What does the escapist think of Totalbiscuit?

[jhoroz]

Opened up a video of his for the first time-closed it once I realized it was just fifteen minutes of him talking about the options menu. What a massive bore. Not really interested in his content and his fanbase comes off as super pretentious and moronic, especially the way they praise him as some last bastion of journalistic integrity.

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

I think he is a person with thoughts and opinions.

That's it really.

 

[Zeraki]

When I want to find out how good a PC port is before I make an investment, his channel is usually the first place I go. He goes very in depth about the different options available, performance and overall quality of the port.

While I understand why some people might not like his very blunt personality, I honestly think the guy doesn't deserve the pure unbridled hatred that he gets.

 

[Hades]

I've liked some of his points, and think it was good that he revealed the illegally undisclosed review contracts relating to whichever game that was. I think he backed the very wrong horse by supporting GamerGate, which takes away the good will I had for him for pointing out legitimate ethics concerns, but considering his past ethics whistleblowing I'm also more inclined to believe his heart is in the right place on GG than the average supporter, so I don't really have bad will for it either.

Overall, I don't love him, I don't hate him. I don't give a toss if he wins the megalotto tomorrow and lives out his days as a very rich man, if he has a terrible car accident later this evening, or anywhere in between. He's a stranger I have no strong opinions on.

Did TB really have a choice on Gamergate? I recall the other side having it out for him since day one, dogpiling the guy when he merely told everyone to calm down. I suspect his open support for GG came more as a middle finger to those who wouldn't stop attacking him.

Overall I find TB an interesting guy who's worth listening to on industry matters. I'm not a pc gamer though so his content is guaranteed to be a bit hit and miss for me.

 

[mysecondlife]

I've always admired the characteristics of attention to detail despite obvious flaws. That's why I like Hideo Kojima as a game developer.

I don't follow Total Biscuit's work unless there's big PC game release but I know he does give very detailed review of them.

Huh... I guess this means I like him.

 

[sageoftruth]

Well, so far I reeally like him. He's very pro-consumer, and his videos have assisted me in several of my game purchases. Also, I respect his dedication to full-disclosure. When he's giving his impression of a game, he will let you know if he has any reason to feel biased about his assessment.

What confuses me is how he's constantly mentioned as being a key player in the whole GG vs Feminists thing. I'm guessing I must be out of the loop because I get all my coverage of him from his youtube videos, which seem to always be be solely about games and the game industry, and never about the clash between GG and feminism. Does he talk about that on a twitter account or something?

 

[AT God]

I like his Port Reports because I am primarily a PC Gamer, and while I personally don't get too upset if a game is only 30FPS, his FPS Police thingy is very useful since I feel games should list their framerate on Steam because of how often people struggle with them. I don't really care about most of his content but I'll listen to his Co-Optional when there is an interesting guest like Sterling or LauraK. He does seem to be one of those people who is really bad at Twitter which is interesting as someone who loves watching people get angry but I don't really care about his actual stance on anything, I use his videos to inform my PC gaming decisions, he could be Mother Theresa or literally Hitler, as long as the relevant info he provides allows me to make better decisions, I couldn't care less.

Also, I like his voice, great radio voice, and then it freaks me out when I see him on video because he kinda looks like alternate dimension Moviebob, which is extra funny to me given their history on Twitter. Also, TB = Tuberculosis to me so I find it really weird reading about people calling him a horrible but curable disease.

 

[WindKnight]

I've liked some of his points, and think it was good that he revealed the illegally undisclosed review contracts relating to whichever game that was. I think he backed the very wrong horse by supporting GamerGate, which takes away the good will I had for him for pointing out legitimate ethics concerns, but considering his past ethics whistleblowing I'm also more inclined to believe his heart is in the right place on GG than the average supporter, so I don't really have bad will for it either.

Overall, I don't love him, I don't hate him. I don't give a toss if he wins the megalotto tomorrow and lives out his days as a very rich man, if he has a terrible car accident later this evening, or anywhere in between. He's a stranger I have no strong opinions on.

are we talking about Shadow of Mordor? I thought that was Jim Sterling.

Not really a fan of TB himself due to some weird attitudes (in a couple of platform game reviews he moans that the keyboard and mouse controls aren't as good as the gamepad controls even though the genre generally needs a pad to be played properly) and the fact he seems a bit to eager to weigh in on subjects he really doesn't know enough about, and doesn't like being told he doesn't know enough.

 

[The Bucket]

I've liked some of his points, and think it was good that he revealed the illegally undisclosed review contracts relating to whichever game that was. I think he backed the very wrong horse by supporting GamerGate, which takes away the good will I had for him for pointing out legitimate ethics concerns, but considering his past ethics whistleblowing I'm also more inclined to believe his heart is in the right place on GG than the average supporter, so I don't really have bad will for it either.

Overall, I don't love him, I don't hate him. I don't give a toss if he wins the megalotto tomorrow and lives out his days as a very rich man, if he has a terrible car accident later this evening, or anywhere in between. He's a stranger I have no strong opinions on.

are we talking about Shadow of Mordor? I thought that was Jim Sterling.

Not really a fan of TB himself due to some weird attitudes (in a couple of platform game reviews he moans that the keyboard and mouse controls aren't as good as the gamepad controls even though the genre generally needs a pad to be played properly) and the fact he seems a bit to eager to weigh in on subjects he really doesn't know enough about, and doesn't like being told he doesn't know enough.

I prefer controller personally, but keyboard and mouse often works extremely well for platformers, most of the last few Super meat boy world record holders have done it on keyboard for example. Its really down to personal preference, and I dont see anything wrong with complaining about things like a lack of rebind-able keys

 

[DerangedHobo]

I expressed my opinion on this issue once and I almost got permanently banned but I'll try to put it in a way which sums up my feelings on TotalBiscuit (as far as his persona goes, I know more about Karma Sutra than I do about John Bain):

He comes across as a bitter pseudo-intellectual (to me, I see you, moderator) and gets revered for it. I mean, so do I but the best I get is a wayward glance and a "fuck off", I don't get recognition out of my complete lack of accomplishment.

Although I have a gripe with anyone who builds their entire life out of being a critic, you're a critic, you deconstruct things. Unless you build or improve those things yourself it just seems like abject mediocrity.

 

[chocolate pickles]

Total douchebag who needs to realise there are more to games than options menus. Combine that with his PC master race mentality, and the fact his ego is the size of a house.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Used to think he was alright and would occasionally glance at his WTF videos for games I was interested in. Then he made the FPS police and his Tecmo Koei video and the already large pedestal he stood on grew ten times that day. I unsubscribed and haven't looked back since.

I don't understand this argument. Why does a PC-based channel for PC owners used to 60fps complaining and/or informing that games are locked at 30fps (which some might find unplayable) affect anything? Tecmo Koei's PC ports are atrocious for his audience, they may not be for you but that doesn't mean he or his videos are bad.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Say what you like about him on social media but I've never seen a criticism of his videos themselves that isn't just "I'm not the target audience therefore I don't like him" and is actually valid.

Don't like his options menu talks? Just skip using the annotation he's been putting in his videos since forever (you don't have to watch the ENTIRE video). Fine with 30fps and don't see why his FPS Police Group and 30fps lock complaining is necessary? Ignore him and just play the game regularly. Think he's too unfair on smaller developers and certain genres for technical limitations? When he's not explicitally saying that the context makes something fine using a bit of common sense (i.e. realizing not every limitation is detrimental to everything) will help.

Honestly, I think some people just can't see a specialist channel when they see one, especially when it comes to video-games. Why does every Youtube channel have to cater to your tastes and preferences?

 

[totheendofsin]

are we talking about Shadow of Mordor? I thought that was Jim Sterling.

TB brought it up, it caught Jim's attention, then it snowballed from there

anyway I enjoy his hearthstone content and the Cooptional Podcast, I'm not a big PC gamer so most of his stuff doesn't do much for me.

 

[Elfgore]

Used to think he was alright and would occasionally glance at his WTF videos for games I was interested in. Then he made the FPS police and his Tecmo Koei video and the already large pedestal he stood on grew ten times that day. I unsubscribed and haven't looked back since.

I don't understand this argument. Why does a PC-based channel for PC owners used to 60fps complaining and/or informing that games are locked at 30fps (which some might find unplayable) affect anything? Tecmo Koei's PC ports are atrocious for his audience, they may not be for you but that doesn't mean he or his videos are bad.

Did you accidentally quote me? Cause nowhere in my post did I say his videos are bad. I didn't make an argument either, OP asked an opinion and I gave it. I don't care for the type of gamer he is or he represents.

 

[WhateverDude]

I checked out some of his videos before and they seemed okay, but didn't leave much of an impression of me.
Though, after the whole gamergate fiasco he foolishly got himself involved, I don't have much of a high opinion of him. He doesn't seem like a bad person, but he does come off as a giant tool.

 

[WindKnight]

Used to think he was alright and would occasionally glance at his WTF videos for games I was interested in. Then he made the FPS police and his Tecmo Koei video and the already large pedestal he stood on grew ten times that day. I unsubscribed and haven't looked back since.

I don't understand this argument. Why does a PC-based channel for PC owners used to 60fps complaining and/or informing that games are locked at 30fps (which some might find unplayable) affect anything? Tecmo Koei's PC ports are atrocious for his audience, they may not be for you but that doesn't mean he or his videos are bad.

Because a lot of games being flagged by the FPS police are in a genre where the FPS doesn't matter, or are of an age or use a graphical style that makes 60fps problematic, impossible or irrelevant.

And that's before some adherents actively used the list to start witch-hunts against devs, something its fair to say TB himself called out.

 

[Tilly]

I watch and enjoy most of his content.

I also like that he has the kind of mind and analytic way of thinking that is quite rare in gaming media (as it's generally more associated with the sciences than the humanities, where most in the media come from).

 

[Tilly]

What confuses me is how he's constantly mentioned as being a key player in the whole GG vs Feminists thing. I'm guessing I must be out of the loop because I get all my coverage of him from his youtube videos, which seem to always be be solely about games and the game industry, and never about the clash between GG and feminism. Does he talk about that on a twitter account or something?

His input has been fairly small and it's certainly wrong to say he was a key player. He's just the person who has the largest following who happened to comment on the ethical failings with gaming media at a time when a lot of people were desperately trying to deflect on the issue. Boogie2988 got similarly demonized for doing nothing more than refusing to go along with the weird idea that if some people are sexist online, therefore no bad behaviour was going on with gaming media. Logic of rectal origins.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

That is a name I've seen mentioned quite a bit. I think I may have seen a video or two of his. He may also be British.