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Could OpenCritic replace Metacritic?

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opencritic

There has been a lot of debate about the value of a score attached to reviews. Yes, reviews are subjective. Yes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. However, despite writing lengthly reviews to explain why a game is good or bad or (more often) somewhere in between, most people rely on a score to determine if they should spend their hard earned money on a specific title. Metacritic is particularly powerful because of how it aggregates those scores together, but it might not be the top dog for long.

OpenCritic is new, gaming-focused platform that seeks to redefine the aggregating world. The main difference is that, unlike Metacritic, there isn’t a top-secret algorithm that determines the weighting of the review scores from different outlets.

Here’s what OpenCritic says makes them different:

  • Transparency. No hidden weightings. No black-box processes. All standards and calculations are publicly verifiable.

  • Customization. Gamers can create their own personal score by customizing which publications they trust. And critics can submit edits to both their score and quote at any time.

  • More than a number. We aggregate all reviews, not just numerical ones. We also want to show the human side behind the review and score, with our first step being to display the author.

  • Gamers first. We are committed to continuing development in the review aggregation space and want to engage the gaming community to decide which features to build next

I really like that users can whitelist certain publications, helping to customise their scores. If, for example, you know that certain outlets consistently rate games higher or lower than you would, you can choose to remove them from the weighting when you view the site. This is a cool feature and I think will help people get a better sense of games that they might enjoy.

We should be listed on there soon, just as we are on Metacritic. I don’t think that these aggregators are going anywhere, but I would like to see their importance shift a bit. At the moment, a game that receives a low ranking on Metacritic can lead to payment bonus issues for developers. Hopefully, something like OpenCritic will help to broaden the landscape, even if it’s yet another marker for publishers to use when evaluating a game’s performance.

I still believe that most reviews simply serve as confirmation bias. If you already thought a game was going to be great, a good review will prove your point and you’ll probably ignore the bad reviews. The opposite obviously goes for a game you though was going to be awful. Reviews might still be useful for those who are on the fence, but I’m curious how many different reviews people actually check, and if Metacritic is as important for purchasing decisions as publishers like to believe. Research suggests that that there is indeed a correlation, if not outright causation.

Last Updated: October 5, 2015

47 Comments

  1. RinceThat

    October 5, 2015 at 13:05

    My brain replaced Metacritic. Learning how to appreciate ones OWN taste is all I need to know. 😛

    Reply

    • VampyreSquirrel

      October 5, 2015 at 13:10

      Rincethis disappears to Joburg and RinceThat makes up for the missing comments 😛

      Reply

      • oVg

        October 5, 2015 at 13:14

        fixed

        Reply

        • VampyreSquirrel

          October 5, 2015 at 13:17

          Knew you were RinceThat… just found it funny that you’re commenting so much today while Nick’s up here dying of the heat.

          Reply

          • oVg

            October 5, 2015 at 13:18

            Tell the ginger to wear factor 40 for his soulless skin 😛

          • VampyreSquirrel

            October 5, 2015 at 13:20

            HAHAHA! Will do.

          • oVg

            October 5, 2015 at 14:03

            😉

          • VampyreSquirrel

            October 5, 2015 at 14:43

            He informs me that he sold your copy of The Witcher 3 to get above mentioned factor 40.

          • oVg

            October 5, 2015 at 15:18

            The whoreson

          • Grand Admiral Chief

            October 5, 2015 at 13:22

            xD

          • Hammersteyn

            October 5, 2015 at 14:32

            Gonna need a butter knife to apply that much cream

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            October 5, 2015 at 13:26

            Good.

    • 40 Insane Frogs

      October 5, 2015 at 13:14

      Listen to this man! He speaks the truth! I haven’t visited Metacritic in ages. Much like Sir Rincey, I rely on my own tastes. I’ve discovered some of the most enjoyable titles by going off the beaten track.

      Reply

      • oVg

        October 5, 2015 at 13:24

        Ya, it goes for everything. We appreciate things more than others at different times in our lives.

        Reply

        • 40 Insane Frogs

          October 6, 2015 at 15:59

          Like Thundercats or Power Rangers… I recently re-watched the original Thundercats and I had to take a gulp from a whiskey bottle.

          Reply

          • oVg

            October 6, 2015 at 16:06

            LOL I was thinking more in the lines of LSD and every other drug known to man 😛

            I remember Telly Tubies was watched mostly by the English University students lol

  2. Kromas untamed

    October 5, 2015 at 13:20

    Wait … metacritic still exists?

    Reply

    • oVg

      October 5, 2015 at 13:26

      Its replacing Religion according to some people on N4G.

      Reply

      • Pariah

        October 5, 2015 at 13:27

        What was that about R.E.M.?

        Reply

        • oVg

          October 5, 2015 at 13:30

          Its the end of the world and we know it, and I feeeeel fine. 😛

          Reply

        • VampyreSquirrel

          October 5, 2015 at 13:32

          it’s in the corner.

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            October 5, 2015 at 14:31

            not in the spotlight?

          • VampyreSquirrel

            October 5, 2015 at 14:35

            Nah, that’s just an imitation of life.

      • Kromas untamed

        October 5, 2015 at 13:58

        Isn’t N4G the acronym for no 4g signal here? 😛

        Reply

  3. JP

    October 5, 2015 at 13:21

    What is this Metacritic? And why should I believe them?

    Reply

    • oVg

      October 5, 2015 at 13:29

      Like the Oscars and Scientology Its a guild for the rich and famous.

      LG wink wink.

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      October 5, 2015 at 14:30

      for the lulz, especially the user reviews

      Reply

  4. Grand Admiral Chief

    October 5, 2015 at 13:21

    I hope not, since my Lagz/Metacritic shirt will then become obsolete!
    (refresh for pic)

    Reply

    • Pariah

      October 5, 2015 at 13:22

      Can’t be a Lagz T-shirt. It’s not tent-sized. I call fake.

      Reply

      • Grand Admiral Chief

        October 5, 2015 at 13:22

        The tent sized ones are for the common folk

        Reply

        • Pariah

          October 5, 2015 at 13:23

          Then I reiterate – fake.

          Reply

          • Grand Admiral Chief

            October 5, 2015 at 13:24

            Hahaha super jelly.

            That is a limited edtion piece of Lagz memorabilia

          • Pariah

            October 5, 2015 at 13:25

            Limited Edition because it’s the rare form of not-tent-sized t-shirt? 😛

          • Grand Admiral Chief

            October 5, 2015 at 13:51

            I’m going to let you in on a secret….only the residents of the republic of Cape Town were trolled with those…

          • Pariah

            October 5, 2015 at 13:53

            At the time I was a resident of JHB. 😛

          • Grand Admiral Chief

            October 5, 2015 at 14:00

            They knew you were immigrating 😛

          • Pariah

            October 5, 2015 at 14:03

            XD

            I’m almost surprised they didn’t employ scorched earth policy. XD

          • Grand Admiral Chief

            October 5, 2015 at 14:03

            BURN IT ALL
            xD

        • Hammersteyn

          October 5, 2015 at 14:30

          Fake!

          Reply

  5. Alien Emperor Trevor

    October 5, 2015 at 13:24

    Multi-platform titles getting glowing reviews, while said reviews were only made on one platform, and previews/reviews that stem from highly-curated experiences have soured me on professional reviews somewhat; so I don’t rely on them solely anymore.

    I tend to balance them with user reviews & comments now for the game’s version released on my platform, particularly the negative ones to see what people are complaining about. Sometimes users give a game a zero rating for silly reasons.

    Reply

    • oVg

      October 5, 2015 at 13:25

      10/10 for that comment.

      Ill send the Mountain Dew and Dorritos via SA post 😛

      Reply

    • Pariah

      October 5, 2015 at 13:26

      Ditto here. I’ve not been on Metacritic in a few years.

      Reply

  6. Darren Peach

    October 5, 2015 at 13:44

    Hit and miss. 80 percent of the time, Reviewers are on the money.

    Reply

    • Pariah

      October 5, 2015 at 14:05

      7 out of 10 stats are made up and 45.36% of all reviews are paid for.

      Reply

      • Darren Peach

        October 5, 2015 at 14:19

        I suppose if you use certain websites that may be true, But here in humble SA, I find reviews to be honest. Nag being my main source, Although I generally know what I like and if I’m on the fence, I wait for the reviews. Strangely enough, Now that Nag is a thing of the past, It occurred to me that gaming news will be harder to come by and I have to rely one mainstream websites for tidbits.

        Reply

  7. Hammersteyn

    October 5, 2015 at 14:29

    Why not both?

    Reply

  8. JerryCurlanIsNice

    October 5, 2015 at 17:54

    Black Box Processes!! No!!! Is this the tin-foil-hate, black helicopter crowd?

    Reply

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