Regarding the touchacade ratings

Discussion in 'Site Feedback and News' started by skyye06, Oct 8, 2009.

  1. skyye06

    skyye06 Well-Known Member

    Jul 21, 2009
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    So arn of all the times you could have implemented it what was the catalyst that caused you to start the rating system now?

    Also are the ratings collaborative or just by the person who reviewed it?
     
  2. Zincous

    Zincous Well-Known Member

    Dec 23, 2008
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  3. pharmx

    pharmx Well-Known Member

    Jan 29, 2009
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    I still wish the ratings were based on multiple reviewers :(

    What arn thinks is a 5 star game might be different than what eli thinks is a 5 star game, etc. By having a collective score, people can match their personal tastes with the reviewers that they feel like the same things that they do.

    For example, BA might review a particular game at 4 stars while Blake gave it a 2.5 star. Then based on what I've read from previous reviews by Blake and BA, I can decide on how much I think I like the game.

    There are two types of reviews ones that are somewhat objective and ones that are completely subjective. The "objective" ones usually sound neutral and list all the features of the game while highlighting the pros and cons. The subjective ones on the other hand give a more personal view on the game. For example someone that really likes RPG's would give an RPG a higher rating than a sports game in a subjective review, while an objective review would rate a good RPG and a good sports game equally, since it would focus more on how the title compares to other titles available, etc.

    Just my opinion :D
     
  4. arn

    arn Administrator
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold

    Apr 19, 2008
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    It's been something we've debated ever since the site started. It's just a combination of reasons.

    - People like ratings, developers like ratings.
    - I think people tend to skim reviews with ratings, and see what the score is, and never read the review (I know that's what I do :) )
    - We had talked about doing these sort of recaps/best of, so this works out well.

    Scoring is always so difficult and I feel like it can reflect a bit of the heat of the moment. Scoring changes over time. A 5 star game 1 year ago is probably not a 5 star game now. The best we can do is provide some consistency for ratings within the month.

    The ratings are collaborative, but obviously, the person that played it the most might influence it more.

    arn
     
  5. arn

    arn Administrator
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    Apr 19, 2008
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    that might be the best... but I don't know if all of us play each game fully enough to be comfortable giving an official score from each person.

    arn
     
  6. Brazilian Rider

    Brazilian Rider Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2009
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    I still don't understand how Geodefense: Swarm gets a 5/5 and iBlast Moki gets a 4.5/5?
     
  7. eggzbacon

    eggzbacon Well-Known Member

    May 17, 2009
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    I just look at the Albie Meter whenever I read a Big Albie review
     
  8. Will090

    Will090 Well-Known Member

    Moki should have got a 6/5. But I like your idea to wait a month for reviews as most games lack replayability
     
  9. yourofl10

    yourofl10 Well-Known Member

    Dec 11, 2008
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    Just a though/something I wanted to throw in:

    What don't the scores be an average, to get the average you score each art of the game (sound,graphics,etc...) then get the average score for the game then make the average score the official score of the game. It's just an idea.
     
  10. Big Albie

    Big Albie Well-Known Member

    Feb 12, 2009
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    Part of the problem with averages is they can skew the overall score. For example, the game can have great artwork and graphics, but terrible gameplay which for some is more important.
     
  11. The Game Reaper

    The Game Reaper Well-Known Member

    Dec 6, 2008
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    The Emerald Isle
    4.5 stars isn't good enough for you?
     
  12. Boardumb

    Boardumb Administrator
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    Apr 14, 2009
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    I like how you put for "some" that gameplay is more important than graphics. :p I guess it's different for dinosaurs like myself who grew up gaming in the 80's, where gameplay trumped all other aspects. Although, I'm guilty of buying a piece of crap game or two just cause it was oh so shiny. I just couldn't imagine what it must be like for those who grew up playing N64 or PS2 rather than Atari 2600 or NES.

    But on topic, I like how you summarize the good games of the month, and I don't really have a problem with numeric scoring. In the end, every review is just that person's opinion, and you can only really use it to formulate your own opinion on which games to buy. With so many games coming out daily, it's nice to have a little summary of the best games for each month.
     

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