The Matt Gallant blog, take three

[TomChick]

Mr. Matthew J. Gallant, aka Matt Gallant, aka Gallant, aka the only guy who liked Doom 3 more than PC Gamer's Dan Morris, has started his own blog (http://www.quartertothree.com/inhouse/news/268/).

[Matthew Gallant]

Too late, I just got fired.

[Dave Markell]

From your own blog? That's most impressive, Matt.

[Raife]

Metafuture.org (www.metafuture.org) vs. Metafuture.com (http://www.metafuture.com/)
http://www.morsa.net/sohail.jpg http://www.morsa.net/mattgngage.jpg

Fight!

[Ephraim]

Who'd you have to blow to get front page pimpage like this? :)

In all seriousness, good luck, and I've added your feed to my Firefox toolbar. We'll see if it can hold its own against Joystiq and Kotaku.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

This is a long time coming. Matt's news posts were the best part of CGOnline for a while.

Though it was this post (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?p=616103) that made him king for a day.

Adding to my blogroll.

Troy

[Robert Sharp]

So is this the official place to pimp our online projects now?

[Matthew Gallant]

Metafuture is not Tom Chick's online project, it's my online project. Or at least it was until I got fired.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

BTW, is it just me or is the comment policy asking for an audition?

...prove your worth as a commenter by passing two trials: give an example of the comment you want to make, and include your desired username.

Troy

[TomChick]

So is this the official place to pimp our online projects now?

No, but it is the place to ask for me to pimp your online projects now! :)

Seriously, though, I really like Matt's news commentary style and I'm glad he's doing it again. I'm a bit disappointed to see he's already fired himself, but I'm sure his boss can find a suitable replacement.

-Tom

[Robert Sharp]

Metafuture is not Tom Chick's online project, it's my online project. Or at least it was until I got fired.

Yeah, I know, I was just joking. But it does raise an interesting point. If I pimp someone else's site, they could pimp mine, and that would be OK!

BTW, I thought you were joking about being fired. You were serious? If so, sorry to hear that. Sure was fast. Did you have an affair with the owner's wife?

[Sparky]

BTW, is it just me or is the comment policy asking for an audition?
Yeah, I wanted to comment on his blog, but didn't feel like twirling a fire baton while eating peanut butter crackers and singing the Major General's Song from Pirates of Penzance. Sorry, Matt.

[Wholly Schmidt]

Yeah, I know, I was just joking. But it does raise an interesting point. If I pimp someone else's site, they could pimp mine, and that would be OK!
That's a pretty stupid point. This is Tom's site/forum (and I guess maybe Mark's?). Tom is "pimping" something he likes. That's why Tom is ok with it.

[Robert Sharp]

That's a pretty stupid point. This is Tom's site/forum (and I guess maybe Mark's?). Tom is "pimping" something he likes. That's why Tom is ok with it.

Ah, but not quite as stupid as thinking I was serious when I just said I was joking. Even Tom caught it. In fact, he threw a joke back at me by using a smiley face in a forum where he has banned smiley faces! Very clever, Mr. Chick.

[andrew_fm]

So truemeaningoflife.com couldn't be reappropriated (again)? Or was that name too vague and diaphanous for a video game commentary blog? Of course "Metafuture" in itself doesn't mean anything either but I guess it fits in the culture-blog pattern of creating a somewhat recognizable portmanteau or otherwise mashing tech-sounding words together. Engadget! Gizmodo! Kotaku! Metafuture! OK, I'll take it.

It also took five whole days before you linked to a collection of worthless NES-inspired baubles for sale. Do me a favor and attempt to keep it to once a week, maximum. I am sure you'll collect a giant folder of bookmarks stuffed with Katamari and Pac-Man and Mario cupcakes and knitted tea cozies and Lite Brite arrangements, but they should be used sparingly, like paprika, so as not to overwhelm the discriminating nerd's palate.

[Bill Dungsroman]

Ah, but not quite as stupid as thinking I was serious when I just said I was joking. Even Tom caught it. In fact, he threw a joke back at me by using a smiley face in a forum where he has banned smiley faces! Very clever, Mr. Chick.
Robert Sharp: Smarter than everyone since 1970 (I keed!)

[Matthew Gallant]

BTW, is it just me or is the comment policy asking for an audition?
Basically I just want to make sure people have a comment time orientation.

[Lum]

Metafuture.com: a terrific gaming blog with a terrific need for a better graphic design template!

[Dave Long]

ROFL @ the SSBB Wrestling video posted today!

[bloo]

Wait. The 'firing' was a joke?

/me is cornfused (maybe it's just the background of the page has made me dizzy?)

[Troy S Goodfellow]

Wait. The 'firing' was a joke?

/me is cornfused (maybe it's just the background of the page has made me dizzy?)

It's kind of an in-joke, yes. Matt has had trouble keeping work with this schtick. Which is kind of a shame, since it beats the usual dull news cycle.

Troy

[bloo]

Matt, you left that other place we worked together voluntarily, didn't you?
Remember the tiny room with 7-8 people, the plastic tables...ok, maybe you don't want to remember.

[andrew_fm]

Nothing gold can stay ;_;

[Rob Beschizza]

I finally checked it out. So, the idea is to normalize review scores based on a sample of the reviewing site's own actually-awarded scores? e.g. when PSE magazine gives a game 7, it actually scores much lower in the aggragator, because PSE barely ever awards a game less than 7.

I like the cut of that jib. Have we had long bitter arguments about this yet?

[Dave Long]

No, because he just decided to do it.

I've been reading Metafuture since it started and I like what Matt does, but I can understand why he doesn't want to keep doing it for free... it takes too much time out of your day.

I ran my own little site waaaay back in '99/'00 and did all the site design, writing, editing, etc. It just became an enormous task to have something good to say every day. So if that's part of his reason for quitting the Metafuture way and moving toward this metaratings thing, it's totally understandable.

Here's the Internet archive version of my old site BTW, some of the graphics are missing though...
http://web.archive.org/web/20000412101953/http://ogv.gamestats.com/

[Matthew Gallant]

I finally checked it out. So, the idea is to normalize review scores based on a sample of the reviewing site's own actually-awarded scores? e.g. when PSE magazine gives a game 7, it actually scores much lower in the aggragator, because PSE barely ever awards a game less than 7.

I like the cut of that jib. Have we had long bitter arguments about this yet?
Yeah, that's basically the idea. Laid out the same way as GameRankings but with a more meaningful presentation of the data.

I just posted on there (and in the hardware forum) the results of the first experiment. If I can find a way to grab data from other places as easily as I got Gamespot's, this review score death star will be fully operational before you know it.

[Brad Wardell]

Well remember the time Tom pimped that line of "Creams"? Aren't we all glad about that?

On a serious note, I checked out the blog. I really like it. Pity he fired himself. But he probably had an attitude problem and got in his face.

[extarbags]

I think this is a fine idea.

[Matt Perkins]

I like the idea a lot, Matt... May it work out because I think it could be useful.

[Alex Dolce]

I just checked out Metafuture for the first time and it looks interesting. The current editorial (http://www.metafuture.com/2006/08/05/an-analysis-of-gamespot-review-scores/) reminds me of what Ron Gilbert did (http://grumpygamer.com/3126585) a couple of years ago. While Matthew says he used Gamespot, Ron was more cryptic. I wonder if he used the big G as well? Actually, the same results would probably apply for all of the major gaming sites excepting IGN, where every game's a winner...or at least was, until every game became a loser when they over-compensated to overcome their reputation for inflated scores. Much like Billy Joel, I doubt even they know why they go to extremes.

[Matthew Gallant]

IGN is in the system now too. Their sweetness is still pretty evident.

[Jason McMaster]

nevermind

[Rob Beschizza]

EDIT: Removed so Alex (see below) can leave his corner.

[Alex Dolce]

I don't understand any of what you just said, but it sure did sound serious. I trust no nuclear warheads were launched or anything during the ordeal.

If you ever get tired of doing whatever it is you just described, give me a call and I'll let you launch the next space shuttle. In the meantime, I'll just be over in the corner, feeling stupid.

[Charles]

MattG is the embodiment of unmitigated awesome.

I highly look forward to seeing the next curve. They are fantastic.

[Moggraider]

Please tell us the Gamespot stdev, as that would be useful.