High Score website - with Video!

Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
241
Reaction score
1
Location
Rockford, Illinois
Hi guys,

I wanted to write this to get some constructive feedback about a website that I've been working on for a little while now, and also see if there's any interest. It officially launched last week.

http://www.scoreground.com The site basically allows anyone to publicly browse the scoreboards and actually view the high score videos for each ranked score. Once registered for a free account, users can submit videos via a quick upload page, which then sends it to the Scoreground youtube account on the back end. After basic data conformity/approval, the score is listed on the site and starts with a legitimacy of 0 and placed on the scoreboard for that System/Game/Variation. Users are given votes to use (1 per vid), and can rate up or down any video. If a video gets enough negative votes, it is flagged for removal.

Kind of a more relaxed version of what Twin Galaxies was (but definitely not trying to replace TG, just offer a service that shares the footage), while focusing on bringing the community together, but really cool that it allows the users and public to view the actual score submissions right from the High Score list.

I'll be hosting contests every month/week too, to get users excited about submitting videos. Currently, any video a new user submits, will enter them for a drawing on March 1st, where 3 - $30 amazon gift cards will be given away.
But eventually we may have tournaments or contests for specific games.

The site accepts any game, and any system. And obviously any world-record worthy submissions will have to follow strict guidelines, but this is for the other 99% of the competitive players that can put up good scores, and have fun with it!
 
Flaw in system

Here's a big flaw. Check out this video of Marble Madness.
It has 438 positive votes and only 14 negatives. (youtube votes from casual viewers)

The illusion is that this guy is actually playing the game displayed on the left, since it shows his hands on the control panel working very quickly. Must be real, huh?



The video on the left is a direct capture of a PC running MAME, playing back an ".INP" file - a carefully constructed INPUT playback file that can be pieced together (combining hundreds of tiny segments of crafted control inputs). If the "real" footage of the arcade game control panel ever panned up to show the actual monitor of the machine and the video matched, then there would be some authenticity. Clearly, though, this is a clever fake. Unfortunately, most of the world is just dazzled by the ridiculously fast game play and take it as legit. Knowing how to play the game, I became suspicious in the first 20 seconds when he made the jump but then never performed any "backspinning" to stabilize the marble before heading to the goal. The marble should have fallen off the edge due to momentum.

Do you believe the voting public would be able to detect these cheats? I could do something similar, but instead run the video directly to the arcade monitor for maximum effect and people may not ever be able to discover my videos are fake. Just curious if you have a second mechanism in place to defeat this kind of cheating.

Kathy Bates understands...
 
I love seeing this kind of grassroots fun in the video culture.
I noticed on CAG they mention that the new TG is focusing mostly on live event venues so that really opens up the game for everyone else to go back to having fun with what they play at home.

On that theme, a guy in Australia recently put together williamsplayersunite.com as a fun way for the international players to share scores via video and images. Nothing serious, nothing that involves incomes. just pure joy of playing some classics. It has even drawn interest from the very shy Japanese crowd. A truly global interaction. :)

keep up the good work!
 
Do you believe the voting public would be able to detect these cheats? I could do something similar, but instead run the video directly to the arcade monitor for maximum effect and people may not ever be able to discover my videos are fake. Just curious if you have a second mechanism in place to defeat this kind of cheating.

With your post you actually proved that the public is completely competent to spot fakes.
Any submission that is exceptional, like your example, would draw attention and allow you or someone like you to want to watch, and spot any inconsistencies. Your 1 vote is the first rating mechanism, but one comment on the video is also emailed to all admins, which could instantly flag the video.

I forgot to clarify too, the votes that users get to vote up/down score submissions, those are through the scoreground.com website, the rating system ignores Youtube likes and dislikes.

I really appreciate the input! There are so many interesting ways to cheat.
 
Last edited:
I love seeing this kind of grassroots fun in the video culture.
I noticed on CAG they mention that the new TG is focusing mostly on live event venues so that really opens up the game for everyone else to go back to having fun with what they play at home.

Thanks!

I hope it takes off. I have a few programmers working on some really fun code that should make it more interesting other than, "Submit videos, browse videos". I think it will drive people to keep upping their scores.
 
Just tried to submit a score and the page got stuck between parts 1 and 2.

Can you provide some info to help me troubleshoot?

Which browser,
which fields you filled in/omitted.

I've only had one other person have this issue, and I can correct it quickly if you remember those details.

Thank you! :)
 
Using Firefox. Was able to fill out the entire first part, then when I clicked on "Part 2" it just went to a page that said "Submit a score" with no fields or options.
 
Using Firefox. Was able to fill out the entire first part, then when I clicked on "Part 2" it just went to a page that said "Submit a score" with no fields or options.

Thank you! I should have this fixed soon then.

Currently, chrome works without issues. I'll have to see what's different in FF.
 
looks way more intuitive then the TG garbage site. will be curious how sorting and navigation is managed once, or if it inflates with more entries. looks like you're using WP for some or all of it.
 
looks way more intuitive then the TG garbage site. will be curious how sorting and navigation is managed once, or if it inflates with more entries. looks like you're using WP for some or all of it.

Thank you.

The site is database driven, so all that's needed on the admin-side is to make sure the data conforms before submissions are approved. The Systems, Games, Variations, are all automatically generated as soon as the submission is approved.

I currently have a developer helping me with a ton of additions, including:
-Game of the week (challenge). With displays for the top scores of all time for that game, and the submissions during the week in separate scoreboards.

-Achievements. With a scoreboard for achievement points. With over 40 defined so far, cool badges, points. A really fun one called "Ready Player One" and a "Ready Player One (MAME)". Where you have to maintain 1st in a certain list of games.

-A top 5 page that will show, top 5 most viewed, top 5 best rated, top 5 worst rated, etc.

And any other requests that people email/post I can definitely do if they improve the site. I want this to be a place to submit scores, that's formed by the community's ideas.
 
Back
Top Bottom