Forum > Gaming Discussion > Money and Reviews (Value Assesments)
Money and Reviews (Value Assesments)
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Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:34:23
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Not wanting to turn this into a "what is a game review" type topic at all (you can google Shawn Elliot's site for that), but EDGE magazine recently outed themselves as being a Consumer Guide-style operation with their recent review of Wanted.

The Consumer Guides style of review is what Gamespot happily admits to providing, which is where they review the game as a product, something that is or is not worth the MSRP on the box.  Not as an artform, or anything resembling it, just basically, is this form of entertainment worth the money?

EDGE's review basically ended up saying, "great game, but not worth $60." The Maw and De Blob got the same treatment from the gaming media.

Which brings to mind the hypocrisy of writers who on the one hand argue for games to be included in the Pantheon of Art, but on the other hand treat games in their reviews as if they are the latest golf club or bike pump.

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Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:47:19
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Reviewing based on value inherently devalues the review.  How much a dollar is worth depends on how many dollars the person has, how frugal the person is, and how much a dollar is worth in that person's country.  Meanwhile the game will retail for different amounts not just relative to the same game elsewhere, but to other games.

More simply, monetary value varies greatly by the individual, and will never stand up to time.

On the "art" side, games aren't art--elements of games are art.  Character design, writing, storytelling, etc.  The part that makes it a game are the rules, the logic.  If you wish to make an argument that a set of rules is artistic, well at least then the correct argument would be made.
Edited: Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:48:44

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Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:48:02
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great assessment.  i'm completely with you.  as far as i'm concerned a game i love is worth any amount of money.

but much like the moment "art" is put on a shelf and given a price tag people will compare that to how many cans of soup, or how many pints of beer they can get for that amount of money.  having said that i don't see how reviewers should/can be the judges of that for everyone so i agree that it's hypocrisy on their part.

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Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:48:13
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So if games are rules, and rules can be art, then games can be art? Nyaa

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Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:09:07
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Cant reviews cover both? I think games are entertainment and entertainment varies in its level of artistic aspiration.


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Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:22:37
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I frankly appreciate the value portion of a review.  Regardless of where you sit on the "are games art?" arguement the fact is in order to enjoy the game you have to pay for it.  It has an established value to it and you can't separate what you paid for it vs. if you think you got your money's worth.  It's perfectly fine to include it as part of the review.  If the reviewer is allowed to say if he thinks it's good or bad, he's just as entitled to say if he think it's worth the full retail price or not.
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Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:18:29
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robio said:
If the reviewer is allowed to say if he thinks it's good or bad, he's just as entitled to say if he think it's worth the full retail price or not.

I disagree, the reviewer can make a value judgement on a game's quality but not it's price -- that's up to the guy or gal with the wallet, in the store.  To extend that a little, in this particular review of Wanted, they could have just left off the last sentence and left at "this is a game that is incredible, however it is only 5 hours long".  "Okay," I say to myself, "I'm up for incredible, I don't mind short games" and I'm off to the store.  Now if I get to the store and find that it is $60 then I get to make the value call for myself.  Maybe $60 is a days pay to me, maybe I make that much in 2 minutes, but either way I get to make the call -- not the reviewer.  Another instance of this is the dreaded "...good for a rental..." line in a review that can absolutely kill a game.

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Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:43:35
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gamingeek said:

Cant reviews cover both? I think games are entertainment and entertainment varies in its level of artistic aspiration.


I agree.  Movie reviewer always pull this stunt. "Not worth forking over your ten bucks."

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Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:53:44
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What games you guys have played actually would be classified as Art? I can only think of maybe a couple.

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Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:40:47
Probably Ico and Shadow of the Collosus.
Edited: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:41:28
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Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:46:05

gamingeek said:
What games you guys have played actually would be classified as Art? I can only think of maybe a couple.

Superman 64, you will get zero joy out of it, just like all the other "art"!

Let it be said: Fuck art, it does not exist!

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:58:14

LOL, I almost forgot your stance on games as art Iga.

I might, just might put up Hotel Dusk as it is superbly written, the best writing I have ever seen in a videogame. There was a news story that an editor at Harper Collins was papping his pants as he said that he thought this was the future of novels.

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:05:55

gamingeek said:

LOL, I almost forgot your stance on art Iga.

I fixed that for you, my stance is all inclusive.

For example Mona Lisa = painting of a girl with a weird smile and no eyebrows.

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:11:04

Iga_Bobovic said:

gamingeek said:

LOL, I almost forgot your stance on art Iga.

I fixed that for you, my stance is all inclusive.

For example Mona Lisa = painting of a girl with a weird smile and no eyebrows.

You mean a man with long hair and no eyebrows.

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:58:09

gamingeek said:

Iga_Bobovic said:

gamingeek said:

LOL, I almost forgot your stance on art Iga.

I fixed that for you, my stance is all inclusive.

For example Mona Lisa = painting of a girl with a weird smile and no eyebrows.

You mean a man with long hair and no eyebrows.

what did you say?

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:07:25

bugsonglass said:

gamingeek said:

Iga_Bobovic said:

gamingeek said:

LOL, I almost forgot your stance on art Iga.

I fixed that for you, my stance is all inclusive.

For example Mona Lisa = painting of a girl with a weird smile and no eyebrows.

You mean a man with long hair and no eyebrows.

what did you say?

Only men can wield heavy artillery. Case closed.  

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:07:33

bugsonglass said:

gamingeek said:

Iga_Bobovic said:

gamingeek said:

LOL, I almost forgot your stance on art Iga.

I fixed that for you, my stance is all inclusive.

For example Mona Lisa = painting of a girl with a weird smile and no eyebrows.

You mean a man with long hair and no eyebrows.

what did you say?

Man with long air and no eyebrows

See?

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:10:51
I bet the Mona lisa is clean shaven down there.
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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:13:30

SteelAttack said:
I bet the Mona lisa is clean shaven down there.

Are you serious? In the 70s women were hairy, back in the Mona Lisa's time? Pfft. A virtual ape woman.

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:22:44

gamingeek said:

SteelAttack said:
I bet the Mona lisa is clean shaven down there.

Are you serious? In the 70s women were hairy, back in the Mona Lisa's time? Pfft. A virtual ape woman.

LOL With pilous abundance in her armpits to match. I often wonder how did mankind lasted until now. One could think hairy, awful smelling people who never bathed would keep getting close to each other or handling their genitals at the bottom of their priorities.

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