Reviews - Should Graphics Effect The Score?

[Killergran]

Fumanchu said:

Killergran said:

First year interns as head artists is only a bad thing if the consumers crave differently. Quality in and of itself is pointless, it needs an audience that appreciates it. Reviewers must reflect their audiences tastes, or they will find themselves superfluous.

If the reviewers can see that alot of people will enjoy the experience, and that the graphics play an integral part to that enjoyment, then the scores should reflect this.

I find it hard to believe how someone can make a blanket statement like 'graphics are irrelevant'.  I can't see how anyone who plays Gran Turismo 1 getting the same level of enjoyment or perceiving it as the same quality as Gran Turismo 5.

See, we're almost in perfect agreement there. However, I tend to base all my opinions on the consumer view. In my mind, the consumer is always the goal, and you should therefore always give the consumer what it wants. The ones that succeed best in this will be the most successful. If the consumers only want awesome graphics, give them awesome graphics. If they don't want that, don't bother.

Reviewers should follow the same road. Give consumers the kind of reviews they want. My guess is that most them want reviews to be informative and be based on about the same values as they themselves entertain. My guess would be that most people that play videogames would want to know how fun a game is. If the experience is worth the money. And as such, all elements that add and subtracts from the experience should be accounted for.

So while we mostly agree on the specifics, our perspectives are different. Mine is more consumer-centered, and yours is more producer-centered. I'm guessing this is what gave rise to the argument in the first place.