Nag Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 Normal service hasn't resumed this week as it's still on the subject of E3, I think we've covered that more than enough... Quote Today's question is from motherfucking Nag!... How much stock do you put in to game reviews? Specifically the end score and the overall Metacritic score... Does it matter to you or influence any of your buying habits? And just to put the cat among the pigeons, I honestly believe that Nintendo automatically qualify for a 10 percent increase on the virtue of them being Nintendo.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one-armed dwarf Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 If a game gets shit reviews and it's a genre/subject I don't have a big investment in or knowledge about then I generally won't buy it. I just rather not waste that money, unless it turns into a Nier situation where a big cult following builds around a low reviewed game. So "word of mouth" only matters to me when it is particularly strong. Like I'm not going to give something like Days Gone or Metal Gear Survive a go because a handful of people say it's better than the reviews but conveniently shut up about it after two weeks. The word of mouth factor is important also if a game gets great reviews but is for something I'm not really into. I never expected to like BOTW but it ended up being the best game ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly Reflex Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Not a jot, unless it's come out of nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Really depends on the game. Reviews are handy for games I don’t know anything about because I can find out about it and how much other people are feeling it. On the other hand there are games I’m going to play no matter what. I don’t have a blanket answer for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikzilla Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 None at all. If I want a game I'll stay away from reviews and buy it myself. I'll only watch reviews after I've finished the game just to see what other people think. I'll watch reviews for games I'm not bothered about for something to watch, and if it looks good I'll pick it up. Similarly if I hear about an old game I'll watch a review or two to get a general idea of it and see if it's something I might be interested in. Also I don't use metacritic. I couldn't care less about that website if I tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 I think it's pretty disgusting that something like Metacritic can have an effect on things like developers bonuses and salaries... the whole idea that a few no name sites can drop review percentages and have those type of negative powers is pretty bad. I'm the same as most answers so far, if it's a game I know I'll get some fun out of I've generally made my decision way before the game reviews drop... Although I been stung more than once this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiofloyd Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 It matters more for indie games, where review scores can often be the difference between whether a game goes on my wishlist or not. For indie games I’d say reviews matter a lot. In terms of review writing, I feel like the quality of writing was better in printed magazines than current gaming websites. Eurogamer and RockPaperShotgun for example. And also, I wish gaming websites were more review focused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one-armed dwarf Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 26 minutes ago, Nag said: I think it's pretty disgusting that something like Metacritic can have an effect on things like developers bonuses and salaries... the whole idea that a few no name sites can drop review percentages and have those type of negative powers is pretty bad. The problem is not with the sites, but the terrible incentives publishers set. Journalists shouldn't feel obliged to not shit on a game because someone will miss a bonus. Ultimately I'm not going to feel too guilty about not buying a game that fails to meet a MC threshold but I do think the effect it has is terrible. Although that said, has it even happened that much? Other than with New Vegas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 I'm not saying they shouldn't shit on a game, if a game deserves it that's fine... I'm not sure how widespread it is for performance based bonuses but those should be based on sales (if anything) not some score averaging website. I think too much stock is given to sites like MC and Rotten Tomatoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandsomeDead Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 The New Vegas thing got a pretty big backlash so I don't think it's done anymore. At least I hope it isn't as I'd hope it would be something brought up again. Generally I don't read reviews to use as a buying guide but I'll read them after I've played a chunk of the game to see if they've spotted something interesting I missed or to have something to get angry at when they're wrong. Not in a way where I verbally abuse the reviewer, just in a way where I SMH or ?♂️ Maybe if I'm on the fence for a game or getting into something I'm not familiar with I may use them but that barely happens. As for scores I think they're fairly useless, to me at least. I think judging any creative work with a linear scale is pointless for enthusiasts. They're for Normies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 I think reviews have been replaced by video. 9/10 times I can see if I want to buy a game within 10 minutes of gameplay and almost literally review it for myself. Not that I could speak authoritatively about the whole game but very quickly I think we can all see oh that’s for me and that isn’t. The written review can sometimes be useful for information on a game I don’t know anything about. But even then I’m more likely to be like “Oh, that game has a high score” and then pull up a video and see why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one-armed dwarf Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 All I'll say is I was glad for reviews when Resident Evil 6 came out The demo already had me scratching my head "is this game actually terrible?" Then the reviews cemented it. Resident Evil is maybe my favourite series after DMC and FF. Was a close one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Sometimes a review will merely pique my interest in a game I hadn't even considered. I still remember GTM's infamous 4/10 for the first Assassin's Creed. I played it and didn't think it was that bad. If it is a game I am already getting, I don't really care what the reviews say. One of my favourite games of all time - Killer 7 - has some wildly varying reviews, after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Reviews are too political. Most places just give scores they think people want and it seems criticism is just a drive towards consensus from most of the big places. Generally if I think a game is likely to have something about it that will put me off, Outlast 2 and the trial and error stuff being a recent example. I will take a look at some reviews and see if I'm right. Generally I am because of how smart and handsome I am. I do however enjoy a really deep critique of a game. I think I might have mentioned Joseph Anderson before but his reviews are great and sometime go up to 3 hours. Generally with these types of reviews though I will either only watch them for games I loved and want to know someone else's thought on, or something I will never play, like his great review for the Witness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 Quote GameCentral readers try to guess what will be the launch titles for the PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett, from God Of War 2 to Fable IV. The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Tully, who asked if you were in charge of Sony or Microsoft what game or games would you ensure were available on the new consoles from day one? Many people wanted to see brand new franchises over anything else, but most agreed that Microsoft would lead with Halo and Fable IV and Sony would probably start with Horizon Zero Dawn 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 I would create a launch window care package for people who bought the console within the first month. This would include a couple of last gen games that really benefit from being backwards compatible so that it highlights that aspect of the machine and encourages people to upgrade. Assuming the big new thing next gen is going to be ray tracing, throw in a fancy tech demo that shows that off. I believe Mark Cerny talked about how it is great for sound design as well so include some sort of chu chu rocket type puzzle game that uses those new features to make the buyer really understand what they are getting for their money and how it's special. Also a month sub to whatever subscription service the console is offering. As for actual games. I dunno, they will all be garbage probably. It seems kind of like the big Sony studios are working on PS4 games so they are going to miss PS5 launch window. Unless Sucker Punch's samurai game and Butch Lesbian Simulator 5000 get a generational delay the big names won't make launch. Maybe Insomniac are working on something. Microsoft are in a much better position here with Halo, Fable, Forza and stuff like that being much more likely to hit that window. I think with the X and Pro, they were testing the waters for how gamers respond to the idea of upgrading their console. So if they come out with complete backwards compatibility so you have access to all your old games, another upgrade seems more appealing. Even if you have to sit through the generally weak launch window line up. I think they will be counting on that but the real question will be how do they communicate that to the consumer since there were so many cases of normies having no fucking idea what the Wii U even was. Pure fantasy though. A new Yoko Taro game with ray traced bums. God of War 5, Assassin's Creed Viking Edition and Half Life 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 I think the fact they were showing Spider-Man in that leaked footage means Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition is a lock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikzilla Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 Knack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisturbedSwan Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 With Microsoft you know what you’re gonna get at this point. Halo Infinite and Forza 8/Horizon 5 are a lock for launch, Gears 6 will probably be out in 2021. There will be a load of Indies too I expect, maybe a Super Lucky’s Tale 2 for the kids? I would’ve thought on the Sony side Horizon 2 is the most likely of all their franchises for launch, possibly a Killzone reboot too. There has long been a rumoured AAA new IP from Japan Studio so that may see a launch release, I think GT7 could feasibly happen too. A new Ratchet and Clank too maybe? I think Ghost of Tsushima could be a launch title also. A Next-Gen Cod and FIFA are locks too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nag Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 I'd say there's no chance of MS dropping both Forza titles in the same year, I'd expect Forza 8 for a launch title, car games (especially fixed track racers) are good graphical showcases. MS are more of a known quantity (we know Halo is a launch title and knowing I'll be playing that without having to buy the game kind of blows my mind) but they have a fair few things that are unknown on the boil right now. It's harder to call how Sony will launch, I'd love a new Horizon... that would certainly make holding off of their new console a lot more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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