Do Reviews Sway Your Purchasing Decisions?

Typo on usually, spell check not working for me right now.

Those poll answers are too spread. You could of chopped off D & E.
 
Anyways, I sometimes will change my buying decision from reading a review. Take Jeff's latest Borderlands review for example. I'd just preordered the game then the next day read Jeff's review and from reading I've decided it's not something I need to spend my money on right now so I canceled the pre-order.

What's with all the review threads lately?

I usually follow the newscoverage on the big games, so when it comes to release I know if the game is something I want to pick up or not. But it happens that I turn to reviews when I look at games that are a little less covered than, Uncharted 2 or Borderlands, or when I look to buy games that I missed 6 months to a year ago.

Reviews and Quick Looks definitely help me.  But not any one review, because everyone has their opinions.  I like to read and watch video reviews (as opposed to just looking at the number) to see the comments people have on a certain game.  If an issue comes up regularly (like poor graphics), then I just accept it.  the same goes for good aspects of games.  Also, if there's an issue with the game, but the good aspects outweigh the bad in a certain review, then it's probably a good purchase for me.
 
Take Borderlands, for example.  Everyone is saying the game is a blast to play with friends, which I can see from looking at Giant Bomb's quick look.  However, a lot of people have issues with how a lot of the loot is simply useless.  I'm going to buy the game, because I love playing with friends, even if the majority of loot won't be used by me.

Nah never.  
I listen to them, but if like a review was something to go by back in the day. I would never have played Psychonauts o.O 
And Fahrenheit.. and a ton of other games.. 
So thankfully I make up my own damn mind :D

Eh, it varies. Sometimes I know I'll get the game (the new Kingdom Hearts, Batman (the new GGOAT), etc.), but with others, I'll take the recommendations of others. Because I'm an idiot.

Nah, I hate reviews. I used to listen to them as a kid/preteen, but then when I started realizing I liked a lot of the games that reviews trash, I figured I should just decide for myself. That's what quick looks and previews are for!

I can only buy 1-2 games a year, so I like researching all my games in-depth before getting theme.

Sometimes, I've bought games that got so so reviews but I loved them. So they don't really mean everything to me when buying a game.

I was really on the edge with the purchase of Borderlands. Now with mostly positive reviews, I'm gonna buy it.

If the reviews are generally extremely positive (Uncharted 2) or negative (Darkest of Days) among the majority of review outlets, it will affect my decision. Otherwise, I tend to go with my gut. 

Depends on how well written it is

Only when I'm on the fence with games, IE games I'm not planning on buying on day one.  
Most games that I make the decision to buy, even if reviews tell me it's overly short or has some garbage elements or whatever (ie, King of Fighters XII, Brutal Legend, etc.), I'll still buy  'em.

There have been a few games this year that were on my wishlist only to be cut from it because of some unflattering reviews.  Spyborgs would be a recent example.  Of course there's the other side where I had no interest until the reviews came in.  A Boy and His Blob was not in my radar until last week when the reviews were coming in and I ended up buying it this weekend. 
 
Then again, I preordered 3 games in the past month or two on Steam before the review process can even begin because simply based on previews, trailers, and personal interest.

Not really

    Reviews and quick looks usually help me to determine if something is too good to be true. Also if I like a game, unless it reviews horribly, I will still buy. I have enjoyed past games very much that have reviewed poorly. I also trust fellow gamer reviews and impressions much more than a handful of game site reviews. If you have hundreds and thousands of people giving a game a decent score, I will buy even if I wasn't initially interested in it [insert] Demon's Souls. 

I watch a lot of video reviews on games I don't actively follow. Sometimes a review will put me onto something I'd otherwise have overlooked. But that happens while watching QLs as well. So this really has nothing to do with the fact that it's a review. A detailed preview is all I need to make up my mind. 
Also, certain reviewers, like Jeff and Brad, share a lot of my tastes in games. Whereas Hillary Goldstien at IGN is quite opposite to me often. So particular opinions have more pull than others. But a score is never a factor. A review score is the equivalent of giving a wishy-washy hand gesture to denote a game's worth. It tells you nothing about the game itself.
 
C.

I went with "C", but Quick Looks now show me the show. The "E" pick is cool in my book as in Quick Look.

I try not to let reviews sway me, but they usually end up coloring my opinion in some way.  I went into Shadow Complex with high expectations, and it's a good thing that game kicks ass because otherwise I would've been disappointed...thanks to the review.   
 
Reviews are hard for me to write.  The best I can do is say "Welp, I think Half-Life 2 is an amazing technical and game design achievement, but sometimes I'd get stuck because I couldn't figure out what to do next.  On my subsequent playthroughs, though, I didn't get stuck at all."  That's literally it.  That's my HL2 review right there.  I've got nothing else.  So to me the fact that the GB people write these long complicated reviews amazes me.   
 
When possible I play a demo before anything else.  My first impression sticks with me the strongest, so even if I hear an opposing or different opinion it has little to no effect on me.  Bioshock is a great example of that.

yes, i like to see what the reviewers are saying. i just went onto IGN to look at borderlands review to see how the game is. it got a 8.8 so it seems like a good game.

You're missing an option: I don't read reviews.

" You're missing an option: I don't read reviews. "

Seems i've answered this question a million times. I only pay attention to reviews when I'm on the fence. 

No, I'll usually pirate games first to try them out before I buy them. 

The one thing that makes me go out and get a game I'm unsure of is when people talk about it and make quick looks after its out. Like when the guys talked about Batman AA for 2 weeks in a row I had to go out and get it, reviews usually never sway me unless they're from Nick Sutner.

Usually never. I usually reserve games I really want. I'd only not get them due to money constraints and such. Then if I don't get it I put the $5 on the next game. Simple! With Borderlands I know I am going to like it. I've seen gameplay, screenshots, detailed information, and more. So, I reserve it and get it. I read reviews but take them as opinions.