Man, it's been a while since my last blog post, but I need somewhere to vent, especially with GTA fanboys having a metaphorical orgy in the forums. Anyway, I decided to make a topic about how Resident Evil 4 is more deserving of a ten than GTA 4. It seemed reasonable, especially since I posted it in the heated debate machine that is system wars. Next thing I know, it was locked:
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26373950
Hold on a sec, I need a soda... *crack*... Ok...
Anyway, I did what I thought was a reasonable response to something like this and checked the system wars rules. I didn't really find anything that I might have violated (But I did realize how strict the rules are getting. No misquoting? But misquoting is so fun...). I also realize that there is a GTA discussion thread, but why would I start a discussion on RE4 there? I just mentioned it briefly in the thread, because of... you know, the whole 10/10 thing.
This got me thinking about the game industry and, even more so, the game critics. It seems that, with all of its innovative ideas, Resident Evil 4 is much more deserving of a 10 than any GTA game will ever be. Hell, we're still seeing its camera and aiming system used everywhere. So why would Gamespot try to shut me up about it? I think that it could be what some call the "hype machine."
The "hype machine" is when hype for a game builds up so much that people just can't stand to be dissapointed by it. Sure, hype kills or hurts alot of games, Bioshock is a good example of this, but with some, the hype drives the game into a forced success. This is what happened with GTA4 and Halo 3, and it'll happen again with Metal Gear Solid 4 (Maybe not, we'll see).
So, is Gamespot going slowly insane in a disturbing and lovecraftian manner? Probably not, but the giving of credit where it isn't deserved definetly reflects the state of game critics as a whole.
As Ben "yahtzee" Croshaw once said: "If in the future we all find ourselved playing 'Captain Bland's Monotonous Adventure,'... then I want you to know that I f*****g called it."
Sources:
Croshaw, Ben. "Zero Punctuation: Halo 3." The Escapist (2007). 4 May 2008 .