Ratings/Reviews Significance

[robzo100]

naruball said:

robzo100 said:

I think we all sort of don't give a shit about reviews - we buy what we expect to like. Perhaps I'm wrong - has this changed?

Nope. You can't speak for everyone. Reviews most certainly influence people and I'm sure much more than some are even willing to admit.

I'm speaking casually so in no way do I think I am "officially" speaking for everyone. This is an entertainment forum, not a philosophy forum.

Well, I think reviews usually don't affect people's judgments. However, I feel if certain criteria are met then it has an impact.

• All reviews are saying the same things and are in agreement about said game's quality
• The game is very unknown, thus the review takes precedent over premade conceptions
• The review is controversial, ie goes against the expected (like a very bad review of a game in a signature series: Halo, Metal Gear, Mario).

That list isn't mutually exclusive by any means and I just thought of those off the top of my head, but I think a run-of-the-mill review generally has little effect on mainstream consumption.