From the Bottom Up: August 2006

Why IGN Sucks: Part IV the conclusioning

Well it's been a great week poking fun at one of the web's largest gaming websites especially since we are one of the webs smallest gaming websites. Hehehehe take that Goliath! Anyway I have saved the best reason for last, in fact this was actually the straw that broke the camel's back with me after I found this out IGN lost all credibility in my eyes. Enjoy!

Reason Number 4: They are owned by FOX

Fox Interactive to be precise a wholly owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Yup that's right IGN is the Fox News of the Internet gaming world. Now most people who pay attention know that News Corp. owns a lot of stuff including but not limited to the US presidency. (Buzz Zing!) Now is it bad to be owned by a large corporation? Not really, 1up.com and EGM are owned by publishing giant Ziff Davis Media, GameInformer is owned by EB Games/Gamestop and they do alright but anything owned by News Corp. has this kind of evil slant to it. Simply because Murdoch can dictate contact, we have started seeing this with another recent News Corp. acquisition MySpace.com. Users who have put up content contrary to Murdoch's wishes have found their pages deleted missing, or locked. I wish I could say the same for IGN but if we're not meant to see it we never will, therefore the evidence is hard to find. Consider this you don't see a lot of IGN editorial pieces about video game laws put forth by republican senator's being overturned by Doug Lowenstien now do you?

Well that concludes our 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks" I hope everybody enjoyed it but I do have a couple things to say. I do not write this to sway your opinion. If you read theses articles and decide to agree me great! but make the decision for yourself not because some guy in Toronto told you to. That's what Stephen Colbert and Bill O'Riley do. All I ask is that you keep your eyes open and be media literate and don't believe everything you read. You know what they say "If you read it on the Internet it HAS to be true" I'm talking to you Wikipedia. Well that's all got, besides It's time for me to get a BLT and go bear hunting.

Why IGN Sucks: Part III

Welcome back well it's now time for part 3 of our 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks" today.....

Reason Number 3: They suffer from PSP syndrome.

For those of you who don't know what PSP syndrome is. It's when something be it a device website or service try to do too many things at once. It is becoming a big problem in technology. For example the PSP is a gaming handheld that plays games, plays movies, plays music , allows you to view pictures etc.. Now it's great that a device does all this but like I said before it's a GAMING HANHELD! How ever I have digressed from my point. IGN suffer from this syndrome in this same way. When IGN first started they covered games and only games now many will say that they have broadened their horizons but I say they have lost focus on what's important. GAMES! Now I would go to IGN from news on video games but I have to sift through news about movies, cars, comics, hell even sports. Where does it end.

Well I feel I've made my point. So be sure to check back soon for our 4th and final part of our 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks" Don't miss the thrilling conclusion who know you might learn something.

Why IGN Sucks Part: II

Well kiddies it's time for part 2 of our 4 part series on "Why IGN Sucks" so read along and laugh will us at FtBU.

Reason Number 2: You have to PAY for it.

I don't know how many times I've been researching a story or game on IGN and I get a pop up saying that "this area is for premium members only" paying for news and media is such bullshit. I don't pay for TV and if I had a choice I would not pay for my internet connection. Well I can right it off as a business expense anyway. Now IGN is not the only website that is guilty of this pay per story crap. Canadian national newspaper the Globe and Mail charges a fee to access parts of their website, I have heard that the Washington Post and USofA Today also have premium content for paying users. All media should be free so I fight for what I can. Muhahahaha free cable rules! My cable company even keeps calling me trying to offer me a TV package and I ask "Is it more than free?" they say "Yes" "HA! No thanks homeboy. I'm all set" Paying to get news is so wrong all news should be free. People should have free access to journalistic content because that it what FREEdom of the press is all about.

Well that's it for today tune in tomorrow for our 3rd part in our four part series "Why IGN Sucks".

Why IGN Sucks Part: I

I have been reading my video game news on the web for sometime now and with so many sites out there it's hard to find reliable, well written sources of news. Since I started school I noticed that most of my fellow game design students get their news from one site in particular. This website is internet gaming giant IGN. I must say however that I whole hardly disagree with this popular opinion. Today I bring you the first part of my 4 part series "Why IGN Sucks "

Reason Number 1: The way they list their news.

I'm a busy guy so when reading the news I like to be able to see exactly what is new and what is old. IGN's news story browser has no dates so it's impossible to tell what is new and what is old especially if you haven't checked in a while or on weekends. They also list multiple stories for multiple platforms.

Example: From today's IGN news page.

China Joyful Over PS3
PS3
MS Japan Prez Comments on HD-DVD, PS3
XBOX360
Release Date Revision (July 31, 2006)
PSP
Release Date Revision (July 31, 2006)
PS2
New Guitar Hero II Tracks Announced
PS2
E3 Cancelled?
PC
E3 Cancelled?
GBA
E3 Cancelled?
Wireless
E3 Cancelled?
WII
E3 Cancelled?
PS3
E3 Cancelled?
XBOX360
E3 Cancelled?
DS
E3 Cancelled?
PSP
E3 Cancelled?
PS2
E3 Cancelled?
Xbox
E3 Cancelled?

Why not just list one story and call it multi platform or something. Maybe list the system's they concern in the margin. I dunno but seeing but 10 of the exact same stories is ridiculous.
Check back later for reason number 2 as to Why IGN Sucks.

Best Launch Ever!?!

Word on the street is that these babies are all confirmed to be available on Wii launch day which is......umm the streets are still quite on that one. I refuse to speculate on the Wii launch date by looking for hidden codes in press releases or SI for Kids issues. I'll just wait till the official announcement that I believe will come at TGS in September. The list is sweet though.

Damn look at all those titles and no less than 3 are first party! Gimmie a W......... W! Gimmie an I.......... I! Gimmie another I ............. I! What's that spell? Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

I just hope I don't crap my pants before thanksgivings. Oh yeah and HEY SONY! How about a line up eh? eh? eh? Every body's doing it! Announcements are the cool thing to do.

Bye Bye CGW Hello GfWM

Well that's it the fat lady has sung over at CGW (Computer Gaming World) well kinda. Microsoft has entered into an agreement with the magazine's publisher Ziff Davis Media to re brand CGW as Games for Windows Magazine. GfWM will continue to act as an independent editor that now simply bears the Windows brand. Oh wait I just got a call from failed magazine Xbox Nation or XBN they say "Hello and RUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!! them Msoft boys will kill you!"

Well I say good luck to the guys at CGW stay strong and continue to mock those console gamers out there. How did they settle on the name Games for Windows Magazine? Well I'll tell ya it's better than some of the other titles they were going to go with like.......