The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[Darth Wagtaros]

I doubt that buying HL directly benefits Rowling.  Usually the TV/Movie/Game developers pay a set licensing fee not based on sales (since the author has no control over the product and can't influence sales that way).  Buying the game may indirectly benefit Rowling in that good sales will encourage further games and thus further licensing agreements.

Where is the drama in that?

[Jacob]

I know you're all waiting for my take, so I'm going to share it:

1) When I read a review of a game like Harry Potter, I'm interested in how it is as a game. I already know what I think about Rowling. What I'm curious about is the quality of the craft and how good it is as an experience, so I can judge the fate of the game in the context of who Rowling is. So on that level, the Wired 1/10 review is pretty useless to me.

2) On the other hand, I'm perfectly fine with someone writing a shitty (or glowing) review based on politics as a political statement. That's a completely legitimate form of expression. Now, I'm sure I'll like it a lot more if the politics agree with mine and find it very annoying if they don't, but by itself "game review as political statement or social commentary" is perfectly acceptable. The Wired 1/10 review is reportedly honest in what it is about which is to its credit. I'd have more issues with it if it gave the game a 1/10 for political reasons but pretended it was about the quality of the gamecraft, but as I understand it that is not the case. So no problem on that account.

3) Personally I've never looked to Wired for game reviews in the past. This particular review has not changed that.

[Barrister]

I don't think the debate is over and I've already won. I dispute that there even is a debate to be had

Just listen to yourself.

[HVC]

Giving a 1 review as a professional reviewer is unethical. You want to tell people not to play the game as a political statement go ahead, but don't do it in the guise of a review. You're purposely review bombing.

[Solmyr]

So anyway, I downloaded Mount and Blade 2 via Game Pass. Can't really see any big difference from 1, and I played that to death many many years ago, I don't think I will play this sequel much.

Bannerlord has a ton of excellent mods to play it with. You can mod the base game quite extensively, or even get total overhauls (like Banner Kings, which basically adds a lot of stuff inspired by Crusader Kings 3).

[Jacob]

Giving a 1 review as a professional reviewer is unethical. You want to tell people not to play the game as a political statement go ahead, but don't do it in the guise of a review. You're purposely review bombing.

No it is not unethical.

[Josquius]

I don't think the debate is over and I've already won. I dispute that there even is a debate to be had

Just listen to yourself.

I'm comfortable in my position-pretty simply,  chill out and leave trans people alone.
Suggesting there is a problem and a debate to be had where all facts show there is no problem, is the entire position of the reactionaries. I won't cede them the ground they're desperate to secure.

Also worth noting you haven't given any actual points here. What you're saying is basically that theres a valid debate to be had - to which no there isn't is the natural response.

[HVC]

Giving a 1 review as a professional reviewer is unethical. You want to tell people not to play the game as a political statement go ahead, but don't do it in the guise of a review. You're purposely review bombing.

No it is not unethical.

Give it a N/A and a long post about the ills of transphobia and Rawlings long history. I think review bombing as a reviewer is professionally unethical, basically an extension of your point number one above. It's not personally unethical, just professionally. While often the same, those two things can be different. Every three years I have to take a course as part of my designation that reminds me if that fact

[HVC]

In line with the original topic, I've been playing some XCOM 2. Someone made a comment in the Chinese balloon thread and it got me interested in going back i still suck, but it's fun. 

[grumbler]

Giving a 1 review as a professional reviewer is unethical. You want to tell people not to play the game as a political statement go ahead, but don't do it in the guise of a review. You're purposely review bombing.

No it is not unethical.

I disagree.  It is unethical to tell an audience that the designers, artists, musicians, writers, etc for this game are crap at their jobs because you don't like the author of the source material.  A review bomb is, at least in theory, harmful to those responsible for the product that you are deceiving the audience about.

[crazy canuck]

Not sure if you are serious.

E.L. James has won awards too.

I am serious, you might want to look at the prestigeous awards she won after the first three books.  And before Harry Potter became a household name.

Your apparent need to criticize her writing ability gives support to the point Brain is making.  You can love the art but not the artist. 

Now you are confused. I was able to discern that her writing was overhyped long before she came out against trans issues.

And you have been wrong all along.

[garbon]

Not sure if you are serious.

E.L. James has won awards too.

I am serious, you might want to look at the prestigeous awards she won after the first three books.  And before Harry Potter became a household name.

Your apparent need to criticize her writing ability gives support to the point Brain is making.  You can love the art but not the artist. 

Now you are confused. I was able to discern that her writing was overhyped long before she came out against trans issues.

And you have been wrong all along.

[crazy canuck]

Giving a 1 review as a professional reviewer is unethical. You want to tell people not to play the game as a political statement go ahead, but don't do it in the guise of a review. You're purposely review bombing.

No it is not unethical.

How is it not unethical?

[crazy canuck]

Not sure if you are serious.

E.L. James has won awards too.

I am serious, you might want to look at the prestigeous awards she won after the first three books.  And before Harry Potter became a household name.

Your apparent need to criticize her writing ability gives support to the point Brain is making.  You can love the art but not the artist. 

Now you are confused. I was able to discern that her writing was overhyped long before she came out against trans issues.

And you have been wrong all along.

 

[Jacob]

Give it a N/A and a long post about the ills of transphobia and Rawlings long history. I think review bombing as a reviewer is professionally unethical, basically an extension of your point number one above. It's not personally unethical, just professionally. While often the same, those two things can be different. Every three years I have to take a course as part of my designation that reminds me if that fact

... but game reviewing is not a profession and does not have a designation. There is no established code to adhere to. There are no professional or agreed upon standards. There is no governing body. It does not perform a critical function in society. It is, essentially, sharing your opinion about a game. Attaching a 1/10 or 5/5 or B+ or any other score to that opinion does not change that.

If there are any issues regarding "ethics in game journalism" they are the kind that are inherently unethical - misrepresentation and failing to disclose standards. When reviewers continually give 80%, 90%, 100% scores to games of major publishers to stay on good terms with them and get access, that is potentially unethical. Adopting a pose independence when they are not, suggesting they use a different standard and scale ("what do I think of the game") than they actually do ("what will make the publisher continue their relationship with me") can potentially be seen as unethical in a common way because it's misrepresentation.

If you read the review it is very clear what standard the reviewer is using to judge the game. Just because you don't find that standard useful or interesting does not make it unethical - professionally or otherwise.

I'll note, also, that the Wired review is not part of MetaCritic nor is Wired an established and important go-to source for gamers making purchasing decisions, so calling it "review bombing" is pretty imprecise. There does not appear to be an organized (or even ad-hoc) effort to drive down aggregate scores.