Although we’ve found Metacritic a userful resource for game reviews, many folks have gone on a user submission rampage to discredit games that haven’t even launched yet. Their first attack was on LittleBigPlanet followed by Resistance 2, now their hitting Gears of War 2.
While Gears of War 2 has a Metacritic score of 94/100 the user’s have reviewed it to be a 3.5 out of 10, with a bright red box around the user review due to its low nature we’re sure. Although users are free to give their own honest representation of the game from their perspective, Gears of War 2, as of the review dates, hasn’t been released yet – these reviews are bogus.
This style of attack was popularized in Spore, when Amazon got nailed with poor reviews of the game because Spore’s “Draconic” DRM made people angry. However, it’s more reasonable for people to voice their opinion on a known issue with a game; Gears of War 2 review spamming is just mean.
We use Metacritic as guidance when we do our gaming podcast to understand what games are rated in the industry, but we don’t use user reviews as our main guide. There are plenty of folks out there that may utilize these reviews in more seriousness because they may feel journalists reviews are tainted by advertisers or “the man” and want the common gamers opinion.
The common gamer cannot possibility be reviewing Gears of War 2 before the title has arrived. This is bogus. Metacritic has this to say:
“My advice for our faithful users is to focus your attention on the Metascore for this game and not the thousands of user votes, most of which have been submitted before said users have played the game. This is a gaming community, and if people want to stuff the ballot box, there’s not much I can do at this point. When we upgrade the registration requirements for participation on the site in the near future, this type of thing won’t happen. We’ll post the full legitimate user reviews upon the game’s release. As always, thanks for using the site.” (1up)
So, to those looking for holiday gaming gifts, keep this in mind while you start hunting down games you’ll want to buy.
Looking for a place to leave podcast feedback and you don’t feel like firing off an e-mail? You can now
Sorry I couldn’t be there with you guys. Had a 6 hour work project Monday and Tuesday. 🙁
Paul seems to swear more when I’m not there to calm him down… 🙂
@Civ2 Preorder: The first game I preordered was Shenmue for the Dreamcast from Software Etc. Awesome stuff. I also remember paying $65 for Harvest Moon 64. Weird times…
@EVE Panel: It seems like people are “Indoctrinated” and can’t think for themselves anymore. Someone must have known that this wasn’t right, just like other people in that fighting game tournament where the sexual harassment took place. The Nuremberg Trials show you’re going to be held responsible for your actions, so they might as well be your own. And that person should seek professional help.
@Paul’s swearing: Disney games need more profanity. Preferably in a British accent.
And thanks for the game! <3 Four men and a podcast? Sounds good.
Thank you very much for the game! On the podcast: Wow, Paul and Dan together can be a bit overwhelming. I think that Paul always wants to be the one who talks the most and keeps on chattering until he is out of breath (hate mail!).
@Congressmen want warning labels on all games: This would be really stupid if this actually happened. Unlike cigarettes, video games do not have a guaranteed health risk, and I have never known anyone who act aggressively because of video games. Hell, I think gamers are more likely to be peaceful in the real world.
@Rumor: Microsoft to release ‘Xbox Lite’ before next-gen: This isn’t very surprising since the next Xbox won’t be out for at least one and half years. Better milk it till it’s dry, eh?
Keep doing what you’re doing, this podcast keeps on improving every week.
I loved working with Dan! It was great to cyber-meet him and I can’t wait for him to come back 🙂
Dan: thank you for being a friend 😉
Jonah, I think the two chewed up your ears all the way to the skull …
@Congressmen want warning labels on all games
I agree with the congressmen!
They should also consider the following stickers:
“Exposure to TV can increase the rate of diet related diseases”
“Exposure to seats in congress can lead to disconnects with the people who voted you”
“Not doing anything useful during ones mandate can lead to a scramble to public yet futile initiatives during election campaign”
and the list can go on.
I mean let’s put stickers on anything.
@Console version of Diablo III will be “full Blizzard experience”
If the controllers can handle it, sure. I mean the whole inventory system, the shortcuts and whatnot, they all need to somehow be mapped to the console inputs. Not that easy.
@Grand Theft Auto V details allegedly leaked
Weight should be the same, be it the material being in liquid state or in solid state.
Feels more like a PR stunt. Too many details regarding the character to be wishful thinking.
@EVE Online FanFest Panel accused of “tasteless” behavior
Quite true regarding the dickwad theory. One thing that helped me evolving from a dickwad to normal person is to imagine that instead of writing/texting your reply, imagine you’re talking to the guy face to face.
As for depression and MMOs, well, Jonah is right, cutting all your connections to the real world and immersing yourself in an MMO will not help.
@Microsoft to release ‘Xbox Lite’ before next-gen
Dunno … it is very risky to them to develop two future platforms.
I say the Lite one will be an evolution of the current 360, oriented towards power saving an lower production costs (confirmed later on by the podcast, yay!).
Good point on the second hand 360; if the Lite one has lower performance than the 360, then the older console will outlive the Lite.
And yes, I do write the comment while listening.
Hello and many compliments for the show. I am big fan and I always listen to you guys every week. I’ll go straight to the point:
@4 men podcast: please No. I am not saying that the idea of a four men podcast itself is bad, but please not with this guy. It took me a while to like Paul but he is really like a “Paul^2”. Dan, in the last podcast, might have in fact reached levels of douchiness no man has ever reached before…
That said, thank you again and keep it up (without Dan 😉
hello guys,
@4man cast
the show was great w/o jordan, i mean, not that he is replaceble, but in the way that 4man cast, YES WE CAN! and he is as energetic as paul, so it will work.
@warning labels in games
WARNING – this game cantains large amounts of awesomeness and should be played right now
(i should really not do this 2nd one because i am not american, but….)
WARNING – congressman should STFU and GTFO, because ESRB is already doing their jobs and the warning label would be redundancy
@Diablo III console vers.
Jonah, when i said: “while one’s equipament still works (not fry out into oblivion)” while my motherboard/grapx card doesn’t fry (“expire”)
Good luck blizzard, but i could not care less, i’m getting on my PC
@EVE Online FanFest Panel accused of “tasteless” behavior
i once suffered of depression and i normally took shelter in PC online gaming as well, and i can imagine how that guy felt, being rejected from the only place he feels he belongs to…
i hope he is ok
@I_shoud_be_Working: you got it all wrong, hate mail goes to Paul … 😉