I think folks need to keep in mind that reviews and ratings are OPINION and everybody is entitled to their own and that's the way it will always be.

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Jake

KO - Harrold the Rogue

I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring
- Richard P. Feynman, 1988

Unfortunately not everyone attempts an honest review.

I've seen posts on the Eve Online forums telling players to come to www.mmorpg.com and spam the reviews with all 10s to boost ratings, as well as follow up posts laughing because Eve had managed to top the boards for a time.

Eves rating was corrected quite a bit after they started limiting reviews to members in good standing, but the rating is still creeping back up, (6.8 to 7.0, just in the past week) and if you read the review section it's always the same few members who keep re-posting super-positive reviews to the top. So they're obviously still at it.

Not aware of whether other games are using similar tactics, but I'd assume that at least a few do. It's really unfortunate, since it diminishes the usefulness of the rating system. But it's a reality of an open review system. Anyway, hopefully there's enough honest reviewers are out there to keep it somewhat balanced.

Allthough, if you can get enough people to take the time to sign up here and make a review only to boost that game a bit at least they must feel it is worth the effort.

Not saying it is fair or anything but if they do it they must feel the game is really good and worth a high score, maybe not all tens but high none the less. So one must assume it is a fair statement of how they feel about the game, or almost fair, no game is worth all tens, and probably never will be.

If the company however condoned this, maybe even encouraged people to do it via some small bribes or anything, then one would have to take action. How to take action I do not know though, but fact is I use the ratings here as my sole source when determening wich game to play, and I mean player ratings.

I am sick and tired of really bad reviews made by people who got a guided tour by the GM and then writes a review based on that, by bad i mean waaayyyy of mark, in any direction.

A good way is to read the comments people write, a one liner consisting of "GREAT GAME" means nothing, someone taking the time to write something constructive though and phrase it well usually has something to say that is worth our attention.

Umbrood

Hehe some people that reviewed the games never even tried it.

In mmorpgs many people just tend to follow rumours and after a while start to believe they actually played the games.

Ah, but the pathologically insane, delusionised people can not be accounted for, heck they cant even be prosecuted :)

Umbrood

Simply because you disagree with the review of another person does not mean that the rating was inaccurate.

It's your opinion against someone else's opinion. There is no right or wrong in it.

Actually opinions do have different values... 

Many opinions contradict themselves, many come from inexperience, many might be motivated by something else.

The perfect example is any game that someone puts a ton of effort into they are going to have part of their self worth dependent on that game being good so they will try and overlook everything bad about it or even that it is not at all fun just because if the game really sucks then how stupid are they for spending all that time in it?  Its easy to see that  the second someone gets flaming mad when someone criticises their favorite game. 

The only thing thats really worth anything is when someone gives a completely objective summary of all parts of a game and let the person decide for themselves...

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Originally posted by Kriminal99

The perfect example is any game that someone puts a ton of effort into they are going to have part of their self worth dependent on that game being good so they will try and overlook everything bad about it or even that it is not at all fun just because if the game really sucks then how stupid are they for spending all that time in it?

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[rant]
Again, I think it's unfair to devalue anybodies opinion. You may think a game is "not at all fun" but to somebody else it could be very fun and the way they enjoy spending their time. This is all opinion, people get their jollies in different ways. Guess what? I don't like EQ, DAOC, or AC.. that's my opinion. I don't bash the many fans and devalue their opinions. Many people get a lot of fun out of those games but I am not one of those people, simple as that. Now I didn't rate or review those games because I don't care much for them. If I was asked to review or vote I would probably rate them low because that's the way I feel about them. Isn't that what a rating is asking for? Now I imagine I could get flamed or told I must be crazy or stupid ot not like those games but guess what? Not everybody thinks the same and has fun the same way. Frankly, this topic gets me going because the whole personal opinion thing is in all aspects of life and a lot of racism, sexism, and hate/violence comes from people who can't accept that everybody is DIFFERENT and may not like what you like.
[/rant]

DISCLAIMER: To make it clear, the previous statement is MY opinion and does not reflect the opinions or ideas of mmorpg.com or any others on these forums.

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Jake

KO - Harrold the Rogue

I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring
- Richard P. Feynman, 1988

People devalue opinions everyday, maybe most people don't do it to each others faces but they still do it....   The whole concept that opinions are equal was only ever made for diplomatic purposes.

You hear someone say they think most tall people are stupid and you are tall maybe you get mad and think "theyre just mad cause they aren't tall and people put superficial value on it"  This happens every day not just with people you hate, not just with people you don't know, even with your friends and family.  If your friend tells you that a really hot girl is too snobby and wouldn't talk to you and she smiles slightly are you going to value your friends opinion? hell no...

Here we are looking at opinions for mmorpgs.  Now if almost everyone liked or hated a game that would mean something.  If someone gives a real bias free objective description of a game then that means something.  If someone that is obviously biased about a game agrees on points against his view that means something.  But any random person's rant about how a game is really good or bad really doesn't tell you jack squat.  And I seriously doubt even you would value someones opinion in that case despite arguing it.  Am I wrong? 

The truth is you never know what kind of spaghetti reasoning is behind someones opinion.  Half the time you ask someone to elaborate on an opinion they end up contradicting themselves somewhere, and "It's just my opinion" is only what comes out when you point out the fact.  This statement really has no meaning...

Still all tens or all ones i see as a deliberate attempt to either raise or trash a game, there is no game today that is worth them figures, hell even that "quest for the crown" game aint worth all ones.

Nor would "Screw Shakira" played in a startrek holodeck be worth all tens, (allthough very very very close).

All things considered though, I still think the player ratings here gives the most accurate view of a game. Likely very much more so then the "roll a D20" approach most professional reviewers use..

Umbrood

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Originally posted by Umbrood
Still all tens or all ones i see as a deliberate attempt to either raise or trash a game, there is no game today that is worth them figures..

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See, this is what I am trying to point out, I do agree with both of you on some levels but what I am saying is that YOU don't think any game is worth a 1 or 10. They are both extremes but who is to say somebody really doesn't feel that way about a game? Granted, there are folks who vote like that just to ruin it but it is PERFECTLY POSSIBLE that they feel that extreme about something.

I'm not trying to say listen and believe what everybody says because that would be stupid advice. I'm just trying to point out the fact that people have their own opinions and just because you don't like it, doesn't make it wrong(usually ). Of course, this is all my opinion too.. so I probably lose either way you look at it

Cheers,

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Jake

KO - Harrold the Rogue

I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring
- Richard P. Feynman, 1988

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Originally posted by hercules

Hehe some people that reviewed the games never even tried it.

In mmorpgs many people just tend to follow rumours and after a while start to believe they actually played the games.

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Simple enough,

Didn't play the game? Then don't rate it!

I've played almost the whole list on mmorpg.com.

I have a list of games i played somewhere.. I'll post it soon.

Can't review yet since i had problems posting on the forums before when i first signed up, probably a microsoft bug.

Greetings,
Phantium

Well...

Anyone can vote...

If someone care enought, that person can vote 30 times with 30 differents names...

I obviously dont care enought for that. :)

If they care for some votes accuracy, they need to determined a way someone is allowed to vote...which lead to lot of involvement which I doubt they want to invest with all the cheatings folks will try to find to get in. :)

- "Coercing? No no, I assure you, they are willing to bring my bags and pay public transportation just to help me, it is true!''