A little while ago, I wrote a rather damning appraisal of the Xbox 360's Community Games channel, sharing my belief that nearly every game on offer was garbage. I know that there are a few actual worthy titles to be found, but sifting through the utter crap takes a lot of time and hard work.
The Community Games development community took my words to heart, and there has been some discussion about what to do. One developer, the creator of Biology Battle, decided to take action and has asked that I review the game on Destructoid.
As a matter of disclosure, Biology Battle developer Novaleaf Software has given me the required Microsoft Points to download the title (in lieu of being able to offer review copies) and the review will hit this week. After discussing with Nick Chester, we think this could become a rather interesting way of separating the wheat from the chaff on the Community Games channel, as well as give XNA developers some much-needed coverage.
In essence, we will be presenting reviews as an open challenge to Community Game developers. Hit the jump for the full details.
Here's how it will work.
If you want us to review your Community Game, merely contact me at jim @ destructoid.com and we can arrange a review the same way that Novaleaf has. What you will then get is a full-scale Destructoid review, written with as much depth as your game allows. We'll treat it as any other videogame, which means it will get the same respect and discussion, as well as the same brutal honesty.
If you read this site, you'll know how tough (or at the very least, unpredictable) the reviews on Destructoid can be, so it will definitely take someone who truly believes in their game to come to us. Hopefully, this means that the best of the channel will pass through Dtoid's doors and, naturally, the Destructoid readers will benefit from getting to know which games are worth clawing through the crap to try out.
At its best, the Community Games channel is a terrific place for indie developers to get some real attention. At its worst, it is a home for derivative, poorly made trash that obscures any glimmer of talent that might be hiding. Regardless of its potential for disaster, the Community Games channel does deserve coverage, and we think this is a really cool way to cover it.
If any other XNA developers are willing to follow Novaleaf and have their game reviewed on the site, always be aware that our mantra of "brutally honest game reviews" remains. Microsoft Points will gather no special treatment, only a review. If you're going to give me Kitchen Sink Wars, you better take your 2/10 and love it. If your game is magnificent, however, it will get the glowing praise we feel it deserves.
That's it. Stay tuned for the official Destructoid review of Biology Battle, coming this week, and hopefully we can look forward to many more Community Game reviews coming soon.
Contest:
1:20 PM on 12.17.2008
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Maybe you'll find some diamonds in the rough.
I hope some of these games don't totally suck.
Sub-question. If I give you the appropriate MS points out of my own pocket, will you review Dokee and the Musical Rain?
This would probably be the only way I would go back into that section of Live and try/buy a game.
Good on ya, Jim.
Destructoid will throw down if challenged CONFIRMED!
2) This is a great idea. WiiWare, and cell phone games could benefit, in theory, from a similar challange.
The rest of the comments so far seem to prove you wrong.
Seriously, try and wait for a real reason to troll rather than jump the gun. You're trying too hard, babe.
I keed. Don't get butt hurt, nerds.
The only games I've found to be any good so far are this game and Word Soup. Bloc would be good but the controls are completely frustrating.
Of course, you can feel free to be discouraging and apathetic if you want, we really appreciate that on Destructoid.
If the game is shit,then Jim will tell us it's shit. He has to REVIEW THE FUCKING GAME to proclaim it shit.
How is that so fucking hard to understand?
I'm actually playing a lot with XNA stuff right now. I'm not sure if it'll go anywhere. If it does, I will make *damn* sure it doesn't end up like our current results. But for now, that's a long off goal, if a goal at all.
Its not bad, for thw whole 4 minutes I played it, it looked like it had a couple of interesting ideas incorporated into the game, which is a standard twin stick shooter.
800 MS points? that might be too much, 400 would have been a better fit. And its a shame that almost no good twin stick shooters have online multiplayer. That was THE THING that was missing from Geometry Wars 2
Seems a bit ironic to me.
Point Sterling. You'd better step it up in the next round, 'goblin. Its the lighting round. Very series.
I thought the demo of Weapon of Choice was awful, but I'd love a full review that explains some of the other facets of the game in different levels, with different characters, etc.
You seem to really like Weapon of Choice. Going by your evaluative methods, I'd simply start deriding the game as "Shit" now, and be done with it. Wouldn't you rather someone write up a strong defense of the title so that I give the hard working developers a second chance?
Attitudes like yours do the industry a disservice.
Well, considering your repeated messages are incongruent with what one would expect from someone pushing a message of not needing to state or restate a known opinion or status . . . yep, I'd call it ironic.
You know, you really should write a c-blog about all this. I'd read it, for what that's worth.
The same rules still apply - a game is either fun or not. The reviews will address the game being "worth it". A $60 game has different criteria for amount of time and polish of experience than the $2.50 - $10 range. Within the smaller price point you have some games costing four times as much as other titles, so they will have to answer to why they demand that price in the review.
I think we are looking at a successful review model.
I want to start an XNA game (I'm in need of a programmer but that's besides the point)
What if you don't like that particular genre? Say, for instance, I created a Rouge-like game, you know, the whole nethack thing. It's a good Rouge-like, punishing difficulty, very complex, ect. If you didn't like Rouge-likes and give it a bad review isn't that kinda just cutting off the knees of a game that some people would have enjoyed? It's hard enough having a good community game float to the top in a barrel of shit and negative publicity would only make less sales.
But with that being said niche games would probably be sought out by people who liked it so it's not that big of a problem.
I kinda answered my own question there.
Maybe you should avoid the numerical score altogether, have a small recap detailing all the good parts.
Dude you get cained quite alot on here does it ever get on your nerves?
I would find the most annoying thing about it all is that the people who cain you are like 12 years old and havent got a clue. Kinda reminds me of that great film Jay and Silent Bob where they hunt down all the kids on Poop Shoot and beat the shit out of them...how pleasent that would be :¬)
There are only one or two genres I feel I can't play objectively. Roguelikes are possibly one of them. In that extreme case, I will of course get another of my review team to do it.
Awesome idea!
And if Jim doesn't get to review any games that are worth playing, we at least will have a chance to rip on the devs for their shitty game and to tell them to "Go fuck themselves" and therefore driving them to become alcoholics. ^^
I would have added my two thumbs up earlier if I had seen it then; really, great challenge!
Also, Kitchen Sink Wars? Sounds BADASS!