Edge: game reviews are becoming more about justifying purchases

Before, gamers were criticizing studios for influencing game reviews in order to sell more games. Recently though, it seems there’s a growing trend for gamers to try and influence game reviews and scores themselves out of loyalty to their own platforms.

Edge Online recently got flamed for their 6/10 review of Resistance 2. In response, they ask, “What are reviews for?”

Before, gamers were criticizing studios for influencing game reviews in order to sell more games. The most notable incident where this became an issue is Gerstmann Gate.

Recently though, it seems there’s a growing trend for gamers to try and influence game reviews and scores themselves out of loyalty to their own platforms.

Edge Online feels they may be the target of gamers’ ire this time when they recently got flamed for their 6/10 review of Resistance 2. In response, they ask, “What are reviews for?”

The point of their article is this: Reviews are supposed to help consumers decide what to buy, but it seems that now, gamers are looking to reviews as a way of justifying their own purchases:

[…] Common sense would dictate that a review is something prospective consumers may use to inform their own judgement of a title before making a decision on whether to invest or not. […] The reality, it seems, is far more complex.

[…] Glossing over the comments left by readers of the ‘Resistance 2Â’ review many of the most hostile are from those who have already played the title.

[…] It isnÂ’t too much to assume that PS3 owners would have a lot invested emotionally in the success of the title. As such, reading positive reviews could very well be one way in which consumers can justify their choice of brand and product.

Edge concludes that “ultimately, it is no oneÂ’s place to dictate how game reviews are best used,” but that this experience serves to remind reviewers that their opinions aren’t just read by consumers who want some perspective on whether to buy a game or not, but also by gamers who want to feel that their game of choice matches the consensus’.

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• LittleBigPlanet gets 6.3/10 on Metacritic, website founder addresses angry mob

Via EDGE