{{Infobox Website/With_logo |websitelogo =[[image:AceGamez_logo_138x55.gif]] |websitename =[http://www.acegamez.co.uk AceGamez] |screenshot = [[image:Acegamez_main_page.JPG|300px]] |commercial = No |type = Gaming |reg = None |owner = Paul Ryan |author = Paul Ryan<br>Geoff Holland<br>Christopher Martin<br>Dexter Pearson }} AceGamez is a videogames website that was launched in November of 2000 by Paul Ryan, who remains the sole webmaster. It concentrates almost 100% on easy to access video game reviews, but also includes DVD and UMD reviews, numerous previews, regular features, a cheats and codes database, and a competition section where readers can enter to win specific video games every month.
Main site edit
The main page of AceGamez features a small selection of big-name titles that have recently been reviewed or previewed, with a longer list of recent reviews on the right. Often, and particularly during E3, a news panel is displayed below this list with recent updates. After E3 2005, this was replaced with a Previews section, which lost steam and was removed, but recently returned as a permanent and regularly updated section. All navigation is carried out using the upper flash menu, which allows users to access individual review sections by console, a cheats and codes section, give-away competitions, staff information and contact details.
History edit
AceGamez launched in November 2000 as Beeb Review, with the aim of providing magazine quality reviews online with only minimal advertisements that did not intrude on the viewer's navigation of the site. Shortly after this, the name was changed to AceGamez and the entire site went through a complete graphics and navigation overhaul. When the site re-emerged, it had completely removed the Sega DreamCast section, as the console was now obsolete. Under the AceGamez banner, the site also launched a cheat code database and continuded giving away video games on a monthly basis in the competition section.
Formats edit
AceGamez features reviews for all current and next-generation systems, with the exception of Macintosh, including Personal Computer, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, and N-Gage. In 2005 the site introduced UMD movie reviews, and further extended this into a complete DVD review section. Later in the year a Xbox 360 section was added on the heels of the system's launch.
Reviews Scoring System edit
Unlike many popular video game websites, AceGamez uses a basic 1-10 scoring system that does not use decimals, making each score a round number. The system is arguably more simple than others, but this often leads to games receiving a perfect score that otherwise would have only netted a 9.7, for example. The breakdown for each score was featured on the original site and briefly on AceGamez, but has since been taken down. The site still stands by the guideline, however, which can be seen below.
- Our reviewers pride themselves in rating games as accurately as possible, but just so you know the score, here are the criterias we use when determining a game’s final score out of 10:
- 10 – An awesome experience, unbelievably playable and addictive, an absolute must-have for every gamer!
- 9 – An outstanding title, very playable, highly recommended and one of the very best in its genre.
- 8 – A great game that is well worth your time but isn’t quite a classic.
- 7 – A good game that will appeal to most genre fans, but is lacking in some ways.
- 6 – Average in most respects with a couple of good features, or good with two or three flaws.
- 5 – An average game that might appeal to genre fans but isn’t up to much.
- 4 – A game that falls below average and should be avoided.
- 3 – A very bad game with a couple of good ideas or features.
- 2 – A seriously awful game with perhaps one good idea or redeeming feature.
- 1 – Absolutely abysmal, an appalling travesty of a game that is a complete waste of money.
- 0 – Indescribably, excruciatingly, unbearably awful! Only one zero score allowed per reviewer, per ::year!
Top Scoring Games edit
AceGamez has featured numerous games that received a perfect score of 10 out of 10, many with mixed reactions, such as Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction. It's debatable that many of these games would have scored as highly if the site utilized a decimal system, but the viewpoint and scoring guidelines of AceGamez differs from those of other sites, which rarely give out top scores. It is also worth noting that no game has ever scored a flat zero on AceGamez, and it's unlikely that a graphic for the score even exists.
Features Past & Present edit
Dexter's Midnight Round-Up edit
Although AceGamez primarily focuses on reviews, the site often releases special front page features focusing on different aspects of video gaming. In October 2004, reviewer Dexter Pearson launched the tongue-in-cheekfeature Dexter's Midnight Round-Up, the name being a take off of the Eighties band Dexy's Midnight Runners. Often collaborating with site writer Christopher Martin, the feature gave a quick overview of the past month's reviews, citing the top scoring games in each format. Halfway through its lifespan, Christopher's Corner was introduced, featuring a grab bag of random game news, thoughts and nostalgic pieces of news from years gone by. By mid-2005, the round up ceased and the two contributers switched focus to an AceGamez spin-off blog dubbed Master Chafe, which runs independently from the main AceGamez site.
Buried Teasures and more edit
Other noteworthy features have included Buried Treasures, a look at video games that have been overlooked by the mainstream audiences, various E3 coverage, Holiday Buyers Guides and a pre-Xbox 360 launch guide. As of 2006, the only non-review feature to be a mainstay on the website is the cheats section.
Staff List edit
Though AceGamez often features one-off contributers, there is a strong staff built into the site that has remained over the past several years or has contributed a substantial amount in a short period:
- Paul Ryan (Editor-in-Chief & Webmaster),
- Geoff Holland (Content Editor, Reviewer),
- Christopher Martin (Reviewer, features writer and graphic design)
- Dexter Pearson (Reviewer, features writer),
- James Fanciullo (Reviewer)
- Dave Wynn (Reviewer)
- Niels Jakob Kyhl Jørgensen (Reviewer)
- Kieron Giacopazzi (Reviewer)
- Ross Alexander (Reviewer)
- Adam Shirley (Reviewer)
- Jim Powell (Reviewer)
- Reuben Glossop (Reviewer)
- Krista Day (Movie Reviewer)
- Rob Byron (Reviewer)
- Nik Gregory (Reviewer)
External links edit
- AceGamez (main site)
- Master Chafe (AceGamez spin-off blog)