Nonek

There's another aspect that I think Mr Biscuit has overlooked, and that is the preponderence of other games of the same type and gameplay recieving almost perfect scores, whereas Miffed Max is hammered by criticism that they never were. Now they might defend themselves with saying that they've grown tired of the systems on display since say Skyrim was released, but the Elder Scrolls have been doing the same things for many years before the latest iteration was released, so why didn't the game journalists grow tired of that series and spurn it similarly to how they have done Mardy Max? There seems to be a dissonance here, and one wonders why Maudlin Max was singled out for such harsh criticism, when games that are clearly inferior in many ways (for instance in terms of broken and buggy releases,) are praised and no mention is made of their shortcomings? The grinding for instance heavily criticised in this game is not even mentioned when occuring in others, even when it does not fit the setting, whereas scavenging and survival are an intrinsic part of the Miserable Max setting. In short i'm suspicious of why the game journalist shills have suddenly turned on their previous meal ticket, especially when this is one of the few releases that does not deserve this much ire, whereas far weaker, degenerate and less polished games have been praised to the high heavens. This seems both out of character and inconsistent, and bearing in mind the proven corruption and unethical nature of the profession, well scepticism is warranted I think.

Finished Irate Max, I must agree that it is rather a bleak ending for the old chap, still chin up.

Nichegamer seems very anime focused if I remember correctly, or am I mistaken? Personally i'd like a critical site that is actively challenging the industries practises, the publishers monopoly on developers creative rights, the dumbed down and streamlined nature of gameplay, the obsession over accessibility and the ensuing lack of challenge, the current popularity of degenerative "games" featuring no interaction, the lack of features that have diminished over the last twenty years, and why focusing on the core features of a title in a genre usually means less features overall. One finds a few sites covering such issues but the only one really focused on this is usually the RPG Codex, which produces excellent editorials and whatnot but is rather too raw for my tastes.

Unfortunately I predict that the usual will occur, the migrants will be dumped in economically depressed townships that have no infrastructure to support them, local councillors will applaud their own generosity, unemployment will skyrocket, ghettoes will be formed and the young will be radicalised and grow to hate the culture that they have no real role in.

We can 'mance, we can 'mance, everybody dig up your grans. Priceless, and now in my head for the duration.

You trust those guys? Probably boils down to not feminist enough. I'd recommend it Mr War, it's a great fun ride, captures the weird wasteland of the Mad Max universe perfectly and is fun to play. There are a few problems, flaws and a touch too much streamlining but i'm enjoying the game.

Seems very Dragon Age: Origins inspired, even down to the soundtrack, whether that is a good thing... Little too dark for my taste however.

It's surprisingly fun and immersive (sorry couldn't think of another word) so far, the raw world of the wasteland is brought to life exceedingly well and the strangeness of that setting, and its characters, is captured masterfully. Probably one of the best TV/movie adaptions since South Park: Stick of Truth. We wouldn't want players to stop playing would we and we certainly can't come up with a good in game way of gathering fuel that would encourage players to play differently. So you come up with a mediocre way of balancing the game. Yes accessibility strikes again, that was my exact thought, and it's a pity because there is room for more walking and scouting on foot in that environment. I think Fallout 2 did this in a viable manner, simply mark ones map and go and get fuel on foot to top up the tank. There are enough little settlements, wrecks and ruins out in the wasteland to make this a real method.

One minor gripe about Mad Max, there's a dissonance in gameplay and narrative, because i've yet to find myself running low on fuel except when forced to at the beginning. Petrol seems bounteous.

So it looks like the FTC has implemented its authority and slapped down Machinima for several violations of terms, a good day for Gamergate, disclosure, ethicality and disclosure. If only we could have game journalists brought to heel in a similar fashion for their years of blatant corruption and abuses.

Mad Max is rather spiffing, it feels decidly Fallout-ish (or should that be vise versa?) and though I can see some of the mechanics becoming rather old hat eventually, for the moment i'm enjoying fairly much everything. Unfortunately Max himself is a little...dull so far, though pleasingly Australian and violent.

Azar Javed came from far off Zerrikania, a land of jungles, deserts and deadly fauna. Incidentally his name translates as Eternal Fire, which was a pretty big clue as to who he was a puppet of. The only other Zerrikanians seen as I remember were two warrior women, fairer gendered fighters being common in Zerrikania, who were accompanying Borch Three Jackdaws, who we otherwise know as Saesenthesis' dad. It's telling that only a mighty mage and two adventurers under the protection of a Dragon could reach the distant and barbaric Northern Kingdoms, travel was not easy in such a time nor safe.

The reason given for not including campsites seems a little...light, I mean yes a campsite in the middle of a castles corridors is stupid, but an abandoned storeroom, a secret passage, a bolt hole, a barricaded watchtower or other such sites would seem eminently viable. Post the usual guards, perhaps a few illusions or warding spells (though you'd have to attack the Wizard to allow him to cast,) and it would make sense so long as one maintained stealth and subterfuge.

The school holidays end later this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZEtVbJT5c

You're not really surprised are you Mr Fighter? I mean by now the fact that SJFs are hypocrites, engage in toxic hate speech and would mock the infirm is hardly news, after all these are the people who lie about harassment, mock the victims of bomb threats and support genocide, as well as argue for unethical behaviour and corruption. They're scum and they will always rise to the top as scum does. There is not an ounce of empathy, decency or humanity within them.

So if I wish to buy a complete copy of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided with all of the content, pre-order exclusives, bug fixes and expansion at a far cheaper price then I should simply wait a year for the inevitable game of the year edition on a Steam sale, rather than buying new? That is the message all of this publisher nickel and diming seems to give me, then again i'm old, patient, and tempus fugit.

Hark I hear the sound of Tumbler being triggered.

An ombudsman? Good luck getting a supra-national ombudsman going, as that is what would be needed- especially for games journalism. And most bloggers and the like can hide behind 'opinion' and being Schrodinger's Journalists- if they want embiggening they're journalists, if they want to hide from consequences they're bloggers or just stating an opinion with their free speech rights. Unfortunately good journalism doesn't sell as well as bad journalism does, hence used toilet paper like the Daily Fail or The Scum being the highest selling brit papers. It's not surprising that most media is following their example, it's cheap and easy and financially viable to write sensationalist tripe, actual journalism is hard and may piss off powerful people to boot. Yes it's a very distant dream, that I realise is extremely unlikely, however given the state of journalism I can't see much else fixing it. There are the rare examples of journalists whom want to do their jobs, and recognise the importance and value of the profession but as you say, there is also the tabloid pit which far too many are diving in. Why they do not see that they are devaluing their profession to the point of making it pointless, well that I cannot understand. Edit: I think the amusing thing about the above young ladies video is that it can be encapsulated by the last few seconds, she states that she wants these guys to "shut up" and give someone else a chance, this is at the Oxford debating society. The whole idea of that institution is that no one is "shut up," that there is a free exchange of ideas and dialogue from everyone. She is simply arguing for censorship of white men, the ethnic majority of England whose privilege has been earned through the blood, sweat and tears of their mothers and fathers back into history. It says a lot when a supposed intellectual wants to roll back an advancement in society and constrain a group so that others can take their place, when of course the reasonable would simply state that everyone should be lifted to the same position rather than be gagged.

A third, not to be sniffed at, but it's clear that consoles will take even more priority for CDPR from now on.

I think it is a bit more complex than that. I have a problem with the idea that every yahoo with a website or a youtube channel is a professional journalist. I take the industry very seriously, but the people who play and review games are rarely deserving of such status. If you want me to point to a journalist I take seriously when it comes to the game industry, I am going to point to a guy like David Kushner. I used to read Gamasutra pretty regularly, so they were about the only one I was disappointed in when this whole gamergate stuff came to light. They used to be a pretty decent source of information about the actual industry, instead of reviewing games. I have no idea what happened to them. I'm of a similar attitude, even those with journalism degrees are generally not undertaking the work they are supposed to, as i've said before the industry needs overhauling and an Ombudsman. At the moment it's a joke. On the subject of Gamasutra, at least its non professional blogs sometimes have legitimately interesting and in depth subject matter (though I have to wait for the archived version,) such as Mr Felipe Pepe's articles on the curation of the games industry. Or rather the lack of it.

Well...erm...well...think i'll just back out of this thread slowly, close the window and try to lock it.

This is probably very true, however there is also the factor of those whom take being offended and supposedly harassed as a professional vocation: For instance there was a fun run I sponsored recently where the fathers of terminally ill children dressed in drag and had a little fun raising money, so that their little ones had a better time before they passed away. This was condemned as a hate movement by a transgender charity, grieving fathers trying to ease their childrens suffering and taking a little break with a harmless activity that has been carried out in England for centuries, simplified into an attack on trans-whatever people. There was no understanding, no reason and no thought of dialogue, just a rude condemnation. Utterly moronic. This is what lies at the heart of this I think, a total lack of empathy, a selfish determination to be righteous and the victim which SJFs fetishise. When those whom play games were attacked by the Gamers are Dead articles we did not cry victim or harassment, as we are not simpletons who are looking for an easy answer, we knew that this was a counterattack (based on the old adage,) and that the press were desperately trying to cover up their own misdeeds, which were legion. They knew that we were right, that they were ethically compromised, and that their profession was unfit for purpose as it remains. Of course you still have idiots whom state that ethics are not important for journalism covering a multi billion dollar industry, but the sheer stupidity of that statement does not really need to be pointed out, and only a simpleton believe it. There is not one simple answer, as it is not a simple matter, but on the whole Gamergate is still campaigning for ethical reform, a fit for purpose press and respect for consumers rather than fashionable demonisation by hipster SJFs. In my opinion, of course.

I think it's worth noting that a lack of anonymity does not guarantee good behaviour or even civility: Look at Ms Leigh Alexander spouting her childish toxic insults and demonising a certain recreation, or the writers of Rock, Paper, Shotgun whom advocate and celebrate terrorism and bomb threats, all of these people use their real names and are in no way admirable or ethical. They are morally devoid scum, one wonders what they would be like with anonymity but I suspect that it would be no different. At the end of the day I believe that they are in large part responsible for any recent increase in so called "toxic" behaviour, and have been perpetuating it for a long time from a position of influence. However personally I believe in the better nature of individuals, and that reasonable moderates will in the end seize the day in almost any sphere.

I'm afraid not, the last I heard the PC was doing quite well in taking almost half of the sales, however I expect that can't last. CDPR said themselves that the game would not be possible without console sales.

Six million copies sold at the end of June apparently, seems to have reaped the rewards it deserves.