The Ethics(?) of Ratings

[SunBoots]

Spoiler: irrelevant exposition

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I've noticed that being given a scoring system leads me to, on occasion, score things based on external factors.
This isn't often an issue, since nothing exists in a vacuum, barring one exception that gives me pause.
The times when I rate a game better or worse solely because I think its existing score is too low/high.

I've run my reasons in circles and decided that it's effectively not that far removed from review bombing, but due to the nature of the content, especially the type I consume on this website, it's inevitable for scores to be skewed poorly due to the WIP and scarcity of quality.

Thoughts on the matter are welcome and thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Spoiler: bonus exposition

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[♍VoidTraveler]

So, i did a bunch of reviews on this site, and this is what i have to say:

Basically to be a good reviewer you need to adjust your level of expectation, by downgrading it to the level of the item you review if that item is not on the level of your expectations to begin with.
Hence, you can't expect AAA-level quality from just another rpgm game or another typical VN.
But does this make them bad games? Not necessarily. That's where adjusting your expectations come in.
You need to... level yourself with the target of your review, so to speak. So that you're both on the same page.

So long as one understands this, pretty sure everyone can give fair, objective reviews.

 

[bethrezen0]

I don't really even pay attention to the ratings. I go and have a look at what people write in there, but the overall score of the game really tells me nothing most of the times. Majority of games are definitely overrated, and i occasionally stumble upon someone in the reviews just bluntly admits they gave a game 5 stars cuz rating is too low. I don't think of it as ethical/unethical, i find that simply stupid.
Reviews are for you to express your experience with the game itself, give the potential player some insight of what the game is really about, what actually is in it beyond the opening post summary, and pass your judgement on whatever this game is good or bad.
Most of the things not about the game belongs in the comments, not reviews.

 

[Jack Madrigal]

ratings are useless, even when they are not petty.

You don't need a random stranger's opinion on what to think and how to feel about something, especially on this forum where you can witness the dumbest, most inarticulate peoples, saying stuff like "THe GaMe isn"t PeRfecT but me likez 5 stars".

and since all the staff is clinically dead, (outside of doorknob who is actively abusing his prerogatives) don't expect any changes in the next coming decades.

there are good game that got 1 star, and terrible game with 5 stars, you can't objectively rate preferences, It's pointless and they need to stop it.

 

[MarshmallowCasserole]

Reviews exist to help consumers navigate the market. That's their entire purpose. So if a piece of content is better than average in that genre/category, the review should let the reader know that somehow.

The times when I rate a game better or worse solely because I think its existing score is too low/high.

Yeah, I think you should not do that. It just hurts your credibility. If you're making the score openly not align with the substance of the review, that's not a good look. Plus, your individual score has little weight, so it's just not worth it.

 

[chainedpanda]

I don't leave reviews often. I generally just post in the game thread because of this same reason. That said, when I do review a game, I try to leave my biases out of the score I give. That said, I do often make note of any significant biases I do have. Is the dev an asshole? I note it. Do I think it has potential? I state that too.

I think it's impossible to completely ignore biases when reviewing anything. Regardless of who you are and what your reviewing. Whenever I play adult games, the writing and characters are the most important parts of the game for me, while story and originality comes second place. Whenever I create reviews, these are always super important for my overall opinion.

However! With all of this said, I think it's perfectly acceptable to give games a higher or lower score if it's the type of game or story you like. Not every game has to be for everyone, but by upscoring games you do like, it allows other players with similar tastes to find the same game, and perhaps with more fans, more games similar will be produced as a result.

In conclusion, while I do think there is an ethical debate, don't think on it too seriously. I would recommend trying to remove the biases from your review, but ultimately still review the game as if you enjoyed, or didn't enjoy it.