Skewed Reviews, Perfect Games and some Thoughts

EEDAR data shows that, in average, games are reviewed with grades between 68 and 71. I am unaware of the methodology they use, but if they used the right one (averaging each individual games scores and than averaging all scores) it just shows how skewed reviews are, and the fact that a game with a score of 7 is, indeed, a mediocre game.

Mediocre means something in the middle, not a bad thing. And the middle of 0 and 100 should be something between 49 and 51. Not 68 and 71. This just shows that there is a problem with current reviews system. You could say that there is way better games, but that is not true. If quality rises, you need to demand more, and therefore you will give lower scores because the better games are better now than old games.

That is now what happens. Most reviewers keep reviewing just the best games, and they don`t have either the courage to give them lesser grades to represent this jump in better quality or the wise to see that this change on how they grade their games is needed. Either way it means that you cannot relay in their scores, as they are not representative of quality of a game, it is just a completely arbitrary number they put after the text.

So, I defend that those numbered scores must be dropped entirely. If you don`t trust them, then they are unnecessary. And if the EEDAR numbers are to be believed, they are not to be be trusted.

The second conclusion they get is that pretty games, with innovative gameplay elements, fluid controls and nice presentation attracts players. Surprising, as most gamers I know put so much praise on gameplay, myself included. It just serves to show that we buy with our eyes and that the core gamer, the one who goes to forums and sites, are not the majority of gamers.

So, it is no surprise that Japanese games, with their clunk menus and over complicated gameplay have loosing favor for Western games, but games like Dark Souls, which don`t fall in that traps thrives in the West.

So, I think those are important data to look upon and think about. Many widespread views about what make a successful game in the internet are quiet incorrect. If, of course, the EEDAR data is reliable. Since I am no mathematician and have no access to those data, I can`t just deny them. It seems accurate to me.

Gamers must take those data and use it to reflect.