Gamespot poll results

[Brother None]

The Gamespot poll on the Fallout 3 trailer has come and gone. Here's the results as we copied them, a day ago:<blockquote>Not really a lot there. Looks like I get to wait 'til '08. (27%)
8,718
That's Oblivion with power armor and guns, all right. (17%)
5,454
Boo! I want an isometric turn-based RPG from the 1990s, not this newfangled graphics stuff! (10%)
3,348
Uh, what's Fallout? (44%)
14,008 </blockquote>Compare that to this statistic from the Bethesda Game Studios forums:<blockquote>Most users ever online was 5,035 on Jun 5 2007, 04:21 PM</blockquote>Doesn't look like that "most users ever online" record was set by Gamespot users. Perhaps a hint about the size of the pre-existing Fallout fanbase? Perhaps a hint where *not* to look for support of the Fallout 3 product?

 

[Brother None]

Is there *any* way to get old Gamespot poll results? I can't find it, I only have that copy, taking very early (GMT) on Tuesday.

 

[Stevie D]

Uh, what's Fallout? (44%)

*groan*

 

[thorsen-ink]

Yeah, those results are disheartening. But hopefully FO3 will introduce all the young 'uns to the series.

Oh, and nice dig @ GS, there brother none. Is this part of your vendetta against us or are you just miffed because your earl grey tea was tepid this morning?

 

[Brother None]

I think you're being paranoid and misreading

I'm not digging at anything, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out Gamespot users would have a different set of expectations than NMA users. A game "catered" to Gamespot users would not be a game "catered" to NMA users. That's not a dig at either usergroup, it's just the truth.

The question is: if Fallout can provide a wave of reactions while half the users of a major gamingsite (and let's assume polls of the sort would get similar results from the other major oones) are ignorant as to the game, couldn't that indicate that "as of right now" the crowd Oblivion catered to just doesn't care, and the crowd Fallout catered to is interested and bigger than expected?

At least the balance is different than one would expect.

Do you have the exact poll results, tor?

 

[Theldion]

I just gotta ask how many of those "Uh, what's Fallout?" votes were cast by people who regularly visit NMA. Though to be honest I voted "Boo! I want an isometric turn-based RPG from the 1990s, not this newfangled graphics stuff!"

 

[Brother None]

Considering our own poll, which is about as old as Gamespot's, got only 4281 votes so far, we are hardly any good at mobilizing users to vote in our own polls, let alone in someone else's.

So let's put grand-scale manipulation of Fallout fans in the "highly unlikely" corner of reality.

 

[thorsen-ink]

I think you're being paranoid and misreading

PARANOID? WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!??!

I'm not digging at anything, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out Gamespot users would have a different set of expectations than NMA users. A game "catered" to Gamespot users would not be a game "catered" to NMA users. That's not a dig at either usergroup, it's just the truth.

I concede that, sir, and appreciate the civilized tenor of your rebuttal.

The question is: if Fallout can provide a wave of reactions while half the users of a major gamingsite (and let's assume polls of the sort would get similar results from the other major oones) are ignorant as to the game, couldn't that indicate that "as of right now" the crowd Oblivion catered to just doesn't care, and the crowd Fallout catered to is interested and bigger than expected?.

I'll be the first to admit that GameSpot's size means it caters to a mass audience, and NMA caters to a rarefied demographic. As such, those results reflect a mass gaming audience responding to a tongue-in-cheek poll, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

However, all the fans of oblivion I've talked to are very excited about the prospect of having a similar massive RPG experience in a post-nuclear setting. However, all the diehard FO fans are more on the fence. And to eliminate any trace of bias--real or percieved--I'm going to mention that a vocal group of Fallout fans are not relishing the thought of "Oblivion with Guns." Hopefully that will satisfy my critics on this site...except that Tannhauser, who, despite the pedigree of his alias, is something of a nutjob IMO. (Wonder what he uses to dissolve the bodies in that bathtub in his basement?)

Do you have the exact poll results, tor?

As far as I know we don't archive those, but I can check.

 

[Brother None]

However, all the fans of oblivion I've talked to are very excited about the prospect of having a similar massive RPG experience in a post-nuclear setting. However, all the diehard FO fans are more on the fence.

I think "all" isn't true in both cases. Lots of Oblivion fans probably don't care about the post-apocalyptic setting and would've really preferred TES V. Fallout fans, both casual and "hardcore", as well as fans of TrueForm RPGs in general, are either nervous, hopeful or really negative.

And to eliminate any trace of bias--real or percieved--I'm going to mention that a vocal group of Fallout fans are not relishing the thought of "Oblivion with Guns." Hopefully that will satisfy my critics on this site...

As far as I know we don't archive those, but I can check.

Thanks.

 

[Dracon M'Alkir]

Hopefully that will satisfy my critics on this site...except that Tannhauser, who, despite the pedigree of his alias, is something of a nutjob IMO. (Wonder what he uses to dissolve the bodies in that bathtub in his basement?)

No matter what you can try to do to extradite yourself, just for the sheer fact that you are from GameSpot will always make us screech and scowl when you walk by.

 

[thorsen-ink]

Hopefully that will satisfy my critics on this site...except that Tannhauser, who, despite the pedigree of his alias, is something of a nutjob IMO. (Wonder what he uses to dissolve the bodies in that bathtub in his basement?)

No matter what you can try to do to extradite yourself, just for the sheer fact that you are from GameSpot will always make us screech and scowl when you walk by.

Yeah, that happens a lot. Flowers also tend to wilt and windows frost over.

 

[Dracon M'Alkir]

No matter what you can try to do to extradite yourself, just for the sheer fact that you are from GameSpot will always make us screech and scowl when you walk by.

Yeah, that happens a lot. Flowers also tend to wilt and windows frost over.

 

[Tannhauser]

Hopefully that will satisfy my critics on this site...except that Tannhauser, who, despite the pedigree of his alias, is something of a nutjob IMO.

I'm a bit baffled, I didn't exactly write a scathing rant about you for the front page, I reported Fallout-related news that I believed would be of interest.

I've pushed you on one question because you haven't answered it in a satisfactory manner, and I feel it is relevant. You have also displayed a tendency to misinterpret my other questions, so I have a difficult time judging what impressions you bring away from them.

 

[Mani]

That's Oblivion with power armor and guns, all right. (17%)
Boo! I want an isometric turn-based RPG from the 1990s, not this newfangled graphics stuff! (10%)

There's hope for their userbase yet.

Uh, what's Fallout? (44%)

That's 5 million well spent.

 

[Allen63]

Just for fun, not that it matters. But, since you guys are speculating on what newbies and Oblivion fans might be thinking -- here is what one Fallout newbie Oblivion Fan thinks:

I thought Oblivion was great -- I played it over 400 hours according to the save game clock -- a new play time record for me (usually I play an RPG 40 hours or so).

Though I "knew" Fallout existed and people thought it was good, I was never motivated to play it -- until I found out Bethesda was doing Fallout 3 about a month ago. Because Oblivion was so good, I wanted to find out more about Fallout. Then, I bought the DVD with Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and Fallout: Tactics. I played Fallout 1 and am halfway through Fallout 2 -- and I have become a Fan of Fallout .

Personally, I can tell the difference between the two games. I do not want "Oblivion with guns" -- rather, I want "Fallout in an Oblivion size and detail world".

Having played Oblivion 400 hours and made a mod for Oblivion, I am convinced the "Oblivion engine" (not called that of course) will easily support turn based combat and a distant 3d person isometric view (not identical to the the old Fallout engine, of course -- but similar in some ways) -- so Fallout fans can be happy (unless they just don't want to be happy ). But, at the same time, the Oblivion engine can permit a pseudo real time (turn based without the pauses) first person perspective (as a game play option) -- for fans of the Oblivion perspective. Thus, I think the possibility exists to satisfy a wide spectrum of players with Fallout 3 -- moreover, I think Bethesda has the smarts and resources to do it.

Remains to be seen -- but, its what I think, FWIW.

 

[neohunter1884]

those results mean little to some of us cause we know that gamespot is populated by either idiots or 10 yr old idiots, so no big deal.

 

[God is Dog backwards]

However, all the fans of oblivion I've talked to are very excited about the prospect of having a similar massive RPG experience in a post-nuclear setting.

So, they want oblivion with guns. That's cool. JUST DON'T CALL IT FALLOUT. And like Brother None said, those guys could just wait for TES V, god knows they'll get it. With Fallout 3, Bethesda really should try stretching themselves - trying something different - and not just in backstory and setting.

 

[Endless Void]

So, they want oblivion with guns. That's cool. JUST DON'T CALL IT FALLOUT. And like Brother None said, those guys could just wait for TES V, god knows they'll get it. With Fallout 3, Bethesda really should try stretching themselves - trying something different - and not just in backstory and setting.

Exactly... Actually why a big company like Bethesda is interested in making a mod for their previous game... They should try to do something different than that... Now that'll be innovation...

 

[Dracon M'Alkir]

Just for fun, not that it matters. But, since you guys are speculating on what newbies and Oblivion fans might be thinking -- here is what one Fallout newbie Oblivion Fan thinks:

I thought Oblivion was great -- I played it over 400 hours according to the save game clock -- a new play time record for me (usually I play an RPG 40 hours or so).

Though I "knew" Fallout existed and people thought it was good, I was never motivated to play it -- until I found out Bethesda was doing Fallout 3 about a month ago. Because Oblivion was so good, I wanted to find out more about Fallout. Then, I bought the DVD with Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and Fallout: Tactics. I played Fallout 1 and am halfway through Fallout 2 -- and I have become a Fan of Fallout .

Personally, I can tell the difference between the two games. I do not want "Oblivion with guns" -- rather, I want "Fallout in an Oblivion size and detail world".

Having played Oblivion 400 hours and made a mod for Oblivion, I am convinced the "Oblivion engine" (not called that of course) will easily support turn based combat and a distant 3d person isometric view (not identical to the the old Fallout engine, of course -- but similar in some ways) -- so Fallout fans can be happy (unless they just don't want to be happy ). But, at the same time, the Oblivion engine can permit a pseudo real time (turn based without the pauses) first person perspective (as a game play option) -- for fans of the Oblivion perspective. Thus, I think the possibility exists to satisfy a wide spectrum of players with Fallout 3 -- moreover, I think Bethesda has the smarts and resources to do it.

Remains to be seen -- but, its what I think, FWIW.

That's actually quite an interesting story.

"I was born in the Ghetto and I had lived all of my life (400 hours) in the Ghetto, until one day a truck drove by with an advertisement for the suburbs. I didn't really know what the suburbs were until I had seen that advertisement by Bethesda, but I had heard that some people were in there and they were enjoying it. I immediately took all of my savings to the local housing merchant, and rented two houses in the suburbs. Needless to say, I became a fan of the suburbs. While I think the suburbs might be able to come back to the ghetto (although not quite as much as the suburb-livers would like it), it's possible."

 

[Big T]

I just gotta ask how many of those "Uh, what's Fallout?" votes were cast by people who regularly visit NMA. Though to be honest I voted "Boo! I want an isometric turn-based RPG from the 1990s, not this newfangled graphics stuff!"

So did I, but I must admit to being tempted to ignore a poll with such unbalanced poll options. I do wonder how many Fallout fans just declined to vote.

That said, NMA has posted some "weighted" polls before (see here, here and here. Although, that is pretty much all I could find, though we have had rather few new polls over the years), so I don't think we can compain too strongly.