The Unbelievers: fair reviews by being blatantly unfair

by Ross Miller { Aug 6th 2006 at 6:55PM }

Forget about reviewer's bias for a second, The Unbelievers have arrived to test the merits of some of the game industry's most successful titles and genres. Starting with World of Warcraft and Dance Dance Revolution (by way of the PC variant StepMania), the authors of the new website come at each game with an open bias against their respective genres and chronicle their time with the games.

The Unbelievers will spend about a month with each game. Whether or not the Doubting Thomas can enjoy the titles, despite the rabid (and annoying) fan base and aggravating hype, has yet to be seen. Either way, we love what they've posted so far. Be sure to check out the site. Will The Unbelievers change their mind about the MMO and rhythm genres? Place your bets now!

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

House @ Aug 6th 2006 7:29PM

Good, we need people to review game's after they've been fixed patched etc. Many a game has been shot down because it was released too early, but the lastest patches make the game awesome.

DG @ Aug 6th 2006 7:31PM

Not sure why anyone would create a website with white text on a black background. I won't read sites I can't look at.

CommonSense @ Aug 6th 2006 8:26PM

"Stepmania lets me load up a multitude of songs that have been put together by fans, including some classical ones I happened to find. This helps me avoid the sort of crap they normally have in the dance machines"

Thats basically like not reviewing the game you claim to be reviewing.

And the stuff about "some J-Pop song where young girls sing about how they want to be abused" isn't as funny as it is naive and borderline racist.

GSI @ Aug 6th 2006 9:01PM

It's just another "wanna be" website trying to make it seem like they are a "needed" by the gaming audience. Someone should tell them that blackgrounds and white text was so 1997.

Lutraphobic @ Aug 6th 2006 9:07PM

Am I the only one that didn't have trouble reading the site?

Spiza @ Aug 6th 2006 10:39PM

I guess joystiq

Alexei @ Aug 6th 2006 10:48PM

Ok, so this site isn't exactly good. However, the concept is.

Games need to stop being looked at as part of a single blanket industry ("gaming"), but as genre works who are to be enjoyed differently be different kinds of gamers. I've suggested a weekly column like this for Joystiq- but they've yet to give it a shot. Oh well.

Reviews do need to stop pretending, however, that all gamers are the same person with the same concerns. This is certainly a step.

Matt Q @ Aug 6th 2006 10:56PM

@DG

Why, exactly, are you having trouble reading the site? I find white text on a black background to be easier on the eyes. I wish more sites would do it.

David Lane @ Aug 6th 2006 10:57PM

About 2 paragraphs in, when he starts whining about Hearthstones not giving you an option, I had to close the browser. They do give you an option, but they're not going to let you poof around the countryside for free.

Reviews are fine, as long as you play the game. If this idiot doesn't know about the game he's reviewing, he shouldn't waste his time. No one's gonna read this crap, there's enough biased anti-video game media out there as is.

fat boy @ Aug 6th 2006 11:47PM

The site just reads like two people blogging at length about the games they've been playing. The "Unbelievers" concept doesn't really come into play apart from a few snarky asides and one dumb rant about dance games. The writing quality is in need of improvement as well.

The idea of doing an extended review of a game over the course of a few weeks is an interesting one, though. Maybe this review format would a better one
for media like videogames which are usually played over long stretches of time.

cringer8 @ Aug 7th 2006 12:00AM

I agree completely, fatboy. The concept is great, but the execution is lacking. Seeing as it's only been two days, they do have time to iron out the wrinkles and maybe acquire a staff.

As for the black background and white text; if you find that hard to read or look at, how did you get through school? Did your teachers only use grease boards? "White on black" is just as easy on the eyes as "black on white."

Havok @ Aug 7th 2006 2:25AM

Premiss: A website with a no-bullshit approach to game reviews.

First impression: Kids trying to be "cool"; but instead end up being outrageous, racist and "funny" (by "funny" I mean the opposite). And the fact that in both reviews, it seems as if the reviewers really don't want to do this, far to negative about everything. I don't find anything special about this site at all..

CLShortFuse @ Aug 7th 2006 2:25AM

i was reading the stepmania/ddr thing

i read the whole Stepmania article. He goes on for 8 paragraphs and these are bits and pieces of what he says.

"One time I saw a little Japanese guy on the thing... Some others were standing around watching him, but with a respectful distance – no one actually wanted to be associated with him...it was a sort of pathetic amazing that you can only get from being a sad freaky reject of society." ... "Sure it’s impressive, but will he ever get laid? I somehow doubt it."

"More recently I was amazed to find that some people actually do this on their own at home." ... "I can’t help but picture in my head some fat geek, sweating away as he dances to some J-Pop song where young girls sing about how they want to be abused"

it's not even an understandable bias, like "oh another FPS for the PC..." or disappointment when compared to another game.

i can list what i'm biased towards with logical reasons as to why:
MMORPG we're 90% of the time, you're grinding (just killing mechanically to lvl up... get better weapons, and move on to stronger enemies. rinse. lather. repeat)
FPS on the PC (despite the fact i bought Half-Life2 hoping it could "solve it" which it didn't. it's just more of the same.)
Fighting games where you lose health when you block (sure, more realistic, but when you successfully block every move in a 25-hit combo attempt and lose 10% of your life, it's like, "bah! he does it 10 times and i'm dead anyway." Soul Calibur II and Smash Melee for me)

i'm biased towards other things, like Verizon Wireless and iPods for their money-whoring and abusing of customers who aren't as knowledgable about technology. (mostly Verizon Wireless). I don't like the iPod craze when people buy things just because MTV "artist" has it and their friends do, buying without researching other options. I'm biased towards Apple's smugness with their Mac is "safer" than Windows crap, but I own a Mac Mini, and use it for Audio-Video stuff only.

the unbelievers' bias from ignorance with no founded logic in their claims. it's not worth reading, in my opinion.

Keith L. Dick @ Aug 7th 2006 2:41AM

Just trying to be a *Niche* Site... Bad Website Design tho...

Dark Backgrounds use Light Colored Type.. No Red on Black or other such things, very hard to read and not prefered...

n3rrd @ Aug 7th 2006 3:07AM

Actually, light text on dark backgrounds is generally easier to read. I prefer it, as I don't normally choose to sit around and stare into light bulbs and read text from acetate.

Terminals use "blackgrounds" (as another commenter called it) with white/light text.

The internet isn't a source of hip for everyone. Many people still view it as mainly a method of information delivery. Some people prefer a minimalist approach, and go for useability, and for many, light on dark is less straining.

edhe @ Aug 7th 2006 5:08AM

What bugs me is that people are reviewing games from a day-in day-out POV. The majority of people who'll have next-gen systems are likely to be people like myself, working and with family committments. I rarely get time enough to game at all every night and maybe get a few hours a week. I can't get to grind out achievements and i've got games that all still need to be completed (Kameo's 'finished' but not 'completed' and Condemned's 'finished' but still has half the Ach.points missing).

So Arcade is generally my musings. Personally i'd like to see a site that's dedicated to folk like me.

(If anyone knows, mail me... :B [can easily figure out the email addy from my given details])

Kevin @ Aug 7th 2006 5:44AM

I have nothing against light on dark text, but here it's just plain UGLY. I mean, if they're gonna spend this much time chronicalling their adventures (kind of) they could have at LEAST done so with a rudimentarily acceptable design. I mean, don't those blog services offer templates?

curby @ Aug 7th 2006 6:05AM

@ClShortFuse - If you read carefully the article does go to some length to explain the reason for their bias, this being the point of the site. They state that they find the whole image of DDR unappealing, from the stereotypical DDR players playing in an Arcade by themselves, to the general perception by some "hardcore" gamers, including themselves, that DDR isn't a real game.

Also the articles aren't entirely negative at all, it should be noted that as the article goes on and the writer progresses through the game, they find parts in the game they enjoy and state why.

@David Lane

The guy doesn't know the game inside out. That's the whole point of the article. They're showing their own honest progress through games, as you would see it playing it for the first time.

IMO a fresh and promising set of articles. Worth a read.

JRepo @ Aug 7th 2006 7:04AM

Am I the only who liked their "reviews"? Those who were not able to understand their point - read more about the idea they have. I like how they review games just like anyone would review a game he/she doesn't like. They are just being honest.

I have never been into any MMORPG's or such - and I liked what they had to say about the game. It got me interested, something none of the "pro writers" has been able to do. I don't want to listen to some kid bragging how great he is in some game, I like to know what someone who hates the game has to say about it - that's the only way I might find something new to play.

So congrats to that page, hopefully they will update the style (white text on black background is not good for eyes - check any webpage design help) and make it a little bit easier to follow.

Rodents @ Aug 7th 2006 8:47AM

I guess their idea for this all is ok, but they're a bunch of sensless media-ized bastards. In the Stepmania review they go on and on about the game, but half the time they're talking about loser geeks or fat kids and how they have no lives. (which is totally stereotypical, I've seen many different groups of people play the game)

Once in the article they mentioned some Japanese guy that they saw, and were saying he's so good, and never will be laid.

That drew the freaking line.. I can't read anymore, these guys are just saying a load of bs to look cool.

Rodents, is disgusted.

Tush @ Aug 7th 2006 9:22AM

Love the image for the article.

WizarDru @ Aug 7th 2006 11:36AM

"They state that they find the whole image of DDR unappealing, from the stereotypical DDR players playing in an Arcade by themselves, to the general perception by some "hardcore" gamers, including themselves, that DDR isn't a real game."

Really? That's not what I got out of his review at all. I got a general lack of maturity, some homophobia, fear of ostracization and a lot of puff talk to try and counteract the perception that he isn't cool. I didn't see him own up to those biases.

example 1: "It’s not real dancing – not like you do when you’re drunk in a club and you lose all sense of shame or embarrassment. That sort of “real” dancing I do on a regular basis, and when with close friends and heavily intoxicated it can be very fun."

Notice how he discusses going to the arcade to play a punching game. See, he's tough and manly at 'uni'! Then he sees a 'sad, little' man playing DDR to a crowd. How unpopular he must be! Why isn't he self-conscious and embarassed like I would be? He must masturbate!

Never mind the contradictions in his own arguments...it's hugely popular in every arcade, but at the same time it's also not a 'real' game with 'real' dancing, like that punching game he's about to play that offers 'real' fighting. And clearly anyone who'd play it must not be popular with the girlz, right? Except that DDR is phenomonally popular with them and despite his imagery to the contrary, you aren't likely to find many fat, experienced DDR players.

Sorry, a combination of crass schoolboy humor, ugly web design and poor writing? If this is the 'new journalism' for video game reviewing...I'm out.