gdp's Comments

SmashPad : Rumor: GameStop Expanding PowerUp Rewards Program With Madden 11 Launch?

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:07:19 +0000

Hey Rawrer, I'm able to look at the catalog now. The "exact" link that you're asking for is this: https://www.poweruprewards.com/Rewards/Index

SmashPad : Rumor: GameStop Expanding PowerUp Rewards Program With Madden 11 Launch?

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 03:10:13 +0000

Hey Rawrer, As I recall, the issue with linking to the catalog was that one had to be logged in to see it. Regardless, I just logged in again and it looks like the Catalog isn\\\'t even available for viewing anymore.

SmashPad : Review: MLB 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:39:04 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts, John. Here's some questions I've come up with that can help you expand on what you've said. As far as the glitches, would you say these are deal-breaking glitches? Or are they instead minor hiccups in what, in your opinion, is an overall enjoyable experience? If you had to score the game out of 10, what would your honest opinion be? You compare the visuals to The Show. How does 2K11 overall stack up against other games (and even previous iterations like 2K10)? What separates 2K11 from 2K10? I understand that more of an emphasis has been placed on the pitching in 2K11, but are there a few things that make 2K11 better or worse than 2K10? If you were speaking to someone who only owns a 360, would you tell them this game is worth their $60?

SmashPad : Review: MLB 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:43:53 +0000

Nic, Please try to be a little more mature with your comments. Have you played the game yourself? If so, please weigh in with your thoughts. Our staff as well as the rest of the readers here would love to hear what you think of it, and perhaps you could articulate a little better on the "Why" this is a waste of your time. Otherwise, what exactly are your complaints against the review? It could not possibly be the score or the complaints. The grammar has been addressed, we know. Please contribute to the discussion instead of mudslinging, Nic. -Andrew G.

SmashPad : Review: MLB 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:43:06 +0000

Thanks, Patrick. I've addressed your comments and made most of the grammar changes you suggested (as well as some of my own). I hope it reads better. -Andrew G.

SmashPad : Review: MLB 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:51:21 +0000

CB, You must understand that these are reviews for an entertainment medium, not college or high school essays. That said, it's an effort on our part (and the rest of the press, I'm sure) to try to be concise. Believe it or not, it's actually more difficult to write less! Page length requirements in high school teach us to write a bunch of filler for ideas that could be expressed in a few sentences or less. When you're presented with the task to write a report on your interpretation of Shelley's "Ozymandias" you get the interesting situation where you end up writing a paper that is 10x longer than the reference document! If you feel Alex failed on his task to express himself in as few words as possible without losing his meaning, please call him (and anyone else) on it! But please be mature and specific if you do. -Andrew G.

SmashPad : Review: MLB 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:40:29 +0000

CB, Thanks for voicing your concerns. You may be unaware that we are a small group of dedicated writers/gamers, and have been in various forms since the early 2000s (Inside Gamer Online, Amped Games, Gamer 2.0). That said, we strive to write meaningful and honest reviews that aren't suspicious of bias due to publisher pressure (notice the lack of advertisements?). I agree the score does represent an extreme outlier thus far (despite the fact that only 4 reviews exist at this time, which is surprising because the game released a week ago). While we don't pander to publishers or try to match our scores to other published reviews, we certainly do want to listen to the community, and the community has been pretty vocal about this particular review. Myself and the rest of the staff will stand behind Alex's honest opinion. If he should consider your and the rest of the community's criticisms, then go back to play some more just to find that he was actually a little harsher than he intended to be, we'll stand behind that too. Regardless, thank you for voicing your concern, and we take it seriously. -Andrew G.

SmashPad : Review: MLB 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:33:18 +0000

While we encourage criticisms, this is just a juvenile insult, and in no way helps anything. If you have a specific issue with the review, please point it out so Alex or another staffer can address it. We are always looking to improve, and voicing your criticisms maturely helps that. Thanks, -Andrew G.

SmashPad : Review: MLB 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:31:04 +0000

Thank you for speaking coherently and calmly, Me Too. We are all looking to improve our writing. If you don't mind, can you point out specific sections you didn't like so that Alex can keep those suggestions in mind when writing future reviews, and for me to keep in mind as I copy-edit them? Thanks, -Andrew G.

SmashPad : Review: The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (Xbox 360)

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:28:54 +0000

gokkasten, either you're a spam account that managed to slip through the filters, or you just REALLY like all these games whose articles you're posting on. I sincerely hope for the latter.

SmashPad : E3 2010 Preview - Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 17:12:32 +0000

I think the development for the DS may reflect the devs' desire to move on with newer technology that provides them with the ability to introduce new game concepts that can keep the series from becoming stale. An Xbox 360 version of the game may be a little too much, with the transition from handheld to console I mean. Having been 18 only a few years ago, I completely understand your point; we're poor! Even more so at 18, which makes it hard for us to shell out money for new systems just to play our favorite games. If only they still made games for the SNES...

SmashPad : Rumor: GameStop Expanding PowerUp Rewards Program With Madden 11 Launch?

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:48:30 +0000

As a member myself, the rewards range from a game protection guarantee (worthless) to a mario keychain, CoD dog tags, and various amounts off of games. The low end of the point spectrum is 1,000 an the high end is 50,000. You basically get 500 points for signing up.

SmashPad : Review: Dead Space: Ignition (Xbox 360)

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:40:30 +0000

Hey Ivan, What exactly do you disagree with about the review (I don't fully understand your post)? Did I give you the impression that this game was about a prelude mission to Dead Space 2? It technically was, but yeah, it did include 3 minigames that you'll play over and over again. I stated that the minigames "are a nuisance at best", so I think I gave fair warning they were not very good.

SmashPad : Review: Madden NFL 11 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:03:10 +0000

Gosh, it would be great if publishers even considered buying us off. As Danreb said, we don't get paid and we do this because we love it.

SmashPad : Rumor: GameStop Expanding PowerUp Rewards Program With Madden 11 Launch?

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:57:44 +0000

You know what would be really cool is if you could spend points on *exclusive* items that could only be purchased with these points. Even if they were petty baubles and trinkets variously branded to games, I think the program would be exponentially more alluring.

SmashPad : Preview: Halo: Reach Beta (Xbox 360)

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 22:16:10 +0000

Haha, hit me up in the Fall, MG. I might just surprise you. Gamertag: XUM 2

SmashPad : EA Rides Higher Quality Games To Higher Sales

Sun, 16 May 2010 15:15:17 +0000

Despite the fact that EA is making quality games, they still posted a $677 million loss (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/ea-posts-677-million-loss-in-fy2010-alongside-downed-revenues/) for FY 2010. Granted, that's better than what they predicted, and the quality games are a huge part of that, but $677 million is still not just a drop in the ocean even for a company as large as EA. Maybe this time next year they'll actually have a profit to speak of, but until then we can't be entirely sure that making "good" games is statisticaly significantly better than making "safe" games.

SmashPad : Review: Shoot 1UP (Xbox 360)

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:36:45 +0000

For those wondering why this review is up so long after the game came out the excuse is simple: I had broken my wrist and couldn't play games for a while and the staff at Smashpad kindly allowed me to keep the review.

SmashPad : Review: Final Fight: Double Impact (Xbox 360, PS3)

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:53:08 +0000

I like the idea of a 3D arcade cabinet. Gives it a real nostalgia boost in my opinion. And for those that aren't a fan, you can always mess with the video settings.

SmashPad : PadSmashing: Final Fantasy XIII

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 19:04:47 +0000

That's pretty badass. Look forward to more features like this one.