Minor Profile Level Changes

January 21, 2009 4:28PM PST

By JodyR

Community News - If you had a GameSpot profile level between 16 to 23, level 46 & 47 and > level 70 you will notice a change in your profile level.

If you had a GameSpot profile level between 16 to 23, level 46 & 47 and > level 70 you will notice a change in your profile level. We have made some changes to make the levels more fair. Many of you who reached level 20 understood how long it took to finally turn a level. We have changed the points required to achieve levels 16 - 23. This change makes it easier to get to some levels and more difficult for others. If you would like some further details, here is a thorough report from the GS King of Developement, Teivan!

Semi-unofficial response:

The way that levels are assigned changed somewhat today for users between the levels of 16 to 23, level 46 & 47 and > level 70.

There has been no point loss and the total number of points needed to reach level 23 has not changed. Let me repeat that. There has been no point loss. Only the number of points needed to reach a level has changed.

The back story:

I'm sure by now those of you around (or past) level 20 have heard of how level 20 was called the h*ll level. I don't know the joke or the game, but I've been told that this was a an obscur reference to an older game (if you know which game, please post the link) where level 20 was practically impossible to get past. Over the years the joke stopped being funny and level 20 just became a level on GameSpot that everyone hates.

Over the last couple of months there has been a lot of discussion in the office around levels and how they should be assigned. That hasn't been worked out, but what did come out of it was that we didn't like level 20 either.

What this means:

In order to make level 20 less… well… insert your bad remark about level 20 here… we re-weighted the number of points needed to get past it to levels 16 - 23. This means that some levels are now easier to get to and some are more difficult. For example, you used to be able to go from level 16 to level 17 in a day or two. Now that journey takes a little longer but is not significantly more difficult. Level 20 on the other hand will no longer take 4x as long as going from level 24 to 25.

However, keeping somewhat in the spirit of the original joke, level 20 is still more difficult than the surrounding levels. It just won't drive you nuts anymore.

For those of you already past level 20, please do not get upset. As I mentioned above, the total number of points needed to reach level 23 are exactly the same as before. If it took you 3 years to reach level 23 it will still take the next person 3 years to reach level 23 (assuming they use the site exactly as you did of course).

Level 46/47 are now real levels. Through some sort of typo or long lost break in the fabric of time & space it took 0 points to go from level 46 to level 47. This essentially bypassed the level. This has also been changed.

Level 71 is no longer the max level available. Because of this, level 71 was given a new name so that the new max level can stay the king. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I can't get into exact details of the required # of points for each level (that'd be cheating) but I hope this helps clarify what is going on.

If you are curious about ways to level up, stop by the How To GameSpot forum.

106 comments

Newest | Oldest

Raistlin555

thanks for the info!

lolmytaco

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

Travo_basic moderator moderator

I was looking forward to skipping 46. :(

kieronl

cool

optiow

Sounds good.

Amnesiac23 moderator

ugh. Level 20 was awful. I got a max of 1.5% a day.

Flipyap28

so this is why I went from 20-18, well least 20 will be faster

raimgamer

Well, that explains a lot. Whew.

Fobeus

My level fell almost 10% (I almost flipped I was at 95% Level 20) the other day, still can't get pass level 20. Think I've been on level 20 for almost a year now. Hopefully I'll get past this "Metal Slime" soon.

Rookie395

Sounds awesome. Level 20 is just scary though ...

Peaches1347

is there specific things you can do to raise your level?

nintendogamstr

how do you raise your level

quadraleap

I'm glad I saw this, I thought I was halucinating when I lost 40% off my level. Wonder if the adjustments affected the site speed, seems slow again like after the redesign.

krazyorange

Why are people so concerned about their level/# of posts on forums anyway? Always confusing to me.

KOTORkicker

That sucks, I'm going to get to level 16 any day now and if I had known there was an update imminent I would have posted lots. *is angry*

TeabagChampion

so when do we get paid again?

UnamedThing

So that's why I went back a level...

am_shaegar_nr1

Ok so when do we get the money?

Racer_XLR

Ehh.. do what you will! It doesn't matter to me anyway. :P

soulcold

I agree with beavisbond this whole level stuff make it look like a nerd thing. B-)

beavisbond

Can someone please tell me what the hell are the level things for anyways? I have been a membership here on Gamespot since July 4th, 2004, and currently on level 25 and I still don't get what we are accomplishing with getting a higher level! Is it like some kind of reputation for your profile or are you actually getting something that I don't know about?

scorpion_great

im lvl 27 and I really don't see the point of these levels, their so pointless

xmen1414

Hmm... iv been at 21-22 alot! But thats mainly cuz of moderation :lol: oh well.... to bad Gamespot wasn't an RPG..... (yes that is from the post)

Shmoe82

I check this site almost everyday for updates and I have been stuck on level 20 since... September...or maybe a little long. I hope the fix makes it so I can get to level 21 before March.

Killingspree303

I didn't know about the long leveling time on level 20, but I'm happy that it's fixed.

Nintendo_Man

Since Level 46 is a real level now, i think the point requirements for the few levels after that should drop (i am on level 44 and this change makes things worse for me).

iamjct212

I understand but you almost have to give each individual an explanation. I read the forums and worked very hard to get to level 20 and beyond now i am droppeed to eighteen. Very unhappy!!@!!

PumpkinBoogie

Hell, I just wanna get to 15 so bad (love the title name!)...it's seems like I been stuck on level 14 for minute....a very loong minute :( ...and y'know if you ask me, I think it did effect levels below 15, because I could have sworn a couple of weeks ago I was 75% or something but when I went back earlier this week it look I had dropped down in 55-60-something % range....hm, seems odd to me.

RandomWarrior69

Why does level even matter? I don't mind being level 15, I dont try to reach higher levels I just level up by posting on forums and watching videos which I enjoy doing.

shionone

Man I was through 50% of level 20 and now have to start all over again. Crap. I am glad things have been restructured but would have liked to keep my level even if I lost some of the percentage. Thanks guys.

mlisen

If it's easier to go from 20 to 21, why did my % go down from like 60% to about 10%

soulless4now

All I can say is: "It's about time!" Level 20 was such a death level, but I'm glad I got past it a good while ago. :P

xMADxDOGx

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

uhoh_hotdogs

Nice, would have been nice if I had come back to Gamespot earlier.

Will47

Ya level 20 took forever......

LEGOslayer

what does level even matter for after level 10?

Sins-of-Mosin

I was on level 20 for like 3-5 months and now I'm back to level 19. Thanks a bunch. Why couldn't you leave people the same level they was?

jenel_corcoada

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

cwingmcnugget

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

lancelot200

I liked when people had to labour hard for level 20. It showed you had commitment! I'm level 39 by the way. But if I understood correctly, the work is just more spread out. I guess that works and it's fair.

AnelZukic

oh, if it's so then no need to be upset but I was Lv 20 at 58% and I've been dropped to Lv.19 at 93% and before this it was normal to get 2% max per day when you lv 20 and 9% max if you lv19 so that would mean 30 days have been added between Lv16-20 :o and 30 days cutted between lv 20-23 :| but I hope I get through lv.20 not in 50 days but in 30 days then ;) I was already hoping to get through the hell level soon, and now I will be in it again tommorow. Hope I don't call it the level of hell tommorow :P thanks for the update ;)

xMADxDOGx

i was 19 than i gues back 16 ... , and overwieuw i could be 22 or something like ... i made some mad coments ...

HavenlyHunter

Nice just 1 day after i went level 23

iliastse

Thanks for the heads up. Just a question, have the levels been updated today ?

HardcoreBunni

I was level 18 and now I'm level 16. Wtf, gamespot?

Joker_268

level 20, hate it. (i was 20 now 18)

DarkFadi

i was level 20 now i am level 18

antiredcap

Thanks for the article GS!!

jrabbit99

I was 70% complete on lvl 20, now i'm down to 45%

dhandle76

Interesting, I was not aware of the depth this level thing and such went. Very impressed.

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