To me, they mean absolutely nothing. I judge games based on my own experience.

I first read previews on the game and see what its about and then watch some gameplay videos of it. If I like it I will buy if not then I won't.

Review scores and written reviews to me, are a complete waste of time. It's just one's opinion on the game. And sometimes that reviewer could be bias to the game or it could be something else. I just don't trust reviewers period. 

What does reviews mean to you?

I just look at aggregate scores on Metacritic and gamerankings usually when reviews interest me just to see the general public view of a game. It doesn't usually affect me decision on what to buy or not, but it's interesting to see what most think.

and if I'm truly interested in a game I will read reviews to try and glean gameplay elements out of them and aspects of the game while mainly ignoring their opinion on the actual game itself.  They're quite useful to get an idea about a game even if you don't read the rating.

that some guy i never met nor will ever meet tells me a game is either great or crap and he is god so i should listen to him and buy what he says to buy.

A 9/10 is the level of pain he will deliver if I defy him!

Understandable, Torillian...So if it was a game that you really liked, but it got awful written review....9 times out of 10 would you still pick up the game?

What you mentioned is not possible if you want to keep track of all the games coming out. Reviews sometimes help you pick games you have no prior knowledge about, but you end up liking. Its happened to me a lot of times.

They have relative importance. If it's a game I want a lot, I'll get it anyways, except say the game gets a 4 on every site (if it's a Suikoden game, I'll play it regardless of the score, no matter if it gets a 1 everywhere). They do help with games that aren't on my radar, that's how I discovered Advance Wars and Star Ocean, for example. And that also how I ended playing horrible games like Dragon Quest VIII, which has high (and undeserved) scores. In all, they matter a bit, but aren't the most important

I do read and listen to revues but not for the score, I use them to see what possible flaws and pros the game can have.

I usually just check them out to make sure everything sounds functional (i.e. the game isn't broken). If I'm already interested in a title, I'm rarely swayed by less than stellar reviews. On the flip side, I do occasionally buy games I might not otherwise have if they get a ton of great reviews. And sometimes they can help me to prioritize what to get first if there is a ton of games I'd like to play... like over the course of these next several months.

True, but I don't want somebody to suggest me playing the game and I don't like it. 

For example IGN and Gamespot.com praised Oblivion like crazy giving it a 9/10 and such. But I for one don't find any interest in the game at all. But I like Bullet Witch, which got awful reviews by some of them out there. Thats what I'm proving...

yes....because 9 times out of 10 I already know most everything about the game by keeping up with news and updates on it.  And I can'tjust completely skip what may be a game I truly enjoy because of the opinion of others, I still have to give it a shot.  I may be more apprehensive, but I will certainly still buy it.

Really the only time where reviews make a difference for what I buy or not is when I'm on the fence for a game and it's a pretty unknown quantity.  An example would be Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm.  I like the demo and the concept, but I'm not totally sold yet and reading reviews will help me make a final decision.