, I will strive to make sure that the quotes are verbatim so that any further insipitude will rest squarely on my shoulders alone as it should.
inferno
[url=http://home.earthlink.net/~angeldancer27/XpGameList.htm][font=Verdana][size=16][color=#ff3300][b]Inferno's Adventures[/b][/color][/size][/font][/url]&&&&[url=http://home.earthlink.net/~infernosadventures/My_Scribblings.htm][font=Verdana][size=14][color=#ff3300][b]My Scribblings[/b][/color][/size][/font][/url]&&
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| 9 MAY 2008 at 6:29pm |
CulturaJourneyman
Posts : 1337
Joined: 1 SEP 2004
Location: NL, Amersfoort
Status : Offline | Although I usually read reviews here (and on Gamespot) before I decide to buy, I must admit that the quotes on the boxes sometimes do help to push me to the salescounter if the games is not yet reviewed. This is rather often, since JA+ is (regrettably) not among the faster reviewers.
I heartily agree on the criticsim Randy - these quotes you mention relate to nothing, and would certainly not entice me to buy in any case, so no problem there.
But a more widespread problem is that some (if not most) quotes seem to be taken from previews. Which are more often than not (short?) hands on experiences with incomplete versions of the game. Endings may differ in the final version, gameplay may have been adjusted or altered altogether, specs may have been raised, framerates may have been dropped and so on. Quotes have been greatly prone to inflation because of this.
I would welcome the practice that choice sites, such as JA+, recieve a Gold Version, granted a week or so for playing and reviewing (under embargo) and only then hand over quotes. And maybe even get payed for them, since the quotes are integral part of the sales strategy. Up to the gamepublisher to use them or not (wouldn't if the review is bad of course). To do it that way, would problaby give the consumer real footholds. Since the boxes are already designed in that fase of development, it would not amount to any time-loss - just a case of superimposing the much needed quotes on the artwork.
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| 9 MAY 2008 at 10:24pm |
gremlinIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 20
Joined: 11 JAN 2003
Status : Online | But the one I really, really don't undestand is on the front of the Jack Keane box:
This is Monkey Island done right, at last - Gameboomers
First of all, why is Gameboomers being quoted?
The appearance of that quote, on the Jack Keane box, surprised me too, and I wrote it.
I guess I could have been clearer in my phraseology, but if you read between the lines, in the way I expect my readers to be able to do, then you should pick up that I:
a) like Jack Keane - I disagree with the JA+ review, but then reviews are subjective, you will agree.
b) think Jack Keane is in the same style & genre as the MI games
c) think Jack Keane addressed some of the short comings in the MI games - the over-illogical puzzle solutions, in particular
Of course, if you assume that "everyone must love the MI games, and couldn't possibly find fault with them", then I can see you would have difficulty understanding my comment. However, as with all good marketing blurbs and journalism, my quote was taken out of context, and without the knowledge that I don't particularly like the MI games.
Oh, and I didn't give the game 95% as it says on the box - that's just their weird translation of the A grade I actually gave it, which I would consider to be 85-90%.
Finally:
Dont' get me wrong, it's a nice site, but they don't have reviewers like Gamespot, IGN, Just Adventure, etc.
Is this just a, "if they're not being paid, they're not real reviewers" barb? Do you think that unpaid reviewers (like the GB staff reviewers) are less professional, or less dedicated, or less skilled, or lesser writers, than paid reviewers? Might not we be in fact less subject to bias and un-professional behaviour being as we're simply in this for the love of gaming, rather than the pay check?
Gremlin,
Staff Reviewer at GameBoomers.com since 2004.
p.s. this post is my opinion and is not representative of the views of anyone else, least of all GameBoomers.com.
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| 10 MAY 2008 at 12:27am |
Randy-JAJourneyman
Posts : 1351
Joined: 11 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Hey Gemlin and Inferno
Actually, I was not aware that GB was now posting reviews (I've really, really been out of touch the past year or so) and I offer my sincere apologies. I thought these companies were scanning forum posts for quotes - this has happened in the past!
Now that you have both clarified the quotes, you really have proved my point that some publishers put quotes on boxes that just make no sense. A good publisher will write to you first and ask your permission to be quoted, I'm sure neither of you would have wanted the quotes to appear as is.
I still think that the Jack Keane quote does a disservice in that it is presented as a negative quote and I've never known a company to do this before. Usually it would read something like, "Fans of Monkey Island will like Jack Keane," or "If you liked Monkey Island, then you will like Jack Keane even more." Btw, I actually loved Jack Keane and was somewhat dismayed by Ray's review and like you, Gremlin, I'm also not a big MI fan.
I'm sure you all are aware that I fought with these publishers for years to quit quoting Gamespot and Playboy (yes, Playboy) for their adventure games, so I probably feel kind of protective.
About a month ago I was out with my mother and we went to Half-Price Books, a chain store that sales mostly used books for, duh, half price, but they also have a lot of computer games that either didn't sell or were overstocked, etc. So as I'm standing there looking at the display of pc games - Paradise, Law & Order, Atlantis, and a whole bunch more, probably about 20 adventure games total that had quotes from JA on the box. I must have had a look of dismay on my face as my mother walked over and asked me what was wrong. I responded, "I don't know if I should be happy or embarrassed. There's about 20 games there that have quotes from JA on them, yet the games are all here because they didn't sell someplace else. oesn't say much for my taste."
Oh yeah, almost every box had the same insipid quote, "Best Game of the year...E3...ever...this month, etc.
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| 10 MAY 2008 at 12:29am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16553
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Great thread. [smiley=toppieplus.gif]
Inferno's quote about Sherlock makes sense now I've seen it in context. Pity the game companies don't simply ask the website to supply a quote/comment specially for the game box.
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| 10 MAY 2008 at 1:19am |
gremlinIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 20
Joined: 11 JAN 2003
Status : Online | GameBoomers Staff Reviews index.
My contribution only goes back as far as 2004 (Gooka was my first). I know there were plenty of games there long before I joined the staff.
Gremlin
edit:
I just had a look on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, and found this early version of the review page... from December 2003, where we can see there are already a significant number of reviews, the earliest ones being dated as 2002.
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