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Computer Gaming World: De-starred


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I couldnt agree more. Numerical ratings are just one more stone in the dumbing down of America wall.

For example, I dont think any BC game ever can be given a fair rating numerically.While BC3000.ad was flawed and that was complicated by my rudimentary at best computer skills, no game I ever played before captured my attention and imagination. the first time I planned and executed a campaign on land in the air and from space was mind boggling.

If I had to depend on a simple numerical scale I would never hav chosen to play it.

Second example was Advent Rising Game Informer's rating was 7.7/10 which is pretty pedestrian. I even had sales staff at Game Stop try to talk me out of buying it, based on scores alone, though none of them had played it. I loved the game despite its obvious flaws. Games have evolved to such a level of complexity that is stupid to even try to assign them a numerical score.

X-Play assigns scores one 0-5 scale, but obvious dreck like Aquaman gets 2/5 and Fable gets 3/5. Huh? Is there that little difference between those two titles? or is there a tendency not to assign scores based on other factors?

Truly, there is only one fair way to critique games, that is a narrative examination of the games merits (or lack thereof)with as little personal and corporate subjectivity as posible.

Good riddance!

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I do believe I'll have to subscribe to CGW now. I've always ignored the scoring systems and read into the reviews. I'm so adept at it now that I can filter out the biases and read between the lines enough to deduce whether it's something I, personally, might enjoy.

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I am probably the kind of gamer that publishers hate, then.

In general, it's because I don't have much disposable income (or time), I use GameRankings to help me pick the next game I'm going to play.

I don't know that I own a game that has an overall score less than 80%. So, my taste in games could be considered quite "mainstream". And, I generally don't give a game with less than 80% a second look.

The only exception is Universal Combat (which has a 54.1% overall). UC pulled me in because I downloaded the demo and found I couldn't pull myself away from it. Also, I found UC for $19.99 at the time, which is my magic price-point.

In general, my gaming purchases go something like this:

- Check GameRankings

- Scan down from highest to lowest rank in whatever genre I'm in the mood for.

- The first one that's < ~$30 on Amazon and > ~75% is my next game.

Cheesy, perhaps. Detrimental to the industry, perhaps. But it hasn't burned me yet.

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