ZP lost its edge?

[Jagers1994]

I agree completely with the OP. For the Far Cry 2 review it sounded like he occasionally decided to jam 20-som marbles in his mouth. Some of the more recent jokes are just silly. However I still think they are unnaturally funny. I was better in the good old days but its still damn good.

 

[Arcticflame]

People said he had lost his touch after 2 reviews.

Why must people make a big deal of changing their viewing habits? Just stop watching quietly.

Edit - and after watching this weeks episode, I have to say I agree with Yahtzee again.

 

[Iampringles]

I still enjoy his weekly shows regardless.

 

[P1p3s]

Given the 'NewClassic' post on the Tomb Raider underworld review I figured this would come up.
To be honest when I first started watching the reviews I would be fighting back tears of laughter, I usually watch it at work when it's released so people in my office started to assume I had some kind of clockwork epilepsy or something. These days it's much easier to keep a lid on it.

You might not agree but the most powerful elements of what makes a ZP review great is an in-depth knowledge of game play AND the gaming industry PRESENTED in a rapid fire allegory rich way plus his sniper deadly similes, in short excellent game reviewing, amusingly put together. I'd have to agree that there now seems to be an emphasis on being funny rather than the kind of detailed expositional analysis of the games that were the core of the earlier reviews (which haven't lost any laughs in my book I can always go back and watch them again), which means we -like the fickle bunch we are - are turning on him for...well what...I guess you could call it selling out or pandering to the masses but that strikes me as contradictory to his style.

You've got to admit that we would be the cause of the change, the more we praise his sarcastic assassination of the games he's playing the more incentive there is for him to perpetuate that, so is it really fair for us to criticise him for it afterwards.

I don't think it's over, tomb raider never really had anyone?s hopes up, far cry isn't something I'd ever cared about anyway, he needs something...important, something groundbreaking to excite him and subsequently us. I'd like to hear about games he does enjoy because he'll be more motivated to discuss in detail, but that's the gaming industries problem, not Yahtzee's

 

[Jamash]

Repeat thread.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, yes, Zero Punctuation has gotten extremely unfunny. Oh well, maybe soon the forums will return to the utopia they once were.

The real Utopia was back in the days, before the stream of idiots that leaked in.

I'm hoping I won't get put on probation, or banned, but does anyone else think that the mods have become... well, sell-outs? More and more idiots rush in each day, as the rules are much less harsh. Another forum-use agrees with this, and he even asked the mods why they were ignoring the trolls, flamers and morons more than they used to. Apparently, they are under orders to let the Escapist become more popular - ergo, the influx of these unwashed masses. Txt gramer is rampant, and pointless threads run wild. To put it strongly, the mods have left the veteran Escapists in favour of this tidal wave of idiocy. Am I alone in these thoughts?

You're not alone, I've noticed that some people can get away with racist slurs, implied threats and calling people cunts.

Without wanting to label groups of people, most of these offenders seems to be young (less than 18) Americans, who's posts are also plagued with bad grammar and spelling errors.

Maybe a lenient view is taken with them because they're essentially still children and don't know any better, or maybe that's the demographic which is trying to be attracted.

Who knows, maybe a behind the scenes deal has been struck with the pharmaceutical company that makes Ritalin.

I wouldn't say that the mods are sell outs, but maybe their hands are tied.

I'm sure their integrity as individuals is as staunch as ever, but as you say they're following orders.

Reasonable orders are easy enough to obey; it is capricious, bureaucratic or plain idiotic demands that form the habit of discipline.

 

[Thirsk]

As it have already been said to the point of numbness, ZP haven't lost it's sting, it's us who're getting used to the humour.
If he did anything else we'd call him a sellout instead - the masses will always have some complaints, unless it get's something the equivalent of golden rays of chocolate and cocaine launched right into our wide-open eyeballs.

I have watched several ZPs a day for the last month and I still find them funny. The fact that I think the Mirror's Edge review is one of his best totally convinces me he still got it.

 

[GuerrillaClock]

It ebbs and flows. Before, the schtick alone made it funny. Nowadays, it relies entirely on the jokes which, I presume, rise and fall on whatever they are aimed at. Unfortunately, since Yahtzee has a week to come up with new material the quality of reviews is often highly inconsistent. Today's Far Cry 2 offering fell flat for me, the South African thing didn't do anything for me.

 

[Amoreyna]

Everywhere I turn there seems to be a thread about Yahtzee lately (and yes I've been on this site a lot longer then I've had a profile) and most of them negative. To top it off usually people just write that they no longer find ZP funny without really giving a concrete reason why. There's a difference between not liking something and offering constructive critism to just whining.

Several people have mentioned that maybe he needs to take a break from ZP. Perhaps, if you no longer find it enjoyable to watch you should take the break. Seperate yourself for a while and then come back after a month and see if it is funny again.

And no, I am not a rabid fanboy of his - far from it. There are sevreal of his episodes that I didn't particularly find humerous while others made me laugh out loud. Quite frankly I don't blame him for having his view of fans that he does. No matter what he does, what he changes, he will not be able to please everyone. There is always going to be a group that dislikes it. That's just the way it is. So he choses to do it his way instead of trying to appease those who watch his videos. I mean he tried to do a positive review and was bashed because being positive isn't seen as being funny. So now he tries to make negative reviews and people complain that his videos are one long rant. Talk about not winning.

Honestly, what he does is a lot harder then it looks - and he definitely makes the whole process look simple. I don't think I could do it better and I keep in mind how much work has gone into making one episode of ZP when I want to criticize it. Humor is a very hard art form and I do not envy anyone who dos it as a career.

 

[thatstheguy]

ZP may not be as funny as it used to be, but it's still entertaining. That may be because I'm kind of new to the escapist website. If you don't like it, don't watch. No ones forcing you to except a few die hard fans (if there are any (hell who am I kidding yes there are)).

Several people have mentioned that maybe he needs to take a break from ZP. Perhaps, if you no longer find it enjoyable to watch you should take the break.

Yahtzee is making a new series called game damage so at least that will give him a fresh start. Even if I ended up closing the browser a few minutes before the end out of losing interest but that's for another topic.

 

[Amoreyna]

I am not defending Yahtzee, he can defend himself, he's a big boy.
But your the troll if you come to this thread just to bash him.
Also, you need to learn to spell check.
I did it for you
The bold words [except for your name] are the correct spellings of each.
Also, I am not a troll.

Alright...So...I'm a troll...For calling yahtzee a troll, even tough he is one now. Alright...Fine...I'm a troll then. I actually liked Yahztee in the past, but when I tried the game he called shit, I realised, how wrong he was and how much he lied. Calling me a 'troll' just because I think the guy stopped being funny and went from a reviewer to a troll...Is kinda fanboish

Why in the world do you think he lied to you? Do you think that he goes about just disliking games for ratings? He has come out several times in several videos praising certain games that he thinks are good.

The key word is think here. You and he may have completely different tastes which is why you found a game fun that he did not. That is totally and completely acceptable. There are a lot of reviewers out there that have liked games that I found to be complete crap. They didn't lie to me, instead our tastes just didn't overlap. The only time I would think someone lied to me about a game is if they deliberately mislead me as to what the content of the game was in order for me to agree with them. That's lying.

By the way - I don't think you're a troll at all, just someone who has strong opinions on the subject which is perfectly okay. Especially when the person accusing you is stuck in their own little world and feels the need to correct your spelling while telling you what a low life you are. That's just sad.

 

[Amoreyna]

I've noticed that people say that today's review was 'funny' and 'hilarious'. I'm sorry, but someones gone bat shit crazy. Either you guys, or me, I've wathed the entire review, four times and I haven't cracked a smile, hell not even a chuckel. I don't know when African jokes became the hip with the comedy bisnuess, but for me it's not humor. Same goes for his Tomb Raider review, his Sonic review, hell most of the reviews he did. Or maybe I stopped seeing them funny because I tried the games and know how much bullshit the guy is saying, I don't know

"I hated this episode so much, it wasn't funny in the slightest...That's why I watched it...four...times..."

Dude, how do you not see the absolute retardation in your thought process?

I re-watched to see if I didn't get the joke or maybe I didn't understand somethin' Jesus fuck, a guy thinks he didn' get a joke, re-watches the video and suddenly gets called a retard. Fucking amazing

If you don't like a movie you don't go back to the cinema 3 more times just to make sure.

Amazingly enough we aren't talking about a movie here - instead this is about a 5 minute video game review. This person used to find ZP funny, they still want to find it funny so they watch it a couple of times to make sure that something didn't slide past unnoticed. Plus Yahtzee does talk very fast, it would be easy to miss something the first time around and there's absolutely no harm in watching anything more then once. Especially if you are trying to like it because you once found the series insightful.

Keep in mind that I don't agree with Kanashe's view about ZP. Rather I find the amount of harrassment that this person is taking about their posts rather disgraceful. I have watched something more then once myself and there have been times that during later viewings I actually enjoy the show in general. People do this all the time - it does not make one slow in the head.

 

[Samurai_Mitsurugi]

It's basically when something ''grows on you''...sometimes no-one's really sure how it happens. If you had something at one point you really liked, and you felt it was losing its' edge, you'd try to convince yourself it wasn't. Thus forcing yourself to find try find it funny or likable. If it's not to your taste anymore then that's just tough. I didn't find FC2 his best review, but found the accents funny. I thought TR and Sonic reviews were awesome, I have to say. Also -- the only trouble with the ''bullshit'' statement...it's just down to opinion, I guess if anyone reviewed games, and found a formula that worked, they'd stick to it. Although sadly I generally find Yahtzee to be right.
I kinda agree with both people, although no-one has to get stroppy about it.

 

[Sindaine]

I still enjoy it, but today's was bizarre--he never really sounded Austrailian to me before, and today it was like, 'G'daaay mate! This game bloody sux!"

 

[Samurai_Mitsurugi]

Hahaha yeah

 

[Nrutter2000]

...ZP introduced me to the escapist, but i seem to spend more time on here on days other than wednesday more and more, sometimes forgetting that a ZP came out until the following tuesday.

is it just me or has ZP reached the point where its " just toying with the gravel on the big road of life"

I think it's more to do with the fact so many people know about it now, therefore it seems less original/exciting/worthwhile. Also, he's possibly holding back a little more and I'm not sure he's reviewing the most worthy titles.

 

[PirateKing]

I thought todays Far Cry 2 review was quite good.
I don't laugh as hard as I used to though.

 

[ninjapuma42]

orrrrr... maby he is doing something else besides "talking fast into a head set" ,like you know he has a life

 

[neoman10]

Doesn't matter to me. It's still funny from time to time. Besides the rest of the Escapist is far more interesting, and I thank ZP for introducing me to that.

indeed

same here btw