Assignment 1: Website Write-Up

During a normal day, in which I have internet access, I normally visit GameFAQs and IGN. Both of these sites are dedicated to video games first, and everything else second.

GameFAQs is a site which concentrates mostly on providing message boards and user contributed walkthroughs for video games. The site bases most of its information off of user input and other websites versus being a first hand source. The thing that makes GameFAQs unique is that the site creator uses as few pictures as possible to create a space for users to interact. By it being text-based, users of the site are able to be their own imagination into what they want their space to feel like as they travel through the message boards. Additionally, the user amount of user interaction on the site helps one to feel as he/she is small part of a whole.

IGN, on the other hand, is a site used to provide users information about upcoming games, in addition to screenshots and video previews when available. Additionally, the site features several interviews featuring some of today’s hottest game designers, producers, and even television and movie stars. IGN’s primary focus is on providing the latest news in the entertainment industry, but it also provides a message board similar to the one on GameFAQs. Like the message board on GameFAQs, the boards on IGN allow user’s to interact with each other, discussing anything from Playstation 2 to The Disney Channel.

While both sites do their jobs very well, the way they achieve their goals is different. GameFAQs delivers a space for user discussion, so the site tends to be a bit “dull” in comparison to IGN. Additionally, since GameFAQs doesn’t use many pictures, user contributed walkthroughs are become difficult to follow if they aren’t carefully organized. IGN’s walkthroughs are done with the aid of pictures, making them easier to follow for general questions and strategies. However, IGN usually only has on general walkthrough per game, making it unreliable for tough situations, whereas GameFAQs gives users several different walkthrough from different users, making them more informative than the general walkthroughs on IGN.

Each site has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to video games. GameFAQs has no pictures, but the information provided by users makes the site a reliable source for information and video game walkthroughs. However, the site can be considered bland and boring to a user that enjoys seeing picture filled backgrounds and streamed video. IGN relies heavily on the use of pictures and video, but to a user with a slow internet connection, IGN can be a hassel when it comes to getting information.