Comments on: Shawn Elliot’s Reviews Symposium – My Thoughts http://thereticule.com/2009/02/shawn-elliots-reviews-symposium-my-thoughts/ The Reticule a PC gaming website focused on innovative articles and more. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:23:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Greg Wild http://thereticule.com/2009/02/shawn-elliots-reviews-symposium-my-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-714 Greg Wild Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:49:12 +0000 http://thereticule.com/?p=2178#comment-714 Very true that, I guess bugs aren't one that should come into it for the reason they're relying on an inherently flawed version. As a guy who still has to buy the games he reviews, I've not had that dilemma to consider yet actually. Performance and implementation could well still be covered however I believe - I remember PC Gamer used to do a "performance comparison" for most reviews where they would test how the same game ran on two different systems. I think this is a nice way of doing it - I'm surprised they stopped putting it in, especially because it was a pretty small, but very useful part of any review. I'd do it myself, but the disparity would be huge - my mid-high system versus my 3 year old craptop. In circumstances where more than one of us on the team has a game, I think I'll be suggesting we do a performance comparison actually. Cheers for the input Andrew! Very true that, I guess bugs aren’t one that should come into it for the reason they’re relying on an inherently flawed version. As a guy who still has to buy the games he reviews, I’ve not had that dilemma to consider yet actually.
Performance and implementation could well still be covered however I believe – I remember PC Gamer used to do a “performance comparison” for most reviews where they would test how the same game ran on two different systems. I think this is a nice way of doing it – I’m surprised they stopped putting it in, especially because it was a pretty small, but very useful part of any review. I’d do it myself, but the disparity would be huge – my mid-high system versus my 3 year old craptop. In circumstances where more than one of us on the team has a game, I think I’ll be suggesting we do a performance comparison actually.
Cheers for the input Andrew!

]]> By: Andrew Martin http://thereticule.com/2009/02/shawn-elliots-reviews-symposium-my-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-713 Andrew Martin Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:38:21 +0000 http://thereticule.com/?p=2178#comment-713 I really agree it's an excellent series of entries although in the first entry about scores it started really going in circles. Just a note about the technical aspect. No matter how diverse a lineup of PCs a reviewer or a gamer has they're still only going to have like their stuff. So let's say being generous PC gamer could test Fallout on 25 different systems in a review period. THat's still just 25 different configurations. That kind of stuff may only creep up when the game is out in the wild being played on billions of different hardware permutations that exsist. So no matter what a reviewers rigs are like it's still entirely conceivable that they could have no problem on however many computers they try it on and it get out in the wild and see bugs bugs bugs. Or conversely they could have the configuration that's riddled with bugs and the dells and HPs that exsist could get along fine. I think it's inherent in reviewing PC games on not entirely final code that it's something of a crapshoot. I really agree it’s an excellent series of entries although in the first entry about scores it started really going in circles.

Just a note about the technical aspect. No matter how diverse a lineup of PCs a reviewer or a gamer has they’re still only going to have like their stuff. So let’s say being generous PC gamer could test Fallout on 25 different systems in a review period.

THat’s still just 25 different configurations. That kind of stuff may only creep up when the game is out in the wild being played on billions of different hardware permutations that exsist. So no matter what a reviewers rigs are like it’s still entirely conceivable that they could have no problem on however many computers they try it on and it get out in the wild and see bugs bugs bugs. Or conversely they could have the configuration that’s riddled with bugs and the dells and HPs that exsist could get along fine.

I think it’s inherent in reviewing PC games on not entirely final code that it’s something of a crapshoot.

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