Metacritic Responds To Early Reader Review Ordeal

See, this is what happens when you allow the masses to infiltrate an aspect of gaming journalism.

A few days ago, a major story began to circulate, and it centered on the fact that certain "people" ('cough' 360 fanboys 'cough') had jumped onto Metacritic to give Killzone 2 terrible reviews, even though the game isn't scheduled to release until February 28. In retaliation, the no-less-stupid PS3 fanboys started in on Halo Wars, dropping the game down to an average 0.8 rating. 'sigh' Kids. Anyway, TAWKN.com sent Metacritic a message, simply asking why they would allow this to happen for games that haven't even been released yet, and perhaps surprisingly, Metacritic's Marc Doyle replied. As we were all wondering how those submitted reviews were even allowed, this was his answer:

"They are no longer permitted. That game was added to our database a while back, and we suspended comments for future games in Nov of 2008. So while those votes won't go away, no future votes will be permitted until the game's launch."

Er...okay. But does this encompass all other games as well? Or will this practice of readers slamming games that aren't even released continue? We have to assume Metacritic has taken care of the issue, but unfortunately, this only proves the theory that readers really shouldn't be allowed to have such a significant impact. No offense to any and all gamers out there; we know there are thousands of gamers who would give places like Metacritic excellent, informed reviews. Unfortunately, there appear to be millions who would rather act like petulant children, so if that's the case, the entire idea may have to be abolished entirely.

Related Game(s): Killzone 2

1/5/2009 Ben Dutka

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Comments (66 posts)

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WaR_HaWk
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:21:11 AM
Reply

lol

2 up, 0 down

Naga
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:29:25 AM
Reply

OMG Killzone 2 got 0.2 from bias Xbots does that mean they're jealous lol

Halo War's doesn't look great I would prefer Age of Empires 2 instead which is almost a decade old I think?

1 up, 1 down

N a S a H
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:01:42 PM

AOE2 is one of my favorite games of all time :D

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:31:40 PM

Okay I got nothing against you dude but this irks me beyond belief, and if KREATE is reading this then listen up too, it's "biased xbots" you may hold a bias or be biased, but you can't mix them up. Thank you.

2 up, 0 down

Deleted User
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:41:17 PM

You do know the same people made Halo Wars right?

0 up, 1 down

King James
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 8:53:01 PM

yea that's why he mentioned that game.

0 up, 0 down

Arkhon
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 @ 3:59:41 PM

I'm probably gonna get Halo Wars because I'm a huge fan of the Halo franchise, Bungie, and Ensemble. I also love RTS games, despite the fact that I suck at them. I remember going to LAN parties with my dad to play Total Annihilation when I was about seven years old. Never won a single game, but I'm still addicted to RTSs.

0 up, 0 down

pavlovic
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:30:57 AM
Reply

the same happens in almost every gaming site that allows users to give their own reviews. It's sad, but it's true.

1 up, 0 down

John Shoemaker
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:31:24 AM
Reply

They do this with all games.
Killzone 2 and Halo Wars shouldn't be the only ones people are talking about. They did the same thing with LBP.

If they can't do it now, they will just do it when the game comes out. So we shouldn't even worry or bother with it.

2 up, 0 down

Phoelix
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:33:56 AM

I saw a 0.0 user-submitted rating for Resistance 2 on IGN: "This game is trash. This game blows."

People need to get girlfriends.

2 up, 1 down

giant123
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:39:23 PM

that doesnt make sence.... r2 was amazing

2 up, 0 down

djjake
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 4:57:33 PM

didn't know you could submit your own, i thought metacritic got proper site reviews and added them together for an overall review

0 up, 0 down

Aftab
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 10:03:00 AM

Well said, John.

0 up, 0 down

Aftab
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 10:19:04 AM

They have both, DJ. Critics' and users'.

0 up, 0 down

Deleted User
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:41:25 AM
Reply

Actually, this all started out with Gears of War 2 getting terrible user reviews.

2 up, 0 down

bebestorm
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:48:42 AM
Reply

I don't understand all the hate and bashing...
How pathetic to give low reviews... I guess they all have nothing better to do with their time...

2 up, 0 down

CaptRon
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:58:43 AM
Reply

"ha ha hee ha hee hee ha, and I thought my jokes were bad..."

3 up, 0 down

Joe_III
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 12:19:35 PM
Reply

Yeah, the whole users bashing gears 2 because R2 didn't do that well was ridiculous...can't trust them fanboys...on either end.

1 up, 0 down

giant123
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:39:53 PM

r2 was amazing.... again...
so was gears 2

0 up, 0 down

MetalHead09
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:43:48 PM

yes giant resistance 2 totally rocked. i have almost NO complaints about resistance2.

0 up, 0 down

Deleted User
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 12:26:18 PM
Reply

No one is going to trust a very low review score unless it is attached to a well written review. Unless that person is as much a moron as the person who gave the low score.

2 up, 0 down

Deleted User
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 12:32:32 PM
Reply

Apologies about my first one. It seems after reading up on things, it started out with LittleBigPlanet being low rated. Gears 2 was the retaliation.

3 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 12:37:17 PM
Reply

Just to clarify, Marc sent me an e-mail saying-

"Metacritic users can no longer submit their own reviews for any products on Metacritic until their release dates. We've left all existing user scores because attempting to parse the legitimate reviews from the bogus proved to be too difficult. But this will work itself out, and we'll have a more robust registration system in the near future that will likely discourage ballot stuffing."

1 up, 0 down

caliblue15
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:19:39 PM

That's what I was going to write, because he stated the same thing around when LBP and Gears 2 came out, but thanks for the official word.

0 up, 0 down

Ultimadream
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 12:43:33 PM
Reply

ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz......... Fanboyism = FAIL!

3 up, 0 down

giant123
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:40:24 PM

EPIC FAIL

3 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:34:12 PM

Who is the slob in ur avatar?

1 up, 0 down

Aftab
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 5:38:42 PM

lol! I've always wondered that, too!

0 up, 0 down

www
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 5:54:42 PM

Yea who's that???????

0 up, 0 down

FLYING_APE
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 6:49:37 PM

That slob is stanley kubrick my fav film director

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 10:18:56 PM

@ ape, Ohhhh cool, yeah Nicole Kidman Eyes Wide Shut, nice body on her.

0 up, 0 down

Aftab
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 10:27:51 AM

He looks Jewish.

0 up, 1 down

JPBooch
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:03:20 PM
Reply

What they SHOULD do is only allow people to register for critiquing if they have a valid PSN or Gamertag. That would effectively eliminate this bs. Unfortunately, it would be very easy to validate the gamertag on the 360...not so much on the PSN. The PSN really needs to have more internet capabilities.
Way off topic but I'd really like to:
1. Be able to check my PSN messages on my desktop
2. Check my and my friends trophies
3. Check the REAL leaderboard for trophies

When is Sony going to do that?

1 up, 0 down

giant123
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:41:33 PM

u can compair your trophies to your friends already...

1 up, 0 down

dveisalive
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:21:17 PM
Reply

this is a gang war that is never going to end, and it is no wonder Nintendo jump ship and went to another audience, and they still get in this 3 way picture for the 50 million in sales they have which is mind boggling!

1 up, 0 down

Aftab
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 1:31:59 PM
Reply

One way that they could get rid of at least have the bogus reviews is through simple programmtic validation. Give the actual review minimum text size (say 300 words, or whatever). Then, add additional layers that simply check for typical kinds of slang or obscenities. And then, add a spelling/grammar check, which notifies the user, and requires success before posting. What will happen is the reviews that simply say, "Ths game sux" won't post, nor will be counted toward score averages, and most of those same users won't even be capable to pass the grammar checks.

As for the biased elitists, as they are not in huge numbers, have approved moderators do weekly checks to screen and accept/reject them. If the modertor doesn't do his job, the site will know about it. And if the site doesn't care, they'll be known by it.

Last edited by Aftab on 1/5/2009 1:33:05 PM

1 up, 0 down

jerocarson
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:32:25 PM
Reply

lol

1 up, 0 down

TGG
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:34:09 PM
Reply

I don't trust user-score anyways. But despite the fact that they aren't doing any harm, it doesn't alter the fact that it's just a ****in dumb and immature thing to do.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:36:39 PM
Reply

If they leave those old reviews in it'll bring down the total number, that's whack, just start with a clean slate on the game on Feb 28.

2 up, 0 down

coldbore
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:40:41 PM
Reply

and this is why xbox needs to stop, frigen nerds...just can't admit that the ps3 is an overall better system, maybe they will have better luck if they made a newer xbox (and had free online)

1 up, 1 down

Carlingtonham
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 6:20:50 AM

Funny, you sound like a PS3 fanboy. If I'm not mistaken they're just as bad as the xbots. saying one console is rubbish is wrong they're both good and both have their good and bad points. No one likes fanboys of any kind!!

Last edited by Carlingtonham on 1/6/2009 6:21:17 AM

0 up, 0 down

robinhood2010
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 4:56:19 PM

he didnt say the xbox was rubbish, he said the ps3 is better. that is his opinion.

1 up, 0 down

Troy Powers
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:41:57 PM
Reply

They're scared. :D

1 up, 0 down

Deleted User
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:43:07 PM
Reply

This doesn't look good for any of us. The Admins there should know better.

0 up, 1 down

FLYING_APE
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 6:53:12 PM

gtfo... jk

0 up, 0 down

coldbore
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:45:42 PM
Reply

im kinda surprised that this didnt happen to MGS4

0 up, 0 down

pavlovic
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 3:01:12 PM

It did... actually, here you have some samples:

"dido dido gave it a0:
Sorry but I thought I was purchasing a video game... I guess I must have been confused because this turned out to be a long boring pretentious movie. Seriously when you have to sit through 20 minutes of cut-scenes before the actual gameplay starts you know something is off balance. Some of the dialog was just so ridiculous and laughable that I had to remove the game from my PS3. I wish I could meet the people who wrote this and tell them to just give up. Anyway I might be able to forgive this if the gameplay was actually fun. It just left me with a been there done that feeling. Unless your a die-hard MGS fan then just pass on this game. It will leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth."

"Paul J. gave it a1:
Never liked snakes missions. Its fantasy Jap crap."

"Sanusi F. gave it a1:
I did not wait three years to watch a stupid movie. I waited to play an actual game. Probably the most solopsistic effort I have ever come across. Wow. Talk about a crappy game."

0 up, 0 down

moose88
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 3:38:23 PM

Someone needs to let him know its 'Solipsistic'

0 up, 0 down

Arkhon
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 @ 3:52:40 PM

It happens to almost every single exclusive out there. Websites like this need to have statistical analysis of the reviews, and delete any outliers. Of course, that still wouldn't really work for the mass criticizing described above, but it would be a nice start.

0 up, 0 down

MetalHead09
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:49:29 PM
Reply

if the gamers would start growing up then the industry as a whole could start maturing as well. for real guys think of the amount of power we have in and on the industry? hell if gamers would just be gamers and stop being haters we could teach the whole freakin world a lesson in getting along but i guess that WAAAAY out there huh? lol

0 up, 0 down

bebestorm
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 4:09:55 PM

Yeah thats way out there...That would be too much like right!

0 up, 0 down

englishgolfer
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 2:50:51 PM
Reply

if these fanboys were smart (and from what i see they're not) they should take some crappy game and boost its score in the hope that someone might just buy it cause everyone says it's great. then when they play the game and think "what the ....?!?" they might be put off from buying any more games for that system thinking if that's the best it can do... then no thanks!

0 up, 0 down

Blaiyan
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 6:28:00 PM

I've seen people do that on vgc. I found it kind of funny.

Last edited by Blaiyan on 1/5/2009 6:29:26 PM

0 up, 0 down

tlpn99
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 3:53:05 PM
Reply

This happens a lot on Amazon. You get idiots on both sides (360 and PS3) giving reviews for games that are not even out yet and you get people replying how can you review a game that's not even out yet. It ends up affecting the games score. I just try to dismiss the idiots.

0 up, 0 down

Blaiyan
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 6:30:32 PM

Yeah but i've noticed that amazon removes alot of those ridiculous reviews too.

0 up, 0 down

Blaiyan
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 6:28:20 PM
Reply

I would take offense to the attack on my fellow ps3 fanboys but it's not like I really value random people's opinions. I don't approve or participate in lowering the competitions games ratings but that's because I don't really care about them. I care about sony and playstation. Not because I think i'm better, smarter or i'm some hippie gamer. What they need to start doing is maybe requiring a proof of purchase code before reviewing or something.

0 up, 0 down

FLYING_APE
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 6:51:21 PM
Reply

Some ppl need a girlfriend and a social life. I find myself doing the same when i'm bored

1 up, 1 down

Fabi
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 7:57:51 PM
Reply

I don't even bother with user (gamer) reviews. I'm seriously at the point where I don't even notice the gamer score when I check those sites.

0 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 8:30:14 PM
Reply

Retarded website that one

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 10:20:12 PM
Reply

Maybe it will all even out, since people here have proven that it happens to any good game on the horizon.

0 up, 0 down

Qubex
Monday, January 05, 2009 @ 11:21:36 PM
Reply

Now its war :) Can we set up a secure GREEN ZONE around PSXExtreme?

Q!

"i aM hOMe"

0 up, 0 down

Aerifale
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 3:00:58 AM
Reply

might sound childish but this really makes my blood boil lol man i really do hate fanboys :(

ps. (any fanboy, not just xbots)

Last edited by Aerifale on 1/6/2009 3:01:52 AM

0 up, 0 down

PS3_Wizard
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 8:51:33 AM
Reply

@ Blaiyan:

I have a Slam Man to. just got it for christmas. I filled it to the max with sand and it still moves too much...even with a no slip floor mat.

0 up, 0 down

robinhood2010
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 4:58:31 PM
Reply

Is Duke Nukem Forever on there yet?

I would give that a 0 straight away ;)

0 up, 0 down

Xanavi23
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 @ 8:34:45 PM
Reply

Pathetic, very pathetic by both sets of fanbboys when both games are likely to be great.

0 up, 0 down

shaydey77
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 @ 12:49:44 PM
Reply

and then people wonder why they say gaming is just for kids...

0 up, 0 down

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