http://www.bitmob.com/articles/metacritic-scores-vs-sales-2009-holiday-season-analysis

Here's a link to a great article referencing vgchartz a source for sales numbers. It's an analysis which basically debunks the whole meta-review score equals sales myth.

Sorry for the link only, too large to cut and paste?

quote from end of article-

"My analysis demonstrates that no link between Metacritic scores and sales exists. So why do publishers insist on such a connection? I can’t really say. That reviews scores would influence sales does feel intuitive. Perhaps publishers also feel reassured that they've based their decisions on a quantifiable number."

"But I won't pretend that I have all the answers. I don't really know why or why not a particular game sells well or poorly. My data isn't equipped to answer that question, either. What I do know is that no correlation between Metacritic scores and unit sales exists, and I think it's foolish for publishers to tie monetary compensation to such scores."

lol you gotta be kidding me.

I hope you're not the one who wrote that article.

Reviews are important to sales, they arent to the point in which reviews define it, but I wouldnt trust Uncharted would have sold 3 million with a 4.5 metacritic score, its like possitive word of mouth.

good games generally sell better.
bad games generally sell worse.
there are few exceptions.
sounds like a link to me tbh.

I still can't believe 5% of games get "universal acclaim."  That's the nail in the coffin for me.

well for one the sales are skewered by franchise games that sale regardless of low reviews i would think metacritic would be more relevant for new ip's 

What does that mean anyway?

Games with an above 90% or equivalent metacritic average.

But, to say critics have nothing to do with sales is kinda, wrong. Because I've bought games a couple of times based on Review Score only (and some of the times I've regretted it because they were 90+ score game according to metacritic, but it was a type of game I didn't like)

Good scores help but wont save a game from bad sales if its a niche product.