Is Gamespot.Com The Web Site for Gamers?

Gamespot.com has been around since 1996, and it has come a long way into the latest 5th Generation of gaming consoles. It is owned by CNET, and its creation has stirred up controversy within the last 3 years. More important is the question of whether the credibility of the "journalism" taking place is not just controlled by the almighty dollar. Regardless of laid off employees, Gamespot.com has in fact proven itself an ongoing example of an excellent Web site in design and function.

The major asset that has allowed Gamespot to be a very useful Web site is the organization. The content is categorized into gaming systems (PS3, Wii, Etc.), which allows for easy navigation even for the "elderly" gamers. These "tabs" allow for you to find all the latest gaming news targeted to your goals in reading, viewing, or listening to the many programs run on Gamespot. The programs in addition to the articles written really allow the gamers to have an in depth look at all that is past, present, and future of the gaming world. The feature stories are in bigger view and the always helpful user generated "popularity box" lets you know what gamers are rating games that are coming soon, available now, highest rated, and an overall rating system of the games people rate best on. The user generated content allows this community on Gamespot to be viewed as a force, but these users are often characterized as young gamers that still have not found another alternative to viewing video game journalism.

Gamespot's biggest competitor and more often than not source is Kotaku.com. This website along with Joystiq.com has allowed Bloggers to have their say and break the latest news because both Web sites are blogs. The blogging community has posed the biggest threat Gamespot's users that has allowed respected blogs like Kotaku.com and Joystiq.com break the latest news in the gaming industry. This is the defining weapon against Gamespot's corporate hold on viewing games early and in fact having reviews, previews, and scoop spoon fed to the website.

Both Kotaku.com and Joystiq.com operate like any normal blog with a very bland organization columns with HTML. But the substance of the words, pictures, and videos they are putting on the page out-way's Gamespot's traditional approach of dealing with public relation directors, marketing directors, and lastly the makers of the game. By being independent websites they have claimed something that Gamespot has lost and that is credibility.

Overall Gamespot's tarnished view on the gaming world has created a beacon of hope for startup blogs, Web sites, etc. Gamespot has become the mainstream website of video games which to some people is not a bad thing. Sometimes it helps out young children's parents help find a suitable game for their child with the easy "popularity box". It can also allow children to understand why a writer on the Web site has in fact given a "Spongebob Squarepants" game a 2.4 on a rating system of 1-10.0. The easiness of Gamespot and controlled environment has made a very fine place for young gamers to converge and discuss. What about the majority percentage of gamers being males from 18-25 years of age? They are probably starting their own blogs as we speak.

Gamespot gets a 7.5