So I think this is a bit of an ambitious topic but I am going to give it my best shot. this is something that i have thought about for a long time and I always wonder if others feel the same. I think that review scores don’t work because of the way people interpret them. 
https://b-i.forbesimg.com/erikkain/files/2013/06/last-of-us-reviews.png
[src](https://b-i.forbesimg.com/erikkain/files/2013/06/last-of-us-reviews.png)

# 1) Problems With The Scale
The first and biggest problem with review scored is the way people understand and perceive them. Let me explain what I mean. Everyone has a different understanding of a scale. for example, here in America we get graded in school from A to F but there are various other scores in between A+, A, A-...and so. Now the thing is that for some people a B is a good score. that person would feel perfectly satisfied by a B. while others won’t take anything less than an A, and people like that often times have a very negative reaction to anything worse. Some people are perfectly fine with C's and there are people that are even fine with D's. Now each letter grade is often associated with a % out of 100. The scale usually goes like this:

>=93                A 
<93 and >=90        A- 
<90 and >=87        B+ 
<87 and >=83        B 
<83 and >=80        B- 
<80 and >= 77        C+ 
<77 and >= 73        C 
<73 and >= 70        C- 
<70 and >= 65        D+ 
<65 and >= 60        D 
<60                 E 

This scale is ingrained in us from the day we start school, and everyone is trained to seek that A. I think that this conditions us so that we instinctively associate lover grades or scores as trash. But this scale does not work for games. It honestly makes no sense normally as well. If we simplify this scale further and think of it not as letter grades or percent’s but as a scale from 1 to 10 (the usual scale used for rating games) we begin to se the problems. many gamers associate grades with game scores. If a game gets a 9 or 10 (A) it is almost universally accepted. if a game gets an 8 (B) then some will really like it but some won’t give it the time of day. If a game has a 7 or 6 (C-D) most won’t touch it. and hers is where the problem lies. at 7. 

I find that games that are usually scored as 7 are some of the best. Why? because they have so much potential. they are on the edge of doing just enough. the sad thing is that many people wont try games that are 7's. This effectively makes the rest of the scale for scoring useless. Think about it...how rare is it when you see a game get below a 6. Its really rare. It almost never happens, and thats because in our mind anything below a 7 or a 70% or a C is unacceptable. This is sad because sometimes games that are 7's fail because enough people did not get the game. This is a bigger problem because of the way we live now as well. time is a major constraint so people think let me just play those 9's and 10's. people dont want to miss the zeitgeist of a 9 even tho they may enjoy a 7 or a 6 more.

# 2) Number of Scales
So you might be thinking well there are other scoring systems. but when it comes down to it they are usually very similar and they have the same problem. Scale form 1-10, scale from A to F, scale from 1 to 5 starts, scale from 0 to 100 all have that same problem where people have preconceived ideas about the scores. the more scales there are the harder it is to know how one relates to another. Even from review to reviewer 1-10 scales differ. for one guy a 7 might be more like a 5.
https://linksaveszelda.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/reviewscores.jpg
[src](https://linksaveszelda.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/reviewscores.jpg)

# 3) Effects On The Player
I sort of touched on this earlier, the negative effects the review score has on the gamers. It prevents gamers from trying out new things and discovering new games. It makes gamers more worried about whether the game is good and not worried about if the game is good for them. I try to ignore review scores when I play games that way I can try the game out for myself. I think of a game that I really love like the evil within. If I would have skipped the game just because of its score I never would have got into a new series and an entire new genre.

# 4) Effects on The Game
Have you ever played a game that you loved, that set up a sequel perfectly but the sequel never comes? Chances are that the game was not reviewed that highly. As a result, many people did not get it or play it. So now an awesome franchise has dies because the studio was not able to make enough to stay afloat and keep making games. This always breaks my heart to see a series that has so much potential die. It’s even harder because people have spending limits. Many games are not able to compete with the monster franchises like Call of Duty. Most people would rather buy a new rehashed COD because it is a safe bet. 
[http://download.gamezone.com/uploads/image/data/1208301/dantes-inferno.jpg
[src](http://download.gamezone.com/uploads/image/data/1208301/dantes-inferno.jpg)

# Solution
So I presented a problem. Something that I think is a problem but what do I think will fix it. I think a number of things can help this problem. I think that having a scale that is not so much based around hard numbers helps. I think its better for the final word to be a recommendation and not a number. Almost as if you were recommending it to a close friend. You would not say it’s a 10. You would tell them why they should play it or not. 

Another solution would be a well-defined scale.  A 1 to 10 scale is a great way summarize your thoughts but if more context is given then the scale prevents so much preconceived subconscious ideas. For example, when I give a number score this is how it goes for me:

1-2 Is a terrible game that no one should ever play
3-4 is a bad game 
5-6 is an ok game with something their but it has a lot of problems
7-8 is a good game that you can enjoy. A game with a lot of potential
9-10 A nearly perfect that gets it all right

I personally like to give a bit of an explanation as to who would enjoy the game. What do you guys think about review scores. Do you think there is a problem with them? Has a review score ever held you back from buying a game? Has a series you liked ever died because it did not get the sales it needed? Pls comment I love chatting with you guys. Thanks for reading and upvote and follow if you want to get more gaming reviews and discussions. I hope you all sort of got what I was getting at lol.
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