How do you measure what is the best?

[DailonCmann]

Okay, I tried one of these previously using real games and I think that's where it failed.

Let me ask you this, you are writing a magazine article about the top games of 2011. You've already narrowed the top spot to two games, Game A and Game B. Game A is considered better by the majority, but Game B has sold more copies. You've already decided to not make this a personal top games list and want to try and represent the greatest amount of gamer's opinion as possible. So that leaves you with two options, go by sales or majority opinion.

Both have problems, for example how do you measure majority opinion and do sales really represent how good something is? But on that basis, how would you decide?

 

[Richardplex]

Sales does not equal better, sales just means better marketing. So personally, I'd completely ignore sales.

 

[shadyh8er]

Sales are to games what box office earnings are to movies. Even crap can make money. I would go with majority opinion.

 

[gazumped]

A lot of people don't have the money to spend on new games at the moment so it could be a case of the people who like game B better happen to have more money to buy it with.

If the game that was selling more was considered to be better, it could be that it's not actually better, it's just that more people are playing it because it sold more (which is often based on its advertising, promotion or possibly the price of its game, not necessarily from recommendation from unbiased players).
But the fact that Game A is considered to be better despite less people owning it suggests that more people have been so desperate to play it they've been borrowing it from friends, renting it or even pirating it to get round not being able to buy it.

 

[Handbag1992]

I play both and decide, based on number of meals missed and hours of sleep surrendered, which is superior.

Also, crap can make money, so sales can never count when it comes to "best". If that's how we judge the best of something then the Twilight movies are some of the best movies of our generation.

 

[DailonCmann]

I accidentally posted this before I was done. I put up the revised edition on another thread, sorry to anyone annoyed.

 

[Jonluw]

Sales are to a far greater degree a result of marketing than quality, so I'd go by majority opinion.

And I see what you're doing here.

 

[DailonCmann]

Sales are to a far greater degree a result of marketing than quality, so I'd go by majority opinion.

And I see what you're doing here.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.327030-Poll-The-System-Works-Skyrim-vs-COD-MW3?page=1

Edit: Ah, accidental post.
My bad.

Yeah, I really wanted to give people a frame of reference to go on for that one, so I gave examples. It did not work.

 

[Jonluw]

Sales are to a far greater degree a result of marketing than quality, so I'd go by majority opinion.

And I see what you're doing here.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.327030-Poll-The-System-Works-Skyrim-vs-COD-MW3?page=1

Edit: Ah, accidental post.
My bad.

Yeah, I really wanted to give people a frame of reference to go on for that one, so I gave examples. It did not work.

I don't think your examples were the problem so much as the fact that you cited the metacritic user score as an example of majority opinion.

 

[DailonCmann]

Sales are to a far greater degree a result of marketing than quality, so I'd go by majority opinion.

And I see what you're doing here.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.327030-Poll-The-System-Works-Skyrim-vs-COD-MW3?page=1

Edit: Ah, accidental post.
My bad.

Yeah, I really wanted to give people a frame of reference to go on for that one, so I gave examples. It did not work.

I don't think your examples were the problem so much as the fact that you cited the metacritic user score as an example of majority opinion.

Well, that's the example I mean. After the whole Cod:MW3 0 spamming, I figured people took them seriously. Why else would they ***** about it so fervently if it meant nothing? But yeah, it was a poor choice in retrospect.

 

[Jonluw]

Sales are to a far greater degree a result of marketing than quality, so I'd go by majority opinion.

And I see what you're doing here.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.327030-Poll-The-System-Works-Skyrim-vs-COD-MW3?page=1

Edit: Ah, accidental post.
My bad.

Yeah, I really wanted to give people a frame of reference to go on for that one, so I gave examples. It did not work.

I don't think your examples were the problem so much as the fact that you cited the metacritic user score as an example of majority opinion.

Well, that's the example I mean. After the whole Cod:MW3 0 spamming, I figured people took them seriously. Why else would they ***** about it so fervently if it meant nothing? But yeah, it was a poor choice in retrospect.

They ***** about the spamming because it's positively pathetic.
But yeah, review scores are a better example of majority opinion I would say. Reviewers attempt to stay objective and judge a game on its own merits, not which franchise it's from.
In any case, the majority opinion should only include the opinions of people who have actually played the game: preferrably without making up their mind about it before playing.

 

[TitanAtlas]

I choose the best upon the quality of the project and the work involved to make such thing happen.
For example i prefer old horror movies then the more recent ones. Why? Even if the recent ones have now sold more?

-Well cuz the horror ones for example took lots of work to make. The actors felt and lived theyr characters role, the directors thinked of ways to make the stories better and more interesting, and the crew made incredible costumes out of simple materials and was able to recreate the most crazy and awesome effects.

-But the Recent movies lack everything. The actors are someone with a skydiving to the floor career, or some "diva" that no normal person gives a dam, but lots of fanfreaks love (for some weird reason), and a couple actors that can acctually live to the role (but these are so few and so rare that the career is a little destroyed with such horrible movie), the director just copies some old movie, doesnt gve attention to anything, neither developes the characters (wich end up beeing a hellload of Kristen Stewarts all over the place), and the crew makes everything on computer (wich is way easier), but dont have the originality to try something new or fresh. Just the same old monster but now on 3D, wich makes the movie look horrible.


For me thats why i like for example old movies. For a game for example. I don't care much about glitches (irritating, yes, but you can work arround them with patches - if you're on a pc), but i care about the work implemented in the game. From the characters development (i want to feel sorry if a character dies, not be all bored up and say "Oh hey... jim died... anyway"), i want a story that keep me compelled to the game ("So i just finished this shoot'out arena, but i wonder what's behind this door.... oh... another shoot'out arena... yeah... i sure ... i sure love those... -__- ), i want the epic music to kick in when im performing something epic and i want gameplay controls i can easily work on with.

Many games nowdays don't even have half these elements and yet peopel buy them like crazy. That's why the sales don't make the game. People are stupid and they will forever do stupid things. Thats why we need to think before we buy or watch something.

TL;DR i should say The sales do not make the game. Quality over Quantity any day of the week

 

[Jeebz]

Ok from what I am reading here I cant help but read people banging on about the sales, now if you're speaking as their opinion of what makes a game popular, sure I can understand the approach of heading for the sales first, but I read it completely differently, " How do you measure ".

If that is a case to me, I answer it with 1 word: Repetition. Strictly speaking I use that word in reference to music, film and game. If there is anything you wish to return to multiple times for entertainment, to me thats a sign of successful entertainment. As far as to what is best, I think most have a sort of criteria checklist or pros and cons things in their head as to what satisfy what they would expect from whatever is occupying their time

 

[Radeonx]

I play the games myself and judge them based on MY opinion.