Journalism is Ruining the Next-Gen Launch

Here we are on the cusp of a monumental month for gaming. The Playstation 4 is releasing in two short days, with the Xbox One following in a few weeks. Hell, the Wii U's quietly having quite the solid holiday season as well. But instead of celebrating and getting ourselves excited, the boards are filled with Xbox fans loving that just a few journalists aren't too hot on Killzone, and Knack... Well, we all saw that coming.

But none the less, in two days the Playstation will release. I'll be playing Killzone. I'll love Killzone. I'll probably forget all about it by the end of next year because that's just how launches go.

The thing is: this isn't our problem. It's the need for ratings and click-counts that have all the journalists in the gaming world going on a rampage of pitting us against each other. We've come to believe that somehow the console we stand behind somehow validates us as gamers compared to people lining up against the competition.

The question is: Why does the rare 6/10 score for Killzone make that big of a difference? Why do eight people's opinions (the number of mediocre reviews on Metacritic as of now) dictate that the ps4 launch is immediately a flop? That a few reported instances of early consoles failing after a few short minutes makes this a disaster.

What's worse is that the Playstation "Cows" as they're called (a name I'd bet some "clever" journalists came up with and infected the world with) are going to do exactly the same thing leading up to the 22nd.

But let's all be honest for a second -- Are there really that many Playstation loyalists that don't think Ryse looks at least slightly intriguing? That Dead Rising 3's nonsensical gameplay looks like a great way to kill time by killing the recently killed? Do the so-called "Xbots" really think the gorgeous visuals and enhanced gameplay over the first three is a disaster only a fool would enjoy?

Now, more importantly, do you think this kind of war was raged in the days of the Genesis and the SNES? I remember being in that glorious era where I longed to play Sonic and my friends felt the same way about Donkey Kong Country. So, what's changed?

24/7 access to an endless supply of other people's opinions.

Every last fault and failure in every console launch or otherwise is immediately scrutinized and obsessed about in every gaming outlet on the interwebs.

It's time to stop.

I'm not going to let some whiny forum posters and professionals who make a living scrutinizing someone else's labor of love and hard work keep me from enjoying the console I've chosen. And all the while I'm going to quietly wish I'd picked the other console -- this time being the Xbox One.

But it's not because they've released some end all be all console, but because I think there's plenty to like across the board.

The ps4 isn't better than the Xbox One. The Xbox One isn't better than the ps4.

But we'll certainly let ourselves believe one is better. The question I'm asking myself is if we'd really all feel this way if we didn't have other people's opinions on the matter plastered into our brains. Hell, this website (and all the others) thrives on it. We're in a system wars board created specifically by these people to rile us up, anger us, infuriate us sometimes.

When push comes to shove, though, the Playstation fans are going to come back for blood when every news outlet across the globe points out the small, very temporary flaws in the Xbox One are exposed to the gaming masses. And when Dead Rising doesn't get the 9+ score everyone's hoping for.

Just fruit for thought. Maybe we should all stop letting these reviewers push our buttons like this. I'm certainly not letting my choice of a ps4 get in the way of my excitement for the eventual release of Quantum Break.

Cows tears are delicious

that said, your right. Most people will enjoy KZ and maybe even Knack. KZ got hyped and burned. Cows are mad and that's why it matters

They are mad X1 has better launch titles because their system was suppose to be far superior and it wont be

Our System Wars ilk came up with the term "cow", not "some journalist"

So you're saying that people who played these games and console should shut up and let their audiences pay $400-$500 for a disappointment. Okay.

The damage control is big in this one. Face it most cows hyped it the best fps of the year expecting an AAA game but is nothing than an A at most AA game ( even the official UK ps magazine gave it an 8). Still a good game though

So basically people should make up their own mind and not make their decision based on others opinions. which most people have been doing except the fanboys.

no one is ruining anything, this negativity only exists in sw, if you step into the real world people are excited as hell. lems have had nothing to cheer about so seeing the ps4 wobble has made their day. ps4 will destroy x1 and i mean DESTROY

ummmmm...... It will probably win in sales yes but it wont destroy and ummm....your exclusives all flopped except resogun btw

You will rarely find journalism on gaming sites. It's all marketing.

PS4 Launch:

@adamosmaki: The question is: Will Ryse and Dead Rising really be all that much better? Looking back on most console launches I'm inclined to say I doubt it.

And even so, who's going care by next summer? Who's still talking about Resistance or Perfect Dark? And who cares which one was better? The real conversation comes to the Uncharted's, the Halo's, the Mario's, the Zelda's.

Cows..........THEE biggest drama queens we've ever seen. If it wasn't so funny it'd be sad.

Fanboys are the ones ruining next-gen launch not journalists, people tend to be so insecure about the product that they are buying that they resort to bashing another product in order to make themselves feel better about their choice.

Whether it is because they can only buy one or prefer to only buy one because they prefer the console of their choice. They try to find reasons to justify their choice.

Honestly, I've been steering away from many articles comments in the past few months because of all the immaturity of the gaming community. Hopefully this will all simmer down after a year or two.

I personally will be buying both consoles as I am an avid gamer, and I love the console experience.

@LanceSSJ: so there is no 3rd party games on ps4? thought so. im buying to play bf4 the most impressive nextgen game so far. and yes they are on x1 also but none of those exclusive justify the higher price and neither does kinect. if u think x1 exclusives arent flopping u are in for a rude awakening. dead rising, ryse, killer instinct are all garbage

Noone expects Dead Rising 3 to score a 9. Get out of here with that mess. Forza 5 is the gem exclusive. The others falling below 7 would be a surprise.

Journalism helps spread information. There is bias, but if you pay attention to the whole media, you should be alright.

@IMAHAPYHIPPO: The user will always be the problem. GS or IGN does not 'need' a point rating system, user/readers request them. A written review, which is provided with the score, gives a much more in-depth analysis as to what the reviewer, someone like yourself but doing it for a living, thinks about a particular game. A sane person, with a bit of common sense, can just read the review and say, "Well, for me graphics aren't that big of a deal and I don't care there's fps hiccups. I only care about the story!" So, subtracting points from the overall score wouldn't apply in that case.

But, there's thousands and thousands of people that feel they do not have enough time in their app filled world to actually read and *need* someone to provide a score (that without a proper explanation is useless) to tell them what to buy and not to buy. Naturally, that gives birth to Metacritic, which only does the job of compounding those scores into an average, so that these lazy ass players don't have to click on each individual site.

In the end, it continues to be *your* choice to buy or not to buy the game. It would be the same as you telling your friends that a game is great and them believing in you and buying it. Some will like it, some will not. I would rather have as much available information as I can, since I do read, in order for me to make an informed decision. I also don't wish to spend $60 on a craptastic game because it's only 5hrs long with no substance or replayability. I also don't care about scores since I loved Dante's Inferno, Medal of Honor, and many other games within the 5-7.5 scores, and have hated Assassin's Creed 2 and beyond, Oblivion and Skyrim, and others around the 8.5-10 scores.

The user is the problem.

P.S. I have found my gaming experience to be much MUCH more enjoyable the less I participate in forums and MP games unless I have friends. I feel that today is a very sad day for gamers in general, since the release of a new console, as you have stated, is plagued by negative reviews and an initial showing that shows a potential lack of innovation (eye of the beholder). Prices for console games continue to be way to steep to "take a chance on" in my opinion, and even those I wish to truly play (I'm looking at you Zelda), I feel wary of just jumping in.

Journalism isn't ruining anything today that they haven't been ruining all year.

Yet if all these games would have recieved 9s you would be all for Journalism.

so you mad that someone put their opinion on something? If your HOLY sony made a greta game and HOLY kill zone got 9's Would you still made this thread?

I feel you TC, I understand what you mean. Although I do enjoy this but people like you will feel like outcasts. The gaming audience are like children in an eternal tantrum.

Another thing is that you're on the wrong forum too.

This, exactly.

Sorry, OP, journalism isn't ruining anything. It's your oversensitivity, and near-religious devotion to a piece of plastic and the multi-national corporation that makes it.

Ironic, given that you are a huge troll. You should probably cuddle together with the TC.

@k2theswiss: Maybe he would have. Maybe not everybody here is a fanboy. I certainly know that when COD2 (X360) and Resistance (PS3) got rave reviews, I trashed the games, the media and the fans. It was clear to me that the innovation of previous generations was going to be replaced with repetitive shooters. This shit started during the 6th gen. Now its out of control. Pretty pathetic that the most hyped games of the coming gen are Battlefield 4 and Titanfall.

sheeesh. Calm down the patch is coming.

so an increase in the amount of information so that people can make an informed decision is a bad thing?

@lostrib:

Problem is, its only opinion. While its my opinion that both games will suck ass regardless of the reviews (common sense since they are launch games), some of the best games I have ever played have had lower scores and little popularity.

We have also seen even on this site that reviews generally sway in favor of their marketing partners. We have even seen reviewers fired (Jeff Gerstmann) for giving a bad review to a shitty game because Sony threatened to pull their ads.

Generally when one doesn't have anything intelligent to add to a conversation, they post cheesy pictures. Its especially a fail because you couldn't get it right the first time and had to edit.

yes, and having multiple opinions available about a product can better help people make a decision if they want to by said product

The unnecessary apostrophe's.

Actually I have to agree to some extent. The sensationalism found in today's gaming sites is far worse than last generation, and I say this for both sides of this war.

I find it sad every time I feel like a games "journalist" tries to convince me not to be excited for a new system.

I love the 1st amendment.

oh take off the dress Nancy... The PS4 is flopping

#dealwithit