310°

Uncharted 4 Petition is Further Proof That Gamers Are Too Concerned About Metacritic

An enraged Uncharted 4 petition tried to get a negative review taken off Metacritic, which is why we should all stop paying so much attention to the site.

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craveonline.com
TwoForce3326d ago

Maybe it true, but when the guy from website who just complain with no reason. That's where we question the person. Metacritic was a joke from past till this day.

WelkinCole3325d ago

Never mind the review itself. The fact there was no score but Meta gave one instead his highly unprofessional.

fluxmulder3325d ago

Metacritic did not make up the score. It was the score given to them by the Washington Post: https://twitter.com/metacri...

WelkinCole3325d ago

If that is the case then it is fine. How anyone would score U4 a 4/10 though is still quite unbelievable but that is separate. So WP gave a score to Meta. They should have stated this and show on their actual review unless they are gutless to do so.

OB1Biker3325d ago

If there was no score in the review itself to start with and then they provided MC with a score separately afterwards to make it count it doesn't seem right either.
I agree though that MC is irrelevant and people should stop referring to it.

bouzebbal3325d ago

I understand that developers want to have the highest score possible everywhere, it surely motivates for the following project. This doesn't concern anyone of the gamers who are only there playing games.. Their reaction is pathetic and laughable.

ninsigma3325d ago

Yeah seems like it wasn't metacritic who added it which is a relief. However I do agree with OB1. It was published on Washington post without a score. I disagree with then giving metacritic a score that you haven't published. Something else to add to the list of reason why I don't like metacritic.

extermin8or3325d ago

Still not fine, the review shouldn't be counted due to its complete lack of any professional standards. Just like when doing a science study if you have a few data points that are so far off the rest and especially if you have an explanation for what went wrong to produce them (in the reviews case bias from the reviewer) you count them as anomalous (hate spelling that word... Or trying to anyway) results and don't include them in averages etc.

DragonKnight3325d ago

The author forgets that publishers are concerned with metacritic and base whether or not devs receive a bonus on metacritic scores. That's the real problem and that's why metacritic has to go.

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3325d ago
mark_parch3325d ago

i boycotted metacritic ages ago as all it does is fuel the console war and give ammo to the fanboys. its not hard to find a few sites that you trust and have similar tastes and standers to you. the only reviewer i use now is ACG on youtube. ive also noticed there're loads of legit critics which metacritic don't use and this isn't the first time this has happened horizon 2 got two really low scores which stopped it getting 90 that said i think its pathetic how some of the ps4 community has reacted to this

phoenix_dusk3326d ago (Edited 3326d ago )

Maybe if he read the article in question, then the writer could have a good idea what's the fuzz is about.

Just unfortunate that the current journalism we are being punished to read doesn't require the writer to go to the crux of the problem, you just blog it.

Such an easy job, right, craveonline writer?

And mind you, gaming is not a job, it's a hobby. BUT OFCOURSE, the writer have to say shit as if he knows us.

gangsta_red3325d ago

So what is the problem? The game currently stands at a 93 with the absolute majority of reviews being fantastic.

And the fact that there is a petition to remove one, uno, review from Metacritic is why this and other articles are popping up. This is why these so called journalists are confused or dumbfounded. Because it makes absolutely no sense for all this fuss or concern over a game that is basically an A+ to be fought over one negative review.

Maybe it's you who should read this article and see where this person is coming from. The overreaction is mind blowing and I seriously can't believe myself that this is even a huge topic.

WelkinCole3325d ago

You and this so called journalist completely miss the point. Not surprise you would.

Borma3325d ago

If the review is satire then why can't Metacritic just remove the review and everyone can move on with their lives. There shouldn't even be the need for a petition to be started. Woops, we included a satire review, it's now removed, our bad. That should've been all there is to it.

Liqu1d3325d ago

The review didn't have a score yet Metacritic gave it one anyone. That's the problem, though it isn't surprising that you don't think it's a problem.

Realms3325d ago (Edited 3325d ago )

The problem is that there needs to be standards if you work for an editorial. It's not like he's some blogger on a no name website. As far as the game being at 93 it should be at 94 because ND worked hard to make U4 a great game to let some trolling as writer affect their work. As much as hate to say it a lot of people go to metacritic to see scores and it affects ND bottomline even if it's already scored pretty well. So if all of a sudden you get to tons of writers saying U4 is garbage are we suppose to agree even though I have been playing games since I was 5 and know the difference between a good game and a bad one. Damage control is unreal the fayboyism and trolling is out of control.

gangsta_red3325d ago (Edited 3325d ago )

Where is it stated the review is satire?

So metacritic gave it a score...and now it's a sinister 93. No, I actually don't think it's a problem.
Besides Washington Post gave Metacritic the score to publish

Please show me where the metascores will affect ND's bottom line? Please point to where going from a 94 to a 93 will cripple ND employees who worked so hard on the game and because of this score that Metacritic gave them Christmas will have to be postponed for a few years.

"So if all of a sudden you get to tons of writers saying U4 is garbage are we suppose to agree even though..."

But we aren't...seriously...what we are getting is tons of writers saying U4 is FANTASTIC. You all are taking one bad review and going completely off the rails with it.

"I have been playing games since I was 5 and know the difference between a good game and a bad one."

Then what's the problem?

ziggurcat3325d ago

https://www.washingtonpost....

Next to the author's name, it says "Comic Riffs". In other words, it's not a serious review, it's a comedy/satire piece. So, this one, uno, review isn't even a legitimate review. That's the problem.

3325d ago
gangsta_red3325d ago (Edited 3325d ago )

@Ziggurcat

That is the section in the Washington Post that reviews Movies, Games and other forms of entertainment. If you click on that you would actually see that. It's not satire.

He has reviewed games before and the review piece was submitted Metacritic by the Washington Post, they gave meta the score for them to print.

https://twitter.com/Uzair42...

@bruce755

"...the game was the highest rated original game of this generation, now it's not."

Jesus...it's a ninty-friggen-three! Exactly what is bad about that?

OB1Biker3325d ago (Edited 3325d ago )

There was no score to start with and it was added afterwards to make it count in MC.
I don't think it's a huge 'problem' so to speak but the incompetence of journalists has been a growing problem for a while now and I'm happy gamers react to that sort of fishy stuff happening. Gaming journalist sadly have become used to be arrogant and use the 'it's my opinion and I share it' attitude to dodge any negative feedback they get. They basically make a livelihood from the readers and when they get overwelmingly bad feedback they are like 'how dare you giving bad feeback on our job?'. You also can see many sites putting the blame on gamers and listing a collection of obscenities from 'gamers' comments to dodge any issues.
MC and that reviewer deserve all the backlash they get from gamers even if I agree it's no big deal at all.
I find it more worrying when the media snap at gamers for being 'immature' or the like instead of acknowledging the right for readers to give bad feedback.

Gazondaily3325d ago Show
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battleFROnt3325d ago

used as a marketing tool..
many have been brainwashed into thinking a game is as good as its meta score..
a collection of opinions doesn't change what they are, opinions. Whether they're paid to do it or not.

how many of you have been burnt in the past?
you go out and buy a game based on the raving reviews hype and marketing.

You pop the game in trying your best to like it only to realise you're playing garbage.. at least, what you perceive to be garbage.

81BX3325d ago

Exactlly! Stop crying about one stupid review. Kids these days will whine about anything they dont agree with.

Angainor73325d ago

Metacritic is the biggest joke and plague in the industry.

Rimeskeem3325d ago

I was trying to find this before and I finally did

http://n4g.com/news/1656061...

gangsta_red3325d ago (Edited 3325d ago )

@Rime
Complain about the contracts being influenced by outside effects then.

Do you know what an average engineer makes? Sorry if I don't lose any sleep over one of these guys not getting a bonus.

Magnes3325d ago

@G red I'm sure when someone goes out of their way to negatively effect your life/career you toss up your hands and say "oh well thems the breaks". Judging by the way you are in all the articles about this subject dropping comment after comment I'd say you would pursue those who wrong you with as much enthusiasm. Lets be real here when your peers in the review business give a game overwhelming positive reviews and you drop a stinker of a review like this person did, well you took the spray can and put the target on yourself.

3325d ago Replies(1)
DarkZane3325d ago

As much as I don't pay attention to metacritics, in this case the review in question was satire. Their real score was actually 8-9/10, but somehow metacritics took the 4/10.

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460°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

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theverge.com
3h agoReplies(1)
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Obscure_Observer3h ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

3h ago
pwnmaster30003h ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

3h ago
Obscure_Observer2h ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger1h ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30001h ago(Edited 1h ago)

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

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Tacoboto2h ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing692h ago(Edited 2h ago)

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif1h ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing6955m ago(Edited 54m ago)

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif25m ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

-Foxtrot2h ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast1h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts1h ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto1h ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

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90°

Sony Faces Class Action in the Netherlands Over Allegedly Inflated PlayStation Store Prices

Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation in the Netherlands has filed a class action against Sony for inflating PlayStation Store prices.

dveio2h ago(Edited 1h ago)

My personal opinion:

Manufacturers and publishers have indeed inflated the industry.

From $700 million development costs for games like Call of Duty, to digital (store) prices for games and DLCs, online multiplayer fees on consoles (why can you play Helldivers 2 online for free on PC but not consoles?) or still preventing sell/lend digitally purchased games.

Sometime in the future, this bubble will collapse.

They should know better, but they just can't help themselves and suck even the last penny out of our wallets.

anast1h ago

The Dutch gov. wants a piece of the pie.

Eonjay1h ago

They should be suing the individual publishers increasing the prices to $80 instead of suing the store. There are plenty of publishers still selling game for like $50 with much success (like E33). But this proves that the publishers are the ones setting the prices.... so again nothing changes because they aren't even going after the main offender. How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD? Sony being the number one store in the market doesn't mean that publisher have to charge us an arm and a leg. Again the industry is laughing at us because consumers never get real representation. Just these fake platitudes that are meaningless.

50°

Spook-A-Boo — Game Overview • VGMM

Spook-A-boo is a silly ghost-hunting game where you and up to 3 friends explore different levels, hunting down ghosts in a game of hide-and-seek.

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videogamesmademe.com