Games TM No. 63

[eastyy]

Next month as they said they need the online community to grow before reviewing it.

lol so basically they are going to wait for loads of people to buy the game......before telling people if they should buy the game or not

[Swallow]

Reviews are not, and never should be, a buying guide.

[Dogg Thang]

What are they?

[Swallow]

A critique, clearly. A assimilation of the product (which most "art" is, no?) from a knowledgeable, critical standpoint. An expression of how a given thing can make one person feel. I've written enough reviews to know that I would never want them to be consulted as a buying guide.

[eastyy]

opinions of one person usually resulting in people complaining about them online later lol

i did use to use them as a buying guide before i got the internet

[Dogg Thang]

A critique, clearly.

To what end?

[jimmbob]

Reviews?
They're the things that (Thankfully!) take away our free will and sap us ?4.50 every month.
Basically they tell us if we will like the game based on one person/s opinions. They're wonderful. If they dislike it, WE dislike it. If we're told not to buy it, WE do not buy it. Here's a simple formula.

Game + Review = Decision to buy, or not.

Profit!

It's because of these things that I still have not bought Half Life 2.
Anyone who deviates from the above theory is a moron, this has been proven by science, and smatterings of fact. At least that's what I hear.

[Swallow]

Sorry Dogg, hit return too early.

[jimmbob]

I've written enough reviews to know that I would never want them to be consulted as a buying guide.

LAWL! I'd love to read them.
DS game - "It's fantastic, buy it, 5g's, Ten out of Ten, 100% across the board.

Anything else. - "It's rubbish, ABSOLUTE RUBBISH."

[Dogg Thang]

Ah got it. You're right of course because it will always boil down to one person's opinion but, ultimately, they are used as buying guides. Few of us would pop down to the shop to pick up a game that was slated in most reviews. We'd be more tempted to pick up a game that picked up several 10s than one that picked up a bunch of 5s.

They offer more too of course but, as much as reviewers may not desire the 'buyers guide' result, that's what they often amount to.

[jimmbob]

Few of us would pop down to the shop to pick up a game that was slated in most reviews.

You obviously have not seen Swallow's and Musashi's DS collections.

[Dogg Thang]

That's very true. Not just true. Very true.

[J0e Musashi]

Reviews? Bah, if I read reviews I'd never have picked up Kanshuu Nippon Joushikiryoku Kentei Kyoukai: Imasara Hito ni wa Kikenai Otona no Joushikiryoku Training DS.

[rmoxon]

I think reviews of games are quite helpful, more so than film reviews relaly, I think usualy if a game is good most reviews will state as much, then its really only up to you to decide wether its the type of game you like to play.

[SqueakyG]

The asterisk indicates a score of 9 or higher - it replaces the black borders that were used pre-makeover.

Ohhhh, thank you. That drove me mad. I HATE to see asterisks that have no footnote attached, it drives me crazy.

I almost tore the last issue apart trying to find the pattern for which game titles get asterisks. I first thought it was associated with the cover -- games on the cover got asterisks. But no, it wasn't that.

Glad that's sorted. But it's caused me far more stress than any help it could possibly be.