cheesetruncheon: No. because 'excellent' is a far more descriptive term than saying 8/10, words describe everything better than numbers. numbers are stiff and inflexible, words aren't.

If Pictures are worth a thousand words, then words are worth a million numbers.

Besides in an open dialogue, a friend wouldn't simply say 'this steak was excellent' they'd make a conversation about it.
And they certainly wouldn't say the steak at the glorious steak house is a far superior steak than the cheap steak house because the glorious steak house has 10/10 whilst cheap house only has a 7/10, and yes I've heard countless conversations about games that follow that structure.

orcishgamer: First of all, welcome and thanks for posting. However, I am curious. Even if someone isn't bribed outright, don't you think there's some pressure to not bag on big sponsors too often? I mean, we all watched what happened to Gerstmann, after all.

Also, I often see what I call "movie critic syndrome". This is basically the same thing you see in movie critics, they take so much stuff in they begin to lose the ability to see what a casual viewer sees, and the audience they can speak to gets reduced. It's like asking a cameraman for porno films to review porn. The constant exposure is going to screw up the communication most of the time.

Now, there are clearly decent reviewers, but honestly how do I find one. Go ahead and look at the DA2 page on Metacritic. Where in all that mess do I even begin? I remember when The Firingsquad microwaved Daikatana and told Romero to stuff it, I don't see that these days (except for Yahtzee, but that's his whole routine to be negative about everything).

I mean, how much DA2 did a reviewer have to play before he said "YOu know what, I'm sick of this laziness and this cave, fuck you Bioware, this game is shit and you could have done better!"? I haven't read that review, and if it was published it was well outside the initial sales window of the game. Where was the courage to actually damage Bioware's sales on this one? It happened anyway and they deserved it, but no reviewers were calling for their heads.

orcishgamer: First of all, welcome and thanks for posting. However, I am curious. Even if someone isn't bribed outright, don't you think there's some pressure to not bag on big sponsors too often? I mean, we all watched what happened to Gerstmann, after all.

Also, I often see what I call "movie critic syndrome". This is basically the same thing you see in movie critics, they take so much stuff in they begin to lose the ability to see what a casual viewer sees, and the audience they can speak to gets reduced. It's like asking a cameraman for porno films to review porn. The constant exposure is going to screw up the communication most of the time.

Now, there are clearly decent reviewers, but honestly how do I find one. Go ahead and look at the DA2 page on Metacritic. Where in all that mess do I even begin? I remember when The Firingsquad microwaved Daikatana and told Romero to stuff it, I don't see that these days (except for Yahtzee, but that's his whole routine to be negative about everything).

I mean, how much DA2 did a reviewer have to play before he said "YOu know what, I'm sick of this laziness and this cave, fuck you Bioware, this game is shit and you could have done better!"? I haven't read that review, and if it was published it was well outside the initial sales window of the game. Where was the courage to actually damage Bioware's sales on this one? It happened anyway and they deserved it, but no reviewers were calling for their heads.

wytefang: I'd also like to see reviewers post a short paragraph about themselves (before each review they write) that breaks down their personal tastes and interests so that readers will have a good feel for a particular writer's biases or attitudes towards various gaming situations. That way, when you read a review, you'll know ahead of time if the reviewer is more forgiving about graphical glitches (for example) or that this reviewer really values the multi-player aspects of his videogames.

rs2yjz: K I C K B A C K S ! ! !
they are in every industry, even the most righteous ones

wytefang: ....
If I were to fund my own media site, I'd make it a policy to buy our own copies of review product in order to cut any potential ties to publishers or pressure they could potentially bring to bear on my reviewers. However, the issue then becomes one of timeliness.

....

I'd also like to see reviewers post a short paragraph about themselves (before each review they write) that breaks down their personal tastes and interests so that readers will have a good feel for a particular writer's biases or attitudes towards various gaming situations. That way, when you read a review, you'll know ahead of time if the reviewer is more forgiving about graphical glitches (for example) or that this reviewer really values the multi-player aspects of his videogames.

wang12345: So here's a question: if not reviews, where can I get a good opinion on games?

wytefang: Hi there, folks.

I'm new to posting in the GOG forums but have been a member for a while and also a huge fan of what GOG has set out to do. I also adored The Witcher and am as excited as many of my fellow GOG-ites at the impending release of The Witcher 2.

Now that introductions are out of the way, I'd like to chime in on this topic, briefly.

First my background as it relates to the topic:
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Professional Freelance Reviewer for PC Gamer (Future, Inc. - USA Version) magazine - 2006-2008

Also reviewed and wrote other types of articles for Gamesradar.com 2007-2008

Currently reviewing board games or writing editorials for my column at the Knights of the Dinner Table magazine/comic book (Board Squawk column).

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So I can speak from DIRECT (not hearsay) experience on this subject matter and more specifically, about whether or not I saw any sign of PC Gamer being paid-off or if I was bribed myself. Unequivocally, I can tell you that I saw no sign of this going on at all. Granted, as a freelancer, I wasn't privy to all the inner workings that went on at the San Francisco offices but certainly no one bribed me at all. If I liked a game AND I felt it did things well, it got a good review. If I disliked it and felt that it dropped the ball in a number of areas, it got a far less glowing review.

I think you run into problems when you try to label all professional reviewers as being "on the take" or "corrupt." That's a bit knee-jerk. Most reviewers take their work very seriously (some perhaps TOO seriously - but that's a topic for another day) and would find the concept of taking a bribe for a good review to be ethically repugnant. I can't speak for everyone, and of course there are surely bad eggs out there, but the majority of the industry is more clean than skeptics would like to believe.

I think several of you have hit things on the head with your methodology. Find reviewers who mirror your own personal tastes and whose insights seem fruitful and revealing. Take what you read with a grain of salt and also put a high value on your time with a game's demo (if one is provided). It certainly doesn't hurt to use a friend's advice - especially if you trust his judgment.

I'm a bit different from most reviewers in that I actually don't mind putting a numerical score onto my game reviews but I also agree that the heart of the review, the part that really matters, is in the text itself.

I'll be happy to answer any questions you folks might have. Thanks for listening.

Game on!!

orcishgamer: Especially the most righteous ones, nothing spells success like the business of selling salvation.