Wonders why the internet Blames the Victim and not the Criminal

JoelR

Contributor
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Absolute Standards VS Relative Standards in Ratings

The following is personal opinion - you may not agree


I hate this crap about ratings in games.
With the new ratings winner being GTA IV it shows why I hate it... 

    GTA is given a "perfect" score and yet the game is not perfect.
Why? Well because it feels right or "they give games 10 that push the boundaries and revolutionize the industry".
    A feeling does not determine what is perfect.Perfection does.
Honestly as a developer it pisses me off more than a little
If a game is not ranked against an absolute standard - what are we
developing towards than?  
    Viewpoint? A moving target if there ever was one.
    Absolutes are things that can be aimed at...
feelings are much harder - every developer aims to create a good time
and many aim at technical as well as story perfection. 
    No score should ever be perfect as long as a single flaw is detected ever. I know this is an impossibility but it is a goal. 
GTA deserves a high score! but a perfect one? no.



You ask my personal feelings on how ratings should be done?
  1. it should take into account technical excellence
  2. it should take into account editorial excellence
  3. it should take into account gameplay excellence

using a number rating system is bad as it implies that there are "perfect scores" possible so maybe a more neutral ratings system like
abominable bad mediocre good excellent
it doesn't imply perfection but it does say that something is done in a manner that excels over the competition.



If you really want to use a numeric system  it should be based on absolutes and not on feelings and thus you should assign a number points to each section
2.5 to technical
2.5 to direction
5 to gameplay
______________
10 total

then you can deduct in areas where a game is flawed... and I would never expect higher then 9.9 as a perfect 10 again implies perfection.
    Finally I question the motives and the ethical behaviour of most reviewers and of their companies....
    If my company invited every journalist multiples of times to dances and dinners
and paid 80% of their normal yearly income to the companies that are reviewing my product I would be surprised if they didn't give me 100% ratings... that of course would not mean I deserve them, just that I bought em.

JoelR5859d ago

Images used to show why a subjective viewpoint is a bad thing for rating an absolute product....

NO_PUDding5857d ago

Overrated is all you had to say...

And I agree, but the 360 users aren't used to it being on thier console, so the American Media laps it up like it's the best on that's ever been.

But for me, GTAIII is the best one EVER. Niko having background anf such a personality and this supposed contemporary feel. What a load of rubbish.

Tourism is booming in Croatia, no one leaves for America anymore apart from anomalies, which I have to assume Niko is.

JoelR5856d ago

Considering the trouble Niko gets into in Liberty City I would think Croatia deported him....

JoelR5856d ago

But that is not what this blog is about
It's about how a fair rating could and should be created rather than a rating system purely dependent on emotional response
I think Emotional Response is part of the review equation but not all.

Richdad5856d ago

and every body invoved wanted to earn it pushed sales for 360, PS3 and media also got attention. But yeah it hyped too much, I mean its a good game but its a game after all its not a miracle.
GTA4 is great but not the end of the world there will be games other than GTA and still better than it.
Also I should say if there is feel any game should be given perfect not only GTA4 but holding perfection just to give away to GTA 4 is incorrect. I am contradicting you here but I believe that feel is necessary GOW2 had this feel and it could be given it or may be COD4 or Gears. But holding perfect score back saying nothing could be perfect but suddenly giving a perfect score to GTA4 and saying this is the bar of perfection is too much.

JoelR5855d ago

It's why I suggest a non numeric rating system - doesn't imply perfection but it can imply superlative/exceptional games.

iAmPS35855d ago

What a bunch of bullshit, you think you are so much smarter than anyone else out there and honestly i just read crap.

JoelR5855d ago (Edited 5855d ago )

your entitled to your opinion ^-^
I salute you for it...
but next time try to avoid the profanity - it really doesn't paint a good picture of you or your point.

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