Moore's bigger concern? User reviews on Amazon. We'd like to snicker, but that's how we buy vacuums, so what do we know?
Moore's bigger concern? User reviews on Amazon. We'd like to snicker, but that's how we buy vacuums, so what do we know?
Reader Comments (71)
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 1:46PM Shagittarius said
Jinxy:
The thing is though that casual gamers doom themselves...eventually they will start to think everytime I pick up a game its just like the others and its no fun. Then they abandon the market. Thats when the crash occurs. Its the exact same thing that happened with the 2600, which was primarily taken down by boat loads of shitty software and no informed consumers.
The difference being at that time everyone was a casual gamer. Everyone was new to home gaming. Now there is at least a dedicated core audience who will probably remain interested even through the thin years of the coming crash.
Reply
The thing is though that casual gamers doom themselves...eventually they will start to think everytime I pick up a game its just like the others and its no fun. Then they abandon the market. Thats when the crash occurs. Its the exact same thing that happened with the 2600, which was primarily taken down by boat loads of shitty software and no informed consumers.
The difference being at that time everyone was a casual gamer. Everyone was new to home gaming. Now there is at least a dedicated core audience who will probably remain interested even through the thin years of the coming crash.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 1:51PM (Unverified) said
Get over yourself. The paradigm shift is happening right now, even if the self-defined "core gamers" refuse to admit they are a small niche in a big market. (The good news: there are still more than enough companies willing to pander to that niche, because they know there is profit available there.)
Reply
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 1:53PM MarkezJM said
Dude, I can't believe you made a 2600 reference. At least we're not talking about what baud are dial-up modems were back in the day.
Casual gamers, in my opinion, cant 'doom' themselves at all simply because they don't have the standards that those of us who frequent gaming blogs do. They're pleased by simple experiences. It's semantics, but I would almost argue the opposite in that a true casual gamer can pick up just about anything and still say 'well I'll probably at least have some fun with this
Reply
Casual gamers, in my opinion, cant 'doom' themselves at all simply because they don't have the standards that those of us who frequent gaming blogs do. They're pleased by simple experiences. It's semantics, but I would almost argue the opposite in that a true casual gamer can pick up just about anything and still say 'well I'll probably at least have some fun with this
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 2:20PM samfish said
If what you're saying were true, the gaming industry would have crashed during the NES era when i was almost exclusively children buying games with their parents money.
EVERYONE has at some point or another bought SOMETHING based on the cover art and little more. Be it a game, movie, CD or whatever. Contrary to popular belief, those people don't buy what they see on the cover, get home and find it sucks and then don't understand why.
I know "hardcore" gamers are among some of the most elite snobs out there, but 'casual' gamers aren't exactly flummoxed when they find out that their impulse game purchase is terrible.
Most of them will react as any consumer would — be bummed about buying a turkey, take it back if possible and either hope the next purchase is more fulfilling or it just rots on a shelf somewhere. This is a (collective) fact because it's how EVERYONE REACTS to such experiences. .
When and if people keep getting burned on crappy games, one of the following will happen:
A) They'll start looking for reviews beforehand more often. Note that "reviews" =/= Metacritic.
B) They'll decide that this gaming thing isn't worth that kind of effort and mostly stop gaming.
C) They'll do exactly as 99% of "hardcore" gamers do and just stick to brands and publishers that they know with a proven track record. Any brand new games or IP they're introduced to will be primarily through a marketing and media onslaught.
More than likely, I'd bet that most people will end up going with 'C'.
Reply
EVERYONE has at some point or another bought SOMETHING based on the cover art and little more. Be it a game, movie, CD or whatever. Contrary to popular belief, those people don't buy what they see on the cover, get home and find it sucks and then don't understand why.
I know "hardcore" gamers are among some of the most elite snobs out there, but 'casual' gamers aren't exactly flummoxed when they find out that their impulse game purchase is terrible.
Most of them will react as any consumer would — be bummed about buying a turkey, take it back if possible and either hope the next purchase is more fulfilling or it just rots on a shelf somewhere. This is a (collective) fact because it's how EVERYONE REACTS to such experiences. .
When and if people keep getting burned on crappy games, one of the following will happen:
A) They'll start looking for reviews beforehand more often. Note that "reviews" =/= Metacritic.
B) They'll decide that this gaming thing isn't worth that kind of effort and mostly stop gaming.
C) They'll do exactly as 99% of "hardcore" gamers do and just stick to brands and publishers that they know with a proven track record. Any brand new games or IP they're introduced to will be primarily through a marketing and media onslaught.
More than likely, I'd bet that most people will end up going with 'C'.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 2:58PM Mr Khan said
Sure, there are a lot of stupid people out there, but lets not assume that mental retardation is the standard.
The key to the 2600 crash was the fact that people got burned by games that didn't work period. Put it in, power on, get hosed. Or games like ET, that were thrown together in 5 weeks from start to finish.
Reply
The key to the 2600 crash was the fact that people got burned by games that didn't work period. Put it in, power on, get hosed. Or games like ET, that were thrown together in 5 weeks from start to finish.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 3:11PM Shagittarius said
Samfish you completely ignored my point just to rave about your hate for core gamers. The more trash software there is the more often casual gamers will be dissapointed.
Of course I dont expect a Wii appologist to ever listen to a real argument.
Reply
Of course I dont expect a Wii appologist to ever listen to a real argument.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 3:23PM (Unverified) said
But I think we're all assuming that the casual crowd thinks that the games they buy suck, which they don't. My parents have a Wii and they think it's a blast but according to me all their games suck. My dad just bought the newest NFS game and he thinks it's awesome. Keep in mind that these casual gamers are generally the same people that kept the DaVinci Code on the NYT's bestseller list for, what? Two years? And they're the reason that there are as many Saw movies as there are and why American Idol is still on the air. Mr. Khan almost had it right because critical retardation IS the standard. So, no, I don't think we're going to see a crash.
Reply
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 1:44PM adv2k169 said
meh.
how many people look at rotten tomatoes.com before they watch a movie. I do, but most people don't care if its rated rotten if they want to see it they will watch the movie.
the same goes for games.
how many people look at rotten tomatoes.com before they watch a movie. I do, but most people don't care if its rated rotten if they want to see it they will watch the movie.
the same goes for games.
Posted: Jun 11th 2009 10:44AM aristokrat said
If I'm seeing it in the theaters, I always check first (imdb is my preferred reference). Movies cost too much not to.
Reply
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 1:47PM (Unverified) said
Idiocy always wins out in the end. A sensible person would look at what critics have to say weigh the pros and cons in his mind, understand what they are trying to say and then buy the game based on his or her final decision. But now our decisions are based on childishness with people saying "You guys are stupid, I am buying it anyway" or pre-ordering the game and getting mad because everyone else wasn't stupid enough to buy the crappy game too or chastising a particular web site because they have the balls to point out the games major faults and give it a lower score. Brains and skill seem not to be necessary to play games these days. With Nintendo holding your hand all the way through the games and Microsoft's games getting dumber and more brick headed every time. Trust me people you are not doing anyone any favors by buying the crap game developers try to feed you.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 1:50PM phenylketonurics said
Man alive. These days, the only way to know whether a game is good or not is to listen to what other people say is casual or core. This is not a lemmings society!
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 1:51PM Uncle Jesse said
I doubt that he's generalizing all Wii games here. But in this particular instance, with Active, it's true. He's talking about reaching a broader audience. One that doesn't read Metacritic or sites like this one. Wii Fit was purchased by an older, female audience and I've seen Active demos on shows like Ellen. These types of games are trying to appeal to everyone.
My mom doesn't know anything about video games. But she owns a Wii and Wii Fit. I know for a fact that she didn't read about it online or go check out Metacritic for reviews before buying it.
My mom doesn't know anything about video games. But she owns a Wii and Wii Fit. I know for a fact that she didn't read about it online or go check out Metacritic for reviews before buying it.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 2:06PM ScottG13 said
Seems like having Mario in it is the main determinate.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 2:33PM (Unverified) said
My first rule before buying a game is to try and watch a video of the actual gameplay (trailers aren't really a good depiction of the actual game - better than nothing, but not as good as watching the real fame footage). After watching a video of the gameplay, if I'm still not sure, I'll read the reviews of other gamers. If for some reason I'm still not sure, I might actually read a review by a "professional" reviewing site.
I try to give this same advice to anybody who asks about what game to buy. I'll tell them to go to Youtube and find a video of the game (almost every game can be found on Youtube, and since almost everyone has used Youtube, it's something they can feel comfortable about using). I've never told someone to go read a Metacritic review before buying a game, and I doubt that I ever will tell someone to go and read it before buying a game.
I try to give this same advice to anybody who asks about what game to buy. I'll tell them to go to Youtube and find a video of the game (almost every game can be found on Youtube, and since almost everyone has used Youtube, it's something they can feel comfortable about using). I've never told someone to go read a Metacritic review before buying a game, and I doubt that I ever will tell someone to go and read it before buying a game.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 3:02PM Mr Khan said
The majority of the outlets that contribute to metacritic (and especially those outlets that metacritic weighs more heavily) are out of touch with the passions and prejudices of the Wii audience, so you can't get a straight shot out of metacritic when it comes to these new-agey kinda titles. The non-games and whatnot.
Can't really fault them (the games aren't made for them), but then equally, you can't look at their opinion and call it definitive.
Can't really fault them (the games aren't made for them), but then equally, you can't look at their opinion and call it definitive.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 4:05PM Vcize said
True, but lets be honest here, some of these games that are selling very well suck for EVERY audience, no matter which they are and are not in touch with.
I'm pretty confident that if I, someone with about 13 seconds of programming experience, created a Wii game called "OMG COOL SPORTZ GAMEZ" and put it in a pretty box I could sell 1 million units.
Reply
I'm pretty confident that if I, someone with about 13 seconds of programming experience, created a Wii game called "OMG COOL SPORTZ GAMEZ" and put it in a pretty box I could sell 1 million units.
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 3:04PM (Unverified) said
So basically what he's saying is that it's okay to make a crappy game, those stupid consumers will snap them right up!
Care about Metacritic scores! Have PRIDE in your work!
Care about Metacritic scores! Have PRIDE in your work!
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 6:18PM (Unverified) said
I read Gamerankings.com, not metacritic... AM I THE ONLY ONE??!?!??
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 7:19PM (Unverified) said
well it's true, when we bought our own we didn't look thru metacritics.
check a gameplay video here: http://www.xboxstation.net (not a spam , just to share the love of the game)
check a gameplay video here: http://www.xboxstation.net (not a spam , just to share the love of the game)
Posted: Jun 10th 2009 7:56PM redjack said
How did metacritic become THE guide to buying games? Or anything for that matter?
Some of the games I've enjoyed the most never broke eighty on there and were better to me than some of the ones that score a 90 or above. Not just this generation but looking at older games as well. And metacritic will just assign scores when there isn't one or use their own system to convert letter grades to their system and I've seen those both be inaccurate and bring a game down more than it should.
I might consider a reviewers score when buying a game but then again their prejudices and tastes aren't going to be mine. This same avenue of thought goes for movies as well. Not everyone is going to love the same thing. And I'll be damned if I ever let Ebert tell me what's a good movie let alone let a game reviewer tell me what a game is definitively. I'm always surprised to see people commenting, "I'll never buy a game that scores under 90" on here. How is that really being any better than the uneducated casual masses you scoff at now? Have you really done the research on the game if you're just going by that score?
And my woman has Sports Active and loves it. For what it does and not how it looks or sounds. And what it does is kick your ass.
Some of the games I've enjoyed the most never broke eighty on there and were better to me than some of the ones that score a 90 or above. Not just this generation but looking at older games as well. And metacritic will just assign scores when there isn't one or use their own system to convert letter grades to their system and I've seen those both be inaccurate and bring a game down more than it should.
I might consider a reviewers score when buying a game but then again their prejudices and tastes aren't going to be mine. This same avenue of thought goes for movies as well. Not everyone is going to love the same thing. And I'll be damned if I ever let Ebert tell me what's a good movie let alone let a game reviewer tell me what a game is definitively. I'm always surprised to see people commenting, "I'll never buy a game that scores under 90" on here. How is that really being any better than the uneducated casual masses you scoff at now? Have you really done the research on the game if you're just going by that score?
And my woman has Sports Active and loves it. For what it does and not how it looks or sounds. And what it does is kick your ass.
Posted: Jun 11th 2009 5:09AM (Unverified) said
Where does everyone here get their movie, music, pc and book review/rating information?
Cos I know i don't buy/visit specific movie/music/book sites for reviews very often. Maybe from time to time, but i mostly get my information from friends, forums, existing opinions, and from more general sources like magazines, newspapers and various websites.
I use netacritic for movies from time to time, but it rarely has much influence on my decision of what to watch.
Gamer sources reflect gamer preferences... and they aren't relevant to most people. People will get better information FOR THEM from the sources they read anyway.
Metacritics movie scores all come from mainstream press... and mainstream press's game ratings are much more important to most people than what some geeky PC review site gave it.
Cos I know i don't buy/visit specific movie/music/book sites for reviews very often. Maybe from time to time, but i mostly get my information from friends, forums, existing opinions, and from more general sources like magazines, newspapers and various websites.
I use netacritic for movies from time to time, but it rarely has much influence on my decision of what to watch.
Gamer sources reflect gamer preferences... and they aren't relevant to most people. People will get better information FOR THEM from the sources they read anyway.
Metacritics movie scores all come from mainstream press... and mainstream press's game ratings are much more important to most people than what some geeky PC review site gave it.
