Gamers and Game Reviewers not so Different

According to an article recently published in the New York Times, it seems that despite the dangerous path game reviewers tread to maintain their integrity, gamers put more faith in them when choosing what titles to buy. There just seems to be more in common between gaming reviewers and game players. People often ignore critics that pan a film or popular music for example, but gamers listen to the experts before they buy.

“When something costs $59 and you’re 18 years old, it’s not like going to the movies,” said Jeff Brown, vice president for corporate communications at Electronic Arts, the No. 1 game publisher. “Video-game consumers are the single most sophisticated shoppers in the entertainment industry, despite their age and what you might think. People go to a movie or buy a book on a whim. But buying a video game is a much more methodical and judicious process. Next time you’re in an airport, look at how many magazines are dedicated to video games. And they’re not writing about the sex lives of game designers. They are writing about the content.”

It’s also suggested that video game reviewers are not as aggressively manipulated by the industry. Film moguls spend much more money buying support for their work than gaming companies do.

I believe gamers take more stock in what game reviewers have to say about a title because at heart the reviewer is a gamer too, and they’re not going to recommend something they wouldn’t enjoy themselves.