Media Coverage covers review scores, gives 'em an 8.8
by Christopher Grant 
on Aug 10th 2007 1:00PM
Video game scoring, always a controversial topic. Whether it's
kvetching about the seemingly arbitrary numbering employed by some outlets or
pondering the off-balance 70-average scoring system used by most reviewers, it seems that review scores are always under fire. So it's only fitting that GameDaily's Media Coverage – penned by our very own
Kyle Orland – takes a stab at the mess and comes back with a thoughtful look at the role of review scores in an industry that rewards PR for good reviews ("To use average scores to judge marketing effectiveness is the same as saying they're trying to figure out whether the 'payola' worked or not," says freelancer Greg Sewart), and using aggregate review scores to greenlight sequels.
Take note that Kyle is too humble to even mention his own
Games for Lunch project, where he spends an hour each weekday playing games to determine if they're worth playing for, well, more than an hour. No review scores here, just his first blush at any given game. His latest
bon mot comes courtesy of
Def Jam: Vendetta – "
Rappers doing what they do best. Wrestling!" – and that says more than any review score we've seen.
