# VideoGamesCritic: A Fresh Contender in Game Review Aggregation
Thomas Mahler, recognized for his role in creating the celebrated *Ori* games and the forthcoming *No Rest for the Wicked*, has recently introduced a new website named *VideoGamesCritic*. Positioned as a counterpart to current aggregators such as Metacritic and Opencritic, it aims to tackle what Mahler identifies as significant flaws in these platforms, particularly in how they balance press reviews against player opinions.
## The Inspiration Behind VideoGamesCritic
In his announcement, Mahler expressed that conventional aggregators tend to mirror the press’s opinions on games instead of reflecting the player experience. To combat this, *VideoGamesCritic* assigns two-thirds of its aggregated score weights to player ratings, thereby emphasizing user experience. Mahler mentioned, “Press still counts, it just can’t outvote the people who purchased the game.” This realignment intends to yield a more precise representation of how games are perceived by genuine players.
The methodology of the site combines critic ratings gathered from OpenCritic with what it labels “user scores,” which are analyzed through a sophisticated formula derived from Steam reviews. The site endeavors to recognize and reduce the effects of ‘review bombing’—instances where a game garners an imbalanced number of negative reviews, often for reasons unrelated to the game’s value.
## Tackling Review Bombing and Score Weighting
To bolster credibility, *VideoGamesCritic* adopts a unique approach for assessing Steam reviews. User reviews from individuals with less than two hours of gameplay are significantly downweighted, gradually increasing in credibility up to a limit of ten hours. This strategy aims to ensure that the voices included are from invested players, rather than those who may have hastily formed opinions.
Furthermore, the site leverages Steam’s own tools for detecting review bombs to filter out misleading reviews. Additionally, to guard against overly favorable scores from users who used Steam keys to activate their games, Mahler has also incorporated adjustments for those players, enhancing the aggregate scoring method.
## Assessing the Reviewers
A fascinating element of *VideoGamesCritic* is its assessment of gaming publications themselves. The site assigns a “trust score” to each reviewer based on player consensus regarding their reviews. This score is calculated by evaluating how closely an outlet’s recommendations correlate with player satisfaction, offering insights into which outlets regularly reflect player sentiments.
Critics may argue that while Mahler’s transparent and mathematically oriented strategy seeks to eradicate bias, it still remains susceptible to the inherent biases of its creator. This poses questions about the impartiality of a system whose parameters are shaped by Mahler’s viewpoint.
## The Broader Perspective: Beyond Scores
Mahler’s venture is partly motivated by a desire to respond to the changing landscape of video games. Citing cases like *No Man’s Sky*, which has undergone significant changes since its controversial launch, he underscores the necessity for aggregators to depict the current condition of games rather than merely historical ratings. This emphasis on the lifecycle of games is a move towards ensuring that players receive relevant and significant evaluations.
Although Mahler contends that scores are a crucial tool for understanding games, critics of his framework may argue that it neglects deeper narratives and personal experiences in favor of a numerical consensus. The ongoing discussion between subjective criticism and objective rating systems continues within the gaming community.
## Conclusion
*VideoGamesCritic* signifies an innovative new strategy for game review aggregation, directly confronting the established standards set by existing platforms. By offering a venue where player scores carry substantial weight in overall ratings, Mahler’s vision aspires to ensure that consumer viewpoints take precedence over those of critics. As the site develops, it will be compelling to observe how it balances player sentiment with nuanced game criticism, potentially transforming how gamers and developers engage with game reviews in the future.
