Poll: Zero Punctuation: Striking the balance between information and entertainment

[computeteen5]

OK, I have to admit that Yahtzee could probably make an entire episode with grunting noises instead of words and I'd still find it appealing, but I have an opinion I want to state. You see, I come to Zero Punctuation for opinions and entertainment more than a fleshed out review. The problem lies in the fact that I enjoy the episodes a lot more when they focus on why the game is good or bad and the effect it has on the industry as a whole. A prime example would be his Silent Hill 2 review. While it's obvious that he absolutely adores the title, he tells you why he enjoys it and the lessons that other titles could learn from it. Even the Saints Row 2 review, with all of its wacky gratuitous fun, still took time to explain the reasoning behind the opinions. He even followed up in Saints Row 3 at the end to inform us why it took some missteps. I guess what I'm trying to say is that while Zero Punctuation will always be appealing to me, I would prefer a shift to detailed explanation above base entertainment.

 

[tippy2k2]

Almost exclusively entertainment

Once in a blue moon when the stars align, he'll review a game that I'm interested but not sold on that piques my interest but for the most part, I watch him strictly for the entertainment he provides.

Love you Yahtzee, don't ever change but there are much much MUCH better resources for information than Yahtzee if I'm interested in a game. And honestly, I think Yahtzee would agree with me, the sexy bastard.

 

[Zhukov]

Both, but leaning toward entertainment.

A review is just an opinion. A good review is an articulate opinion accompanied by the reasoning on which that opinion is based. In my opinion Yahtzee does that pretty well, in between all the goofy similes.

People who expect a review, especially a single review, to give them the basis for a purchasing decision are... weird.

I say leaning toward entertainment because I'll happily watch a ZP episode on a game I have zero interest in, just for a chuckle.

 

[Shadowstar38]

Entertainment more than anything.

I've never gone into an episode of Zero P expecting it to sell me on or make me avoid a game. Yahtzee usually isn't a good metric to decide if I'll like a game or not because for the most part, our tastes are too dissimilar.

 

[guitarsniper]

I watch mostly for entertainment, but it's good to have reviewers out there that dislike pretty much everything. Because it means that when they like something, it's probably pretty dang special.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I find ZP both entertaining and informative. I've got nothing against Yahtzee. He's the reason I'm here and the only reason I'm staying, frankly, now that Lisa is gone :/

 

[Dalisclock]

I enjoy the hell out of his show, but if I'm interested in getting a game, I'm going to rely on more then his opinion to decide yes or no on it.

Though he has actually turned me onto a couple games I probably wouldn't have bought/played otherwise.

Such as Saints Row 2, Spec Ops: The Line, and him actually Liking Dark Souls got me to buy it on sale(and I was pretty much one of those people who kept thinking "WTF is so great about Dark Souls that everyone keeps talking about it?")

 

[Evonisia]

I watch it for entertainment and sometimes for information, but there are games that it is easier to just ignore his opinion on, and they aren't just games I like either. Anything that isn't to his taste gets a thrashing for being somehow inferior and it's just bizarre. His best episodes I find are the games that are free of anything that might hold them back (such as popularity, having a dedicated fanbase, being made by certain developers, being part of a series etc.) and it has lead to me getting quite a few games, some of which are now my favourites such as BioShock and Remember Me.

Note when I say useless I mean at being informative:

Any Yahtzee Nintendo review? Useless and overly mean.
Any Yahtzee Bungie game review? Useless and overly mean.
Any Yahtzee CoD/Battlefield game review as of 2009? Useless and overly mean.
Any Yahtzee Fighting game review? Useless and overly mean.
Any Yahtzee RT-... you get the point.

 

[Batou667]

Mostly entertainment. There are very few other reviewers out there whose videos I'll watch even if I have no intention of getting the game being reviewed - and in fact if it's a game I did buy, I quite like hearing Yahtzee take the piss out of it. Yahtzee is kind of like a court jester - he can call the king a fat old tyrant to his face and it'll get a chuckle because he's just so plain endearing.


Reading between the lines of an average ZP review, you also get a feel of Yahtzee's overall gripes with the medium as a whole, and while the actual reviews might just be so many scatological jokes interspersed with amusing clip art, that's the closest he gets to actually pounding his fist on the bar and making a slurred, drunken point that's often surprisingly on the money despite the odd method of delivery.

So, yeah, ZP is undoubtedly more of an opinion or editorial segment than a straight-up review, but it's still relevant, and a refreshing counterpoint to the overly preachy, academic style of polemics that, say, Bob and Jim use.

 

[chikusho]

Yahtzee spends most of his time kicking in open doors. I don't care much for his reviews when he's just blasting a shitty game; there's just no sport to it. I find it way more entertaining when he points out flaws in lauded titles. He's an excellent wordsmith, has a great depraved sense of humor and he obviously thinks a lot about how games work, and when these things come together it's some of the most entertaining and insightful games related content I can think of. But I rarely, if ever, take his stuff into account regarding what I choose to spend my time with.

 

[McMarbles]

Well, I used to watch it for entertainment.

His act got stale for me some time ago.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Mainly for the entertainment, seriously who watched it as an actual review only? While Yatzee does bring up good points about the game like the flaws but if I want a review of the game, I go read the actuall review article or video.

 

[Ronald Nand]

If you base your purchasing decision based on Yahtzee's reviews you'll probably buy maybe one or two AAA games and a few Indie games. He states that he's a critic who'll tear even great games to shreds because he plays the overly critical critic. A better show that balances information and entertainment is the Angry Joe Show, his reviews are nice and long and combine some funny stuff with a lot of good information.

 

[BeerTent]

He was at his best when he was trying to convince us that he wasn't a comedy show.

Still though, he does talk about the games, and he provides a review... But it's comedy.

 

[Aesir23]

While he is entertaining and fairly informative, I'd say he's massively leaning more towards entertainment. There's nothing wrong with how he does his show and it's still one I like to watch on occasion but if I took his videos as serious reviews then some of the only games I would own would be Silent Hill 2 and Portal.

 

[Godhead]

Entertainment, the last review he's done of a game I play was back in May.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Entertainment. He sometimes does a decent video when it comes to reviewing the game, but for the most part, there's clearly better reviews out there. It doesn't help that so many of his reviews (e.g. CoD reviews) seem to be based more on running jokes rather than serious opinion.

Still, when it comes to entertainment value in the review, I haven't found a better video series. I may not buy or not buy a game based on Yahtzee's review (only exception being Saints Row), but his videos are still a lot of fun to watch.

 

[TheArcaneThinker]

I would prefer a shift to detailed explanation above base entertainment.

Why would you want that ? This is one of the few shows that has focus on entertainment and you would wish that it turned into another of clone of the hundreds of dull and simple minded boring reviews that come from most reviewers ?
Zero punctuation is a show for entertainment , its made to entertain you , not to bore you . There are plenty of dull and boring reviewers out there who judge a game by its pros and cons and give a rating in the end . If you want detailed explanation , go watch those .