Nathman Posted January 26, 2001 Share Posted January 26, 2001 Did I miss something? I just read through the CNET Gamecenter awards pages, and as far as I can tell, they didn't even mention Combat Mission, let alone even have a wargame category. Just wondering if I missed something because I can't imagine that CM wouldn't get some sort of an award or even a nomination. At any rate, I emailed Gamecenter with my opinion that they made a gross oversight if that is indeed the case, and would urge others to follow suit. It's not like it's the end of the world, but I think the public at large that goes to a site like Gamecenter should be aware that Combat Mission exists and is worthy of special mention, if not a game of the year award. That's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy w/gun Posted January 26, 2001 Share Posted January 26, 2001 I'm not so surprised. CMBO is a wargame and it's only available thru the net. Those types of games don't get much coverage. I was just lucky that I stumbled upon CMBO through PC gamer. Steel Beasts too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quenaelin Posted January 26, 2001 Share Posted January 26, 2001 Indeed, it is not so well advertised and distributed as in bigger game companies but CM is best wargame ever and I like to support these small game software companies too. Becouse they are making good products also. I almost bought Steel Beasts too but it has few flaws, it lacked weather effects, air support and 3D-hardware support. But I hope they will (at least they are promised to be) be in Steel Beasts 2, then I will order it immediatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Weiss Posted January 26, 2001 Share Posted January 26, 2001 Ah, well let's see. A quick look at the expensive paid advertisements and commercials in those gaming mags, might, might I say, have a little something to do with a slight bias. As every dog knows, it's not nice, or financially sound reasoning, to bite the hand that feeds you. ------------------ "Gentlemen, you may be sure that of the three courses open to the enemy, he will always choose the fourth." -Field Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke, (1848-1916) [This message has been edited by Bruno Weiss (edited 01-26-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofy Posted January 26, 2001 Share Posted January 26, 2001 It was my participation in another forum (the now defunct Steel Panthers forum at TGN) that lead me to CM. Like Bruno said, look at all the expense that these big game companies put into some of the very organizations that are giving these awards and it's no wonder who gets mentioned (and who doesn't)! I look at these Awards who ignore a new concept in gaming design and wonder about the integrity of such folk. Maybe the new concept in marketing a game has something to do with it. Even if CM falls in to a niche market category it is a revolutionary step. Maybe being ignored by these Awards is in itself a kind of Award! As Groucho Marx said "I wouldn't want to be a member of any country club who would accept ME as a member!" Sometimes exclusion comes off as a form of flattery when you look at why and who WAS included. ------------------ Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slapdragon Posted January 26, 2001 Share Posted January 26, 2001 Originally posted by Bruno Weiss: Ah, well let's see. A quick look at the expensive paid advertisements and commercials in those gaming mags, might, might I say, have a little something to do with a slight bias. As every dog knows, it's not nice, or financially sound reasoning, to bite the hand that feeds you. Mr. Weiss brings up a good point about awards. Individual journalists will review games and give honest accounts in the magazines, but the awards are an editorial payback, and may or maynot have anything to do with how good the game is. They can be given for a good game. They can also award advertisers and make readers happy because the most popular game gets the award. Also CNET, along with PC Computing and most of the other big computer online news / mags, are very careful about not pissing off the big guys in the computer industry. Long gone are the days when we had Byte Magazine to sort of act as a counter weight to this sort of corporate purchasing of opinions by using advertising dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathman Posted January 26, 2001 Author Share Posted January 26, 2001 But what also has my panties in a wad is that they didn't even have a wargame category. Is wargaming so out of the mainstream that it isn't even recognized as a genre anymore? Geez.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kump Posted January 27, 2001 Share Posted January 27, 2001 This is not a surprise. Let me fill you in on some history with CM and CNET Gamecenter. CM got a 7/10 review back in July/August. We were stunned. Close Combat 4 got 9/10 and a CNET award! The CM review was done by the very same reviewer of Close Combat 4, Mark Walker. But we noted his screen shots were low resolution and he complained about graphics. Mark didn't even discuss the innovative features of CM. CNET got a lot of mail. Well, the editor appeared on this forum to tell us that he thought it a fair review, defending Mark as an experienced wargame reviewer, and that Ground Control and other RTS games were just better looking and in his opinion, more fun. But to each his own. You can roll yours eyes now. Close Combat 5 was reviewed recently and by, you know who, Mark Walker. And this time, though CC was getting a little long in the tooth, it got an 8/10!!! He liked it better than CM. Guess what he likes? People have different opinions, but I consider the CNET review somewhat biased. And I can't help but note that CNET is part of Chips and Bits (or vice versa), and they mail order games! They can make money on CC orders, but CM? Can this influence reviews? I certainly hope not. But go look at the reviews of CM overall and you can't help but wonder how this one reviewer was the odd man out! But each site can review as they see fit. The validity of wargaming reviews at CNET dropped substantially in my opinion. I avoid it, not visiting the site any longer. CM got plenty of rewards, and it will go down in history as a classic. The newest magazine issue of Computer Gaming World (March issue, 200th aniversary) again mentioned CM in a couple of places... From T. Byrl Baker (thyrlbaker@msn.com) stated in his "Favorite Gaming Moments: Combat Mission" article, page 132... ...but all my years of playing hundreds of games on dozens of platforms didn't prepare me for the impact Big Time Software's COMBAT MISSION has had on my free time. It's the Big One...the game I've been waiting to play for as long as I can remember. Throughout more than 100 missions, I've yet to experience one that hasn't surprised me in some way, delivering a new "greatest moment" each time I play. How many of us feel the same way? Seems to me that when a person spends more than an hour just to do a quick review of this wargame, they catch the glitter of the gem it is and can get ensnared in the addictive power it has. In a separate article, CGW was going over the great computer games of history, those that made an impact. On a side bar, they cover wargame classics, such as Carriers at War, Harpoon, Panzer General, and ugh, Close Combat. But you know what else was there? Already being called "classic", Combat Mission rounded the list up with... The game that has made every other wargame obsolete, by abandoning convention and going completely 3D. It combines all the features that wargamers expect with a simple interface, good graphics, and unlimited replayability. The future of wargames. By far, it will sit head and shoulders above other recent wargames due to its unique and innovative design. And damn it, it looks good too! So CNET not recognizing CM in their latest award whatever is not surprising and shouldn't bother any faithful CM fan. Ignore it. As for my quotes from CGW, I hope they don't mind. Great magazine, a must buy. Been receiving the magazine for many years. There, a commercial for their benefit. Should make the quoting more acceptable Garry [This message has been edited by kump (edited 01-27-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathman Posted January 27, 2001 Author Share Posted January 27, 2001 Thanks, Garry, for filling me in on CNET with your very informative post. Sounds like they could use a real wargamer to review wargames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skott Karlsson Posted January 27, 2001 Share Posted January 27, 2001 The only two magazines I feel that give the best and most honest reviews are PC Magazine and Computer Gaming World. The only online source I pay attention to is Gamespot.com. I find that these are the best most reliable and unbiased sources I have come across so far when it comes to rating PC games. There may be others I'm not aware of but everyone has their own opinions of whats best and what isnt. Just my two cents on the matter. ~Skott~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chupacabra Posted January 27, 2001 Share Posted January 27, 2001 I get most of my game reviews from Old Man Murray... ------------------ Soy super bien soy super super bien soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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