Behavioral Study Analyzes the Influence of Review Scores

DualShockers writes, "A Study conducted by the Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDR) has recently attempted to isolate the effects of review scores on a person’s opinion about a video game experience. This test’s intention is to show the effect (if any) that “low” and “high” scores have on a person’s opinion of a game. Read on to check out some of the rather interesting results."

[iiprotocolii]

I'm pretty sure that Review Scores play a big role in the decision making of people buying games. It's one of the tools used today by many gamers to finalize their decision of whether game X is worthy of purchase.

Not to say that it goes with EVERY gamer (as I tend to play a game first, THEN read a review to see if the writer shared equal thoughts), as many tend to go for a game more by taste at times.

[randomwiz]

while I don't disagree that MANY gamers use the score as an indicator of whether to purchase the game or not, in my opinion, its stupid to base your decision on review scores. I would read the actual review then decide. The reasons scores are useless are because everyone has different tastes and the scores vary from person to person. Some one might consider a 7 to be "VERY GOOD", and someone else might consider a 7 to be "BAD".

[Double Toasted]

I don't care about reviews. What I shouldn't be doing though, is caring about other people's reactions to those reviews. Because I didn't really need a chart to tell me that review scores really affect a games status in the industry or sales for that matter. Shit, you can just look at what goes on with most comment sections of game websites. The bad thing about it though is, these knuckles heads like to use review scores as a tool of death to games they can't play. Maybe these console companies and devs should be more careful of how they let their games be handled when some type of scrutiny isn't able to be determined. I know that sounds crazy, but reviews and websites are hurting the industry.

[BeaArthur]

This is no surprise. If you don't have a demo and aren't sure about a game you would naturally be influenced by someone who has played through it.

[rezzah]

I only look to it if I dont know much about the game im interested in. Even so I look towards other people comments about the game more than the reveiw itself. Though I do not completely rely on the scores given to a game.

[rezzah]

Wow a disagree for my way of doing things.

To whom ever disagreed youre a fucking prick. The world doesnt revolve around your way of doing things so go fuck yourself.

[JoelT]

shows that review scores are pretty much a form of indirect / direct marketing. I wonder if it would have been different had they read a review with no score like the ones found on Kotaku. A much higher percentage would have probably just taken the money.

[Chadness]

If I based my purchasing decisions on review scores, I wouldn't have played most of the great games I own, especially those in my favorite genre, JRPGs.

[JoelT]

said it any better myself.

[ranmafandude]

i'm pretty sure if i payed attention to reviews and bought only what the reviews consider good, i would only be buying mainly shooters lol. i like jrpgs which don't usually get good scores. i don't care about what they say if i like the game.

[Hitman0769]

This is very interesting to me. Making me think a lot!

[maawdawg]

considering it is your picture in the author slot of the article itself. :)

Nice article and the study is interesting. The reply to it here, not so much.

[Ninferno]

Wow i guess review scores do influence people. and i thought i was extremely unimpressionable

[booni3]

i think everyone has their own few review sources from people with similar tastes that they go to regularly and can trust. xplay happens to be one of those sources for me, and their say definitely affects my opinion a little bit.

[COINTELPRO]

I only play games destructoid deems worthy for me.

[Nike]

You must have missed some good stuff then. :|

[BubbRubb]

if anyone needs any further proof, look at mass effect 2 and gta4.

[Rocket Sauce]

I can't take critics seriously after GTA 4. Hope they made their sponsors happy.

...

WOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[BubbRubb]

what you want that WHOO WHOOOOOOOOO!!

[Theonik]

having bought the game i have to agree on you. Don't forget the Kane & Lynch incident. Review scores are about as reliable as asking company X if their own game is good for hyped games.

[Spenok]

I agree, GTA4 was good.... but NOT the best game this gen so far. Thats total bs.

[Mista T]

GTA4 blows
but Mass Effect 2 is one of the best I've ever played

[LilSis]

so this wrticle IS right!

[Lombax]

If I hadn't listened to all those BS reviews I would have been playing BC when it first came out. That game is really fun and I wish I would have had it while the online community was strong.

[Active Reload]

There was a demo for it, an online demo anyway.

[dizzleK]

i realized that if game reviews had never existed my buying habits wouldn't have changed one iota. i've always simply bought the games i wanted to play and i've never been disappointed. i only end up disappointed when i give into hype and trust the 9+ that reviewers throw around.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

Oh, come on. You guys should have known this. It's basic sociology/psychology.

[BubbRubb]

now its official, like me

[tiamat5]

What gets me is that everyone talks as if this a bad thing. I never listen to just one review of anything and decide according to how many good scores the game gets. But everyone talks as if the games are free or something. Most of the people who go on and on about not listening to critics are either people with disposable income or have systems modified for pirated games. So of course you can buy every game on the market. But however regular honest gamers like me need a guide. An epic game and a half @$$ed game aren't different prices. I take the chance of buying $60.00 pieces of garbage if i just brought every game that claims it is epic.Sure that might mean that a few games get left by the wayside which is too bad. But I have to spend real money to buy these 7 out of 10 games that are more likely to have huge game breaking flaws.I mean what do critics know about that anyway? They probably get there games for free anyway, so they can afford to judge

[N4g_null]

How it is bad, well loosing your readers to blogers is one reason and no one taking you serious is another.

The whole 10 and 9s that where given out this gen really did bum out a lot of HD gamers. Most of these gamers don't even play these games any more.

Buying reviews and just hyping stuff only works the first few times yet just showing people a good game no matter what the review says does so much more.

In the past the media was only good at opinions of games now that act as if they are the sole representation of hardcore gamers when they are not. This why they are now out of touch with core gamers. Back in the day we just needed game play facts and pictures and then a good rental sealed the deal if we did not get to play the game.

[Gr81]

Man, the good old days. I remember I'd ride my bike to a video store with 2$'s in my pocket..Even though the name of the store was 1$ Video,(lol). But in any case, the only thing we had to go on was the box.

The box and then the screens on the back of it with a short summary of what the game entailed. There were no game reviewers, and if there were, I didn't know about em. WE were the reviewer. We'd tell friends and word of mouth would spread..good or bad.

We didn't have to have a game reviwer to validate the games we liked. Some of the most fun games I've played during the NES/SNES era would probably be the worst reviewed now..But guess what? They were FUN.

[TheBuIIetSponge]

Review scores play no role in my game purchases. I know before the reviews come out if its a buy or not.

[SephireX]

Review scores influence my purchase of games but they don't influence my review of that game. For example, I think Super Mario Galaxies 2 is a 10 out of 10. Oh wait...

[DuneBuggy]

Some reviewers are not a fan of a certain genre, and I always take their opinions with a grain of salt.But if several reviews conclude that a game is "broken" somehow such as crappy controls,really bad A.I.,etc...That usually will weigh on my decision to buy it or not.

[LilSis]

i accly condocted tis study,