Editor's blog: How the Top 50 works

By Tom Bramwell Published 16 December, 2008

Assuming it actually does, obviously.

Back when we launched the "Editor's blog", I planned to put up a series of posts talking about how we do things at Eurogamer. As any fule know, there's no shortage of games journalists writing about games journalism on the internet, but the discussion usually focuses on things like the balance between controls and innovation, or between objectivity and subjectivity, or between XBOXES and PLAEYSTATIONS. You don't often hear about the actual mechanics of games journalism unless it's an amazing public relations catastrophe, or someone's been caught out.

But transparency needn't be alarming or upsetting, for us or for you, so after eight months of not getting round to it, let's give it a proper go and begin with one of our traditionally contentious annual features: the Eurogamer Top 50 Games.

The Top 50 has thrown up some interesting results in the years since we started doing it, not least with Psychonauts in 2005, so people often tell us it's completely wrong and stupid every time we do it. But as we've sometimes pointed out, and sometimes cheekily left people to guess, it's a ruthlessly democratic poll of Eurogamer's staff and contributors that reflects what everyone involved likes and - often crucially - has had the time and inclination to play.

It works like this: every year at around this time, I send a mail round to our panel - all the editorial staff and most of our contributors - and ask them to send over their top ten games of the year. As long as it's been released somewhere in the world in the previous 12 months, it's a valid inclusion, and there are no "required playing" lists or anything to bias the result other than individuals' personal preference, so the lists I get back are enormously varied. Mine's often stuffed full of racing and puzzle games (although less of the latter this year - sort it out, Japan), Kristan favours shooters and platformers, the Rock, Paper, Shotgun contingent draws our attention to neglected PC treasures, and Simon Parkin champions RPGs.

When the lists are in, we tot up the totals, weighting the value of each game's position in each list using a secret formula (it's not that exciting), and then do that thing with the spreadsheet that makes it reorder them by the total on the far right. Then we stare, and gawp, and distribute the list to everyone who chipped in so they can add their own exclamations and recollections. Then you end up with pages like this, where everyone says Halo 3's rubbish and wonders aloud how it made it to seventh - and that's just us lot.

The secret is that a game a lot of people have chosen to play, and count among their ten best, stands up very favourably - and often more so - than something cherished above all else by only a few. As such, the naysayers are right: the Top 50 is often an indictment of Eurogamer's staff and contributors, because it shows up those of us who don't work hard enough to stay on top of our hobby, and shames us into working harder at it over the next 12 months.

And then your list - based on your votes, compiled with the same system and far more respondents - comes out, and BioShock wins. Man, and we're supposed to be populist!

Tom.

Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2008 will be going up over the Christmas break, starting on 27th December with the games ranked from 50 to 41.

P.S. Assuming you're up for hearing more about how we work, feel free to plant suggested topics in the comments thread and I'll try and get round to them - especially if you think we're evil and wrong and want to hear us explain things like who gets to review what, how the hell we can ever justify a 10 and the relationship between editorial and advertising. I promise to try and deal with the thorniest ones as often as the fun ones, and not to sugarcoat. With any luck, as you get to know us better you'll be able to help us do more of the things you want. Or perhaps I'll get sacked, but it'll be fun either way!

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Widge #1 3 years ago

    I'm preemptively OUTRAGED.

  • Stu #2 3 years ago

    Can we have an article on how the Daily Mail's games journalism works, please?

  • Carlo #3 3 years ago

    Bloglol

  • ParanoidZombie #4 3 years ago

    I hate this top 50 thing, last year I was very outraged that virtua fighter 5 didn't make the final list (in both categories, readers + staff), and in 2008 I'm gonna be very pissed if Ninja Gaiden 2 is ignored. I apologize in advance for all the nasty things i'm gonna say in the comments section if that happens.

  • mazzl #5 3 years ago

    i can think of some thing i would like to know:
    how are articles edited, how much freedom does a writer have to publish their opinion.
    do you have a casual friday and bar in the building
    how's the coffee?
    where are the EG TV shows? lately it's just specials.

    i like the top 50 articles, i wouldn't have player psychonauts if it wasn't for Eg and it's readers!

  • WillyWanka #6 3 years ago

    wall of text

  • Carrybagma #7 3 years ago

    Top ten tips for top tens:

    1. As any fule kno
    2. XBOXES and PLAEYSTATIONS :oD
    3. It's completely wrong and stupid every time you do it.
    4. Publish your secret formula, so we can say it's completely wrong and stupid.
    5. You're evil and wrong. At the same time. In the same sentence.
    6. Actually, I have nothing constructive to write.
    7. Errr.
    8. And
    9. that's
    10. it.

  • Carrybagma #8 3 years ago

    Oh! How about FORCING your peeps to write a bog reviewing their year - however brief? That way, we'll get to know more about them, and hopefully condemn them (and this site) forever for either owning XBOXEN or PLAYESTATIEN.

  • Carrybagma #9 3 years ago

    Have any of you been caught picking your nose while composing a review?

    Do any of you hate beta keys giveaways, but daren't say anything in case Rupert puts pins on your chairs?

    Do any of you have secret sock accounts with which to post rude comments about other reviewers?

    How much dust is on your Wiis?

  • Frandroid #10 3 years ago

    1. Games you feel you should have played this year but haven't, and why.
    2. Games from previous years you only just discovered/got round to this year.
    3. What was involved in getting EurogamerTV on to Live and Home, restrictions and editorial oversight etc.
    4. Extras and fluff that accompany review copies. The good, bad and the downright weird. Also, any relationship between the quality of the game and quality of bribe... er... fluff.

  • Putty-Man #11 3 years ago

    Did anyone at the EG towers find GTA4 repetitive AND clunky?

    If so, I'd really like to read about it so I don't feel so alone.

    (...ok, maybe its just me then...)

  • Chufty #12 3 years ago

    Why are all multiplatform reviews and articles in the Xbox 360 section with an Xbox 360 header graphic? Is it not about time you had a multiplatform graphic?

  • Doctor_What #13 3 years ago

    How much time do you get to play games before reviewing them?

    What is the average underwear colour of the staff?

    Do you all like cheese?

  • ShakaCarnage #14 3 years ago

    I'd like an editors blog on what you have to deal with every day, from Irate PRs to Shit contributors. Theyre all great, obviously.

  • GamesConnoisseur #15 3 years ago

    I enjoyed EG's Top 50 and reading all the angsts from the 'experts' gaming population!

    Keep it up and dont listen to the moaners. They can always post their 'alternatives' list and I secretly know that my top ten is the ONLY real thing that matters to a particular game player....moi!

    Man! Of course everyone's list would be different!
    Edited by 1 at 16/12/08 @ 22:16

  • HolyJebus #16 3 years ago

    I think it would be good to have a little bio on each of the writers with their favourite games of past, present and future (i'm in a xmas mood) and maybe a little write up on favourite gaming moments, consoles and developers. This would help the readers relate more to the writers and also make it easier to single out who's recommendations they should be paying more attention to. Then have a link to these bio pages at the end of each review ala the scoring policy. I've been reading EG for years now but still have no idea which reviewer I relate most to.

  • orakio #17 3 years ago

    I'd like to know more about the process of reviewing... We already know scores are dictated by the people reviewing the game, which is a personal interpretation and entirely up to the reviewer... But is the technique of reviewing itself somewhat standardized? Do you have a EG procedure or checklist that everyone has to go through?
    Is the end score a single 'gut feeling' one or is it a representation of various subscores combined with another magical formula?
    Is there a lot of paperwork involved with reviewing a game?

    I know, I'm being very nosey ^_^

  • peterfll #18 3 years ago

    I'd like to know to more about the EG team. I'm talking salacious gossip, rumours and the politics. I want to know who hates who, who holds a grudge against someone else. Who got a bigger rise, who got that bonus they didn't deserve, who got those back-handers. Remember, truth is always subjective and rumour is fine.

    I'm especially interested if anyone has slept with someone else on the team or otherwise done anything else sexually perverse or interesting.

    Please furnish us with these details Tom and, of course, let the rest of the team freely contribute as required.

  • iokthemonkey #19 3 years ago

    I don't get why people get so bent out of shape when somebody draws up a list of games and their favourite isn't on it.

    Does that suddenly mean that all these years of playing games *I* enjoy playing was somehow wrong and that I should instead care what a group of people I don't even KNOW think about the games THEY play and like?

  • vansinne #20 3 years ago

    I couldn't agree more with the coments saying that it's about time you introduce yourselves properly! The reason I keep coming back to EG is that you are a bunch of insanely good writers, and maybe mostly, that you always manage to be personal with an ironic halfsmile instead of stumbling over into self promotion (a rare feat these days). Now that you have firmly established that you are having a laugh once in a while simply because you love having a laugh, you can safely put up your profiles without anyone accusing you of just wanting to shout your own names. Many of us come here just because you are so personal. So goddamit, be personal.

    And for the Editor's blog. Would love to hear about the relationships between different gamepages and magazines. Comerades in arms that share a pint when the day is over or open warfare?

    And of course, I would love to read tidbits out of the fanmail and love letters that Ellie has gotten. Just to check out the competition before I start writing to her myself.

  • DUFFKING #21 3 years ago

    On the other hand Paranoid, I hope NG2 is nowhere to be seen :)

  • Tehren #22 3 years ago

    Well said sir

  • shotgun44 #23 3 years ago

    I think it's pretty obvious that writers' biographies are what the people want. Failing that, an article on why you didn't listen!

  • Mudo #24 3 years ago

    I love dan whitehead myself can we have an editors blog about dan whitehead please

  • wok #25 3 years ago

    Love reading the meta (?) reactions to your own top 50 list, makes for very enjoyable holiday reading. Also I'll throw another vote for more insight into who these mystery writers are and how they ended up reviewing games in the first place.

  • Les #26 3 years ago

    "And then your list - based on your votes, compiled with the same system and far more respondents - comes out, and BioShock wins. Man, and we're supposed to be populist!"

    ?! A BioShock win = populist. It's basically the game equivalent of The Matrix: Cleverly disguised shallowness. Though I did actually enjoy The Matrix a bit. Sure had better lighting...

  • JJKrista1 #27 3 years ago

    Points to HolyJebus

    Do what he sez.

  • Farzlepot #28 3 years ago

    - How do you decide whether or not a game is better than Halo?

    - When writing console exclusive reviews, are there any subliminal messages that you can put into them to induce artificial outrage in fanboys? If so, is this your primary form of entertainment?

    - Does Microsoft send hired goons over to your office whenever a new Halo or Gears comes out, thus forcing you to give it a nauseatingly positive review?

    - How come I can see Eurogamer when I switch my Xbox on now? Was it there before? How did it get there? Are you on Playstations as well? Or Dreamcasts? Or Magnavox Odysseys? Do you pay Microsoft with money or souls? Or both?

    - Where did you find Ellie, and which Z-list, completely irrelevant 'celebrities' will you have her interviewing for shits and giggles in 2009?

    - Do you guys exude clouds of smug as you lounge around in your ivory tower, safe in the knowledge that you earn money from playing video games while the rest of us suffer in rat-race hell? Can I work there too?

    - What are you doing to combat the fraudulent websites cashing in on your name, such as eurogamer.de which looks identical but is somehow even more illegible than here?

    - What manner of substance exactly was being passed around your office when Earth Defence Force 2017 was awarded 9/10? Does this kind of hedonism occur often at Eurogamer HQ? Can I work there too?
    Edited by 1 at 17/12/08 @ 09:46

  • mingster #29 3 years ago

    Get a blog..

    o you have ok.

  • merkdot #30 3 years ago

    let's kick off the system wars.

    Wii will be lucky to get more than a couple of entries this year.

  • vegard #31 3 years ago

    i would like to hear about encounters with midget prositutes

  • Tomo #32 3 years ago

    This is an intriguing blog post. Good idea tho I think. Will have a ponder...

  • Fr002 #33 3 years ago

    Maybe you could tell us about what you think make a good review in term of writing :
    Style of writing you like to use,
    The line between description and analysis in a game review,
    How long should be a review to have a good analysis of the game you check, but ensure that it dont become some kind of essay (1,2,3 pages ?),
    Normally, how do you organize your themes (graphic, sound, gameplay...) in your reviews,
    How much time it takes you, how long do you play the game before, do you takes notes when you play, do you discuss the game with someone's who also play it after ?

    Having been a reviewer myself (in french) for Zeden.net, i think these subjects could be interesting (well, at least for me !)

    That said, i really think you are one of the best review site on the web.... Great Stalker and AC (PC) reviews, and many others.
    Love your style, love your web site and i love your Top 10 (lol LBP !) i would have put Geometry War 2, but well english ppl...
    Edited by 2 at 31/12/08 @ 03:06