Markup magazine's reviewers need to get their reviews up to standard. Anyone who divides their reviews into sections shouldn't be writing reviews. Especially when it's sections like "Game Play" "Graphics", etc.
Oh, the actual reviews are written badly, as well: "The music is soo good!" "This game has excellent graphics!" "well, there are very few sound effects in the game but they are generally ok" "Game graphics are those of platform games can't really judge them because that is how old school games should look".

Seriously, this magazine that "is endorsed by YoYo games" needs to get their act together. At the moment their interviews, reviews and just about everything else are highly amateurish. No, they're not just amateurish, they are terrible. Beyond repair. Flown the roost. Off their rockers. The parrot is dead!

Oh, in case you want to read this "review" the link is here: http://www.gamemaking.org/markup/mag/005/MarkUp%205%20-%20Low%20res.pdf

I have to agree with you. Not only are the reviews' inforgraphics (charts) bad, but the text of the reviews is horrible. I mean, just because graphics fit an oldschool theme doesn't mean theme is executed well! That's like saying just because someone makes a GM magazine that looks like a typical GM Mag means it's a good one - clearly this magazine proves *that* concept well enough!



And why are all the screenshots in the first few pages 3d and tilted upward? Are you trying to show God the screenshots? Cause honestly I don't think God cares - God didn't use GM to make the universe, God used machine code.

actually, i believe that the father is as old school as they come.  i've been told that he rocked out our universe with nothing but an abacus and papyrus. :P

now, i'm not siding with the mag at all (haven't even looked at it, actually), but perhaps the reason that it comes off as "amateurish" is because it is put together by armatures?  maybe if somebody that understood what should be done to increase the quality were to contact them with constructive crits they could grow into a valuable resource for gm users?

anyhow, i've yet to see even more than a couple of professional print game mags that couldn't be classified as amateurish - so, if this particular mag doesn't improve, it'll have plenty of company ;)

I've generally lost hope in game reviews a long, long time ago.

I'm suprised that Eo has never tried to get a mag out. With so many talented people in one place you would think they could pull it off and make it good.

-Elmernite

The only problem with this idea is devoting time to managing such a project.  Time I think would be better spent on the actual development of our games.

I'm not saying it isn't something to consider in the future of Eo, but this is main reason why it hasn't been done yet.

~Brandon

Really? Is that why you don't write reviews anymore?


Maybe I should contact them. I'm not sure if they'd listen to me, though :/

i'm sure that as long as you approach them in a respectful and positive manner, they'd be all ears ;)

Start with a link to this blog post. That should set the mood nicely.

I think reviewers should just drop the whole number thing as a whole. Personally, when I read a review, I completely skip over the numbers and just read about the game, and decide if the pros and cons of the game are the things that would make or break the game for me.