Reviews with scores

Discussion in 'Site Feedback and News' started by danc4498, Mar 30, 2009.

  1. danc4498

    danc4498 Well-Known Member

    Jan 15, 2009
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    I'd like to see more actual Touch Arcade reviews of apps that assign scores (3 stars out of 5, iTunes style) instead of the impressions that are posted about games.

    Currently, I find the site less than useful when trying to find out if a purchase is worth it. The impressions that are posted come across as just an initial feeling about the game, but doesn't actually give real opinions about if the game is worth the price. The impressions are rarely enough for me to form an opinion of if it's worth the price to me. I'll look at the boards, or other sites for actual reviews, and Touch Arcade's main site is the last place I'll look.
     
  2. Eli

    Eli ᕕ┌◕ᗜ◕┐ᕗ
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    #2 Eli, Mar 30, 2009
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2009
    I don't think you will ever see numerical review scores on Touch Arcade. Arn, Blake, and I seem to be in universal agreement that rating games is entirely pointless because a true scale to measure games doesn't really exist. For them to mean something, we'd have to define what a "1" is and what a "10" is. Is a "10" a perfect game? Everyone has different games that they'd rank a ten, and games they hate that they'd rank a one. For me, my scale would be from the Watchmen MMO to Let's Golf. What happens when a game comes out that I like more than Let's Golf? Do I go back and adjust all the scores of previous games to be in line with my new favorite game now that Let's Golf isn't a "10"?

    Then add in the issue of comparing games. For the sake of argument, let's say I rate both Bookworm and Scoops a "9". Are they both worse than Let's Golf? Or even equal to each other? How can you compare a word game, a simple accelerometer game, and a golf game? It's apples to oranges and at the end of the day they're all amazing games that I encourage everyone to pick up... So does that mean they all should be ranked "10"?

    Our review style around here amounts to "This is what the game is like, and this is how we felt about it." From there, you're meant to draw your own conclusions. For instance, Metal Gear Solid Touch I thought was fun, but kind of a rip-off for the price. How do I score that? Disregarding the price it would score very high, taking in to account the price it would score very low. The best solution is to just lay the review out there, trying to be as objective as possible, and let readers take what they want from it.

    I'm sorry you feel that way, but really all any review site is going to offer you is their impressions and opinions on the game. I try to be detailed enough about the things I like and don't like about games that you can draw your own conclusion based on the type of gamer you are. Maybe you don't like the same things I do, or the things I dislike are your favorite things. I really think you're selling yourself short by just blindly looking at scores.
     
  3. arn

    arn Administrator
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    Apr 19, 2008
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    Well, not sure I'd say "never". :) It's something we come back to now and again... but Eli is right that we feel that traditional scores seem meaningless.

    I think a scoring system maybe could mean "yes, get this" or "no, don't get this". But to give it an 8.2/10 seems pointless.

    Let's say you love sports games but hate puzzle games. Would you really buy a 8.3 rated puzzle game over a 8.2 rated sports game?

    arn
     
  4. Big Albie

    Big Albie Well-Known Member

    Feb 12, 2009
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    What may make sense is to list the good and bad of games you look at. I don't really think an arbitrary number works well, but if you can show what you think are the positives and the negatives, that would go a long way. I try to do that when I post impressions in the various threads, and that seems to help.
     
  5. DaveMc99

    DaveMc99 Well-Known Member

    Mar 1, 2009
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    1 to 5 Stars seems to be the standard. It might be a reason this site is not include here.
    http://www.apptism.com/reviews
     
  6. RedStaR

    RedStaR Well-Known Member

    Jan 7, 2009
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    #6 RedStaR, Mar 31, 2009
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2009
    At Arn, Blake and Eli

    If your doing a 1-5 chances are your not going to ever review a 1

    I was reluctant to give the 5 that I gave because if something new comes out and out shines that five in everyway I don't want to go back and adjust,

    But then again as new games come out it's all relative to what's available at the time to compare the other scores to. That being said it's the development and the asking price for it is scored not just the game

    So as new games comebout they get rated accordingly

    Like OttoMatic was a 2 based of of graphics, gameplay, sound,controls and reply versus value

    Also Pangea's previous development is a factor. Pangea makes a lot of the same kind of games or another iPort, so the dev counts to

    Let's gold was a 5
    Strong title strong dev and not a rehashed game

    Eli I think your reviews are indepth but they don't leave anything to the potential buyers imagination,

    Arm and Blake are to brief for the potential buyer

    TA is good for news, not reviews

    I invite all three of you to check out some of our reviews not promote, but to get a better understanding of the medium in the reviews that your members (including myself) want.

    Most notable are:
    Let's golf
    GoF
    MGST
    Idracula
    And previous entries.
     
  7. Eli

    Eli ᕕ┌◕ᗜ◕┐ᕗ
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    If you're never going to rate something a 1, what is the point of even having a 5 star scale? Why not a 4 star scale if 2 is as low as you go?
     
  8. RedStaR

    RedStaR Well-Known Member

    Jan 7, 2009
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    #8 RedStaR, Mar 31, 2009
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2009
    Well chances are I won't bother with development that deserves a one, I never said I wouldn't or would never

    It's like touch arcade not wasting their time with games that arn't hyped or that have low quality

    And that's why most of your members (majorily new) don't consider TA to be an indie site in the least

    However I know you can't start anything worth whole unless you start out indie so while I don't share that particular view
    I do think TA reveiws need to find a medium between impressional and the bible
     
  9. Eli

    Eli ᕕ┌◕ᗜ◕┐ᕗ
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    But do you see what I'm getting at? It's like if you were trying to measure something with a Celsius thermometer and instead of a 0 degrees it just had "???". I guess I just don't understand this need for everything to be quantifiable in some way, especially when using a scale that is both remarkably open and doesn't have a bottom.
     
  10. RedStaR

    RedStaR Well-Known Member

    Jan 7, 2009
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    because the masses need that Eli. you see it everyday "which game should I buy?" "is this better than this?"

    people hate doing any amount of research

    but they also cant stand reading more than a paragraph of review because the average attention span grows shorter every day

    so you have to point them and sometimes when people are skimming and they are a frequent visitor somtimes a quick glance from a consistant source is conveinient.

    if your the only one scoring based of of development vs price and everything in between that (objectional) then they will understand your scoring system and they'll be able to see right off the bat accourding to your previous reviews what that score means. They would no you don't just give out 5"s to every gane you like and vice versa

    sorry for all the mispelling turn of the auto correct on my phone, but I guess I need it back on lol
     
  11. RedStaR

    RedStaR Well-Known Member

    Jan 7, 2009
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    Now i'm not saying you guys have to score, it acually sets apart your site that you don't

    but there need to be a consistant medium

    right now your only doing reviews on games you felt worthy of

    blake and arn are really busy and somthing tells me they would like to add a litte more to there impressionalbe reviews

    anyone on the fence about GoF will have found a different source for the review by now

    you can't really take that long....
     
  12. Eli

    Eli ᕕ┌◕ᗜ◕┐ᕗ
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    I think the people who visit the front page are a very different crowd compared to the people who hang around on the forums. I've gotten nothing but positive feedback across the board from everything of mine that has been published on Touch Arcade. Apparently my Topple 2 review was even the talk of the town with ngmoco at GDC.

    As far as people not wanting to do research about the things they buy or being able to read, I think that's largely an age issue and I don't really have a problem writing to an older crowd with my reviews. We always include a brief info block at the end of every review which includes a one or two sentence summary along with other vitals.

    I really don't think it's that big of a stretch to expect people to draw their own conclusions with things instead of just blindly smashing "BUY NOW" because we give a game six burritos, or whatever imaginary scale we would use.
     
  13. RedStaR

    RedStaR Well-Known Member

    Jan 7, 2009
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    I don't think it's a stretch for people to draw their own conclusions either.

    But the reality is, is that it is a stretch

    I really don't care if you guys have a score system or not

    my suggestion to you was mainly to leave something to the potential buyers imagination

    you can do whatever you want it was a suggestion.

    you do get great responses from people that read your reviews

    you also have gotten some bad feedback that I've read in the forums

    Of the two I've notice that the positive feedback came from those whom have already played the game anyway thus furthering my point you should leave some to the imagination

    just because you told me MJ is on the cover of the magazine doesn't mean I want you to read the article for me and to me

    but they are your reviews (and they are good)

    Good fortune to your future, Hell maybe i'm just jealous :)
     

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