[Feature] It’s harder to write honest game reviews than you think it is.
When I asked Jools how he responds to the criticism given in negative reviews, he said this:
“Some criticisms are valid, and some are not. Marking a game’s score down due to no multiplayer, for example, is ridiculous. It shouldn’t be a review about what a game does NOT have. It should be a review about what a game DOES have. If the single player content of a game, for example, is not worthy for some reason, then stick to criticizing the ingredients that DO exist.”
“It’s like saying a lasagna would taste better if it had peas on the side. Well, perhaps the issue is that the lasagna is lacking something. That’s what should be fixed. Adding peas just masks the issue. It doesn’t fix it.”
And he’s right. I’m sure I’m guilty of this too, but a lot of reviewers will knock points for the dumbest things. I sort of wonder if developers strategically choose certain outlets to send games to in order to avoid such places that they fear might not “get” their game.
“In my experience, you can’t predict how a reviewer will score a game.” Jools said. “I have some good friends in the press, and when I send them our games I know that they will review them honestly. Making games is my job. Writing honest reviews of games is their job. If they compromise their integrity, what do they have left?”
They don’t have much left after that, it’s true. But here’s where people get mixed up: They assume that writing a dishonest review means you were paid off, or that it means you want to keep a good relationship with a certain publisher so you can get favors in the future. That’s not always the case. Bigger outlets? Sure. I know for a fact that some larger gaming websites and magazines have boosted game scores in order to stay in “good” with certain companies. But smaller outlets fudge review scores for the reasons I said earlier: They feel bad. They probably hate sending that e-mail as much as I do, so they avoid it. They spare the feelings of developers because that same developer gave them a free game.
Which, I suppose if you think about it is the same as getting paid off, only your intentions are not as clouded. You do it not out of interest in profits, but because someone has done you a favor and you care about them.
Hmm…
Considering it now, those are very similar. Perhaps they hide behind different veils- one behind compassion and the other behind greed- but ultimately they come from the same place.
I learned something!
