If you buy games based on ratings, why?

[jptrey06]

Sometimes, yeah I do look on the reviews just to see how the game looks like, not to see if other people liked it or not. It actually saved me on buying a really terrible game back then when I thought about buying Cross Edge. When I saw that half of the battle screen is full of options and stuff, I was like damn, what is this garbage? Lmao.

In short, why would I listened to reviewers that doesnt have at least a little interest on the genre that theyre reviewing? You can see it on the differences between the IGN rating and the community rating. I saw a lot of games that are getting below 5 rating while the community will give it 6-7 out of 10.

 

[Esperahol]

Do I entirely base my purchases on ?/10? No. Do I check my desires based on the words that come with those numbers? Yes. Is that valid? I would think so. I mean it's at least as value as being "original" for disliking a popular game. Call me anti-hipster. I mean like if I go to Gamestop.com and I start browsing through bargain games and the rating is bad I'll at least see why. Does that mean I won't try a truly sucky game? No. I enjoyed Rule of Rose even through it was effectively broken. I enjoyed Skyrim - because it was the best of the series thus far. It also brought the mythos found in the books into the "world" as it were. It definitely improved on Oblivion. I enjoyed the Last of Us and the original ME 3 ending and I hated Conkers and that is all a legitimate reaction - no one has the same tastes and that's fine. And I think I got off track somewhere in this mess of words.

 

[unwittyoneliner]

I don't go out of my way to read reviews like I used to, but hearsay is almost the same thing with so many online outlets for video game info. When I did used to read reviews fairly often, it was only because I respected the person reviewing the game (i.e. Greg Kasavin, Jeff Gertsmann, Adam Sessler, Victor Lucas, and more). I don't use reviews as the be all and end all to me purchasing a game, I like getting insights into a game I'm interested in by people who I respect in the video game industry.

 

[Mudgee]

good hearsay is the best advertisement any brand could ask for

 

[mareebaybay]

I don't buy games because of ratings, but I take ratings into consideration. I mean no one wants to purchase a game that is rating 4.6. There is obviously a reason for them rating it that low. I would purchase a game that was rated a 6 if I saw gameplay and actually liked the game. I don't let ratings dictate my decision, but I do take it into consideration.

 

[kniera]

If alot of people give it a really high (and you were already looking into it) or low one, you know what to do. But when it is kinda in between I just watch a review and see what he has to say, not just to wait what he gives for it in the end.

 

[Dame6089]

I have to truly be interested in a game to buy it based on good ratings. I am not going to just plop down some cash on the latest game that so and so gave a 10. With that said, I take reviews into account when buying games that I am interested in .

 

[mauricioq]

Ratings does influence games sales, it's a fact.
If there's a very high score on a game, I'll check it out, curiosity? Maybe, but critics do have a lot of influence and if you see more than one review site, you can evaluate the game and see if it's good or not, but, at the end of the day, it's all about opinions and you should have one.

 

[themarksquared]

Same question as would you watch a movie rated as "Rotten" on RottenTomatoes?

Whilst I admit that ratings are not the main reason why I buy games, we can never deny the fact that it plays an important role in the decision making factor. Whilst we should never change something based on the opinion of others, we should also take in to account that opinion because it gives an insight on what to expect should we decide to buy the game.

Unfortunately, the ratings system is not perfect. There have been cases of publishers paying reviewers to give their games high ratings. It's quite said, I have to say.

 

[The Unlosing Ranger]

Hell no. Screw ratings. If it looks good to me I'm gonna grab it eventually no matter what. And if it looks bad but everybody gives it a 10/10 I won't care either.

 

[DrRipley]

I wouldn't say that I buy games because of the good ratings, but it's a great jump off point on knowing more about what you are looking to purchase. I usually look through the comments and see if anyone comments on something that I personally give importance to or am often peeved by, and that second step is what usually makes or breaks my decision to purchase a game. So usually, when I buy a game after I've seen a good rating of it, often times, it's because of some random gamer's comments on the video/review and not really just because of the review itself.

 

[Rocketman]

It's all a matter of probabilities for me. If the game is rated highly, then there is a higher probability that I will enjoy it as well. Keep in mind that money is at stake here and I don't want to shell out my hard earned money for something disappointing. Of course, scores aren't the only thing to take into account. If a basketball game was rated 10/10, I still wouldn't play it because I have no interest in it. Also, as someone with limited time, I won't be able to play everything. So not only am I losing out on my money, but I'm also losing my time that I could have spent playing something better. I don't see review scores as representative of quality. I see them as a representation of recommendation.

 

[GetSome]

I do all of my shopping based on good ratings. It's only good common sense. Why would you buy something with bad ratings?

Don't get me wrong, I look at the bad ratings too because those are usually the ones that tell you all the things the fancy product description writing doesn't tell you about. Like if the game doesn't really live up to the hype or that it isn't compatible with my system, etc. Those things are important and play a major role in my buying decision.

 

[Fleexie]

I never base my purchases on reviews.
I have tried some games which only got great reviews and top ratings, and then I tried them myself and they were really bad.
That also go the other way around, some games that got some pretty bad reviews and ratings and then I really liked them and have had some great hours playing them.

So no I don't look at reviews/ratings. I do look at gameplay videos just to see if it looks interesting other than that nope.

 

[aperture7]

Yes and no. Ratings give me a springboard, an idea of whether or not I'd like it. Ultimately, the numbers don't matter too much to me, the reviews are the things I look at. What are the negatives, what are the positives, and can I overlook the negatives and have a good gaming experience. If I just listened to ratings alone, I wouldn't have discovered some hidden gems.

 

[Pickicool]

I agree with what was said.

I not buy games for the rating he got, but I take into consideration the testing and the opinions of other players.

When I buy a game, it's because I'm over confident that I'll play with long and I have fun. If you see that almost everyone does not like a game ... I think it's okay to ask questions.

It is very rare that I regret buying a game (besides Call Of Duty)

 

[jardantuan]

When you read a review, even from a huge website like IGN, it's essentially just one person's opinion of a game. And believe it or not, even though they're being paid for it, they can still have a different opinion to you, just like anybody else. What they rate as a 6/10 may be a game I'd rate 10/10, and a game that I absolutely hate could get fantastic reviews (spoiler alert: this happens a lot).

I do, however, think that it's important to read reviews carefully. While the overall score at the end may not be the same that you'd give it, a good reviewer will point out the flaws and strong points of a game, regardless of personal opinion. Example: I like Sonic the Hedgehog. Now, when I read reviews for Sonic Unleashed, I didn't agree with a lot of the comments being made, particularly about the Werehog levels (I found them fun, albeit a bit different to the rest of the gameplay). The reviews were scored a point or two lower than I'd have given them personally, bringing it up to 8/10 to 9/10. Take the reviews for Sonic Lost World, however, and I'm concerned. The score at the end isn't important for me. I also don't mind that the controls are a bit different - I'm good at adapting. But the game is short, with very few levels. That worries me a bit - having plenty of levels is very important for a platformer.

So no, I don't let ratings influence a purchase, but reviews can make me think twice. Ultimately, I'd have to try the game out (or at least play a demo) before making a decision on a game I'm unsure about, but I'd never drop plans to buy it based on one person's experiences.

 

[DaMan]

I dont watch rating.I dont care what casual gamers think,i prefer my own opinion.

 

[SpaceTiger]

Ratings are absolute bullshit in the modern day and age. Traditionally 1 was absolutely terrible , 5 was average and 10 was like the best game ever made. But these days 10 just means good, and 8 means average. The numbers are totally arbitrary and have no meaning anymore. Look at the reviews for skyrim and you will pretty much see straight 10s everywhere, for what is essentially the most boring , repetitive and limited game in the Elder Scrolls series, this is just mad. Skyrim doesn't deserve more than a 7, it's a fine game and there are some good moments , but modern day reviews are just throwing 9's and 10's at every single game there is and it just looses it's meaning. The only reviews I watch are by TotalBiscuit because he doesn't use any rating system and he tells it as it is without any bullshit. This topic seriously drives me mad.

I agree with this like 95%-99% (the only exception being Skyrim which I'm enjoying alot). I used to go by publication/site reviews often but eventually they came to mean nothing as some games that I managed to get my hands on or find for cheap turned out to be better than just "average" score given. As an aside when FPS regularly started pulling 9s and 10s, I really start to at the reviews. Going into a game store it was "You should put down your store credit on Halo of Duty: Battlefield SEALS 2. It got X rating for Y publication."

"No thanks, I don't really care for modern shooters."

"You like killing Nazis in games?"

"I did in Wolf 3D, but it's not really even a minor priority on my gaming agenda--"

"You like killing zombies?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?"

"Look at this, in Halo of Duty: Battlefield SEALS, you can kill Nazi zombies. It got a 9 from IGN, a 10 from Gamespot, and an 11 from Gamefan."

"Gamefan? What? You're making stuff up, now."

At any rate I tend to go more on other players' live streams on Twitch when deciding to actually buy a game. I just use game sites for news on PlayStation and Nintendo, hear whatever buzz from whatever forum I'm on and watch a bit of Twitch to get a look at organic gameplay. Reviews can be bought and sometimes reviewers might rush through their gameplay of a title since there's more games on their plate.

 

[Strelok]

Usually I can tell whether or not I'm going to like a game just from watching a few videos on Youtube and, of course, doing a little research about it beforehand.

A lot of "professional" reviews are funded by publishers, plus, for some reason, it's like all the reviewers have no idea what they're doing and that they don't understand the type of game it is, which is why I can't trust them. They're all too scared to give a game a low score and point out its faults, and as I said, in a lot of cases they review games they don't entirely understand.

The only kind of reviews I trust are user ones; usually just opinions in forums, preferably forums or websites with users who know what they're talking about and have a good enough idea of the game to give worthwhile opinions.