Wed, Jun 10, 2009 | 16:04 BST

Peter Moore says user reviews more relevant than Metacritic

easportsactive

Peter Moore says that user reviews pertaining to Wii titles are more relevant that Metacritic because titles that get a 70 can still sell millions of copies.

Speaking with Gamasutra, Moore said that when it comes to EA Sports Active, “We’re not going to Kotaku or Operation Sports on this one, we’re going to Amazon.”

“The thing is with the Wii, it seems to be for the gaming sites, it’s the last platform they review,” he continued. “It takes a time to get an actual review score. I would pretty much guarantee that just about every Wii game ships without a Metacritic rating because [reviewers] haven’t got around, to it or they’re not interested in reviewing it.

“I absolutely guarantee you, the thing we’re watching most closely now [with Wii titles] is things like Amazon – and I’ll go look at women’s magazines that have powerful websites, and then we look at what we call ‘mommy bloggers’.

“That’s where those people go for their information. They are not going to Metacritic. They don’t know Metacritic exists.”

15 comments

blackdreamhunk
10/06/09, 4:09 pm

I agree with him, I really like rise of the argonuts even if it got bad review scores.

Redh3lix
10/06/09, 4:10 pm

Translated: We can get away with making shit games (shovelware) and still make millions.

blackdreamhunk
10/06/09, 4:13 pm

If the game is bad people will say it just like you did. lol so you agree with me and him lol

Redh3lix
10/06/09, 4:17 pm

Your aware how Metacritic works? (and more importantly why).

blackdreamhunk
10/06/09, 4:19 pm

there was a video by some one who proveMetacritic didn’t work. It was on gamespot too.

deftangel
10/06/09, 4:23 pm

“Translated: We can get away with making shit games (shovelware) and still make millions.”

That’s not what he’s saying at all.

JesteR
10/06/09, 4:26 pm

Mommy blogger? Wow yeah i trust them more then meta…. lol.

Harry
10/06/09, 4:30 pm

Peter why not actually send more Wii code out then. EA seems to only send out X360 code – rarely PS3 or Wii. I think that may be a bigger reason why you see Wii reviews late.

NiceFellow
10/06/09, 4:31 pm

Makes sense, really.

Your average ‘hardcore’ gaming journo, etc. would hardly seem the best qualified to really review more casual titles.

It’s pretty clear from looking at reviews vs what my kids and wife think that they are simply too far removed from the intended audience, and too ‘stuck in their ways’, to be flexible enough to consider the titles differently from how they review the latest WW 2 shooter iteration.

The new EA sports title is probably the biggest release right now, in terms of sales, sure to sell more than inFamous, Prototype, etc. and most other ‘standard’ games releasing currently. Heck my wife had it on pre-order – the first videogame she’s ever bought in her life.

He’s not thinking of all titles clearly – sure the reviewers have no trouble with Mario, Zelda, etc. – but all the so called ‘casual titles’… I don’t think they really have a clue how to rate one vs another or understand their real appeal to actual Wii owners.

I have to say Pete certainly seems to find it easier to talk sense when he isn’t having to overly beat his chest for a specific platform.

#10

blackdreamhunk
10/06/09, 4:37 pm

then there is gamespot and big companies that want to mess with game scores.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/rumor/gamespot-editor-fired-over-kane–lynch-review-328244.php

how meny times reviews on gamespot trash pc gaming scores because they are bais.

#11

hitnrun
10/06/09, 5:14 pm

““That’s where those people go for their information. They are not going to Metacritic. They don’t know Metacritic exists.””

I envy them.

#12

blackdreamhunk
10/06/09, 11:15 pm