So what if they sell well? Crap/mediocre games sell well all the time. I'd argue that most people who buy games like Wii Fit, Mario and Sonic, Canival Games, Mario Party and Wii Play don't read reviews and buy what they think looks fun or buy off the recommendations of friends.

Also, gamespot seems to be pretty in line with metacritic averages (since I know how much you all value average scores).

Game: GS Score(Difference from MC score)

Wii Fit: 70 (-10)

Mario and Sonic: 60 (-7)

Carnival Games: 45 (-11)

Wii Play: 54 (-4)

Wii Sports: 78 (+2)

They low-balled R&C:TOD way more than any of the games you listed.

You may cry and huff and ball your fist but at the end of the day there is only one objective way to rate any entertainment medium and it's sale. Entertainment quality isn't based on how one small group of narrow minded fanatic who think they shit gold think but on how many people that product reach and entertain. Every wanna be "artist" may rage and claim is crap don't sell because other don't "understand" that he is just too fucking brilliant for all the small minded people, that may make him feel better, but it also mean he will continue to produce shit and be one step away from starving for the rest of is life because he is unable to reconize that the problem is him and not the rest of the world.

As for the game, we'll see how well it do.

Yes it's a very "bugging" comment but it's the truth. Quality hardly has anything to do with sales. Although it can help sales, especially if its legs of a game targeted at core gamers who read reviews, but other than that it's hype, brand, and marketing that are the bulk of sales. I mean I'd love to think quality was the driving force of sales too, but unfortunately it isn't. I'm just stating the cold hard truth. And people need to understand this if they are going to discuss sales, that we need to understand what the driving force is as well.

So what if they sell well? Crap/mediocre games sell well all the time. I'd argue that most people who buy games like Wii Fit, Mario and Sonic, Canival Games, Mario Party and Wii Play don't read reviews and buy what they think looks fun or buy off the recommendations of friends.

That's pretty much what I stated above, although without the angry/aggressive tone. I said that there was a disconnect between Gamespot (who believes that the expanded audience games are all garbage) and the (very large) numbers of people who are buying these products. Based on the Zucas quote your provided above, you suggested that these sales were due to "hype, brand, and marketing". It's an argument I've seen advanced many times before - the people who are not core gamers are idiots who can't appreciate *REAL* games - and it's always bothered me.

I think there are two ways you can look at this:

- These "casual" games are rubbish. Only idiots buy these games, people who have been "duped" by marketing into purchasing garbage. Gamespot deserves to slam these titles in reviews.

- Gamespot has completely missed the point. These games are selling well because they are easy, fun, and people like playing them. There is no tricking of the public taking place. Consumers are just buying what appeals to them, and it happens to be the simple expanded audience offerings.

Obviously I adhere more to the second point of view. To go back to the bolded quote above - is it bad that the expanded audience doesn't read reviews, and instead purchases games based on "what looks like fun"? Shouldn't that be the goal of any game purchase? (I know it is for me!) I will always believe that consumers know what they want better than reviewers, and if the consumers are buying games in droves that the reviewers detested - well, the fault is not with the consumers!

PS I still don't think Mario Sluggers looks like a good game. Not because of the reasons listed by Gamespot though - because it doesn't look nearly as intuitive or fun as offerings like Wii Sports and Mario Kart.

Yes youre absolutely right all those sites wanted to give it a lower score, maybe the score the game deserved and thats in the 6.s range, but the fact that this is a nintendo game automatically gives it an extra point ot 2

Will you guys stop being so fanboyish to admit that this is an average game ,a game that seems to be (from the reviews )worst then the gamecube version that was released years ago ,and as i see gaming reviews, average games get average scores not 7,s or 8,s like most first party average games tend to score, and this is in general not only for nintendo but also for sony and microsoft but for these 2 in a little less degree

There is no problem in liking games that score is the 6,s i have Viking batlle for asgard and that game got a 3 !!!!! from 1up and apart from some minor flaws the game is great but was trashed by critics not just 1up something that killed the game sales wise if mario super sluguers is an underated game what can i say about Viking

Nintendo fans need to wake up to the fact that all nintendo games get inflated scores and thats a proven fact i own several nintendo games and love most of them but i can see there real value not let miself get clouded by fanboyism