But is it really an honour? Is it something a game site should hold as the end point for having "made it" even if the owner of said gaming site doesn't really know how it all works?
At first, the realization was a bit of a blow. After all, we had authority, we were somebody! I made some enquiries and one of the co-founders kindly emailed me back explaining the reason why our review scores are no longer factored into the weighted average. Then I started jawing with Armchair Empire co-founder Jeff Nash.
Even in the early planning stages for The Armchair Empire wa-a-a-y back in 2000, we'd talked about having no review scores because even then there was recognition that if a review was going to be talked about, endlessly held up as being the definitive opinion, it would be the score that got the most attention. Time and again, that's what happened.
"I agree with everything you had to say about this game, but c'mon a 6.5? You're worse than Hitler, you cabbage-eating baby killer!"
Because "baby killer" wasn't bad enough, they had to inject, "cabbage eating." Well, sir, I like cabbage.
Back in the magazine days, Computer Gaming World dropped review scores for a handful of issues, and the kickback was incredible. Not since the infamous "Canadian Corner" did the CGW offices receive so many profanity-laced Letters to the Editor. Scores returned. Numerical shorthand had trumped 500-word reviews. It was the number people wanted more than anything meaningful. The something out of something.
At the point, it's almost a wonder that the Reviews section didn't just become a raft of screenshots accompanied by X out of 5 star logos strewn about for good measure. To be honest, CGW did that with the summary page that contained the name of the game and the number of stars it received, but those titles were mostly from previous issues.
In the case of The Armchair Empire, changing the quid pro quo after more than 13 years of scoring games on a ten-point scale? I got the shakes just thinking about it. Quitting cold turkey? The change seems like such a terrible idea.
"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."
If the Internet has one great use, it's the ability to pull great quotes -- of varying profundity -- from practically thin air. The quote above also got me thinking about "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel," which is a story about obsolescence and adapting to the times in which we live. It also got me thinking about my favourite quote from the story.- Gail Sheehy
"Everybody started talking at once, and everybody had a different idea.
And everybody thought his idea was the best.
They talked and they talked, they argued and they fought until they were worn out."
- from "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel" by Virginia Lee Burton
If ever there was a more apt description of discourse about video games, I haven't found it.
The only problem is that so much the arguing and discourse goes no further than a meaningless number or stars. But if you drop the scores, who's going to visit your game reviews website? That's like a gambling site suddenly switching to a "Gamblers Anonymous" website.
The only problem is that so much the arguing and discourse goes no further than a meaningless number or stars. But if you drop the scores, who's going to visit your game reviews website? That's like a gambling site suddenly switching to a "Gamblers Anonymous" website.
Henry B. Swap looking for some Texas Hold 'em and is suddenly confronted with, "You may have gambling problem if..." Henry's closing that tab real quick and he ain't never coming back.
I don't think anyone wants to to admit that scores for video games are addictive. For gamers, developers, publishers, that 8.5 / 10 is what they live for. For gamers, it bolsters their willingness to buy a game or reinforces their purchase after the fact. On the creative side, that score may mean bonuses to a developer that has worked 6 months on a crunch schedule.
And those are the shakes I'm suffering. Coming off an addiction.
If we were to drop review scores and just stick with text, provide an honest written opinion, would people still read? Would publishers sour on us? Not "counting," would the review copies of games from publishers and access to developers dry up?
No numerical shorthand to scan? Not even a thumbs up or down? A symbol?
 |
| Act II of Broken Age is being awarded an apple for a review score. |
Everything is quick and disposable. A Tweet restricted to 140 characters. A post on Facebook. Topics surface and are quickly buried by the next viral video of cats or abuses at SeaWorld. No one wants to think about anything. They want the next hot thing; to post something irritatingly and obviously fake on their Facebook timeline; or simply rage about a particular topic on a message board.
So, on the one-hand I would actually love to deep six review scores because that is generally what people get hot and bothered about.
On the other, who's going to bother even visiting if the written opinion can't be summarized with a number? Is the Internet full of Henry B. Swaps? Will the Armchair Empire crumble without them? Will publishers and developers see zero gain by sending a review copy of a game if AE lacks a number between 0 and 10? Or is there that one kid out there willing to think about things a little differently?
Maybe there is.
I'd like to think there's a kid -- an audience, if I lost you with my attempt at metaphor and allusion to what happens in "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel" -- out there ready for something a little different.
So, what do you think? Would you read a review if there wasn't a score attached to it?
- Aaron Simmer
Follow @EmpireArmchair
On the other, who's going to bother even visiting if the written opinion can't be summarized with a number? Is the Internet full of Henry B. Swaps? Will the Armchair Empire crumble without them? Will publishers and developers see zero gain by sending a review copy of a game if AE lacks a number between 0 and 10? Or is there that one kid out there willing to think about things a little differently?
Maybe there is.
I'd like to think there's a kid -- an audience, if I lost you with my attempt at metaphor and allusion to what happens in "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel" -- out there ready for something a little different.
So, what do you think? Would you read a review if there wasn't a score attached to it?
- Aaron Simmer
Follow @EmpireArmchair
