Reviews and games at launch

[Gabriel]

If you are buying a game at launch, whether by pre-ordering brick and mortar or by standing in line at a midnight launch party, do the reviews really matter to you?

 

The Assassin's Creed thread made me think about this. Would the absence of a review embargo have made any difference? My thought is that it would not. The people buying the game would have purchased it anyway. If reviews had made any difference to them, they would have waited until the reviews were available. It seems such people are already committed merely on the brand name.

 

[+Random Terrain]

I don't pre-order (thanks to Atari 2600 Pac-Man) and I don't stand in line. I'd rather wait for the reviews, YouTube gameplay videos, and enough time to go by for the price to drop (if I still want the game). For example, I usually love any version of Sim City, but pre-ordering the latest version of that would have been a horrible mistake. I was very happy that I don't pre-order when I found out about that game. Why do companies have to screw things up?

[omegadot]

I've been at releases a few times but that was usually a function of working late shifts in college and Walmart being on my way home. I usually just wanted food and it was neat to hang out with gamers excited about gaming. In established franchises from established developers with good track records I wouldn't wait on reviews so much. With the ability to push off stability to the first few patches I don't think I'd do that anymore for anyone but Nintendo. I certainly didn't wait on reviews for Mario Kart or Smash Bros. If I'm ever bitten there, I might.

 

Regarding any seemingly overt limitation on communication I tend towards guilty until proven innocent.

[Pixelboy]

I don't pre-order (thanks to Atari 2600 Pac-Man) and I don't stand in line. I'd rather wait for the reviews. For example, I usually love any version of Sim City, but pre-ordering the latest version of that would have been a horrible mistake. I was very happy that I don't pre-order when I found out about that game. Why do companies have to screw things up?

Because some people lack the ability to predict how their work is going to be received by others (or the general public) and some of those people happen to be game designers and programmers. Or worse, they can make such predictions but just don't care.

 

Of course, I realize that's a broad and rather unfair generalization, because often times, great ideas get axed along the way because of budget/time constraints, but game design is more than just attempting to bring new ideas to the table. It's about following certain general guidelines: A nice game with new ideas can be totally ruined by an overly complicated and non-intuitive user interface, for example.

[cimerians]

If you are buying a game at launch, whether by pre-ordering brick and mortar or by standing in line at a midnight launch party, do the reviews really matter to you?

 

Yes I do for the most part because I don't trust publishers. With publishers\devs I do trust like: Nintendo, Naughty Dog etc.....I tend to pre-order without waiting for a review because they have a proven track record until it gets broken on a particular series. Example: Dragon Age, Mario Party, Paper Mario, Ninja Gaiden. All of those games got serious duds at some point which will make me wait for reviews for that particular series.

 

What I do is this:

 

- Check the major reviews and only keep them in mind. I don't take anything they write seriously because, if not them, their parent has special interest. IGN, Gamespot and most critics listed on metacritic. Even if they review it LOW I still dont care, I simply make a note of it.

- Check independent reviews like Jim Sterling (personal preference) and User reviews. This takes time because you have to sort through the fanboys (5 stars) and haters (0 stars).

 

At that point I can make up my mind on what the game is really like and wait or pre-order it.

 

In general though the best thing to do is never pre-order. I dont follow that rule myself all the time but its the best thing to do in terms of saving money and getting in on all the patches from release day. In some cases if you wait you get the complete edition at some point. Wait even longer and you get a remake.

[cybercylon]

If it is a proven series I care about, and some bonuses come with a pre-order, i will generally preorder.

 

I also may pre-order games that likely will have a low print run, but I know I will like them even if there are some faults. This may apply to a non-main stream rpg, for example.

 

Anything else... I wait until it is in the sale bin. Plenty of time to see any reviews. Most games fall into this category. If I have waited long enough and it was also released for the PC... heck, I just might wait for a sale and pick it up for $4.

[Major Havoc 2049]

Reviews aren't really trustworthy either, as the vast majority of video game web sites have their reviews up the day (or close to it), the day the game launches. So the vast majority of reviews out there are done on faith and on games that the reviewer didn't have time to complete. The most recent example of this is Halo: MCC, which has a high Metacritic score and the majority of the reviews came out on launch day and none of them mention the massive amount of bugs for the online multiplayer.

[Ransom]

I only buy games at launch if I'm pretty darned sure the game's going to be a lot of fun and I don't want to wait until the price drops. So, Mario Kart. Or solid titles revised graphically and with former extra-cost content added in, such as the recent release of Diablo III for PS4.

 

Otherwise, I let others pay to be beta-testers for me.

 

And, generally, I don't much care about professional reviews. Ideally, I get the opinions of gamers who like the same stuff I do.

[Mord]

Reviews aren't really trustworthy either, as the vast majority of video game web sites have their reviews up the day (or close to it), the day the game launches. So the vast majority of reviews out there are done on faith and on games that the reviewer didn't have time to complete. The most recent example of this is Halo: MCC, which has a high Metacritic score and the majority of the reviews came out on launch day and none of them mention the massive amount of bugs for the online multiplayer.

 

Often times, particularly for the larger web sites, their day 1 reviews are from advance early copies they received just to review it.

 

But I wouldn't give much consideration for such early reviews that are showing up after the launch itself as shown by Assassin's Creed.

 

I've stopped preordering a few years back before it even got to the point where devs started axing out parts of the game to give as pre-order bonuses. Partly because the things they were already axing out for DLC at that point sickened me and made me stop handing over full price for part of a game.

 

Regarding Halo, take a look at the names that posted those reviews, and simply keep note of those names and never trust the reviews again. Eventually they'll start to care about their image again.

[Austin]

For Nintendo properties I don't wait for a review unless it's something out of left field for them (like recently, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker). Nintendo is known for quality and attention to detail so they have yet to disappoint me with their major releases recently. I used to pick up any Castlevania game on day one, but Konami has been slacking on that series lately so I will be waiting on them now. Same goes for just about games from any other company nowadays, either they are well-known companies and properties that have been around for a while and have had some rough patches (Microsoft and the Halo series), or they are companies and franchises I'm not that familiar with so it wouldn't be wise to go in without a review or some other research performed (at least not at full price).

[cybercylon]

 

Often times, particularly for the larger web sites, their day 1 reviews are from advance early copies they received just to review it.

 

But I wouldn't give much consideration for such early reviews that are showing up after the launch itself as shown by Assassin's Creed.

 

I've stopped preordering a few years back before it even got to the point where devs started axing out parts of the game to give as pre-order bonuses. Partly because the things they were already axing out for DLC at that point sickened me and made me stop handing over full price for part of a game.

 

Regarding Halo, take a look at the names that posted those reviews, and simply keep note of those names and never trust the reviews again. Eventually they'll start to care about their image again.

To be clear, the extras I was referring to were things like art books, sound tracks, etc. That said, I have cut back on that stuff. That Kingdom Hearts Collectors Edition was tempting, but at the same time, excessive as I already had the first release. Did not see a need to re-buy 1.5 again, and have the rest of the stuff collect dust.

Edited December 8, 2014 by cybercylon

[Tickled_Pink]

For Nintendo properties I don't wait for a review unless it's something out of left field for them (like recently, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker). Nintendo is known for quality and attention to detail so they have yet to disappoint me with their major releases recently. I used to pick up any Castlevania game on day one, but Konami has been slacking on that series lately so I will be waiting on them now. Same goes for just about games from any other company nowadays, either they are well-known companies and properties that have been around for a while and have had some rough patches (Microsoft and the Halo series), or they are companies and franchises I'm not that familiar with so it wouldn't be wise to go in without a review or some other research performed (at least not at full price).

 

That's why I wonder how long it'll be before Nintendo wises up and does a SEGA. Nintendo's games are second to none in terms of quality and, like you say, attention to detail. They would make an absolute killing if they started to develop for rival consoles, PC and mobile. But they're intent on continuing to flog a dead horse with the Wii U, and still seem to believe there'll be an upturn in the flagging handheld market. It's just not going to happen. Our 12 year old's a Nintendo nut but I can't remember the last time she took out her 3DS.

 

Personally I never pre-order as a general rule. Only twice have I ever broken that rule on a game ... FIFA 14 and Elite: Dangerous.

[Lost Dragon]

I've long simce stopped pre-ordering games, not just because of the crushing dissapointements so many 10/10 scored games turned out to be (Dead Space 2 and Red Dead Redemption were the most painful purchases of a generation for myself), but more so because i'm sick of knowing, basically games these days are rushed out and there's a f**ker of a Day 1 patch waiting (and possibly a bloody firmware update on the console i'm wishing to play it on) and that patch itself is more than likely to f*ck something else up with the game and will need patching itself.

Far easier on me to wait say a month, price to drop, patches to sort themselves out, online to be 'fixed' etc.

[akator]

I don't pre-order (thanks to Atari 2600 Pac-Man) and I don't stand in line. I'd rather wait for the reviews, YouTube gameplay videos, and enough time to go by for the price to drop (if I still want the game).

 

This. And if I wait for the GOTY/greatest hits/platinum/2nd printing I don't have to pay extra for the DLC that should have been included from the start. If I wait longer, all of that and more is bound to show up in a Steam sale or Humble bundle for a few bucks

[xg4bx]

I bought Unity day 1. If it's something I'm interested in I couldn't care less about reviews, I only use them for games that I'm on the fence about.

[cybercylon]

 

This. And if I wait for the GOTY/greatest hits/platinum/2nd printing I don't have to pay extra for the DLC that should have been included from the start. If I wait longer, all of that and more is bound to show up in a Steam sale or Humble bundle for a few bucks

Yes... there is that. Skryrim GOTY during a Steam Sale for example. I don't remember what I paid, but somewhere between $10-$15 for the whole thing plus all of the DLC.

[Unbeliever]

I admit, I pre-ordered Fantasy Life for the 3DS and was following it during the initial press release from Nintendo. This was a direct competition for Smash Bros on the 3ds...this title won out. Other than this game, I haven't pre-ordered anything since Halo 2. Seems Gamestop always has plenty of copies, anyway.

[Video]

I don't wait in line for games, even if it's something I want at launch. First, I live in a fairly small town, so there's not really a chance of it being sold out. In the event it is, it's not a biggie to wait (sometimes seeing a friends version will change my mind) I typically wait for most games, preferably a year or so for GOTY to come out and get the full game instead of the beta game.

 

As for reviews....most the good (honest) reviewers are small time and won't have an early review of the game....most of the bigger groups that will have a review early are being paid off for a good review anyways, so no point in taking it seriously. Now I have no problem with watching video, as long as the person making it doesn't talk to much, but that will give you a better idea of how the game is than any review.

 

I like reviews, even what I said above, I read them, and get mags (xbox, nintendo power sob) but I read them for entertainment, not for knowledge. Sometimes they surprise you, but mostly it's just fun to read.

[Algus]

I don't put much stock in reviews. I've played many a game that was reviewed poorly that I liked and I've played plenty of games that were reviewed highly that I didn't like. I don't buy at launch much anymore though so a lot of times I can go by word of mouth on forums. There are so many good games coming out that I can typically just buy from the publishers I like and still have enough to play for the year.

[willis]

I've noticed that there has been stuff going on with IGN (maybe others) on some games lately. They don't post reviews until the game actually comes out even though I'm sure they've had the game way in advance to play. Is this because it may sway sales if the review is bad? Then again, isn't that the point?

This is crucial for games as many of them are shipped 'broken' with patches needed from purchase and constantly needing patches as they go. No..... no pre-orders for this type of garbage.

Devs start giving us good/complete games with incentives to validate a pre-order, then I'm in

[Xot]

I've been at releases a few times but that was usually a function of working late shifts in college and Walmart being on my way home. I usually just wanted food and it was neat to hang out with gamers excited about gaming. In established franchises from established developers with good track records I wouldn't wait on reviews so much. With the ability to push off stability to the first few patches I don't think I'd do that anymore for anyone but Nintendo. I certainly didn't wait on reviews for Mario Kart or Smash Bros. If I'm ever bitten there, I might.

 

Regarding any seemingly overt limitation on communication I tend towards guilty until proven innocent.

 

And then Metroid: Other M happened.

[omegadot]

 

And then Metroid: Other M happened.

 

I got lucky there. I was otherwise busy when that one released and I never ended up picking it up. I also didn't especially like Prime 3 for it's motion controls so I was less inclined to get another Wii entry. Good point, though.