GameSpot Prepares Their Answer to Gamespy Arcade: GameCenter

[Morrolan]

Are you a GameSpot Complete member? If so, you probably received an email today, informing you that as a perk of your membership fee, you'll get to download and try out the 'Sneak Peek' of their new program 'GameCenter.'

Here (http://www.gamecenter.com/) is the site. There are some interesting features, such as voice support both in and out of gameplay, GameCenter-based stat tracking for every game it supports, and a few others. They tout some sort of 'dynamic server technology,' though from what I can tell all this means is that they don't limit the mods/tweaks you may use in your listed server.

Being a complete member, I've done a very quick check through. Haven't actually used it, but I can tell you that the user interface is quite friendly, and that it doesn't seem to be too much of a RAM hog.

This seems well timed, what with the recent dissatisfaction with EA's BF2 server list, and the recent deterioration of ASE.

[Royal Fool]

Wasn't the BF2 demo premiered through that service? Anyway, it's kinda ugly, much like GameSpot itself and all of the CNet sites.

And don't get me started on them swallowing up TV Tome... ugh. :(

[Draft]

I'm all for a new, non-sucky server browser.

Oh All Seeing Eye, what happened to you?

[AspectVoid]

Wasn't the BF2 demo premiered through that service? Anyway, it's kinda ugly, much like GameSpot itself and all of the CNet sites.

And don't get me started on them swallowing up TV Tome... ugh. :(


Personally, I like the way Gamespot looks over any other site out there, and have for a good half decade or so now. Add to that the fact that I find that their content is the closest to my perception of fair, and for me its one of the best gaming sites on the net.

[EvilBob46]

I trust Gamespot for Reviews more than I do any other major gaming site. Yeah, Greg Kasavin "UND3ERATED TH1S AND THAT MAJ0R GAME THAT SCORED A 11.3 ON IGN AND GOTZ ALL STARS ON GAMESPHEY!!111", but that's what I like about the reviews: more often than not, they are more critical and less prone to hype.

But then again, just as you can say that Jade Empire didn't deserve a 9.9/10 on IGN, maybe it deserved better than the 8.something that GS gave it. In the end I'd rather trust a review that notes more negative aspects of a game over one that just praises it to heaven and back again. And the points Kasavin made about the repetetive nature of combat in JE were spot on IMO, especially after a while of playing.

[Racknahm]

Those ranked servers for BF2 are hell. If you play at any time other than in the mornin', it'll lag to high hell.

[Taco]

It's always impressed me how Gamespot has been able to maintain a relativley positive reputation all these years. Through UGO, IGN, Daily Radar)(ugh), Gamespy and countless other big name sites they've been able to avoid getting lumped in with them, and they've survived for a freakin long time.

Wonder if they ever got close to going under. I consider this an acid test, there has never been a good game browser that was backed by a "large" company. Usually they just get ruined.

[thecrazyd]

Testing 123

[Draft]

I don't know what it's like now, but a year or two ago IGN murdered Gamespot in pageviews. I mean, like hundreds of thousands more a day.

[Ernst_Jager]

To bad Gamespot always sets off my anti-virus when I visit their page. Gamespot...Gamespy....any difference between these 2 really?

[bone4ahead]

To bad Gamespot always sets off my anti-virus when I visit their page. Gamespot...Gamespy....any difference between these 2 really?
Are you serious? There is a huge difference. Gamespy=T3h Sux (except for Fargo)
Gamespot = T3h slightly less sux

[Ajr]

The reviews at IGN are hard to read. I don't see how you can get into that line of work without being able to use grammar correctly and be able to spell moderately. More worryingly, the content is like listening to an exciting 13 year old talking about their favourite game.

Gamespot is too harsh, they can focus on the littlest things. They have their own tastes and they stick by them without trying to be subjective at all. I guess that's not too bad but I tend to find out more about what the reviewers likes than what the game is all about.

Gamespy can be utter crap like IGN, harsh like gamespot, or vastly more insightful than the others. The scoring system is vague, but I don't like scoring systems anyway. Some of the articles are great, and sometimes hilarious (fargo).

Gamespy 3D ftw, until it became crippled unless you subscribed.
Gamespy Arcade is a piece of crap.
ASE was like Gamespy 3D, both great, I liked GS3D better.

I'm never going to be stupid enough to subscribe to Gamespot, however rich I may become. Maybe this thing will be great, but ingame browsers usually are enough for me.

[Taco]

I prefer harsh reviews. At least you know they are being honest and you are not questioning their ulterior motives like nearly everyone else.

Anyways Gamespy3d was only good when it was the only choice. It's been bloatware since as long as I have been using it, which was well before any Gamespy network or news page existed. I switched from Gamespy to Kali when they integrated a TCP/IP browser with their software, then to ASE. Now I use in game browsers, they've come a long way but I still prefer centralized browser for all my games.

[Heretic Machine]

Well, they are pretty much one-in-the-same with Gamefaqs these days... and since I got 10th place in their Spring Contest and won $50, I'm a Gamespot fan now :p

Unless they take too long in sending me my prize... Then I'll hat3 them. But in all seriousness, their reviews usually aren't -too- bad. I disagree with them frequently, but I usually find them to be more on the spot then most sites.

EDIT: Oh, and in my opinion, out-of-game browsers suck, period. I don't like haivng to exit a friggin game just so I can find a new server, especially considering how many times I have to server hop before I find a good one these days.

[DevDict]

I use Xfire anyway. Not the best server browser but it worked for the games I played online.

Can't stand IGN: I feel like an ass reading their articles: some people should never attempt journalism, in my opinion. I like Gamespy, though (even if it's the same company). I also prefer a five-star rating system to out of 100 and out of 10; from my point of view, when a game is reviewed out of 100, the reviewer attempts to look objective despite the fact that he never is. 5 stars is easier: It's either "I love", "I like", "It's OK", "I don't like" and "I hate".

[Draft]

EDIT: Oh, and in my opinion, out-of-game browsers suck, period. I don't like haivng to exit a friggin game just so I can find a new server, especially considering how many times I have to server hop before I find a good one these days.
Nooooooo. God I loved the ASE when it was updated regularly. Filtering servers was so easy, and ~->q->tab was and still is far superior to dropping back to the menu to quit or choose a new server.

[Red Cloak]

Greg Kasivin is an attetion whore. Case closed, he is the worse site editor out there. And he is a pompous ass to boot, his matter of fact smarm is spread on thick in all of his reviews. ANd check out his posts on Gaming Age, stuck up ass.

[TrackZero]

On topic here, it's nice to see them offering this service, it's just unfortunate I've never found the need for this type of thing myself.

[keeks]

Does anyone here use Qtracker (http://www.qtracker.com/)? I haven't even tried it myself but after hearing some good things about the program I've been curious as to what others here think about it.

[Varsity]

Remember Complete members, we are under NDA. Check the warning in the forums.

[TrackZero]

Remember Complete members, we are under NDA. Check the warning in the forums.

Heh, really? How can I be under an NDA I haven't signed? Nor have I even used the tool. Just saying it's not something I need.

[Draft]

Remember Complete members, we are under NDA. Check the warning in the forums.
Hahaha. Super Secret Server Searching Software!!!

[vitriol]

I didn t like it at all and found its features quite limited. It is mostly focused on FPS... plus you have to pay.
I ll stick to Xfire. All my friends are on it, both my CS clan and my WoW guild. Also, Xfire is free. I like their new p2p DL system.

[Klade]

my interpretation was that the program is basically in beta right now so they are letting their paying members test it out for them. But once its in a finished built it would be available for everyone. If thats not the case and they continue to offer it only to their paying members then it will either fail completely or be such an absolutely amazing tool no one could live without...

If it stays a pay only tool I'm moving towards the former.