Sega happy with Metacritic role
Exec speaks out in favour of averaging
In the past, review aggregation site Metacritic has been attacked for creating an unrealistic view of a game's critic reception, for putting putting pressure on developers to earn certain averages, and even for unduly influencing publishers' decisions when it comes to awarding bonuses, commissioning sequels and the like. Sega disagree.
Speaking with GI.biz, Sega Europe president Mike Hayes has said that Metacritic has had a positive influence.
"The first thing is that we're always trying to put objectivity into the business. We're a creative business, and how do you put objectivity into it?"
He continued, elaborating: "But at the end of the day publishers will always want to do that, particularly if you’re spending USD 20 million - you have to try and find that objectivity, and it's going to come from how much it costs, when it's coming out, and how good the game is.
"I don’t think you can get away from that, and Metacritic provides a service that gives you a part of that."
Hayes believes that games in certain genres can't make it unless a certain score is achieved, although he is quick to note that not every developer is set a score target by Sega.
"I don't think it’s unreasonable for publishers spending that much money to have certain expectations of quality levels. But to demand it on absolutely everything wouldn't be right at all," he concludes.
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