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Editorials 
A Tale of Two Websites
- By Brett
Fulesday
"The Internet is to the 2000 Republican National Convention as the Internet is to Space World 2000?" So the analogy isn't quite SAT material, but (rhetorical question alert) do we really need more SAT material than absolutely necessary? Seriously, "Internet Alley" could as easily be found at Space World as at the GOP convention. Whereas ABCNews.com, WashingtonPost.com, Pseudo.com, and Voter.com (among numerous others) battled for political Internet superiority in Philadelphia, ign64/cube/pocket, Daily Radar, TNP's spaceworldlive.com, and Tendo Box (among numerous others) battled for gaming Internet superiority in Japan. In the way that Pseudo.com's remote-control webcams helped set the site apart from competitors, Console Horizon and the Gaming Intelligence Agency probably hoped that their Space World "breaking news stories" set them apart from competitors. Did it, or will it, work? Well, any gaming website can draw gamers with the promise of an exclusive interview or hot news morsel, but keeping them at the site (or forcing them to bookmark it) is a much tougher task. Can Console Horizon and the Gaming Intelligence Agency succeed in achieving the latter? Read on…
Console Horizon's SW contribution arrives in the form of an interview conducted with "an insider from Rare." How do I know the interview is legit? I don't, but since the article appeared on spaceworldlive.com, I'd confidently wager that the interview is for real. So, CH achieved the first of two goals: getting me to the site. Does the site interest me enough to want to bookmark it? In its current state, not a chance in hell. Not even one year old (and, judging by the titles of the news headlines, not more than two weeks old), the site currently appears to be nothing more than a run-of-the-mill fansite.
In terms of original N news content (aside from the Rare exclusive), Nintendo Horizon (the N branch of Console Horizon) fails to deliver. Since it appears the site launched just before SW (perhaps minutes before, as one of the earliest articles concerns IGN establishing igncube), all news relates to SW. The site careened even quicker toward "cheap fansite" status upon my seeing multiple exclamation marks in the news articles. Moreover, the glaring overuse of the word "whoa" doesn't help the site's cause. If you would like to see how NH previewed/reviewed a particular title, well, remove that desire at once; these sections are "COMING SOON!" To the site's benefit, however, three N-specific editorials have been posted, which are worth a read (although they might be perceived as too "fanboyish"). The only true reason for visiting the site is to participate in the Forum, which features 35 topics and frequently updated discussions. All things considered, I question the decision to launch a website without first having features or articles to place in each section; that's like opening a pizza parlor and having items listed on the menu for which you don't possess the ingredients. I simply don't understand the logic.
Final verdict: Visit this website if you enjoy Carmageddon 64, Daikatana, or kicks in the groin.
The Gaming Intelligence Agency (henceforth referred to as the GIA) gained publicity last Wednesday by being the first site to provide accurate pictures of the GBA (albeit scanned from Famitsu Magazine), as well as detailed and later-proven-to-be-correct specs of the GBA. Does this two-year-old site have the "total package" necessary to stand with the video game giants of the Internet? For adventure, puzzle, and RPG fans, absolutely. Action, fighter, FPS, and sports fans should heed Pittsburgh poison control legend Mr. Yuck's advice: "Go! Get away! Do not touch!" The site solely dedicates itself to coverage of adventure, puzzle, and RPG titles for all consoles.
The GIA features original news content on a daily basis; for example, for the past several days, the site had staffers reporting live from SW. Unfortunately, a site characteristic I immediately detected is that the GIA takes its role as a gaming website seriously. Why is this unfortunate? The site, perhaps, takes its role too seriously. Whereas ign64 reports N news with a pinch, or a dash (whatever that is; hell, my high school home economics teacher was as in the dark about the word as I currently am), of humor, the GIA seems to report all news the same: plain and simple. Regardless of style, a problem N gamers may encounter is locating N-specific news; you see, the GIA does not segregate news stories for each console. N news, PSX news, GBC news, and DC news all appear under the same "News" heading. Fortunately, the site does not fail in providing previews/reviews of titles. Concerning N consoles only, the GIA features a comprehensive list of previews and reviews for puzzle, adventure, and RPG games for the NES, SNES, GBC, and N64. A word of caution regarding the staffers' editorials: They are not exactly geared for the simple-minded. Don't be mislead by my description, for the editorials are very thought provoking and intelligent; yet, pre-teen readers may find the columns not the quickest reads. The GIA boasts a Letters section that shames ign64's to death (and beyond, if that's possible), as well as a thriving Boards (Forum) section. Alas, for N players, talk about N is limited to the "General Discussion" area, as the "Hot Topics" section is devoted to PSX/PS2 titles. Sadly, this treatment is what we, as N fans, must endure due to our system's severe lack of anything RPG.
Final verdict: For those who can stomach seeing so many RPGs on consoles beginning with the letter "P," visit daily. For the rest of us normal folk who worship the goodness that is GoldenEye, PD, and anything Rare (save any title containing the word "Mickey"), we should stick to the IGN household.
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| "Action, fighter, FPS, and sports fans should heed Pittsburgh poison control legend Mr. Yuck's advice: 'Go! Get away! Do not touch!' " |
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