Gamespy Artificially Inflates Score

[bapenguin]

So apparantly some guy did this review of Donkey Konga 2 (http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:a0DWtC2psbcJ:cube.gamespy.com/gamecube/donkey-konga-disk-2/611687p1.html+gamespy+donkey+konga+2+review&hl=en&client=firefox-a) (Google Cached because it was removed) for Gamespy. The problem was, the reviewer really gave it (http://www.maragos.org/index.php?p=26) a 1.5 out of 5 stars, and when Gamespy decided to post it, they gave it a 3 out of 5 stars. As if altering the score wasn't bad enough, apparantly they also added some kind wording for the game. In the original author's own words: I hated the game. It’s not a 3/5.

This really makes you wonder how often this kind of stuff is happening. Especially lately it seems there are tons of games getting higher scores than they deserve.

[screwtape]

Did Gamespy run an ad campaign for Donkey Konga 2? Wonder if that would have anything to do with it.

Even the guys at Penny Arcade seem "influenced" by what ads are running. From Tycho's post 5/6/05 regarding Guild Wars:

I'm curious to see how long I will maintain this level of enthusiasm [for Guild Wars]. My guess is shortly after the banners come down.
Or maybe there's some other reason entirely for these inflated scores. What the hell do I know.

[Hieremias]

People won't actually be surprised by this news, will they?

Wait... I'm posting on the site that thinks an 85% score is bad. Nevermind.

[Reed]

People won't actually be surprised by this news, will they?

Wait... I'm posting on the site that thinks an 85% score is bad. Nevermind.
Depends. An 85% for Halo or something would be bad. Why? Because 85% is just above average on the typical reviewer's scale (which is 6-10 or 60%-100%, not 0-10). A game has to be truly, truly awful to get anything below a 6/10.

[Klade]

heh 6-10 is being generous. I would say most reviewers have a scale of 7-10 so 85% would be just above average which is pretty bad for a retail game that they want you to spend 50$ on.

As to the gamespy story. Well I'm not at all surprised but it is kinda fun to see that we were absolutely right.

I remember when PA ran that line and at the time I didn't know if they meant it the way you meant it or if they planned to run banners till they got tired of the game. Still not sure today.

[Zawath]

That's very common in the review world. If a reviewer decided to give Halflife 2 only 5/100, then of course the site would need to change the score to a more appropriate number.

[Heretic Machine]

or if they planned to run banners till they got tired of the game. Still not sure today.

...You're kidding, right?

[Switcher]

This makes sense for big-name games, or say, during the holiday season...but who gives a crap about Donkey Konga at the start of May?

[mkelehan]

It's probably because Nintendo and Gamespy just signed that deal. That'll teach you to deal with IGN.

[VoodooKarma]

Speaking of inflated scores....*cough* Jade Empire *cough*

[megaman]

Isn't gamespy the site which gave gothic 2 a 2/5... :rolleyes:

[InstaPete]

Did Gamespy run an ad campaign for Donkey Konga 2? Wonder if that would have anything to do with it.

Even the guys at Penny Arcade seem "influenced" by what ads are running. From Tycho's post 5/6/05 regarding Guild Wars:


Or maybe there's some other reason entirely for these inflated scores. What the hell do I know.

i think that was a "joke" posted on a "comedy website".

[screwtape]

i think that was a "joke" posted on a "comedy website".
Because Penny Arcade never says anything in seriousness, and every comment needs to be taken as some kind of hilarious farce, right?

[sTubbs]

The previously mentioned Penny Arcade line was clearly a satirical take on the fact that so many sites are actuall that influenced by their advertisers. Besides, Gabe and Tycho have always said that they never post ads for stuff that they do not like already, or that they are looking forward too, or whatever.

Anways, this GameSpy thing does not surprise me in the least. IGN is obviously considers itself a business above all else. Thus, it is not surprising when one of its subsidiaries alters a low score given to a Nintendo game, a company that has just made a major deal with the said subsidiary. Of course, the official story will be that the majority of GameSpy editors honestly disagreed with the score, and felt that the alterations where justified. And so, the circle of bullshit will be complete.

[ChunderMan]

Speaking of inflated scores....*cough* Jade Empire *cough*

Don't necessarily agree with you there but I, uh... *cough* God of War, *cough*

[InstaPete]

Because Penny Arcade never says anything in seriousness, and every comment needs to be taken as some kind of hilarious farce, right?

Well, when he's going on for paragraphs about how much he loves Guild Wars, I think, yes, it is a joke.

[screwtape]

Well, when he's going on for paragraphs about how much he loves Guild Wars, I think, yes, it is a joke.
Fair enough. Perhaps I misinterpreted, or perhaps all he meant was he plays so many games that he'll move on to the next one soon.

On topic, I forgot that Nintendo recently partnered with Gamespy. The plot thickens.

[Chagrinful]

GAMESPY INFLATING A SCORE OF A GAME!!!! :O OMG!! I rely on Gamespy's opinion and they're opinion alone for all my game purchases!!! I can't believe that they'd actually do that to their readers! I feel so hurt and used now :(. All this time, those bastards have lied to us! What will we do :(.
*sigh* I guess this explains why I don't enjoy buttplugs and the lube Gamespy said were so "fantastic". Used buttplug anyone?

[MosBen]

I think given the recent posts about the Dr. Raven Darktalon Blood Movie (which people evidently took seriously) and the supposed fight between Gabe & Tycho which resulted in separate comics being produced (which people also evidently took seriously), I think it's safe to say they joke a bit over there and people take things they say a little too seriously...

As to that specific comment, I guess it all comes down to how much you trust them. If you trust them then you believe them when they say that they're not shills to their advertisers and that they only choose advertisments for products they approve of. If not, well then go ahead and be skeptical. Personally, of all the internet personalities out there on the internet, I think Gabe and Tycho are among the most honest.

[Borys]

IGN is the worthless piece of shit when it comes to reviews. They give out 9.5+ scores (like that recent 9.9) to anyone these days.

Gamespy was bought out by IGN therefore Gamespy = SHIT. Moreover, IGN (Gamespy) signed a deal with Nintendo that makes this scandal really patethic.

GameSpot = still the best site. You can trust their reviews, Kasavin is the best editor out there.
I especially love when fanboys whine about their game not getting a 9.0 score.

[Rommel]

And no, the game is not very good. Another toy from Nintendo, and not one of their well-implemented ones. Quite unlike the actual title the bongos were designed for. Using their peripherials is often quite entertaining, but when the only purchase of a title is to make you use them without merit on their own... the forumla fails.

Comparison - DDR: Using the pad is the control method, and a fun one, but it is designed to get you to Dance! (Dance! Revolution) and features kickin' tunes (There, I said it).

[VoodooKarma]

IGN is the worthless piece of shit when it comes to reviews. They give out 9.5+ scores (like that recent 9.9) to anyone these days.

Gamespy was bought out by IGN therefore Gamespy = SHIT. Moreover, IGN (Gamespy) signed a deal with Nintendo that makes this scandal really patethic.

GameSpot = still the best site. You can trust their reviews, Kasavin is the best editor out there.
I especially love when fanboys whine about their game not getting a 9.0 score.


What he said, especially the last part. It's always good for a laugh to go to the GameFaqs forums after a Kasavin review and read all the moronic posts.

[zipR]

JeffK and OMM are the only reviewers that can be trusted. Unfortunately, neither has reviewed anything for years.

[fitbabits]

Speaking of inflated scores....*cough* Jade Empire *cough*

Having never played Jade Empire, I can say for certain that it's worth every high score it's received. In fact, if anything, the scores were a little too low... :rolleyes:

[HeisinDC]

i used to write for an online gaming mag, name witheld. they would "edit" scores based apparently on other reviewers, but the scores closely followed the advertising space we had.

This is even more prevalent in print magazines, with a few exceptions.

sad but true.

this is why i research much more than articles before buying games.

[Thenetcase]

When I was running a gaming website a while back we had companies sending us review units with "perks" for giving them a higher review score all the time.
I got stuff from EA with a printed letterhead and a letter saying what they would do for us if we gave their games a good rating. And what they would stop doing if we didn't give them an "acceptable rating" (e.g. stop sending us review units).
I told the EA PR representative a number of times to shove it up her arse, but she kept sending the letters and kept sending the review units.

It's common place. Go figure.

[MosBen]

Honestly, score inflation has never really bothered me much. As long as I know the scale a site uses I can get some use out of the review.

[Chandler]

i used to write for an online gaming mag, name witheld. they would "edit" scores based apparently on other reviewers, but the scores closely followed the advertising space we had.

This is even more prevalent in print magazines, with a few exceptions.

sad but true.

this is why i research much more than articles before buying games.

For the scores based on other reviewers, I can see why that is because most people who read reviews never bother to look at whos reviewing it, therefore, someone who usually reviews games higher than average will misread that the game is better than others. Unless you mean reviewers outside the magazine, then, yeah, that's....not good :(

[TrackZero]

GameSpot = still the best site. You can trust their reviews, Kasavin is the best editor out there.
I especially love when fanboys whine about their game not getting a 9.0 score.

Gamespot's fairly accurate. I can sometimes see their scores being a little biased, but 90% of the time they're bang on. I usually stick by their reader review averages though, as I actually find those are almost always exactly what I'd rate the game (only off by .2-3 or so).

Not trying to be a troll here, just an observation, but Gamespot gives far more attention to the PSP than the DS (which is funny considering the number of hardware unit numbers for each out there). An example being Puyo Pop Fever and Star Wars Episode 3 (they're both 8/10 titles, at the very least), which have both been out for over a week now without even being reviewed (at least the reader rating is turned on). While I've observed every PSP title rated within 1-2 days of release (edit: Except "Shutokou Battle: Zone of Control", strangely enough). What's wrong with this picture?

[YoungAlCapone]

I actually checked out gamespot a couple of weeks ago and realized how PSP biased they are. That really bothers me, as it is now fanboyism on a whole new level; corporate. I actually traded in my DS to get my PSP, mostly because I feel like I can pick up another DS in about a year and have some great games to pick up with it. The PSP on the other hand already has Hot Shots, Lumines and Thug 2(Classic Mode only Motherfucker), all of which I am finding to be very entertaining. Anyway....

I don't read reviews personally(as in it is a personal choice so you do not have to take offense if you do read them). I think that between having to make a purchase desicion based on somebodies opinion I have never met and the risk of the score being bought not earned it is much easier to just try games out my self. I also find that just trying the game out for my self usually is a much more accurate gauge as to whether or not I will enjoy the game. With programs like GameFly and what not I find it much easier to rent everything that interests me and just pick up what I really liked. It also helps me to sort out the riff-raff that is too damn short to warrent a purchase but too damn good to not play. Only one problem, no PC games. I dont even own an xbox anymore as I feel that most everything that I have really enjoyed on the xbox comes to the PC eventually(Im still hoping for that Jade Empire announcement), or sometimes before. Im not saying the PC is better either, but why own both when I only need one and the PC does do alot of things that have nothing to do with games.

Damn, seems I feel the need to cover my ass today.

[Borys]

Gamespot's fairly accurate. I can sometimes see their scores being a little biased, but 90% of the time they're bang on. I usually stick by their reader review averages though, as I actually find those are almost always exactly what I'd rate the game (only off by .2-3 or so).

Not trying to be a troll here, just an observation, but Gamespot gives far more attention to the PSP than the DS (which is funny considering the number of hardware unit numbers for each out there). An example being Puyo Pop Fever and Star Wars Episode 3 (they're both 8/10 titles, at the very least), which have both been out for over a week now without even being reviewed (at least the reader rating is turned on). While I've observed every PSP title rated within 1-2 days of release (edit: Except "Shutokou Battle: Zone of Control", strangely enough). What's wrong with this picture?

There is some truth to what you are saying but without any facts we can only speculate or make trolls/ fanboys from ourselfs.

I can't have any stance on this topic because I don't own either DS or PSP.

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

From the reviewer's blog:

It grew an extra star and a half (or another 30% on the gamerankings scale) from its submitted version, along with several laudatory phrases that I didn’t write and certainly don’t mean. I hated the game. It’s not a 3/5.

I'd like to read the original version of his review text. (Presumably we will, eventually.) He doesn't actually accuse Gamespy of removing anything from the text -- just adding stuff -- and even if you take out the "laudatory phrases," you're left with something like three paragraphs of bland and almost completely descriptive information that don't really explain a 1.5/5 score. Now, if they actually did cut stuff out, okay then.

[Doomsday]

And no, the game is not very good. Another toy from Nintendo, and not one of their well-implemented ones. Quite unlike the actual title the bongos were designed for. Using their peripherials is often quite entertaining, but when the only purchase of a title is to make you use them without merit on their own... the forumla fails.

You are thinking of the wrong game. The Gamespy review is for Donkey Konga 2, the rhythm-based game, not the bongo-controlled platformer released in April.

The editors have stated that they did not agree with the 1.5/5 score the review gave, so they modified it. Proper editorial procedure is to notify the author before this happens. In this case, that step was mistakenly forgotten, leading to the author posting about this situation on his blog. I'm not surprised an author unprofessional enough to air dirty laundry without even talking over the situation with his editors first would give DK2 a 1.5

[Atrapas]

The editors have stated that they did not agree with the 1.5/5 score the review gave, so they modified it. Proper editorial procedure is to notify the author before this happens. In this case, that step was mistakenly forgotten, leading to the author posting about this situation on his blog. I'm not surprised an author unprofessional enough to air dirty laundry without even talking over the situation with his editors first would give DK2 a 1.5

Meh, you're probably just trolling, but in the slight chance you actually believe what you just typed I'll answer it.

1) If they didn't agree with his review..... then they should write their own damn review.

2) If he is in fact "unprofessional" as you so boldly state, why would that have any relevance on his ability to accurately review a game?

3) His reporting the changes on his blog led to the instant take-down of the review in question. So therefore it kept a misleading review from tainting an internet already full of such reviews.

You call it unprofessional. I call it looking out for the customers. You know what I'm talking about.. The goal that every game review company "starts" out with before selling out and taking on the mindset which you so accurately portray.

Good on ya!

[netcraazzy]

Personally, I take a review's final score with a grain of salt. What I usually look for in a review is a good description of the various features in the game and some opinion from the reviewer on what they felt was good and bad. When a review is written well it really does not need a "score" at the end to tell me to buy it or not. Unfortunately, I guess a lot of people are too lazy to even form their own opinion and would rather just look at something that deals in absolutes, like a number, to make their purchasing decision.

[Crabby]

IGN is the worthless piece of shit when it comes to reviews. They give out 9.5+ scores (like that recent 9.9) to anyone these days.

Gamespy was bought out by IGN therefore Gamespy = SHIT. Moreover, IGN (Gamespy) signed a deal with Nintendo that makes this scandal really patethic.

GameSpot = still the best site. You can trust their reviews, Kasavin is the best editor out there.
I especially love when fanboys whine about their game not getting a 9.0 score.

Hello, GameSpot Fanboy #381!

[Ghost_Saint]

Hello, GameSpot Fanboy #381!

Hello only anti-Gamespot boy in the world.

All the editors on Gamespot have said time and time again that if the game has anything above an 8 that it's definetly worth playing. If it has anything above a 7 then it's still worth a try.

Plus you guys always debate about the numbered score, why not read the review and actually see what the guy says. I've read a number of reviews where the game might get a 7.5, but the game still comes highly recommended. Gamespot uses an extremely objective reviewing scale that takes all parts of the game into account. They might give an Altus game a 7 on graphics because technicly the 2d graphics that Altus SRPGs use is inferior to 3d graphical engines that most games use, but that doesn't mean the game sucks.

[Jetherik]

It is always a question of how do we review a game that is sent to us? If you give the game a bad review, then the company will never send a game or spend money advertising with you again. Evil and company have managed to piss off a few major companies by trashing bad games. Those companies refuse to send games for reviews anymore, ignore when Evil calls or emails them (or give the curt - "We're sorry, we are not sending X game out for review" - despite the major game websites are currently reviewing it). We may have solved the problem when we do reviews (when we have time to do them). I write reviews of games that I have enjoyed playing (again, when I have time, which hasn't been much lately). There are several games out there we would love to get our hands on, but the companies have long memories of what we have written. If we were independently wealthly - imagine how much attitude we would have.

[TrackZero]

There is some truth to what you are saying but without any facts we can only speculate or make trolls/ fanboys from ourselfs.

I can't have any stance on this topic because I don't own either DS or PSP.

Exactly. I just wanted to voice it so I don't feel like it's something only I was noticing though.

[Doctor Setebos]

This is why I only read the review text, and completely ignore the score. :D

[Spigot]

This is why I prefer to read the actual content of the review as opposed to just scanning what the final score is. If the person has a problem with a particular thing and that is mentioned across several reviews, it puts up red flags for me when I go to the store to look for games. If only one person said anything about that particular issue and if it's not a gamebreaker, then I will be more apt to take their complaint with a grain of salt.

That said, if Gamespy is now actually tweaking the words of the game review itself and not just tweaking the score, then that just tosses out what little integrity they have left since their merger with IGN. I used to love Gamespy till they made their deal with the devil. Granted, it's not as bad as it could be. I thought Gamespy would actually turn into a green-tinted version of IGN. So far, that hasn't happened, but if they're pulling this kind of stunt, it probably won't be too far off.

My only complaint about Gamespot is that sometimes they're TOO picky. They're apt to overlook the fun factor of a game and just bitch about tech issues. Not all the time, but I've seen it.

I've got some reviewers that I trust, ie. Kasavin. Then there are those that I know, just from seeing their name on the byline, that it will be a cruddy review.

[falak]

Just use gamerankings or metacritic or something.

[TheWookieeHasNoPants]

I am shocked! Shocked, I say!

[MosBen]

I always try to avoid thinking of a particular site as being "right" more often in their reviews. It's a subjective business and there's no real "right" review because it's always just a reflection of what the reviewer likes and doesn't like. What I look for isn't "right" reviews, it's "good" reviews, that is, reviews that give me a good run down of technical stuff (bugs, graphics stuff, etc.), and a full description of the gameplay features. Whether they like the game or not is pretty irrelevant. What's important is if it's able to give me an idea of whether i might like it or not.

[DeadPixel]

They might give an Altus game a 7 on graphics because technicly the 2d graphics that Altus SRPGs use is inferior to 3d graphical engines that most games use, but that doesn't mean the game sucks.

Thats exactly why even GameSpot reviews suck time to time. Everyone is concentrating on better graphics and neglecting the gameplay factor. Sure they state in their reviews how much fun some games are, but because they give may give them low graphics scores, it brings the overall scrores down.

Reviews should be based on FUN not looks, sounds, features all rounded up into a general score.

[dr_qwandry]

Gamespot sucks because it has too many Mobile phone reviews, and it get's annoying. If want to see how hard people were on games look at ALL the reviews on gamespot for the PC and look at the REALLY old games.

I.E.
Hexen 6.5
X-com 7.2
The Dig 4.5
Fade to Black 7.1
Dark Forces 7.6
Heretic 7.6

[WastelandDan]

I haven't read through all of the comments so I don't know if this has been said, but the author of the original review is Nick Maragos, former Editor in Chief of the sadly now-defunct gaming news site the Gaming Intelligence Agency (www.thegia.com). He's proven time and again to be a journalist of unquestionable integrity, so I think anything he has to say about this issue can be taken at face value.

[Kelegacy]

IGN is the worthless piece of shit when it comes to reviews. They give out 9.5+ scores (like that recent 9.9) to anyone these days.

Gamespy was bought out by IGN therefore Gamespy = SHIT. Moreover, IGN (Gamespy) signed a deal with Nintendo that makes this scandal really patethic.

GameSpot = still the best site. You can trust their reviews, Kasavin is the best editor out there.
I especially love when fanboys whine about their game not getting a 9.0 score.

I agree. Gamespot for life, bitch! Go Greg and crew.

Originally Posted by VoodooKarma
Speaking of inflated scores....*cough* Jade Empire *cough*

I agree. Holy shit, do i agree. Fun game, not 9.9 worthy. The load times alone should have docked the game .5 points. Battle engine should have docked it another .5 points. I'd give the game an 8.6 or 8.7 but mostly because of the story and characters. The ending was horribly abrupt too, but that didnt influence my score.

Don't necessarily agree with you there but I, uh... *cough* God of War, *cough*

Hmmm. I thought God of War was worth a 9 or whatever it got. IGN is a fanboy's dreamhaven...Gamespot actually plays the games and employs writers...not retarded children.

[Kelegacy]

Gamespot sucks because it has too many Mobile phone reviews, and it get's annoying. If want to see how hard people were on games look at ALL the reviews on gamespot for the PC and look at the REALLY old games.

I.E.
Hexen 6.5
X-com 7.2
The Dig 4.5
Fade to Black 7.1
Dark Forces 7.6
Heretic 7.6

I agree. They used to be pretty harsh. They've eased up a bit, but are still the hardest on games. That's a good thing, most times.

I also agree that the mobile phone games should go to a whole different site or not fucking clutter up the reviews mainpage. I dont give a shit about mobile games, and the average pisshead doesnt either. MOVE EM!

[mister_slim]

Wonderful. Gamespy commissions a review from some unprofessional asshole. Asshole turns in shoddy review. Gamespy edits in new content, changes score, and publishes it without contacting the author. Crap flies everywhere. Gamespy editors shouldn't have published an altered review without running it by the person who's byline is attached. First though, they should have chosen someone who can review a title properly. Look at the score Gamespy gave the original. If they commission a review that is unusably bad, they should commission another from someone who knows what he's doing.