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Zombies, tech demos, Biblical combat, and Smell-O-Vision -- last week's Game Developers Conference certainly gave us a lot to look forward to.
If you haven't read all of Bitmob's coverage of the event, you really should. Our intrepid Facebook and Twitter followers are always in the know, so we asked them for their impressions on the big stories from GDC 2011.
We also asked our followers about review scores -- yes, those omnipresent provokers of nerd flame wars across the Interwebs. More than ever, game publishers look to Metacritic for validation of their success (just check yesterday's News Blips for Take Two honcho Strauss Zelnick's thoughts). But do intelligent gamers like you Bitmobbers even care? We wanted to find out.
So check out the responses below, and don't forget to follow Bitmob on Facebook and Twitter for more questions, contests, and news. We do these Tweetbook Q&A articles regularly, so if you want to be featured, keep an eye out and respond!
Via Twitter
@demian_linn: Kind of sad, but I'm most excited by that Hawken trailer from this week (http://bit.ly/g1mRzf)
@bbretterson (Brett Bates): I already tipped my card on this one in my preview, but: Shoot Many Robots.
@robidoo: El Shaddai really intrigues me. From the screenshots posted, it's stunningly beautiful!
@rusmclaughlin: Game Skunk, fer sure. If only their working prototype had been there....
@feitclub (Daniel Feit): I still have trouble picturing GDC as a preview event. I know news breaks there, but it's a distant second to other stories.
Via Facebook
Dan "Shoe" Hsu: I really liked the Unreal Engine demo -- it's got me excited about what next-gen graphics may look like. Also really enjoyed: Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3, and Dead Island.
Ross Adams: I really liked that Unreal Engine demo too, although I was disappointed to hear there's no plans for that stuff to actually be made into a game. Other than that, the only thing I thought was interesting from GDC was the Infamous 2 user-generated content. I think it's a really cool idea to have that sort of thing in an open world/action adventure game like that. I'm looking forward to seeing what people do with it.
Via Facebook
Frank M. Anderson: They factor, but a 7 can be more powerful than a 9 or 10 for me if the reviewer(s)' words hit with me. I look for innovation and originality and like to reward it.
Dan "Shoe" Hsu: Once in a while, I'll see some game I never really heard of but am interesting in checking out, usually because of the genre (say, a snowboarding game). I admit I'll do a quick review-score check to see if I should even bother. Usually, there's a reason I never heard of that game before....
Daniel Mark Neil II: What matters more to me is what the reviewer says in his review. I decided to give Fable 2 a chance even though a few reviewers gave it less-than-stellar scores because the things they didn't like about it were things I didn't really care about. The same happened with Resident Evil 5.
I'm glad I gave those games a chance because I loved both of them.
Ross Adams: I don't really pay any mind to scores; it's the actual review text I care about. I like hearing about the reviewer's experience with the game and finding out what kind of game it is. I find generally these days though I only read reviews of games I've either already played or never heard of. I tend to buy games based on wordof mouth (friends or podcasts) or from preview coverage/trailers/etc.
Via Twitter
@Crys383 (Tom H): Beyond underlining what the review text said, nothing. Only if a game gets a D or F will it change my already-made-up mind.
@ibitjuan: I look for reviews that touch on a player's experience rather than a faux objective piece.
@Aquma (Alex Quan-Madrid): They play a huge factor. I'm broke. I can't be wasting money on shitty games!
@omripetitte: Reviews do influence what games I purchase, but I don't blindly adhere to their scores -- I consider them more of a guideline.
@bbretterson (Brett Bates): I use them -- along with Twitter, personal recommendations, etc. Just one piece of the puzzle.
@robidoo: Very little if any. Now that I think about it, can't remember the last time I even looked at a review....
@J__Rad (Jesse Radonski): Reviews are key to my buying decisions. Ads do next to nothing for me.
@HaroldBurnett: Reviews drive traffic and nerd debates. I mostly buy games best off of demos and genre.
@feitclub (Daniel Feit): I admit I use review scores as a shortcut sometimes instead of reading the full review, but I always feel guilty afterward.
@GreedyRaven (Ross Polly): I buy games that I'm interested in, but high scores have indeed made me interested in a game that had flown under my radar.
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