Erkki Posted June 1, 2004 So correct me if I'm wrong... but your saying you'd pay for a skin??? Not just. For the skin, for no ads, for the videos and FTP access. But the skin is a big part for me, as I said before I just hate to read text from dark background, and feel physical pain and suffering from it. But why pay for a skin if you can get all of it free elsewhere? I'm not hard-core enough to know every website and visit it every now and then. Still, I'd like to know what's going on and to have all the stuff I want from such websites as painless and as few clicks away as possible. And in that regard I've liked GameSpot for a long time, but I really hate their default colors. I'm trying it out for a month, and if I'm satisfied, I'll subscribe for a full year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Intrepid Homoludens Posted June 1, 2004 So, you're into skin, huh? Oooh, Erkksie, I never knew you at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GregD Posted June 2, 2004 That's not why I subscribe to them. There are a few things I like about Complete. For one thing, Complete members get access to the faster download servers, which is nice. Also, there's the Ice skin, and before anyone says TAHTS NOT ENOUGH OF A RAESON TO SUBSCRIBE!!!!1, yes I know it's not, it's just a nice bonus. I like getting 10% off at EBGames.com, which comes with Complete. Finally, I actually enjoy GameSpot's content, and they have been my primary gaming news source since long before they offered Complete. They strike me as having a good degree of journalistic integrity compared to most of the other big sites out there (IGN, etc.) and in addition to the other crap I get, I feel that the subscription fee I pay just goes towards supporting them in general. I mean, information on the internet is free anyway, I can afford to give a small subscription fee to ONE SITE which I've been reading for six or seven years now. If you like it fair enough, but imo it's a waste of money unless you really are a hardcore gamer who enjoys reading this stuff and paying for it. I don't mind reading gaming articles as long as they are free. I realise it's for entertainment and it's your money etc but isnt a game fans money better spent on the actual games/games industry rather than just reading about them? That way at least more money gets put into new games.... (or back pockets for those of you who are more cynical). If you pay for a content service I really don't see what your money goes towards in the long run, other than paying server costs? Or maybe you get more content... big wow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erkki Posted June 2, 2004 I just watched the video review of Chronicles of Riddick that is only for subscribers. It's an Xbox game and they gave it a very high score (9.3 and Editor's Choice award, and the reviewer said it's one of the best games currently available on any platform). Obviously the score made me interested, but I probably wouldn't have bothered to read the text review as I don't have an Xbox and won't plan to buy one. The video reviews also shows gameplay while the reviewer talks, it's really great and kind of saves me time or allows me to spend time where I normally wouldn't -- I won't have to watch a separate trailer and I think it would have taken me longer or about the same time to read the text review. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Posted June 2, 2004 A very important point Erkki and Chris have vaguely brought up which has been ignored in this thread is that Gamespot Complete's content can be found on a lot of other sites across the web if you really want to look for it. Wait, you say, isn't that exactly what the GS Complete detractors have been arguing? Yes, yes they have, but they're missing the point. It seems to me that having all the same news from those other sites all in once place is the point of getting Gamespot Complete. You know, the "Complete" part of it. Once you pay for Gamespot Complete, you don't need to scour a dozen gaming sites to get all of the news and videos, you get it all from Gamespot. It's not for "the hardcore who want to pay for it." The "hardcore" gaming news people are the ones in this thread complaining about GS Complete - the ones who like browsing numerous sites in a day to get the full scoop on the news. Its in fact for the casual readers who don't mind paying for simlicity and ease of use. If you want an effortless one-stop at-a-glance take on the days gaming news and media, GameSpot Complete seems like a good idea, Ice skin or no. (For the record, I'm not a Gamespot Complete subscriber. I don't personally feel the need, but I'm not blind to its potential appeal, and may someday subscribe.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris Posted June 2, 2004 If you like it fair enough, but imo it's a waste of money unless you really are a hardcore gamer who enjoys reading this stuff and paying for it. See Jake's reply below. And yes, I like it. I don't mind reading gaming articles as long as they are free. I realise it's for entertainment and it's your money etc but isnt a game fans money better spent on the actual games/games industry rather than just reading about them? GameSpot helps me learn about the industry and what's going on it it, which I find important as a gamer. Also as I write news for two gaming websites they have been an enormous resource for me. That way at least more money gets put into new games.... (or back pockets for those of you who are more cynical). Believe me, that $30/year (that's what, $2.50/month or something?) is not hurting anything. $30 is less than the price of one game. Let's be generous and say I could buy a new game for $30. The scenario you're protesting is that over a six month period I am presumably buying one less game? Considering I occasionally buy bad games, maybe it's a good thing that I'm buying one less game (which is an unlikely scenario anyway) since I'll be more discerning about it, and thus the industry is helped because one less person bought a copy of an undeserving game. And, if by some ludicrous chance this is still not acceptable to you, consider this: I save 10% from ebgames.com with my membership, and am only charged $1.99 for shipping, encouraging me to spend money on games anyway. If you pay for a content service I really don't see what your money goes towards in the long run, other than paying server costs? Or maybe you get more content... big wow. Yes, paying server costs and funding the salaries of the full-time employees who work for GameSpot. Since I have used their service for years and will continue to use it for years to come, I have a vested interest in keeping their site alive. I would be greatly disappointed if they shut down and I had to rely on some shit like IGN because not enough of their regular readers decided to subscribe. It's worrying to me that the internet is still such a relatively new part of society and already people are finding the thought of paying for content services absurd. Ever heard of magazines? Newspapers? Cable TV? Sure, the overhead for websites is lower and the costs associated come from different places, but they still need money to function. There are plenty of people out there who suck up more GameSpot bandwidth than I do (downloading more videos etc.), but I acknowledge that the vast majority of them will take advantage of GameSpot's generous offer to provide that stuff for free. For that reason as well as the several others I have already outlined, I have decided that that one site (that ONE site--I can't believe you're making such an issue out of me paying a measly $2.50/month to ONE SITE) deserves my patronage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RLacey Posted June 2, 2004 If anything, I'd say that you deserve our support. After all, you're not supporting Gamespy . As for Gamespot itself, I rarely use it, but I can see why people might. I personally prefer to do general searches for information through my 3 monthly magazine subscriptions and several internet sites, but Gamespot are a good site. If I used it more (and if I had a credit card), then I would probably consider paying for it. First, though, I need to spend $30 on The All Seeing Eye. To rack up a few hundred days on a 21 day trial doesn't look or feel good... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris Posted June 3, 2004 You PAY for MAGAZINES!>? What are you, some kind of CORPORATE CAPITALIST PIG WHORE!? !?LI$"H Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GregD Posted June 3, 2004 I really don't see how they make their money... or even a profit, banner ads i guess. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
