You mean the certification process they use as a reason why they take such a large cut of XBLA revenues?
What makes it worse is that it seems that most of the XBLA game bugs revolve around Microsoft specific APIs, like the way profile saved games work, online play, matchmaking, etc.
The main thing I worry about is being able to maintain their journalistic integrity while living off of advertising.
That issue is basically how Giant Bomb came to be in the first place. If Jeff Gertsmann hadn't been fired from Gamespot over the Kayne and Lynch review, would this place exist? I really don't think it would. That sequence of events led just enough people to follow Jeff to this place to really plant a community seed big enough to possibly sustain itself.
Tons of sites have tried to grow out of nothing and failed. It was the controversy and attention around that gamespot debacle that laid the groundwork for this site.
I think they can have a decently popular website and still be just 4 guys doing all of the reviews. They just have to review the games that matter to them, and therefore, their audience. They don't have to pay attention to everything. They just have to do a good job and speak to the people that relate to them. So far, they pretty much have.
Unfortunately, as any online community becomes more popular, it always becomes worse. I've seen it happen dozens of times for nearly 20 years now. Everything just becomes a mass of redundant noise.
I think the fundamental thing is that if you are going to hype the hell out of your game and that hype drags on for years, critics are going to expect more. All those previews that they write are often free advertising for you, when you make them feel like tools for hyping a disappointing game for years, they are going to be a little hurt.
Hmm, I think a lot of the youtube commentators are totally oblivious to the fact that video was taken by a camera pointing at a screen.
Outside of that, I'm not sure what to think from that video. The swinging seemed ok, but not awesome. The combat seemed typical, with way too much emphasis on first-person-shooter type controls. I would much prefer to see a more intelligent camera that tracks enemies, so that you can swing around while locked on. Perhaps that is possible and the player just didn't know how.. I hope..
Bionic Command Rearmed has made me somewhat hopeful, but I'm not going to get my hopes up too much. The swinging mechanic has already been done fairly well in the Spiderman games, so... it really needs to bring more to the table than just that. I think it's all going to hinge on level design, which I get the impression is going to be roller-coaster-esque, which is fine by me.
It would be much harder if it shot forward by default. When you start using the grappling hook absolutely everywhere to move faster and out of harms way, you'll realize that.
I agree, it's a great review, and I'm on the exact same page when it comes to these "Are Games Art!?" argument. If the game is fun, that's good art in and of itself. Braid is a fun game.
I made it too hard on myself at first, trying to use the rocket launcher, once I switched to the shotgun it was pretty fun, just chasing him around the place. Definitely the best miniboss fight in the game, by far. They could make an entire game mode dedicated to that sort of gameplay.
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