GNamer Major Writes Site

Drunka's Goat Simulator review: I think your ire is a little misplaced here, Drunka. I don't think the devs ever intended this to be a long-lasting, riotously funny experience, but they've supported what was originally a daft idea with regular free updates and levels. They aren't trying to con anyone here with what this is - it's a stupid game, and they know it. Having said that, there is a little depth here - they've squirreled away little Easter eggs in each level, and the proper fun comes from exploring these levels and tracking those down. Whilst I do agree that it's essentially Youtuber-bait, I don't agree that it's as awful a concept as you make it out to be.

Gjones's F-Zero article: Whilst I'd personally love a new F-Zero, I think you're right in saying that the recent Mario Kart updates have rendered a new F-Zero useless. F-Zero doesn't sell as much as Mario Kart, so I reckon Ninty are trying to appease their hardcore crowd by the inclusion of 200cc mode and the F-Zero tracks. Plus, Captain Falcon is probably more of a Smash Bros. character than an F-Zero character now - a further nail in the series' coffin.

Look how good Goat Simulator is from this Xbox Trailer

My piece on PSNOW should be going up soon, just sent to Mr School to give it a check over

I never accused them of conning anyone, or claimed my review was definitive. However, my opinion is that the game isn't funny or worth spending any money on.

See this is what I don't get as I did really think thought you'd find it hilarious.

I think I explained myself pretty well in the review, but I just don't. Silly physics shenanigans and open-world stuff can be funny but as part of a bigger, more interesting whole. Goat Simulator is like a fake You've Been Framed clip, or a deliberately cheesy advert for car insurance. It's trying to imitate something naturally funny while missing the essential quality that made it funny in the first place.

I've always been interested in picking it up, not because of the physics silliness (which is only amusing for a little while) but for the sheer mass of secrets and things to find in each environment. In my first comment I said your ire is misplaced - I stand by that. This isn't a game asking for £40, but a little more than a fiver, and it's still being updated with fairly ambitious stuff like this. I think telling such a harmless, obvious side-project to "fuck off" is unwarranted.

Regardless, I enjoyed your review Drunka, as always - I just disagree with it.

I think the ONE is a bit more expensive and has less content then the PC version and he's reviewing it on the merits of the ONE version.

Yeah the F Off is a little unwarranted and I've had to send the review on, so I can't see us getting anything else from them.

masofdas wrote:

I think the ONE is a bit more expensive and has less content then the PC version and he's reviewing it on the merits of the ONE version.

Yeah the F Off is a little unwarranted and I've had to send the review on,  so I can't see us getting anything else from them.  

Ah, I didn't know that the ONE didn't have all the PC content. Fair enough.

As for the second point, we never said we would hold back to get more games from devs - that would be disingenuous. If Drunka had said he'd hated it and came out with a simpering critique of the game, I'd have been disappointed. That's not GNamer.

masofdas wrote:

Yeah the F Off is a little unwarranted and I've had to send the review on,  so I can't see us getting anything else from them.  

Way to justify the fears I had initially about this, Mas.

I'm not saying he should or we go all games are marvelous, to get more games. I'm not saying that at all.

And I think the guys behind Goat Simulator know it's going to get bad reviews as it's a bad game but saying F Off might be pushing it a bit to far.

But its done now and I've sent them the review and that's that.

Whilst I don't personally agree with telling the game to fuck off, that's due to my opinion of the game. If Drunka's opinion of the game is as such as he wants to tell it to fuck off, then there's nothing wrong with that. None of us should feel we should have to self-censor here.

To clarify, im not telling the developers to fuck off in that review. Throughout the review, im talking to the imaginary fan who tries to tell me I don't get it and that it's really funny; the typical youtube idiot. It's them I'm telling to fuck off.

I guess but I just felt a little embarrassed emailing a team nice enough us to send us a code to review and then we go tell them to F Off.

Like the Frenchy Bird guys were cool with there review and would work with us again if we wish. And that was a rather damming review.

Edit

Hmm okay,  that makes more sense that.

Like I said what is done is done and don't worry Balla know one is going to give high praise to get more game's (well I hope not).

Right, I've slightly expanded the end of my review. I've not changed my sentiment but hopefully I've made it a little clearer. Although I don't personally think this version flows as nicely.

Drunka, I share your views on Goat Simulator. I have never played it, but my daughter has and she loved it. They would play it and laugh hysterically and I just didn't get it. It seemed stupid and pointless. Like you, I also find silly stuff really funny, and have so since I was a kid watching Monty Python and The Goodies.

However.

When you write a review in the way you did, you are going to have to expect some blowback. You are perfectly entitled to write what you want, but I am perfectly entitled to tell you what I think also. With that preface out of the way, I think you were unreasonably blunt and lacked some objectivity it could have done with. I hate Nicki Minaj, and what she calls music, but I don't care because I don't have to listen to her, both singing or speaking and importantly, I can leave her fans to enjoy her, it doesn't bother me. Telling people who enthusiastically inform you as to why the game is great, one that you don't get, to fuck off just seems angry and unnecessary. Sure, it will appeal to those who passionately share your view, but will alienate not only those who enjoy it, but those who have no desire to play it.

Something that is so bad it is good is a very subjective thing. Plan 9 From Outer Space fits that for me, as does We Built This City by Airship (80s song), but for others they would be just flat out crap. Because you don't get it (remember I don't either) doesn't mean those who do, are wrong. That is why it is subjective. If that review was posted on N4G you would have been in for a world of hate, from both those who play it and those who don't. If you don't care that this would occur, then it isn't a problem.

In conclusion, I think you could have still reviewed it as bad as you did, without the aggression. You could have strongly pointed out that you don't get it, that is was bland, generic, played poorly et cetera, but it would have been better to conclude that you won't know if you like it unless you see it in action, but you wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time. To be this aggressive, it needed some counter-balance of humour.

Now I don't want to get into an argument over this, I am just expressing my view, nor am I telling you what to do, that would be wrong, so don't take it personal, it is just one view on one piece of writing and I still look forward to reading your other stuff.

That's a good read OldSchool (you should do more writing) and put far better then me as that's what I meant about us working with them by still giving it a bad review which they would be expecting but less angry. Not the way Balla took it but like I said it's done now plus where not OXM, but what would you have put Drunka if it was for them as you did apply for a job there and doubt Matthew Castle would let you publish that.

But anyway my bit on PlayStation Now is up

I wouldn't have changed it too much, but I would've gone more into detail of the mechanics and ended with my revised ending, less the swearing. In fact, if I wrote the review again tomorrow I'd probably do it differently. That said, I stand by my opinions on that kind of "comedy" and what the game represents to me and I'm taking a perverse pleasure in having written something controversial.

Saw you'd uploaded something, will read that when I'm supposed to be working tomorrow.

Drunkalilly wrote:

I wouldn't have changed it too much, but I would've gone more into detail of the mechanics and ended with my revised ending, less the swearing. In fact, if I wrote the review again tomorrow I'd probably do it differently. That said, I stand by my opinions on that kind of "comedy" and what the game represents to me and I'm taking a perverse pleasure in having written something controversial.

Saw you'd uploaded something, will read that when I'm supposed to be working tomorrow.

Thank you for not taking it personally.

masofdas wrote:

But anyway my bit on PlayStation Now is up

Obviously I had a good read of your review Mas and found it to be very interesting, and good to know first hand. Nice article. Not being an owner of a PS4, nor will I be for probably another year, I can't say it interests me much, but there are bigger issues about it I will comment on, from my perspective.

I do think it is the future of gaming. It is downright inevitable. Owning games will become a thing of the past and this service is the real start of that change. That doesn't mean I like it. In fact, I really don't. It will make gaming entirely generic, a commodity. Any understanding of commodities shows that once a product is a commodity, the consumer no longer aligns themselves with any brand - product is product and price is the only factor after an interest in the game. Phone games already started the commodification of games. Brands like Nintendo, Sony and Xbox will become worthless eventually. Nintendo could exist on its own IP with a similar service, perhaps. People will just get the cheapest service and because consoles don't exist, it doesn't matter who it comes from. Even controllers will merge into a single version.

All of this is reliant on good internet being available to the vast majority of the community. As I am on satellite, unless something changes, it will be useless to me. On a good day I would be lucky to get 400kbs, let alone the 5mbs. Most importantly, I will miss 'stuff'. I like collecting. I like having my games displayed on a bookcase. I honestly believe I will lose interest when it all comes down to streaming.

Yeah interesting piece on PSNOW. You only have to look at music (Spotify) and movies (Netflix) to see where the future lies in gaming. As Nintendo are usually late to the party with online gaming, I suspect we won't see this for a while.

The thing is, while CDs and DVDs are on the way out, Vinyl has had its best sales in 15 years. I liken video games (particularly Nintendo ones) to vinyl in a way. We treasure the polished, deep experience of a Nintendo game. We take pride in collecting Nintendo 'stuff'. Games tend to stay on display, or remain in one room. The digital revolution will also make the physical media that remains, more valuable. There's also the experience factor - video games aren't there for an hour or two, we often spend 50 hours on one game before we discard it, not to be revisited until years later. Childhoods and friend circles are built around consoles. Memories are made from multi-player.

I'm not sure if the Wii-U turns a healthy profit for Nintendo, but there would be a market there for hard-copy gamers. Particularly if they were to combine their handheld and home console in to one.

I'm interested what the CEOs at GAME and CEX are thinking about these services, as it would wipe their business models out.

gjones wrote:

Yeah interesting piece on PSNOW. You only have to look at music (Spotify) and movies (Netflix) to see where the future lies in gaming. As Nintendo are usually late to the party with online gaming, I suspect we won't see this for a while.

The thing is, while CDs and DVDs are on the way out, Vinyl has had its best sales in 15 years. I liken video games (particularly Nintendo ones) to vinyl in a way. We treasure the polished, deep experience of a Nintendo game. We take pride in collecting Nintendo 'stuff'. Games tend to stay on display, or remain in one room. The digital revolution will also make the physical media that remains, more valuable. There's also the experience factor - video games aren't there for an hour or two, we often spend 50 hours on one game before we discard it, not to be revisited until years later. Childhoods and friend circles are built around consoles. Memories are made from multi-player.

I'm not sure if the Wii-U turns a healthy profit for Nintendo, but there would be a market there for hard-copy gamers. Particularly if they were to combine their handheld and home console in to one.

Agreed about vinyl, but it is a niche demographic and the product is high cost. Whether that is a sustainable business model is debatable, as they need a decent audience, one they can grow, or at minimum, replace those who drop out. Nintendo could simply become an online/delivery product and just live without the retailer, but they would need to be mindful of price and it requires very good advertising/marketing to get into the consumer mind. Shops have effectively been a sales tool - where we can see and touch stuff. I find myself shopping less and less and consequently buying less and less - developing a rather ignorant of what is around mindset.

Thanks for the look, I do think Now can be useful for when legacy titles come on it and Sony like how do with VC announce something like Metal Gear Solid is coming to Now.

On the future, it's a weird one as you can go the route Microsoft wanted to which is basically STEAM but likely more expensive & anything you do buy on disc is DRM.

Or the more likely which is the Sub model as you bring up about other entertainment it works plus some do have exclusive content like Daredevil on Netflix for instance. So the Sony box could have exclusives etc and I think GAME etc could be come like Carphone warehouse where you go look at the different boxes, buy extra controllers etc. Also the boxes could be subbed based, so go into game sign your contract and get a free PS6 (I think that far off) then pay £50 a month & that's it also as it's steamed based would needed to upgrade the system as often.

I feel Nintendo would stay hard copies, I can't just see them going all digital.

I think when something like this does happen, I will stay retro but that could become even more expensive.

@oldschool I know that in the future gaming will become more downloading than having the case to do making cost and it's a lot easier on there behalf of giving it to people in a less bucket to making the games out there more faster. I don't hate downloading I think it's good but I am just worried if I don't like the game it would be spend for nothing, that why I try demos now and look online about the reviews/IGN/youtube to help me now before buying it. The best reason to have downloads is this, less room!

it's on your handheld or console without needing to find the game in your collection just finding the one game. It does get on my nerves having games carts in the way well I can use that room for something else or less room the better personally because of cleaning/dust/room. The bad news about downloading now this min in time is the prices, RPG's can be 35 for a download, it should be cheaper because of no cart/manual and not making the chip game/limited edition artbooks etc.

If they do downloads only in the future they would consider of retrying it with all of them on demos personally and the life of me give me better prices than this, if I am going to be buying download games only in the future they could at lest drop the prices because I am taking money in to something I can't resell for heaven sake! it's a big deal for everyone in the world not just me on this. I would love love LOVE the idea to have my money back trying the game after a couple of days but hated it I would get my money back no questions asked of giving the download back to them for my money back. I wouldn't have a issue with downloads at all if they did something that got your money worth out of it.

@Drunkalilly Drama on youtube will never seem to surprise me how many people get angry or annoyed with people of different opinions on there it's unbelievable time wasting, it doesn't matter how many times you talk to the people on there nice or not you will not change there opinion fall stop. Everyone thinks differently and if they talk to you back out of the blue saying (your wrong on this etc) on your youtube message simple ignore it as it's your opinion alone that matters not a random people you don't even know in real life or know well on the internet can even understand your situations. (opinions, religion, sexuality, politics) I would keep away of saying on the net.

and some links opinions

gamefaqs
myanimelist
reddit
mynintendolife

oldschool wrote:

Thank you for not taking it personally.

Don't worry, that was never gonna happen.

On the subject of PSNow and the future of games, I would embrace an end to the modern console. Fanboyism is my least favourite aspect of the gaming world at the moment. A future where anyone has access to any game would be ideal. Just pick the controller that suits you, log in to Gameflix and play whatever you've bought. I've got a Nintendo controller but my mates have Playstation and XBOX ones? No problem, they all work together so we always have enough for 8-man fifa.