Word is spreading across the net that Ziff Davis Media has sold the 1UP family of properties to UGO Entertainment, and that UGO promptly fired most of the 1UP Show contributors, as well as a bunch of other folks.
This is really sad. The 1UP Show did the best traditional games journalism out there, and its loss means that I’d now like to be spending zero of my dollars or hours of attention on traditional games media. Unfortunately, as even a nascent games industry professional, I really can’t afford to toss aside the previews-and-reviews business. I’ll have to find some source for that sort of news that doesn’t turn me off completely.
UGO media properties are out due to my petty resentment. Kotaku‘s not my sort of thing, Gamasutra‘s excellent but not really what I’m looking for, and Rock Paper Shotgun isn’t quite comprehensive enough. What video game news site should I use? I’m looking for something smart and mature that’ll give me a good idea of what games are coming up and what games are well-reviewed.
By the way, I’ve switched the avatar system. No more silly cartoon heads. Unless you’re lucky.
my new avatar appears to be norfair. where dessgeegas come from. how about that?
At one point, while I was hacking at the plugin, you were the old man watching the race at the Millenial Fair.
I use a combination of RPS, Destructoid, TIGSource, and Gamesetwatch. Destructoid is more minute-to-minute with their updates and significantly less mature, but their staff is pretty large and enthusiastic. The maturity cost is mainly due to the usage of some low-hanging fruit jokes. If you can get over that, or enjoy it, then they’re a fairly comprehensive source, almost too much so.
I focus mainly on what Anthony Burch and Jim Sterling have to say. Burch is more… uh… NGJ and Sterling is a bit more of a console gamer type (He’s also British.) They’re both fairly intelligent characters with their own quirks of background and niches of knowledge.
RPS isn’t as comprehensive, as you noted, but they do get off on some interesting tangents and they usually talk a bit more personally about their impressions of a game. Once you learn a little about each author’s personality you can get a better feel for their reaction than most other sources.
Obviously, you already know all about Gamesetwatch and TIGSource. They’re focus is the independent scene.
I don’t think there’s really any one site out there that fits your description exactly, but I’d give Destructoid a try for a few days. I’d avoid reading the comments though, they’re usually about the same level as youtube.
I used to read Destructoid, but Jim Sterling is actually the reason I stopped. He’s a decent reviewer, and in the narrow field of gaming he’s quite competent, but whenever a larger issue comes up he makes a fool out of himself. Whether it’s gender issues, controversial figures, or race in Resident Evil 5, Sterling can’t seem to avoid saying something offensive and ill-informed. Even when he’s not being directly offensive, he’s got a confrontational, disdainful frat-boy attitude that I think is what you mean when you talk about “low-hanging fruit.” It just grates on me.
It’s a shame, really, because you’re right about Burch. He’s smart, clever, and the show he does with his sister is hilarious.
Agree with you almost entirely. I just find Sterling mildly comical rather than constantly grating, he does go overboard in attempts to make things funny I think, which is probably what’s getting to you. Of course, Burch is really the only reason to bother with Destructoid at all (and HAWP is indeed hilarious on the whole, though a bit hit or miss) and if you just check out Burch’s posts rather than the podcast you can avoid Sterling. Really, the podcast is a bit bloated anyway.
I’m half-betting you already discovered this but http://area5.tv/ is apparently a continuation of the 1up show for all intents and purposes. I remembered this post from months ago when I found the site a few weeks ago, only just now did I remember this post and that site at the same time so I figured I’d give you the heads up.
Cool. Thanks for sending along that link.