Maybe you are, I'm not. I don't go to IMDB or Metacritic before seeing a movie or buying a game. I know what I'll like and yes, sometimes I do get disappointed but it's better than worrying about every little detail.

Just some of us are, if everyone was like that movies like Zookeeper wouldn't do so well at the box office.

Being critical of other people being critical strikes me as pretty damned funny. Don't get me wrong, you may be right, but why should someone rely on your opinion about other people's opinions?

I rarely buy stuff at release, so reviews can be pretty helpful for moving stuff to the top of the list for potential purchases. If you got a new system and were relatively clueless about the games available, would you refuse to look at metacritic? I find it's an excellent way to get started. There's a shit ton of games out there and any assistance sorting through them is helpful. I don't make any rules about games needing a certain score to purchase if I'm already interested, but it's really great for finding gems that may not have been on your radar.

note: I don't really watch a ton of gameplay vids, demos, or read video game magazines.

I didn't mean I value other's opinions more than my own, it just seems that many people on the forums won't even consider a game if IGN rates it below an 8 (For example).

I think you are probably just seeing an internet phenomena where anal retentive people tend to be vocal about their own preferences and forcefully let other people know, or take pleasure in turning their nose at things publicly.

I've got nothing against anyone that personally uses a filter of "8 IGN rating", but why be vocal about it to the point that internet strangers know your preferences?

I think the vast majority of the people on here are more normal than you think and just aren't vocal about it (because there's hardly reason to be right?).

Good point kay, I guess this really is the only forum I check regularly Ha

Quote: Don't get me wrong, you may be right, but why should someone rely on your opinion about other people's opinions?

What does this mean? Not following what ya mean here

Oh, just trying to be funny I guess.

Your opinion is that people care too much about the opinions in the reviews. If people are swayed by your opinion, not much has changed because they are just following someone else's opinion.

I really don't use reviews that often... once and a while I will look up reviews on a game I'm on the fence about and the reviews may persuade me one way or the other. But I never let negative reviews make me decide against something completely. I tend to look over all the negatives, see what people are saying and then make my decision if it is something I would like or not.

I just saw Cars 2 recently, I was a little nervous to see it since it was getting horrible reviews. But, I gotta say, after seeing it, it was better than the first one, in my opinion. I tend to have different tastes than reviewers anyway, so I like to form my own opinions before listening to reviewers! I do have a few reviewers, that I know have similar tastes as mine, that I will go to for certain games and movies when I'm not too sure.

Lol, i wasnt trying to get people to think like me though... I was just askin a question

Here's a question to turn it around for you. What do you think are true hidden gems that are quality games or movies, but get poor reviews? Anything come to mind that made you think of the topic?

No, I just thought of the IGN bit. Also, I do notice myself checking IMDB just for a rating before I see something. I need to stop though, cuz most movies aren't rated well, even when I end up liking them

But, to answer your question with hidden gems:

I'd really, really like to get 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand. Gears of war gameplay + unintentional humor is right up my alley. It seems to be one of a few cult classics on this site. Same goes with Deadly Premonition, though that one doesn't interest me much.

I have always been the type of person to get something because I am interested in it, reviews be damned. Sometimes it seems as if the reviewers are biased, being bought off in some way, or just plain out right idiots. If you are interested in something, really want it, then by all means go get it. Reviews are nothing more than another form of peer pressure. Allowing someone else to make up your mind for you as to what is good or in is just plain stupid.

Another flaw with reviews and those who do them is the lack of consistency and how they measure things. Not to try to take someone to task personally, but here on CAg we have Shipwreck. More often than not, his reviews seem confusing when it comes to his rating system. The most notable one for me was last year when he gave both Transformers: War for Cybertron and some shovelware for the Wii <Tournament of Legends if I am not mistaken> the same exact rating of fair. Alot of people took him to task on this, myself included, because we could not fathom how a great game such a WFC could get the same rating as shovelware for the Wii. His only differential in the rating was his suggested buy price. To this day his reviews are kind of convaluted and really need a better system for ranking.

So basicly, yes it seems people are becoming more dependant on reviews to make up thier minds for them, rather than being an individual and deciding for themselves.

I'll use reviews for something I'm on the fence on - a movie I kinda want to see, a game that looks neat but not necessarily $60 neat. If it's something I want to see/play, then I just do it. Batman could tank with critics and I'll have it Day 1 regardless. Shadows of the Damned, I was really unsure about but I've heard nothing but good things so I will pick it up eventually.