Comments on: The Lester Bangs of Video Games is Under Our Noses http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/ SpotAnime.com Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:08:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jamie http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/comment-page-1/#comment-556 Jamie Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:04:04 +0000 http://www.spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/#comment-556 To the poster 'Slybri' - I write reviews for a local newspaper and culture magazine and I archive them online here - http://vastikroot.blogspot.com if you fancy a different read. I like to think i'm honest in my approach and never swayed be hype or PR bull. My review of Perfect Dark was far from gushing too (online stuff saved it from a damning though) -http://vastikroot.blogspot.com/2006/06/perfect-dark-zero-15-verdict-shiny.html To the poster ‘Slybri’ – I write reviews for a local newspaper and culture magazine and I archive them online here – http://vastikroot.blogspot.com if you fancy a different read. I like to think i’m honest in my approach and never swayed be hype or PR bull.
My review of Perfect Dark was far from gushing too (online stuff saved it from a damning though) -http://vastikroot.blogspot.com/2006/06/perfect-dark-zero-15-verdict-shiny.html

]]> By: Carnival of Gamers #17: CAG on our CoG » Girly Gamer http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/comment-page-1/#comment-540 Carnival of Gamers #17: CAG on our CoG » Girly Gamer Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:42:32 +0000 http://www.spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/#comment-540 [...] So what’s in the freakshow this month? Lots of great stuff, like Curmudgeon Gamer’s look at the PS3’s public image (it ain’t good), spotanime’s take on the Lester Bangs thing (we weren’t offended … really!), and an insightful look at … save games? [...] [...] So what’s in the freakshow this month? Lots of great stuff, like Curmudgeon Gamer’s look at the PS3’s public image (it ain’t good), spotanime’s take on the Lester Bangs thing (we weren’t offended … really!), and an insightful look at … save games? [...]

]]> By: Spot http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/comment-page-1/#comment-529 Spot Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:08:27 +0000 http://www.spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/#comment-529 I think a lot of people confuse Roger Ebert, who has a Pulitzer for his film criticism, with someone like Peter Travers. Those who read the Sun Times know Ebert's reviews are sprawling essays, albeit do not rise to the level of literary comprehension (and thankfully so) as something in the Village Voice or New York Times. I believe this is a conscious decision, rather than a limitation of his skill, in order to broaden his audience. The point I am trying to make is Ebert is usually used as an example of being a "critic", but I think it is wrong to think of his work as just layman's criticism. His understanding of the craft of filmmaking, as well as his interviews with filmmakers across the decades, are just as important to the history of film as anything else he's written. Even Siskel, who is just as much of a film activist and historian, used to be jealous of Ebert's writing. Siskel only wrote small reviews, and wasn’t even the Tribune’s main critic through the '80s and '90s. Ebert might have taken critical rating scales to the mainstream, which has been the foundation for the typical "buyer's guide" connotation, but never should his work be considered as merely that. Just wanted to get that off my chest... ;) I think a lot of people confuse Roger Ebert, who has a Pulitzer for his film criticism, with someone like Peter Travers. Those who read the Sun Times know Ebert’s reviews are sprawling essays, albeit do not rise to the level of literary comprehension (and thankfully so) as something in the Village Voice or New York Times. I believe this is a conscious decision, rather than a limitation of his skill, in order to broaden his audience. The point I am trying to make is Ebert is usually used as an example of being a “critic”, but I think it is wrong to think of his work as just layman’s criticism. His understanding of the craft of filmmaking, as well as his interviews with filmmakers across the decades, are just as important to the history of film as anything else he’s written.

Even Siskel, who is just as much of a film activist and historian, used to be jealous of Ebert’s writing. Siskel only wrote small reviews, and wasn’t even the Tribune’s main critic through the ’80s and ’90s.

Ebert might have taken critical rating scales to the mainstream, which has been the foundation for the typical “buyer’s guide” connotation, but never should his work be considered as merely that. Just wanted to get that off my chest… ;)

]]> By: Tylertron http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/comment-page-1/#comment-524 Tylertron Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:33:23 +0000 http://www.spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/#comment-524 Slybri brings up a valid point, and one that I've heard over this topic before. Do we really want that type of journalism, or do we just want a "buyer's guide" to gaming. Speaking for myself, and I am interested in the advancement in gaming. Not just graphics, or system horsepower, but in a more-zoomed-out way. I like to wax philosophical over gaming trends and deeper meaning in gaming. Maybe its a bit pretentious, but, in the same way I do it with music, I like to let games take me somewhere else. And to me, that is worth writing and talking about. Slybri brings up a valid point, and one that I’ve heard over this topic before. Do we really want that type of journalism, or do we just want a “buyer’s guide” to gaming. Speaking for myself, and I am interested in the advancement in gaming. Not just graphics, or system horsepower, but in a more-zoomed-out way. I like to wax philosophical over gaming trends and deeper meaning in gaming. Maybe its a bit pretentious, but, in the same way I do it with music, I like to let games take me somewhere else. And to me, that is worth writing and talking about.

]]> By: slybri http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/comment-page-1/#comment-523 slybri Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:16:27 +0000 http://www.spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/#comment-523 Maybe all we need is a Roger Ebert of video games. Someone we can trust to tell us if a game is worth our hard earned 50-60 bucks. With all the advertising and sponsors on these websites and all the hype from the weblogs it's hard to tell if a review is honest or not. I used to trust Kasavin over at Gamespot. But then he creamed all over Perfect Dark:Zero for the 360. I blew 45 bucks on that piece of trash because Kasavin either got caught up in the 360 launch hype or was bought outright. That game just plain sucked and Kasavin knows that. I don't need any heartfelt insiders view of gaming. I just wanna know how much money a game is really worth. Maybe all we need is a Roger Ebert of video games. Someone we can trust to tell us if a game is worth our hard earned 50-60 bucks. With all the advertising and sponsors on these websites and all the hype from the weblogs it’s hard to tell if a review is honest or not.

I used to trust Kasavin over at Gamespot. But then he creamed all over Perfect Dark:Zero for the 360. I blew 45 bucks on that piece of trash because Kasavin either got caught up in the 360 launch hype or was bought outright. That game just plain sucked and Kasavin knows that.

I don’t need any heartfelt insiders view of gaming. I just wanna know how much money a game is really worth.

]]> By: V_R http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/comment-page-1/#comment-516 V_R Tue, 22 Aug 2006 09:50:18 +0000 http://www.spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/#comment-516 Games Testers are pretty much the groupies of the industry. They get to see and understand the inner workings, they speak to the designers on a daily basis and take apart their work piece by piece. They also see the giant, stinking, hairy ass of the industry and all that comes out of it. I speak from experience and I know it certainly fuels my vitriol. Games Testers are pretty much the groupies of the industry. They get to see and understand the inner workings, they speak to the designers on a daily basis and take apart their work piece by piece. They also see the giant, stinking, hairy ass of the industry and all that comes out of it. I speak from experience and I know it certainly fuels my vitriol.

]]> By: spotanime.com » Blog Archive » 1UP Needs a Chaperone http://spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/comment-page-1/#comment-314 spotanime.com » Blog Archive » 1UP Needs a Chaperone Sat, 05 Aug 2006 02:39:30 +0000 http://www.spotanime.com/2006/07/21/the-lester-bangs-of-video-games-is-under-our-noses/#comment-314 [...] I had made a comment how 1UP.com, the web entity of the Ziff Davis Game Group, seemed like “the inmates are running the prison”. After making 1UP a daily read, and especially in the past week, I can now say for certain that my comment is correct. [...] [...] I had made a comment how 1UP.com, the web entity of the Ziff Davis Game Group, seemed like “the inmates are running the prison”. After making 1UP a daily read, and especially in the past week, I can now say for certain that my comment is correct. [...]

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