Shrapnel to Take on Wargamer.com?

[Atrocities]

Wargamer does a great job at what it does and I doubt the press release is true. Then again I haven't read all the posts so I could be mistaken.

[Richard]

Just a clarification here, no one said this was in response to or aimed at wargamer.com. A poster came on the boards and asked if this was aimed at wargamer.com. This is in response to other issues in the game review industry.

[Instar]

How frequently must one post to this site? I might consider posting things, especially about first person shooters.

[Gandalf Parker]

Instar said:
How frequently must one post to this site? I might consider posting things, especially about first person shooters.

Indep created first-person shooters? I would actually be interested in that. Its not an area that I enjoy enough to gamble on big-company shelfware uses-the-whole-computer wait-forever-to-load games. But I wouldnt mind seeing some referrals to well-done independent programmers projects I can get for the times when Im just in the mood to shoot things.

[Instar]

Oh, that's true; you don't see too many independent FPS games.
For me, the trifecta of FPS games is Doom3, Half-Life2, and FarCry. Those three are the best games ever!

[War_Oberst]

Annette said:
And we promise not to vote ourselves "publisher of the year."

(Moderators: Feel free to move my post if you see fit!)

Sorry, I am a newcomer here and do not whish to be rude, so please do not take this in this manner. I am thiking that this comment leaves something to be desired. Was Wargamer's article not called "Reader's Choice?" Did the reader's not choose who publisher of the year was? How can they readers choose the way any one wants them to - do Matrix pay them for their votes? Seems ridiculous to me.

I have played Shrapnel titles and have come here looking for more info on games of yours comming out soon, and am open minded enough to know wargamer's coverage is not seeming biased to me. If you make comment like this on your own site about your upcoming news site, how biased are you going to be in this regard with your coverage?

If your readers vote you publisher of the year, so be it. I do not think wargamer's Forums are going to have people saying that TheGamingnews.com is a mouthpece for shrapnel's games. Of course it is not. You do not whant this perception of your site. I have gone to wargamer's site for one year now and know it seemes to be balance and fair.

I hope you are not referring to this because whatever ill feeling you two have for each other is going to do nothing for gaming or the gaming worlds. I hope your coverage is not biased, thorought and thoughtfull like wargamer's is. otherwise you are just going to seem like your sour.

again please do not take this wrong way, I am not meaning to be nasty, but really comments like that do nothing for your site in my eye as a customer and potential byyer.

War_Oberst

[Joe 98]

Annette said:
.....and I feel compelled to redirect the question to you (or to anyone reading this), "Would you think it fair to say then that Wargamer.com is the "mouthpiece" of Matrix games?"

No. Wargamer reviews wargames from ALL publishers.
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[Annette]

Welcome to our forums War_Oberst and thank you for posting. I appreciate your thoughtful input and have taken it under advisement. Perhaps I should have held my tongue as my odd sense of humor often leads me to trouble

I was hoping to make the point that TheGamingNews will be very straightforward about it's relationship with Shrapnel Games and avoid practices which may be misconstrued as self-promotion. I was quite baffled by the title of this thread and "Beverly's" perception that TGN was somehow similar to The Wargamer. TGN is intended as a vehicle for Indie Developers and Indie Gamers to come together. It will not focus on any particular genre and will include coverage of games which are self-published. Sometimes these games don't get a fair shake in mainstream press and are often reviewed by writers who are familiar only with AAA titles and may overlook the value of niche games.

[Gandalf Parker]

PLEASE take this as purely a hypothetical answer:
But IF a gaming mag had a slight tendency to provide more reviews about certain games, then it MIGHT gradually affect the redership which keeps returning to it, and it MIGHT slew the votes abit to a foregone conclusion. In fact, since such sites specialize in certain types of games that will oviously be true anyway so certain companys will have an advantage depending on how many of that type game is in their catalog.

Personally I dont read wargamer very much because those arent my kinds of games. Most of the articles dont interest me (strategy yes, war not so much). I AM interested in the new mag site since I am very interested in independents that are developing games. Im hoping this is NOT a site where WarGamer will be the obvious "other choice" because that happen if it becomes another site with a tendency to notice war games over other types. We will see how far across the spectrum they are willing to travel. No, make that able to travel since I believe in their willingness. If they can stretch it as far as... hmm what? Childrens teaching games? Maybe Moraff's games which my wife loves. Oh I know, a writeup on the game "Tranquility". Thats about as opposite from a wargame as it gets.

[Dave Erickson]

Will Shrapnel's magazine review ALL new games on the day they are released (to heighten the impact on sales), or just Shrapnel's own releases? What I'm asking is whether or not there will be timing coordination between the magazine and ALL publishers, or just some?

(Oops, this post shows up as a response to Gandalf, but it's really to anyone who cares to answer.)