Key Takeaways
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- Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios, proposed a Metacritic-style rating system for video game critics to address perceived overly harsh reviews and protect the feelings of developers.
- The proposal generated debate due to potential backlash from critics and concerns about its viability, such as the risk of flooding critics with negative fan reviews following a negative review of a popular game.
- Some supporters of the idea believe it could encourage fairer reviews, while others argue that it could lead to self-censorship among critics to maintain high ratings.
- The proposal has sparked ongoing discussion about the relationship between developers, critics, and the gaming community, raising questions about accountability, fairness, and the impact of words on creators in the video game industry.
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Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios—the developer behind Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity—sparked debate on social media with a proposal to evaluate video game critics. This follows recent controversy involving AI art. Vincke suggested a Metacritic-style system for rating critics based on the quality of their reviews. He argued that some reviews are too harsh, given the hard work and passion that go into game development. Vincke posted on X, “Sometimes I reckon it’d be a good idea if we rated critics like on Metacritic… Maybe that’d make folks think twice before being too harsh. Words can really hurt, and we shouldn’t just toughen up.” He also recognized that such a system could lead to critics avoiding negative reviews to maintain high ratings. He recounted how one critic he knew “refused to review bad games, believing devs deserved another shot.”
Critics’ Metacritic Proposal Sparks Debate Over Potential Backlash and Viability
The “Metacritic for journalists” concept generated significant discussion. While the idea of fans rating critics might seem appealing, potential issues quickly emerged. For example, a single negative review of a popular game could trigger a flood of negative fan reviews against the critic. Vincke ultimately deleted his original post outlining the system, possibly to further consider its implications. However, the conversation continued in a lengthy thread, with some supporting the idea and others questioning its viability.
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