"We're all the rage"
IGN, why have you forsaken me?
Rageometer: 
(3/5)
For years, I’ve used IGN as my gaming reviews site. It’s not my favorite site. To be fair, that honor goes to 1Up but 1Up is a smaller group. They don’t cover everything. IGN has always been the “catch-all”. They may not be quite as rigid as 1Up but they are “fair” with their reviews. Games generally fall in the range of 70%-80%. Course, I don’t base my opinion on a review’s given grade. Numerical grading for a video game is a joke and anyone who uses numerical grading as anything more than a reference point should be pummeled with a rusty shovel. Trouble is, the good review sites are all in agreement with me on this. Games should be reviewed in essay form and no “grade” given. The average gamer, being a mindless lazy zombie, demand a numerical grade for a review so sites are required to put one up even if they are ethically opposed to it.
But I violently digress. Lets get to the point.
Fuck IGN.
Fuck them and fuck their wavering journalistic integrity. There have been many games in the past where the platform you play it on greatly impacts one’s chances for having an enjoyable experience. By this logic, these games should have separate reviews for each platform they are released on. IGN has been consistently good about this in the past. Lets take a look…
GTA IV PC Review: 9.2
Completely separate reviews and scores.
Now, I know the arguement can be made that these were not released at the same time so reviews had time to reflect and had to write a different review for the later product as PC version didn’t come out until December. Alright then, how about we get a bit more current…
Dragon Age: Origins PC Review: 9.0
Dragon Age: Origins Xbox360 Review: 8.7
Again, the numbers aren’t just different. The reviews themselves are. So whats the big deal then? I’m sure you can guess. Lets take a look at two reviews that took place for what is sure to be the biggest game of the year.
COD: Modern Warfare 2 PC Review: 9.2
COD: Modern Warfare 2 Xbox360 Review: 9.2
Thats right, the scores aren’t just the same. The FULL REVIEW IS! Out of all the games to not review separately, they pick COD:MW2? It’s the game that PC gamers are up in arms about and they did a cut-and-paste! Lets grab a quote from the review itself.
“For those of us looking to pick up the game on PC, a few more things need to be noted about Modern Warfare 2. Infinity Ward has worked to make sure the experience on PC is identical to that of 360 and PS3, and while I’d say the team has succeeded overall, that’s so a good and bad thing for various players. On the plus side, you’re getting the same amazing experience as the other versions, and those that want a game that’s easy to jump into online and connect with other players will find it with the PC version of Modern Warfare 2. What that also means, however, is that the PC version is also locked to the same restrictions as the other versions, so 32 person matches are a thing of the past, you can’t create dedicated servers for match hosting, and that also will result in a lack of future mod support and PC-specific expansion. While this is definitely a downside for those familiar with the expandability of PC gaming and freedom that comes with a more open source platform, IW is essentially forcing the PC version to play by the same rules as the console offerings, and thus making sure anyone that wants to jump in and get the intended Modern Warfare 2 experience can do so across any system. It’ll hurt the hardcore PC community, and but it’s a decision IW made.”
First of all, let it be known that, in the entire 3 page PC review of this game, this paragraph is one of 2 that even contains the word “PC” except when used to make the word “NPC”. That’s right. In the PC version of the review that is, in it’s entirety, around 2462 words, only 2 paragraphs, which total in 316 words, even mention the platform they are reviewing the game for.
And lets look at the bold text from the quote above. It’s as if the actions of IW are being condoned! How could that not affect the overall review for the PC? These features were not left out so the experience could be the same across all platforms. They were left out because the IP of Call of Duty has had a new game every 6 months and if they want to keep pumping out games for people to buy, they need to start cutting corners. The PC market share apparently is now just one corner of IW’s target demographic. This is news. IW sent a message with this PC release. If there was ever a time to write separate reviews it was now, when a game is released that will clearly be the format to copy for years to come. I may be getting a bit dramatic but, as one of the most popular review sites and one of the few trustworthy sites left on the internet, I feel like, by releasing this review, IGN has damned PC gaming to a future of watered-down mediocrity.
So, thank you IGN. Thank you for taking my subscription dues and wiping your ass with it. It would be different if you were Gamespot and everyone knew your reviews were full of shit. Sigh…
- Squiddy D.
I don’t necessarily think that one lazy review from IGN will doom PC games to permanent mediocrity, however, I do agree, that as prominent and widely trusted reviewers, IGN does have an obligation to its readers to be consistent with their moral stance on reviewing (i.e. no cut and paste reviews). And whether or not this apathy on their part has a significant impact on the PC gaming world, it is still disappointing that a game that has created so much turmoil amongst gamers is the one game that IGN chooses to cut and paste. That said, does one bad review make villains of a site that you have trusted for years?
Trust, once squandered, is difficult if not impossible to regain. IGN squandered the trust of its readership. Some won’t care, some will never come back, others will remain aloof for a time while they reevaluate their integrity. Either way, it is incumbent upon ANY journalistic enterprise of this nature to be fair in their reporting, and they were not. This is especially troublesome when an outlet (like IGN) reviews more than one platform at a time. As I believe Mack states in his post on MW2, the console crowd generally doesn’t know what the PC is actually capable of, thus their standards for what makes a game “good” are quite different. The PC generally has higher standards because PC gamers DO know what is possible in the realm of storytelling, graphics, and play balance. But the trend here seems to be that most reviewers, regardless of platform, are spewing praise for a game that really advances little if anything in the realm of gaming. This is the ultimate travesty for a reviewing outlet to commit. IGN is simply indicative of a great trend. Now, since I sucked down some Nyquil not long ago, I’m going to leave now and hope that when I read that again in the morning it made sense.