Economical Gamer Forums

Reading an interesting article on how a person would not buy a game if the reviews were bad .. so how often will you base your purchase based on reviews ?

I know I have not bought many games that I really wanted after reading the bad reviews the game scored .. though people can get confused if they see one publication giving it a 10 then another a 7.   So what influences you when  buying games ?

Reviews rarely influence my purchases. Dont have much to add

There are always those games that you were always going to buy, regardless of reviews. But I like to think of myself as an informed buyer - if a game is getting rubbish reviews everywhere, then it is unlikely that I will buy it, at least not straight away or at full price. At the same time, games that I have discounted may be considered if I see extremely favorable reviews (like Resident Evil 4, for example). But long story short, yes, reviews do impact me a fair amount. I don't just base it on one review or anything though, I look around at a variety of sources, both official and gamer-based, and use them to decide whether or not I'd enjoy the game.

They act more as guidelines for me.

On a game I've looked into, I'll take a lot more into consideration.
For forming some kind of opinion on a game that otherwise I wouldn't have known about, that's when review scores mean more to me.
Maybe whether I'll buy a game when it's cheap later down the track.

I always tend to take reviews into consideration. Not necessarily the score, but rather the reveiw in general. A lot can be gained by reading the article as opposed to looking at the bright shiny numbers associated.

i use them as a rough guide... everyone is different so what might be good for one person might be **** for another...

Usefull for those "Would be nice but is it worth it..." games.

But other times... well, I knew Heatseeker had some average reviews, but I still bought it (and loved it).

By the same token, Battalion Wars only got average reviews but it's one of my all time favorite games.

So yeah, only really effect my buying of games I'd like but do not warrant a "WHERE'S MY WALLET, I'M OFF TO EB" reaction.

I think that Battalion Wars received mostly praise from the bigger sites. I pretty much agree with your thoughts though...

I used to, but now I just buy games that appeal to me and look cool, despite scores.

Sometimes... but i usually dont care.... OMGOSH!! I WANT COOKING MAMA!!!!! I dont care if it's for ages 5+... hee hee hee.

They pretty much dictate whether I buy agame or not. I follow them closely because reviewers are often more considerate/open minded than the general public and can give me a better idea with what's good and what's not with a game.

I think it's definitely worth reading reviews on a game before you buy. I usually read reviews and previews of all the newer games coming out, usually more for work than personal interest, although it's surprised me when I'd find a game actually worth getting that I would've missed before.

Stuff like Drawn to Life on DS, or Dead RIsing on 360 (old, yes, but I only freakin found out about it like three months ago and its AWESOME).

And yes, even Cooking Mama was surprisingly fun, haha. :P

normally i buy games that interest me. I do look at the scores though just to see whats going on in the world of gaming. If  a game i was not considering gets great scores then i will go and check that out also.

The only reviewers I really trust are the team at XBW, since the K&L debacle at gamespot, who knows what games reviewers are being paid for a good review...

I'm a sucker for IGNs reviews.
I have most of the games on their editors choice list for xbox and ps2 and then some more games that I like myself.
But if the game really doesnt suit me, I'll sell it. I dont even bother looking at any sport games or puzzle, expect PuzzleQuest on PSP, thats godly

I'd be lying if I said review scores didn't grab my attention when it comes down to selecting games, but I also rely on peoples opinions, recommendations or just if I see something that I think looks extremely cool/funny/interesting/fun.

After all, if I only listened to Gametrailers I would have passed up on gems like Killer 7 (which I happen to love)

Thats the healthiest way to do it. I think the majority of gamers are the same

I find reviews to be really, really great ways for looking into game purchases, not so much the new ones that get alot of previews and press etc, but its great for older games, such as PS2, Gamecube, GBA, Xbox etc. 

In saying that if I like the look of a game I will give it a go regardless, I mean some games have gotten great reviews, but I havn't like them at all eg, Resident Evil, Halo series etc.

It comes down to personal choice and what games people like.  Thats what's so great about gaming, there is such a wide range of gaming genres and consoles that suit everyones needs.  People need to stop going on about this game/ console is better than anything else and just play it cause its fun, not cause its meant to be the biggest/best game of the year or what ever.

I have 4 gaming consoles and follow many genres and like that I get fun out of all of my games for different reasons. 

But going back to the topic I've liked more games that have gotten good reviews than I have games that have gotten bad ones, so I guess I do follow reviews and trust them.

But the next game I plan to get is Kung Fu Panda, I've played that Demo and its so fun, but I bet that gets pretty average reviews.

Reviews are great, but it does come down to personal choice