general Dear Neoseeker Contributors; Be Proud Of Yourselves.

Hi guys!

Those of you who have been contributing to Neoseeker for a while, and even those who recently started contributing, know that we NeoCRS staff take quality really, really seriously.

Yesterday I was checking my Twitter feed on my iPad before going to bed. I saw The Guardian, a really prestigious newspaper from the UK, twitted something that caught my eye.



(Here's the original link, for those wondering: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/sep/09/tales-of-graces-f-games-review?CMP=twt_fd).

I was like, "Woah woah woah, why is The Guardian tweeting a review about my favourite game this year!? I should check it out".

Boy I did and was I disappointed.

That wasn't a review. A prestigious newspaper was claiming they wrote a review, but that's not a review. What I read was middle school homework, when you ask your students to "write three paragraphs about something you like" for English class. Nothing else, in fact a 12 year old would have done a hell of a better job writing a review (and I have seen reviews from 12 years olds on the site that did!) for Tales of Graces F. If you click the link and read it, particularly if you have contributed a few user reviews, you just say to yourself "No way!". If I didn't' know about the game and I read those three paragraphs from The Guardian, I wouldn't know what I read. I would ask myself "Dude, I'm not quite sure if you are hinting whether I should get this game or not".

On top of it all, is really short. It's not giving details on anything, and its language is just weird. The way he talks about the characters is strange to the point you can't tell whether he likes them or not.

Then there's this:

quote

Combat is a speedy affair, your main character delivering flurries of attacks at your command while team-mates run on programmable objectives. Basic to start with, greater strategy is revealed as you progress and you'll soon relish each battle. There's a surprisingly in-depth collectable creation system, too, turning otherwise inconsequential items into useful healing items or weapons.

WHA- . You read that, can you guys gather anything from it? He mentions there's an "in-depth collectable creation system", but what's that? Details, plz? That whole paragraph is a bunch of statements with no backups (and worse - with a bunch of abstract ideas that make it impossible to tell what the combat of the game is really like).

---

So, feel proud of yourselves guys! Whether you have contributed something "small" like minipics and the such, they were approved because they were quality minipics. Many people read our guidelines for contributions and get discouraged, but those who get their contributions accepted know it's worth it: All our contributions, from cheats to User Reviews, have been increasing over the years. Sometimes we may look really strict with what we do (in fact, I have rejected more users reviews than I have approved), but our focus on quality makes us ensure that Neoseeker just publishes high quality contributions too.

So, I need to say it again, those who have been bearing with us for a couple of years now, and even the new guys with a few points already, feel proud of yourselves! I can assure you that your reviews are of way more quality than prestigious newspapers and even popular websites. Sometimes I try to look at Gamespot's user reviews, but they are really, really disappointing due to the lack of standards. And don't get me started on IGN. Neoseeker's are the best.

Lol at you thinking that national UK newspapers publish engrossing, indepth and detailed articles, especially on line.

nothing really wrong with that revew. it's a quick blurb in a newspaper, not a hardware or video game rag, whos readers may only have a passing interest in all things gaming related. while exceedingly brief there's nothing wrong with the language, especially if you consider the target audience. moreover it's not something you should be struggling to understand..

but to go tit for tat, the ny times has composed some very compelling reviews for some recent blockbuster games that remind you how amateur most sites that are dedicated to the subject really are.