What’s In A Review?
The highs and lows of video game reviews. Plus bitching. Article written by nofi in Blog, Featured Stories, PS3 News, on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 8:30.Here at TheSixthAxis we take pride in our reviews, whether they’re something simple like a minis round up, a full 1250 word essay or a cool video review. Why? Because we’re invoking some kind of know-it-all approach to arbitrarily awarding a score out of ten for up to three years of work for upwards of a hundred staff, and that matters. If you didn’t already know TheSixthAxis is featured on Metacritic, an aggregate game, film and album scoring website that collects trusted review scores from quality websites and magazine from all over the internet, and thus the score we give a game directly affects the overall ‘meta’ score of that particular release.
Imagine, if you will, that you’ve spent three years at University on one single assignment. You’ve poured blood, sweat and tears into that paper , working late, abandoning family and doing everything you can to stay true to your original vision whilst resisting pressure from your tutor (who for the sake of this metaphor is playing the part of the publisher). Then, once everything is done, the final stroke of the pen committed to paper, your three year work is whipped away from you, duplicated, and sent to various other people who have never met you or anyone else that worked alongside you (and probably don’t even know your name) and in some cases have no interest in what you’ve done.
Except, that is, to review it.
After all your efforts, people like me then see what you’ve done, mess around with it for 8 or so hours, then write about it and give it a score. When you think about it, it’s a joke – most websites won’t have been involved at any point in the development and promotion of the game other than copy and paste the odd press release and put up some screenshots; they won’t have visited the studio and spoken to the other guys working on the game; they won’t really care if one sticky part of the coding took a month to iron out and in some cases won’t even have heard of the game until the disk landed on their doorstep or the redeem code in their inbox.
I’m not for a second saying that TheSixthAxis isn’t guilty of at least some aspects of the above, of course, but as an independent website without the constraints and restrictions that publisher-fed advertising can impose, we can basically write what we like about any game, and two years ago when the site was just being read by a handful of our hardcore fans, we did. Now though, with regular daily visits massively above what we’d ever hoped for, we like to think we can make a positive difference to the way a game is perceived if we like the developer and the way the game is heading. If we don’t, then yes, our words and actions can have the opposite effect.
In the grand scheme of things, though, TSA is barely a drop in the ocean, and the ‘big’ sites can often easily influence the way the public see a game with just one page of text, destroying in a flash everything that all the other sites like ours, in co-operation with the developers and so on, have slowly built up. Here at the ‘Axis we like to think our regular readers trust what we’re saying and have confidence in our reviews – yes, they’re all written by different people but we tend to fit the games around our personalities and hope that this all shines through in the writing (or, in Peter’s case, his voice) and thus when we score a game a 9 or, occasionally, a 10, we absolutely mean it.
Especially when Liam gets behind a keyboard, which he only does when he’s got 1000/1000 Gamerscore!
This doesn’t mean a game scoring a 10 is perfect, it means that the review thought at that time the game is the best in the genre, and the few games we’ve scored a 10 – Call of Duty 4, Singstar, Forza III – were absolutely the best you could buy and if you’re arguing about that bear in mind you’re also arguing with the personal, subjective opinion of the review – one man who’s spent 8 hours playing a game and 3 hours writing it up. Discussion on the points raised in the review is fine, of course, but discrediting the text based on your personal experience with the game’s demo - no, that’s ridiculous. And then there’s the issue of preview code, and the real point of me writing this blog.
I’m not going to mention the publication or the game, it’s Monday and I’m in far too good a mood to go down that route, but recently one of the ‘big’ sites seemed to have reviewed a game based on non-final code. Here at TSA we get publishers handing us what’s called ‘preview’ code on a regular basis, but it’s meant for exactly that purpose – to get a feel for the game and test out the mechanics, see what the visuals are like at that stage and so on – but not for reviewing and certainly not suitable for a final score that’ll affect Metacritic (and in some cases, the bonuses paid out to developers). Have I played the game in question? Yes. Is it deserved of the score given? No.
Would I have committed a score to publication based on the early state of the code? Again, no.
It’s frustrating, because it’s really not fair. Scoring a game with average-to-middling marks is fine when the game is done and dusted and it doesn’t come up to scratch, but one that’s not finished, with several glaring bugs still in place? It’s possible that the site in question might have gotten more advanced code than the version I’m currently enjoying on an alt-profile (I’m not that dumb) but I’m assuming that’s not the case. Will this score affect the game’s chances of great sales? Possibly, and that’s doubly frustrating because, as written above, some sites have been patiently building up discussion on the game to try to get the message across that it’s actually rather brilliant.
Reviewing games – serious business.
Comments
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toutski | 09/11/2009 08:58
Legend
4007 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Hear hear!
But you forgot to tell us what ‘the game’ was…
nofi | 09/11/2009 08:59
Wants a custom tag.
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No I didn’t.
gazo69 | 09/11/2009 09:02
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Dragon Age………
BadBoyBoogie | 09/11/2009 17:13
Let There Be Rock
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nofi, you tease!!
An interesting read. As the article says, a review’s score is just the opinion of the writer of the review, which is why I check out several reviews before making my final decision on whether to buy a game or not.
kassatsu | 09/11/2009 18:10
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I think I know what it is… A PSN title I do believe.
smokeybeef | 09/11/2009 09:17
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Was the game that Jurassic Park one perchance?
Tuffcub | 09/11/2009 09:21
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I’d completely forgotton *that* game is out this week. And now I’m going to forget again and go back to playing with Snatch, who to my utter joy can now sing “Ooh Ahh Just A Little Bit” by Gina G.
Gamoc | 09/11/2009 09:34
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Did you honestly just say ‘go back to playing with snatch’ and NOT expect some kind of innuendo here?
Bilbo_bobbins | 09/11/2009 09:42
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ha ha, when I read that I nearly fell off my chair. Tuffcub please care to explain?
Tuffcub | 09/11/2009 10:51
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Snatch is the name of my Eyepet.
Gamoc | 09/11/2009 11:25
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That is what I was assuming.
goshawngo | 11/11/2009 04:52
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Nice Name, mynes Cool George (Not associated with Cuirous GeorgeTM)
Aitrus | 09/11/2009 11:39
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You named your Eyepet ‘Snatch’?!?! I don’t know if I cann allow my kids to play the game anymore after that.
Tuffcub | 09/11/2009 14:55
Team TSA: Writer
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It was going ot be called something a lot worse.
Lorcan | 09/11/2009 09:33
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I think it’s just so funny how much is placed on a review.
When you think about it it’s ridiculous that if a game gets a 7, it’s seen as being bad, but one with an 8 is actually ok. Then there’s a 9 which means it’s amazing and then there’s the 10 which no one can agree on.
It’s ridiculous, but at the same time we’re all guilty of falling for it.
Though the fact that big sites can get away with some of their “reviews” just pisses me off to no end. That Eurogamer thing earlier this year was just horrendous.
C_S15 | 09/11/2009 09:40
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1367 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
All the trailers and videos are in no way a true reflection on the game in comparison to the views of a person who has actually played the game, so quite a lot is placed on a review. We make paying decisions based on positive reviews and save our money if a game gets reviewed poorly.
Also, why should we settle for 6-7 games that are just slightly above average? I don’t want to play a 6-7 game that might give me a few thrills. I want to be blown away, so of course I’m going to go for 8+ games. I fail to see how it’s “ridiculous”.
Watchful | 09/11/2009 10:18
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It’s ridiculous because you’re saying that if a game in your favourite genre or franchise only scored a 7 in a review you are going to arbitrarily dismiss it out of hand purely based on that one single digit. That’s ridiculous.
C_S15 | 09/11/2009 10:23
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I would read the review (Which is so often banged on about) and see if the reviewer is in the same mindset as I am. If not, and they come from a different gaming angle to me, then I’d find a reviewer that thinks the same. If there are none and it’s unanimously a poor game then I won’t buy it. Simple.
I’m an MGS fanboy, but if Rising gets 6-7’s from everywhere, I won’t be buying it.
Watchful | 09/11/2009 10:27
Team TSA: Writer
2037 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Based on that I’d argue that you’re not an MGS fanboy then. A fanboy wouldn’t care about the review score and would just argue that the reviewer didn’t understand the game.
C_S15 | 09/11/2009 10:29
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1367 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Touche. =P
But I do love me some MGS =P
a inferior race | 09/11/2009 16:01
I'm special
1415 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
MGS:R could just be a great big cutscene and I would still buy it.
a inferior race | 09/11/2009 16:03
I'm special
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MGS:R could be one great big cutscene and I would still buy it.
goshawngo | 11/11/2009 04:53
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Only the average of all players which is good enough,
goshawngo | 11/11/2009 04:55
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i meant for ’scores are voted by average of all players’.
Gastos84 | 09/11/2009 09:37
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3612 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
The way in which reviews are read as Gospel is the sad part. Whilst I agree with the majority of them, there are a couple of occassions when a game will suffer an unfair review. I have seen a couple of reviews say that Borderlands was a 6 and yet I’ve not heard a single bad thing from the people that have actually played it.
The trouble is, with games costing more than most other media, we have to be choosy with how we spend and this is where reviews make the most impact.
Vandix | 09/11/2009 09:44
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Personally I’ve never let a review decide for me if I’d buy a game or not, although TSA’s review of WET made me buy it as the sole exception, but I generally read reviews to see if the writer enjoyed the game or not.
I couldn’t care less about the score or the graphics, gameplay is all that matters to me.
Radboud | 09/11/2009 09:52
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899 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
Guess it runs in the family
Severn2j | 09/11/2009 11:33
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This is why aggregates like metacritic are so important, because they average out the scores so the ones that give artificially high or low scores are watered down.. Whenever I check reviews for a game Im interested in, I just look at four metacritic reviews, one of the highest, one of the lowest, the TSA review and a review that scored it around the middle of the metascore. That tends to give me a fair idea of the game, while minimising the reviewers bias.
Kevling | 09/11/2009 11:38
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For the record, Metacritic is not just an average of the scores – they give different publications/websites different weighting, depending on their reputation etc…
Severn2j | 09/11/2009 12:27
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I did not know that..
3shirts | 09/11/2009 14:34
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Me neither, that’s changed my view on it a lot. can you find a breakdown of these biases anywhere?
cc_star | 09/11/2009 14:38
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Wouldn’t have thought so, but the bigger the site the higher the weighting – I thought everyone knew, I’m sure it’s on their website.
teflon | 09/11/2009 12:00
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1600 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
The whole “preview code” vs “release code” thing, I think, generally swings the other way. You make is sound like they’ve got the preview code and then reviewed that as if it was final, but they generally don’t.
Along with the preview code, there often comes a list of things you’re not allowed to talk about in the review, such as MGS4’s install times or if there’s several bugs which have been or will be fixed in the time left before release. All of which is covered by your NDA which you have to sign to be in that privileged position anyway…
If you want to escape that trap, then you need to wait for the retail copy to hit your doorstep. Then its public domain and you can say what you want about it.
Anyway, the whole point of a review is to distill a game and express your opinions on how good it is. It’s just a means to an end, but shouldn’t be taken as seriously as many people do.
As for the whole “it takes years to do” thing, so do films, music, some works of art, public healthcare, economic recovery etc. etc. Everyone gets criticised, but there’s a small few that do it right and get the praise that they deserve for their efforts, and that’s what matters, not the failures, because you just need to keep trying until you get it right.
ediddy999 | 09/11/2009 13:57
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12 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2009
The only reason any site (yes and this site) do review are to get clicks. Keep up your bitching but you’re part of the problem. Maybe you should stop assigning numbers to your reviews and let the writing do the talking. I truly think that most gamers want a score to make them feel better about how they spend their time. Also, if anyone think they are above the influence of a review they’re lying to themselves. If you’re here or any video game website you’re drinking the kool-aid.
nofi | 09/11/2009 13:59
Wants a custom tag.
3870 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Awesome, welcome to TSA. Missed the point a bit, but cool, grab a seat. Just checked your site – and, oh surprise – no scores.
ediddy999 | 09/11/2009 15:24
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I love you too!
Raen | 09/11/2009 14:01
Team TSA: Writer
3449 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
There are reasons for scoring. Why do you think almost everyone does it? They’ve been rehashed everywhere so many times that I won’t go into it again.
FRUIT0FDOOM | 09/11/2009 14:04
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490 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
If I was a member i would call you a twat. But since i’m staff – welcome to TSA
nofi | 09/11/2009 14:07
Wants a custom tag.
3870 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Keep drinking that kool-aid, Liam. Kool-aid. Kool-aid.
FRUIT0FDOOM | 09/11/2009 14:12
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Hey if it contains stupid amounts of caffeine – i’m there!
Gamoc | 09/11/2009 14:18
Team TSA: Content Manager
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I don’t think I’ve ever drank Kool-aid. I’ve had Lucozade. When playing L4D I gotta use Medical Aid a lot, but I think that’s something completely different.
ediddy999 | 09/11/2009 15:42
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Is there a place where I can leave my things? I have a lot of baggage as you can tell.
Gamoc | 09/11/2009 14:06
Team TSA: Content Manager
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Yes, ‘Welcome to TSA’ tends to be code for ‘You’re a twat’ when said like this to someone like you.
Welcome to TSA.
C_S15 | 09/11/2009 14:17
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Welcome to…. Wait… I’m not staff! You’re a twat!
Tuffcub | 09/11/2009 14:19
Team TSA: Writer
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May I also welcome you to TSA with some of my customary big gay bear hugs.
3shirts | 09/11/2009 14:20
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As non staff I’ll start by saying … don’t be a nob.
Of course sites want clicks, that’s their whole purpose. Scores have some value, they just aren’t the be all and end all, that’s the point. You really should open your mind a little, you make your argument and end it by basically saying anyone who disagrees is wrong!
Welcome to TSA
BryOnRye | 09/11/2009 14:31
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Don’t you realise the best websites are the ones that no-one visits?
3shirts | 09/11/2009 14:36
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Ah yeah, silly of me. I made that noobish error of relating quality and popularity
Gamoc | 09/11/2009 14:46
Team TSA: Content Manager
1185 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Yeah, how silly of you. Good sites don’t get popular, only bad ones do.
Obviously.
goshawngo | 11/11/2009 04:59
Member
39 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2009
Does that mean….. oh no, TSA is still best right?
colossalblue | 09/11/2009 14:47
Team TSA: Editor
1146 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I don’t really care if you feel welcome or not so I won’t welcome you or call you a twat.
I’ll systematically and comprehensively pull apart your “argument” instead…
You see the way I put “argument” in those little quotation marks? That was to highlight the point that it wasn’t really an argument but it was phrased as one. Then I explained it because judging by your “argument” you probably need a bit of help with words.
Now, you begin well, with a good solid fact (I’ll ignore the grammatical corrections which are needed for the sake of expediency and my own sanity). Websites like this do reviews “to get clicks”. Oh dear, there’s those quotation marks again. See I used them this time because I was actually quoting something you said and I wanted everyone to know it was a quote because I didn’t want them to think I was mistaking hits for an onomatopoeic word describing how people instigate those hits. Basically I didn’t want your words making me look dumb. Also, it’s only fair that you get credit for the thing you said which swerves closest to the truth.
The unfortunate truth, hiding behind your passive-aggressive attempt to make a pursuit of “clicks” seem evil, is that the only reason for any website’s very existence is to generate hits. So part of the reason a website that posts reviews does so is to get hits coming in. Why? Because it’s the visitor count that gets publishers (and advertisers – which may send your conspiracy-theory-hunting mind into meltdown) interested. By doing reviews which people read this (and any other) website is taking a step towards better relations with publishers to get more reviews out. Also, having worked at TSA for a while I know that if we didn’t put the hours of work into our reviews we wouldn’t have any competition prizes for our readers. So in part we do it so that you can have a chance at winning a free game. But you want to have a pissy little jibe so ignore the good reasons and invent some sinister ones. That’s more fun isn’t it?
Stop asigning numbers and the reviews become less valuable to publishers (and the majority of our readers, believe it or not). The simple fact is that people like a metric. In general, obviously. Oh, and as long as it matches their own expectations. They don’t like it if it doesn’t mirror their preconceptions.
Now to the part of your comment which annoys me: the baseless accusations. You see, many times I am not influenced by a review. There, I said it and you’ve probably stopped reading because I’m a big fat liar. I must be because you said anyone who claims to be above the influence of a review is a liar. Well, I have thoughts which are in my own head. Can you see or hear them? Because that’s the only way to factually back up the shameless insult you just threw out. I’m guessing you can’t read my mind (or you would be a lot smarter) so I’m going to make my own little assumption now. Look out for it in the next paragraph.
Anyone who claims to know more about a person’s thoughts and influences than they know themselves is a massive douche and shouldn’t really be allowed contact with other human beings for fear that they might, by some random act of lunacy, desperation, alcohol or roofies, spawn young.
Oh, to hell with it, I’ve changed my mind on the issue: Welcome to TSA.
Gamoc | 09/11/2009 14:55
Team TSA: Content Manager
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Excellent.
Tuffcub | 09/11/2009 14:56
Team TSA: Writer
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Epic win
ediddy999 | 09/11/2009 15:26
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This is a great thesis for having nothing better todo. Actually a better article/”argument”. I think I will fit in nicely here!
nofi | 09/11/2009 15:28
Wants a custom tag.
3870 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Oh, I don’t know about that…
3shirts | 09/11/2009 15:35
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The way the square brick fits in the round hole?
benny boy | 09/11/2009 15:35
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I wish I could give your comment a massive hug. I love this site.
Bladesteel | 09/11/2009 16:35
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You just made me want to write a stupid and insulting comment on an article. Just to see what brilliant responses it will get.
Quinlank | 09/11/2009 18:31
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“Discussion on the points raised in the review is fine, of course, but discrediting the text based on your personal experience with the game’s demo – no, that’s ridiculous.”
No it isn’t. A demo is a perfectly valid way of assessing a game’s worth. True it doesn’t show you the full experience in most cases, but it’s usually more than enough to tell you exactly what the full game will play like. If they were as useless for basing an opinion on as you’re implying, then people who decide not to buy a game based on a demo(Which a lot of people do this) are idiots, and articles giving ‘demo impressions’ or ‘hands on’ reports would be totally irrelevant.
Forgive me if I seem to take this swipe a tad personally, but after the shit I got for saying I didn’t think Forza 3 was the best racing game ever after playing the demo, it’s hard not to. I don’t dispute that it could be the best racing SIM ever, as it’s been called, I only said it wasn’t the best racing game ever, in my opinion(A qualifier I was careful to include you’ll note). I wasn’t trying to “discredit” anyone else’s opinion, though it could be argued the quoted line is you trying to do the same, no?
I don’t want an argument over something so petty, but I felt I kind of needed to put my view forward here. Forgive me if that seems a tad self-important.
Gamoc | 10/11/2009 10:46
Team TSA: Content Manager
1185 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
You’re extrapolating. You can’t use a demo to try and dissuade someone from their opinion of the full game because, whilst you have played the demo, they’ve got and played the FULL GAME.
skibadee | 09/11/2009 20:11
Member
1970 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2009
good read