I know that this comes up all the time, and I know that there's not a ton of discussion value, but I had to get this out there because it's been bugging me.
Some people take Yahtzee too seriously. Again, yes, I know, it's been said many times, but I'd like to use this post to remind us all that there are some key things about Yahtzee that people regularly seem to forget:
(These are all things that HE HAS SAID ABOUT HIMSELF, I'm not making my own assertions.)
He is a "critic," and he goes out of his way to call himself a "critic," not a "reviewer," and there is a subtle, yet distinct, difference there. He doesn't see his job as reviewing a game and giving an overall opinion, good and bad. He sees his job as criticizing a game, pointing out its flaws and ragging on them, even if they are petty and nit-picky criticisms.
He ENJOYS taking the piss out of something and ruining other people's enjoyment of something.
He is a jaded, cynical, misanthrope.
He doesn't believe that people should actually listen to his opinion! His own words: "Do you really need someone in 'authority' giving you a simple 'yay' or 'nay' before you buy something?!"
= = = = =
Emply basic observation and critical thinking skills it becomes quite clear: Zero Punctutation is NOT meant to be taken seriously. It a sense, it's NOT a even a review show. Generally speaking, the point of a review is to enlighten potential consumers of the product being reviewed, helping them decide whether or not they want to buy it. Yahtzee himself has stated that this is not his purpose in ZP. Therefore, it can be easily argued that ZP isn't a review show.
I would argue that ZP a roast, a foul-mouthed writer expousing foul analogies for the things he doesn't like about video games, whether he likes the overall game or not. I'd even argue that ZP may be a satire of video game reviewing, and if anything is designed NOT to be taken seriously, it's satire.
So yeah. Watch it. Enjoy it. Laugh. But don't take it seriously. Please.
EDIT: When I said "don't take it seriously" I meant "don't take what he says as gospel truth."
Can helpful and informative things be gleaned from ZP? Of course. That is, if you look past the exaggerated comic effect, ZP does provide some helpful information on games. Is it possible to tell by Yahtzee's opinion whether or not you'll like a game? Sure. That is, if you have a good understanding of how Yahtzee's taste compares to your own.
I'm just asking that people use a little pattern recognition and critical thinking before they let Yahtzee's opinion have any effect on their purchasing decisions.
SECOND EDIT: Okay. I apologize. I probably shouldn't have made this thread. I wrote this up in a reactionary moment and the main point that I was trying to make overall got mostly lost in my words. Can we just let this one die out quickly?
Some people take Yahtzee too seriously. Again, yes, I know, it's been said many times, but I'd like to use this post to remind us all that there are some key things about Yahtzee that people regularly seem to forget:
(These are all things that HE HAS SAID ABOUT HIMSELF, I'm not making my own assertions.)
He is a "critic," and he goes out of his way to call himself a "critic," not a "reviewer," and there is a subtle, yet distinct, difference there. He doesn't see his job as reviewing a game and giving an overall opinion, good and bad. He sees his job as criticizing a game, pointing out its flaws and ragging on them, even if they are petty and nit-picky criticisms.
He ENJOYS taking the piss out of something and ruining other people's enjoyment of something.
He is a jaded, cynical, misanthrope.
He doesn't believe that people should actually listen to his opinion! His own words: "Do you really need someone in 'authority' giving you a simple 'yay' or 'nay' before you buy something?!"
= = = = =
Emply basic observation and critical thinking skills it becomes quite clear: Zero Punctutation is NOT meant to be taken seriously. It a sense, it's NOT a even a review show. Generally speaking, the point of a review is to enlighten potential consumers of the product being reviewed, helping them decide whether or not they want to buy it. Yahtzee himself has stated that this is not his purpose in ZP. Therefore, it can be easily argued that ZP isn't a review show.
I would argue that ZP a roast, a foul-mouthed writer expousing foul analogies for the things he doesn't like about video games, whether he likes the overall game or not. I'd even argue that ZP may be a satire of video game reviewing, and if anything is designed NOT to be taken seriously, it's satire.
So yeah. Watch it. Enjoy it. Laugh. But don't take it seriously. Please.
EDIT: When I said "don't take it seriously" I meant "don't take what he says as gospel truth."
Can helpful and informative things be gleaned from ZP? Of course. That is, if you look past the exaggerated comic effect, ZP does provide some helpful information on games. Is it possible to tell by Yahtzee's opinion whether or not you'll like a game? Sure. That is, if you have a good understanding of how Yahtzee's taste compares to your own.
I'm just asking that people use a little pattern recognition and critical thinking before they let Yahtzee's opinion have any effect on their purchasing decisions.
SECOND EDIT: Okay. I apologize. I probably shouldn't have made this thread. I wrote this up in a reactionary moment and the main point that I was trying to make overall got mostly lost in my words. Can we just let this one die out quickly?