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The video game industry is the reason why many of us can enjoy a hobby that provides us with rewarding experiences, with memorable stories and engaging characters. Simply put, we love this form of entertainment and it’s part of who we are.
We have thus discovered that after so much joy and satisfaction that video games bring us, also come certain shared responsibilities. At this point, famous critics or specialized media come into play, who are responsible for bringing us the news and details of each title that is about to be released.
Thus begins the inclusion of the media in all aspects related to a game, a business or a project, making us understand that they are responsible for offering the first impressions, guides or evaluations that will serve as a reference for all of us. This is not bad, since in the end we only want to know or be informed.
However, things often get out of hand when a new game comes along. The media should, with some responsibility, offer us their analysis, share their experience and, at the same time, expose the strengths or weaknesses of the launches.
Unfortunately, in recent years, the situation has gotten out of control. There are media outlets that are unethical and unserious in their work, which through their words can unfairly destroy a title or on the contrary praise completely broken games in order to convince players.
Little by little, as consumers and players with years of experience in this hobby, we realize that all that glitters is not gold and that some media tend to benefit or harm the titles in a negative way. This brings us to the central question of this post:
Do video game reviews in the media really matter?
Faced with this question, which seems easy to answer, I, Frank Montes, as a member of Generation Xbox, could tell you that they are important, but with nuances. But you will realize that I also analyze video games and that my opinion can be decisive for you as a player.
So this is where I understand and internalize that there are media outlets that have gone astray and gotten carried away by certain trends, intentionally favoring certain companies and harming others. Some explanations could be:
- Die-hard fans of a brand: To simplify, there are three major companies: Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. Some media outlets deliberately favor one of them, generating biased analyses and leaving gamers without an objective evaluation.
- The so-called “briefcases”: Money drives the industry, why not assume that you’re paying to talk well about a game? While this may seem logical given some questionable analysis, I have no concrete evidence of this. (I personally received no incentive to prioritize a release.)
- Reviews from experts or inexperienced people: Some writers or analysts may not have the experience suggested by the media outlet. This is understandable, since many hold these positions without being experienced players, which can be detrimental to some works.
- Objectivity or subjectivity: It is difficult to control one’s emotions when writing an analysis without revealing anger, euphoria or other emotions. This clearly shows that every analysis has a subjective component of the author.
I’m not revealing anything new, but rather sharing something that seems obvious: media reporting is often biased by the factors I’ve discussed. It is obvious that, in one way or another, an analysis will always have a margin of error, intentional or not.
Therefore, with all responsibility, I can tell you that media reports are not the most important thing, since in the end, it is you who will enjoy a game or not, regardless of what the media says. If a game has a low score, but it is wonderful for you, that is what really matters.
Although there are also games that are really bad, either because they don’t live up to expectations or because they are a total disaster, and in those cases some reviews can be accurate and consistent. However, as I tell you, you can’t always trust them completely, and sometimes it’s better to be careful.
Remember, when video games first came out, the internet and media were scarce, and the only way to know if a game was good was to play it. That’s why, I encourage you to read the reviews as a reference, but not as a definitive reason to buy or not buy a game.because in the end it’s you who will really appreciate the titles.
Continue to enjoy with us on Generation Xbox
