Game Scores Do Not Equate To Sales

Gamasutra reports that a study shows what we all already knew: high game scores do not equate to high sales figures. From the article: "The study ... attempts to find correlations under more specific scenarios, such as with blockbuster games in the Madden, Grand Theft Auto, and Halo series; within the same franchise, and within the most specific example, within sports games concerning the same sport. However, as the authors state in their conclusion: 'After going through multiple scenarios, we believe a game rating, in most cases, is not a reliable tool for predicting game sales.'"

Comments

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[Godeke]

Movie reviews don't make box office smashes.

Reviews are (supposedly) an objective opinion of the merits of the game from various perspectives: game play, art, value, etc. Sales reflect something different entirely: marketing dollars spent, brand recognition by purchasers, perceived "coolness" of the game.

There is a hard core contingent (I'm one of them) who reads reviews before purchasing games. They are the minority.