Because I love all things Yahtzee

[Johny Cee]

A while back, when the folks at GDC were looking for someone to help host their Game Developer's Choice Awards, they gave Yahtzee a call.

"Yahtzee," they said. "Make us some videos."

And so he did. And so Wednesday night, the folks at GDC will be treated to a special event, the first-ever Zero Punctuation videos premiered anywhere other than right here at The Escapist. Then, later that same night, at around midnight Eastern Time, to be precise, you lucky bastards will get to see them too.

This week on Zero Punctuation, The Escapist is proud to present Yahtzee's exclusive Game Developer's Choice Awards Videos. It's a special event type thing, so don't go nuts hitting F9, refreshing The Escpaist for 12 hours. Be patient. At midnight on Wednesday (or would that make it Thursday?), you, too will get to see the exciting Zero Punctuation GDC videos.

Want to see what yahtzee thinks is the greatest videogame character of 2007? Which is the best console? Which rock game rocks hardest? Stay tuned. And if you made it to GDC, come by the Developer's Choice awards and see it first, live, as God intended it. Amen.

So,  this weeks Zero Punctuation is being delayed until midnight est.

[Riggswolfe]

I thought you were talking about the dice game. 

[Rasix]

I wonder if he'll slobber praise all over some single player, set piece driven FPS.   

The guy is funny, but I find his taste in games somewhat narrow and tethered highly to a short attention span.

[HaemishM]

I'm sure Orange Box will be his game of choice for slobbering praise.

[Morfiend]

I'm sure Orange Box will be his game of choice for slobbering praise.

He could do much worse than Orange Box. But yeah, his ADD tends to make him give some good games bad reviews. IE The Witcher. Still funny though.

[Grand Design]

If you're watching Yahtzee to get insight into whether or not you should play a game, you're doing it wrong.

[MrHat]

Psssh.  I have a similar attention span for games that friends don't make me play.

[Velorath]

But yeah, his ADD tends to make him give some good games bad reviews. IE The Witcher. Still funny though.

Either that or, ya know, maybe he just didn't like The Witcher's gameplay.

[trias_e]

Well, his complaints involved fedex quests (not legitimate IMO), the manual being too long (ADD), the game being too complicated (if your IQ is 75, perhaps), and being just like a single player MUMORPGER (which it's not, but hilarious.)

There's a reason it's called 'first impressions' of The Witcher, and that's because Yahtzee has a little case of TEH ADD and/or realized he could come up with a funny review out of the little bit of information he pulled out of his ass had about the game.

Not that I particularly mind of course, it was still a funny video.  As stated before, Yahtzee's ability as a game reviewer should not be the reason for watching any of his videos. 

[Azazel]

Remember kids, differing opinions from the Groupthink are Not Allowed.

Considering the guy presumably has a real job and needs to play each game, write his bit and create the flash for it all in the timeframe of about a week. That's like complaining that people didn't finish the game before posting a BiiF.

Oh, wait.

[Velorath]

Well, his complaints involved fedex quests (not legitimate IMO), the manual being too long (ADD), the game being too complicated (if your IQ is 75, perhaps), and being just like a single player MUMORPGER (which it's not, but hilarious.)

There's a reason it's called 'first impressions' of The Witcher, and that's because Yahtzee has a little case of TEH ADD and/or realized he could come up with a funny review out of the little bit of information he pulled out of his ass had about the game.

Not that I particularly mind of course, it was still a funny video.  As stated before, Yahtzee's ability as a game reviewer should not be the reason for watching any of his videos. 

It's nice that you can just completely dismiss all the issues he had with the game like that.  Is it that important for you to come up with reasons why his opinion of The Witcher is "wrong"?

[Rasix]

Remember kids, differing opinions from the Groupthink are Not Allowed.

Considering the guy presumably has a real job and needs to play each game, write his bit and create the flash for it all in the timeframe of about a week. That's like complaining that people didn't finish the game before posting a BiiF.

Oh, wait.

What? Dude, get over it (whatever it is). Only bhodi broke the rules    

I guess I touched off this tiff, but my only real point is that I don't care much for his tastes in games. Still, funny and honestly, who cares how someone reviews.

edit: missed some words on the iphone.

[trias_e]

It's nice that you can just completely dismiss all the issues he had with the game like that

Thanks.  But I have to admit, it's easy when you've actually played more than 1/60 of the game.

[Velorath]

Thanks.  But I have to admit, it's easy when you've actually played more than 1/60 of the game.

If someone can't stand the first 1/60, you can't really expect them to play the other 59.  Doesn't really do anything to negate his criticism.  He's obviously got a similar philosophy to a lot of folks around here, that if you aren't having fun with the game shortly after starting it up, there's a problem.

[voodoolily]

Wait, F9 is 'refresh'?

[NiX]

F5 or CTRL+R for us FF users.

[Grand Design]

Either that avatar goes, or I do!

[voodoolily]

Dude, who are you talking to.

[NiX]

He doesn't like that I'm pimping like it's 1841!

[Grand Design]

Oscar Wilde humor on the internets.   

[Morfiend]

I think the main beef with his The Witcher review is that he states its not a good game, but then says he doesnt like that type of game. Its sort of a gimme bad review. Thats like asking me to review Magic: The Gathering. I hate it already.

The Witcher is a very good game if you like singleplayer RPGs. You do have to have an attention span to learn it though. To use my above example. If I picked up a deck of magic cards, played for 5 minutes, and then did a big review about how magic is a bad game, schild would try and murder me. As it is, ill stick to my uninformed snarky comments about it and leave it at that.

[Velorath]

I think the main beef with his The Witcher review is that he states its not a good game, but then says he doesnt like that type of game. Its sort of a gimme bad review. Thats like asking me to review Magic: The Gathering. I hate it already.

He's gave clear reasons why he didn't like the game, and also made it clear that he didn't play it all the way through.  You can disagree with whether or not The Witcher is a good game, but I don't think anyone can take issue with him as a reviewer.  As for not liking that type of game, he mentions in his Mass Effect review that he doesn't hate Western-style RPGS in general (as opposed to JRPG's which he apparaently can't stand).  It doesn't look like he picked up The Witcher knowing he was going to hate it, and just wanted to make fun of it a bit.  He got it, found out he didn't like it, and explained why.  What else do you want out of a reviewer?

[Morfiend]

I like Zero Punctuation as much as the next guy (probably more) I just felt the Witcher review was a gimme review. He doesnt like that kind of game. Maybe he didnt know the Witcher was a very story heavy RPG when he got it, but... well. The rest of my previous post stands.

You dont have to go all fanboy Vel, just cause some of use disagree with his Witcher review.

[Velorath]

You dont have to go all fanboy Vel, just cause some of use disagree with his Witcher review.

I disagree with his Wtcher review (as well as his reviews of Mass Effect, parts of his Super Mario Galaxy and Bioshock review, and probably other stuff as well).  That's the whole fucking point.  I can disagree with some of what he says but understand his value as a reviewer, and that the best any reviewer can do is put forth their own opinion.  The fanboys here are the guys who think that Zero Puncuation should only be watched and appreciated for the humor, just because he doesn't like the same shit they do.

[Calantus]

Wait, F9 is 'refresh'?

Die.



Also on the subject of Yahtzee's reviews he has a certain taste in games that makes him dislike games like The Witcher. Fin. I don't believe anyone was saying that he was wrong or stupid, just that his reviews are very slanted against certain games. Zero Punctuation is thus very biased because it has one reviewer with narrow tastes. Other reviewers work around it by either playing to the specific tastes of their audiences, using multiple reviewers, or only reviewing games of a style they generally like. Yahtzee doesn't.

Fortunately nobody really gives a fuck because you're supposed to read it for teh funnies anyway.

[Fabricated]

Hey people, the guy is a YCS troll with actual comedic skills. You're doing it wrong if you get offended.

The Escapist did a smart thing in picking him up though, because their website is a pile of shit otherwise. At least it isn't doing that 'online magazine' format anymore with the fancy pictures and layouts.

[Kail]

I can disagree with some of what he says but understand his value as a reviewer, and that the best any reviewer can do is put forth their own opinion.  The fanboys here are the guys who think that Zero Puncuation should only be watched and appreciated for the humor, just because he doesn't like the same shit they do.

I don't think that's quite it.  A reviewer, ideally, tells you about the game they're reviewing as well as their opinion of it.  Yahtzee doesn't do that, he makes jokes about the game more than he reviews it, which is why people watch his stuff rather than reading Gamespot or whatever.  He makes something like three or four points about The Witcher (or most of the games he talks about); clearly they're points he believes in, but he doesn't actually tell you much about how the game is played or if someone else who doesn't hate RPGs might possibly like it.  I haven't played Tabula Rasa, for example, and after watching his review, I still have no idea what the game is like; that's not a good review.  It is funny, and it's entertaining, but there's no way it's anything close to a comprehensive review; it just doesn't say enough about the game.  I could make the same complaint about most of his reviews; they're funny, but I don't have a clue how the actual game he's describing works.  I don't read game reviews to find out the reviewer's inane opinion; I could care less about the opinions of people who think that Halo 3 is a bigger deal than the second coming of Jesus Christ, but they DO at least usually try to give you the details about the game they're babbling about.  Yahtzee doesn't do that; he says what he thinks, says it in a funny way, and that's pretty much it.  It's funny, but I'm not going to him for video game reviews for the same reason I don't go to Jon Stewart for an analysis of the situation in Iraq.

[Azazel]

What? Dude, get over it (whatever it is). Only bhodi broke the rules    

I guess I touched off this tiff, but my only real point is that I don't care much for his tastes in games. Still, funny and honestly, who cares how someone reviews.

edit: missed some words on the iphone.

I was actually thinking of the most classic RPG evar thread as much as Forza. But if I can amuse myself by making a reference to that thread, why not?


Also, I read Playboy for the articles.

[Margalis]

I haven't been able to sit through a single episode. I just tried to watch the GDC one, closed browser two minutes in. Just not my thing I guess. I give it 17 thumbs down.

[Rasix]

Not his best work.   

I was actually thinking of the most classic RPG evar thread as much as Forza. But if I can amuse myself by making a reference to that thread, why not?

We got to humiliate a forum n00b who also happened to be a dev working on the WH40K MMO.  So worth it.  And hey, your Forza BiiF might lead to one where someone doesn't manage to get past the opening cinematic or title screen.

[Azazel]

I hope not. It's so much faster when you only look at the cover artwork.

[Velorath]

I don't read game reviews to find out the reviewer's inane opinion;

If you care more about what the actual mechanics of the game are than the reviewer's opinion, you might be better off reading instruction manuals or strategy guides rather than reviews.

[Tebonas]

So the concept of finding reviewers whose taste is similar to your own for cues on new games is alien to anyone here?

I watch Yahtzee for the funny. I can't trust his opinion on what I would like. And I would be an idiot if I thought I could. The long rambling dialogs he despises about Mass Effect are the thing I love about RPGs. We just have different tastes. I know it and I enjoy him for what i want to get out of him. The problem there is what exactly?

[bhodi]

What? Dude, get over it (whatever it is). Only bhodi broke the rules    

Yeah, so, RE: the witcher, he's made some allusions to the fact that sometimes the escapist forces him to review games that are popular rather than games that he enjoys to play.

I suspect that might bleed out A LITTLE into his reviews.

Besides, he's funny. That's the whole point of his "reviews". Why is this even a talking point?

[KallDrexx]

Um, it's pretty well known that Yahtzee rants about games more then he raves because people find it funnier when he rants (he even mentions this himself).  It's all about entertainment value in the end.

I was playing Witcher before he did a review of it.  I love non-JRPGs so I really didn't have a problem with the interface or most of the things people bitched about (not saying it was perfect, but i was enjoying myself from the start so I just didn't pay attention or care to the shortcomings because I was enjoying myself).

It's all about different strokes for different folks.  There are much worse reviewers out there, and the only reason we are even discussing Yahtzee is because he's become high profile by choosing a different method for reviewing his games.