Holy Cow! This thread just reminded me that I was briefly writing reviews for a site called World 1 Level 1. It got to the point where I was the only one updating the site though, so I eventually stopped.

The guy who started the site (and invited me to contribute) never did anything to promote the site, & to this day, it doesn't come up when I type it up in search engines.

He's still on my friends list (3DS) though, so maybe I can ask him what happened (it was a Wordpress.com site). I'd love to do it again, given the chance.

I know somewhere else where good, articulate writers are welcome to contribute (hint: my sig )

Baaaaaaaaack on topic now

^Thanks for the invite, but my 3DS is my only internet source right now, and due to it's very limited features, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to contribute.

If I ever get my hands on a new iPod or tablet though, I'll think about it

Just to point out, though I'm sure its been mentioned already, looking at the bigger picture (though I realize this is a games website, so that's what we are usually talking about), we should be asking we people look at bias in reviews of all media as a bad thing. It doesn't just happen with video games.

I'm pretty active in the arts community (opera, theatre, ballet), literature and film communities and I see very little of these accusations of "bias" at the critics - and certainly not of the violence of the N4G/ NeoGAF forums. I dunno if it's different for music though.

Because fanboys can post on the internet.

That's the answer.

pretty much this. it's not that hard to understand if you truly give it some thought.

I enjoy bias. It opens up the ways I think and when one uses it correctly, it can be used as an engaging tool in both writing and conversations. Some people do need to expand their thoughts a bit, because they automatically push out any ideas of the concept and label it as negative.

I've only played a not-great port of MGS3, and that is already my favorite 3DS game and third-favorite game of all time.

My birthday is coming up in July. Also, a long time ago I had a PS1 and ended up getting rid of it. I have to wake up every morning and face that fact.

I think the reason some people dislike "bias" is because, say for instance people looking into a new FPS game, most of them probably already enjoy that genre so they would look for reviews from review websites from someone who enjoys FPSs rather than someone who dislikes them. So they cry fould when someone who already dislikes FPSs and gives it a bad review (quality of the game I'm talking about here) was assigned to review the game on a site rather than someone who already likes FPSs like them.

My idea of a "perfect review" should start with a simple description of the game, game mechanics, characters, style, graphics, history, whatever. Things that are fact-based and clear indicators of what the game is and what it's trying to accomplish. The second part of the review should be the reviewers opinion on what he/she enjoys or dislikes about the game and why.

A little cold hard objectivism and some soft and fuzzy opinion.

Bias doesn't exist, only opinion. And that doesn't exist either considering we're all dead.

Not til the 21st.

@OP I get the feeling you would understand your observations more if you were a father of at least 2 children.

Anyway...

It's easy to see that the people don't appreciate game reviews as much as you'd like, but it's also imperative to understand that those people lack the pre-requisites to do such a thing. You can clearly see the value in game reviews as expert opinion pieces because you went to college and studied journalism. You even said that you are actively involved in the art community. But from what we've witnessed in the gaming community scene so far, the majority of the people had not gone to college OR don't see much value in a liberal arts education when jobs are getting scarce at this moment.

To be honest, I used to be naive and afraid of criticism towards Nintendo, but I recently learned to be more appreciative and tolerant of such matters because of college, the NintendoLife community, my high school teachers, and many more. Heck, I didn't really know the boundaries between subjective wisdom and logos (logic, objectivity, evidence, empiricism) until I took a philosophy class this semester.

As for my attitudes towards game reviews, I look at them to see what people think.

_{P.S. No, I don't have children...}

I don't mind critisum to Nintendo, just no dumb critisum, which is one of the reasons I don't wanna go to college (too many "educated" people rather then educated people :/

^ I don't even have words for this.

____________________________________________

On topic, i think for me it really comes down to (as others have already said), the nature and extent of the "bias". Bias/preferences/whatever is fine, when it is informed and backed up. It's only when it becomes irrational that it is stupid (e.g. if a reviewer hates FPSs or Pokemon games or whatever, and simply gives those games horrible reviews for that purpose only).

Personally, i know which reviewers/review sites share a similar taste or view of games that i do, and tend to take their reviews into account greater than others. To use NL as an example, i know that both Corbie and Phil have very similar tastes in games and gaming that i do, so their reviews will hold more weight for me. Likewise with certain reviewers in Game Informer or IGN or whatever.

@shpy what I ment is I know too many people who go to college just to say "hey I'm smarter then you because I has education"

I don't mind critisum to Nintendo, just no dumb critisum, which is one of the reasons I don't wanna go to college (too many "educated" people rather then educated people

I know this is your attempt to take a subtle swipe at me. Cute attempt.

I do so hope when you need a major operation that you get a surgeon that hasn't been to college. I wouldn't want you to be operated by an "educated" person.

Is there a difference between "educated people" and educated people?

The first on was sarcasm, hence the quotions. The "educated" people claim they are educated. However Harmo thinks otherwise, due to their opinion on Video Game companies.