throughsilver wrote:
No offence, but what's with the reliance on Metacritic? 'We know you don't care about a random's opinion, but how about a ton of randoms' opinions, averaged?'
Metacritic's useless for people who have already played a game and formed their conclusion, like Dimrill on Darksiders. Why should (s)he care what other people think? I'd be worried if they DID care what Metacritic said and suddenly changed their opinion.
After you've got the game and you've played it for long enough, then (basically*) no-one else's opinion matters, does it?
If you've never played a game, however, surely it's useful being able to
read the opinions of a lot of people on the game, or quickly find the review+score from a publication you trust? (If you're just looking at the number to help decide if you'll risk buying a game, you're doing it wrong.
)
Frankly, it's just short-hand for me. When posting a game bargain, it's always a game I like or a game I know a lot of people like. Ideally, if I had the time, FOR EVERY GAME I'd write about the articles I've read about the game, how it fits into its genre, and if other games are worth playing first (or even after). I'd wax lyrical about the reviews I've read from the people whose game tastes seem similar to my own, describing the things they say they liked about the game, and the flaws they found (both objective and subjective). I'd write about the controversies surrounding the game - any DRM or crazy development antics, or significant problems between different versions of the game. I'd describe my experience with the game - what initially impressed me, and what didn't. Whether the music eventually grated, or just wasn't noticeable at all. Whether the graphics are decent, or the art. If there's humour, and if it works or if it falls flat. How long it took me to complete the game - and how much of that time was because I didn't want to stop playing, at the expense of sleep. How I feel about the game now - whether I'd want to play it again at some point, or if it's been relegated to the back of the donkey. And I would also mention game opinions I've read on various forums - if several people found it buggy, or got bored very quickly, or if there's a vocal minority that absolutely love the game. I could spend hours writing and writing about most of the games I've played, to be honest, sharing my opinion in intimate detail.
Or instead, I can save myself an hour or two and just
do this.
And
then hope that people reading realise that they only need to click the link if they haven't already played the game and finished their own Opinion™. I'd
hope that people look past the number and actually read the reviews and comments. I'd hope that they click "See All X Critics Reviews" and then ctrl-F to their trusted publication of choice to see what they said. I'll hope that they spot the dodgy "opinions" with objective, factual errors that are clearly just someone who didn't like a game and doesn't want anyone else to like it, or is so invested in the game that they're covering up its shortcomings. And I hope that they'll remember that while there is a lot of objective and helpful information in those comments (inventory system details, difficulty settings, camera style etc), there's also a lot of subjective information with which they may not agree.
My experience on games forums tells me that a lot of people who haven't played the game do value the opinions of others. Using Metacritic or Gamerankings is, for me, an informal way to quickly provide links to (probably) all the reviews and comments someone would need when deciding whether or not to buy a game
they haven't played. If it's a game I've played and liked, but I feel that the average score is relatively low, I'll probably comment along the lines of "I liked it, but
a lot of idiots didn't". It seems fairer and more helpful to do that than simply write "Final Fantasy XIII-2
£10.85 on PS3 and 360" (although with more famous games like FFXIII-2, I probably don't need to elaborate
).
There are other methods to use when deciding whether or not to buy a game, of course. Do you like the box art? Does the name sound "cool" (+1 for having "Space" or "Dragon" in the title, of course. Hmmm... why hasn't anyone made Space Dragon?!). Maybe it's the sequel to a game you liked (game sequels never suck!). Probably the best method is to pirate a game and play it, and then
afterwards exchange the money you think it's worth (although even this approach isn't foolproof. Bethesda still haven't given me the £8.60 I'm owed for playing Star Trek: Legacy
). If you use one of these methods when forming a buy decision, then obviously please feel free to ignore my Metacritic or Gamerankings links.
Hmm... did I just spend five minutes writing about how I don't want to waste my time writing unnecessarily?
And reading back, it seems like such a patronisingly obvious point to make.
Oh, well. If it does come across as patronising, throughsilver, please don't take offence!
*Probably matters a bit for multiplayer/co-op/MMORPGs, or good discussion on forums!Mr Dave wrote:
PenguinJim wrote:
I was only 7 and playing it on a BBC B (or perhaps BBC Master), so EVERY game I played back then was the greatest game ever made.
Maybe I'm too young for you?
Are you actually trying to get inserted into?
Well, not specifically... but I'm sure my wife wouldn't mind.
Edit: Having said that, my boyfriend is the jealous type.
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