My Reviewers Scale

05 Stars (GiantBomb) = 9.5-10.0 (Eurogame, Gamespot, IGN) Masterpiece
Most games in these categories are not perfect but definitely near it and in some cases yes they are perfect. This game is to everyone provided you’re in the specific age range and anyone who isn’t a fan of the genre should definitely try it since it’s the best of its genre.  This game is worth twice the retail value, well maybe a bit less.

04 and 1/2 (GiantBomb) = 9.0-9.5 (Eurogame, Gamespot, IGN) Amazing
Most games in these categories are nothing short of amazing, it’s just missing that something that made the game so special is was an almost masterpiece or a masterpiece for that matter. Essentially this is still one of the best games of its genre and is still a great game to have for newcomers to the genre. This game without a doubt is worth the retail value.

04 (GiantBomb) = 8.0-9.0 (Eurogame, Gamespot, IGN) Great
Most games in these categories are racing and sport games but in other cases no, these games don’t quite live up to their full potential but you just cannot deny the inevitable fun the game may hold whether it’s a fighting, racing, sports or strategy game, most of these games aren’t quite classics but their fun is what makes up for it. These games in most cases are worth full retail value.

03 and 1/2 (GiantBomb) = 7.5-8.0 (Eurogame, Gamespot, IGN) Impressive
Most games in these categories are probably not the best games of the year but certainly in the upper half, they might be uninspired of some and unpolished, but the games overall categories are above par and while not quite worth retail value you should definitely buy it in a sale, indefinitely for fans of the genre let alone franchise.

03 (GiantBomb) = 6.5-7.0 (Eurogame, Gamespot, IGN) Enjoyable
Most games in these categories aren’t quite the next gen games but aren’t far of it, they provide a steady enjoyable experience for most gamers but might lack polish in most areas if not all areas, they may feel a bit to repetitive or shallow whatever it may be really only recommended for fans of the genre.

02 and 1/2 (GiantBomb) = 6.0 (Eurogame, Gamespot, IGN) Mediocre
Most games in these categories are mediocre and simple, bland and dull. Usually classed as maybe disappointing, run of the mill and uninspired, the boredom and restiveness will kick in before you need a toilet break. All it boils down to is that these games are simply derivative and really, only recommend for the game reviewers and summer rentals to waste time.

02 (GiantBomb) = 5.5-6.0 (Eurogame, Gamespot, IGN)

Most games in these categories are boring and repetitive sometimes full of bugs and glitches which can really hinder not just the game play and graphics but your overall enjoyment of the game. These games are extremely hard to recommend and even a rent is hard to recommend at that. Simply put; entertainment smattered with an abundance of flaws.

Don't even go below a two, please don't anyway i love to write reviews and you'll probably won't see many blogs from me but if I were to write reviews for any games site let alone this I'd be chuffed please reccomend me and be honest on your views. Thank you!

Should I give a crap?

Nicely done!

giantbomb dont have half stars..

"giantbomb dont have half stars.."

"randiolo said:

"giantbomb dont have half stars.."

It does on user reviews."

"MattyFTM said:

"randiolo said:

"giantbomb dont have half stars.."

It does on user reviews."

i dont think he was referring to that. "

I'd say that 5 stars on GiantBomb-> 9.0 + on other sites, with 4.5 being 8.5 and upwards, 4 being 8.0 and upwards and the rest as you said. 

"randiolo said:

"MattyFTM said:

"randiolo said:

"giantbomb dont have half stars.."

It does on user reviews."

i dont think he was referring to that. "

It's titled "My Reviewers Scale", so I think it's pretty safe to assume he is talking about the scale on which he uses to review games. And at the end he clearly talks about him writing reviews. He is definately talking about his own reviews on the user review system."

Why are you converting the scale to numbers?  The scale is pretty self explanatory:

Dude you don't like me because I simply quoted my own Reviewers Scale, I simply am scaling my reviews to the 0-10 that other web sites use as my own opinionated scale is different to GiantBomb, no offense GiantBomb I take basically every of your reviews into account aside I rate differently.

We don't even understand what this scale is for. Even now, I'm unclear as to its intent.

"Dude you don't like me because I simply quoted my own Reviewers Scale, I simply am scaling my reviews to the 0-10 that other web sites use as my own opinionated scale is different to GiantBomb, no offense GiantBomb I take basically every of your reviews into account aside I rate differently."

It is for the people who are too lazy to read reviews

Wow, I thought Jeff's intent with the 5 star system was to get away from the decimals.

The 5 star scale doesn't translate to the 100 point scale. MK vs. DCU would never get a perfect score with a 100 point scale and I doubt Rock Revolution would get 2 or lower. The 5 star scale is there because of it's simplicity.

5 star is a really good game, but I don't think it's to be recommended for everyone. People who don't like Fighting games wouldn't get much from playing Street Fighter IV etc.
4 star is also a good game, but it may have some issues that even fans of the genre should be aware of, and you should read the review for context.
3 star is okay, it has enough good things to make it worth your while if you like the genre, but it also have some really frustrating bits.
2 star is bad, it has some redeeming qualities, but overall it's not the ideal way to spend your money.
1 star is terrible, avoid at all costs. Little to no redeeming qualities, probably overpriced.

A 9.0 game could get 4 stars, while a 7.5 game could get 5 stars. You have to read the review to get the context, the basis for the score. Soul Calibur IV would easily score 8.0 or higher, but it only got 3 stars. MK vs. DC would score below 8.0, but it got 5 stars. The star rating is there to illustrate to the reader how much you liked the game, but they have to read the review to get the context.

"Godwind said:

It is for the people who are too lazy to read reviews

Not exactly. For me, I don't read reviews, I go off the score, but NOT because I'm too lazy to do so. If I want to get the game in the future, I fear that I'll just be parroting whatever opinions I may have been exposed to prior. That's why I close myself off to outside opinions while playing a certain game. Not sure if other people do this, but I'm just clarifying."

"Wow, I thought Jeff's intent with the 5 star system was to get away from the decimals.The 5 star scale doesn't translate to the 100 point scale. MK vs. DCU would never get a perfect score with a 100 point scale and I doubt Rock Revolution would get 2 or lower. The 5 star scale is there because of it's simplicity.5 star is a really good game, but I don't think it's to be recommended for everyone. People who don't like Fighting games wouldn't get much from playing Street Fighter IV etc.4 star is also a good game, but it may have some issues that even fans of the genre should be aware of, and you should read the review for context.3 star is okay, it has enough good things to make it worth your while if you like the genre, but it also have some really frustrating bits.2 star is bad, it has some redeeming qualities, but overall it's not the ideal way to spend your money.1 star is terrible, avoid at all costs. Little to no redeeming qualities, probably overpriced.A 9.0 game could get 4 stars, while a 7.5 game could get 5 stars. You have to read the review to get the context, the basis for the score. Soul Calibur IV would easily score 8.0 or higher, but it only got 3 stars. MK vs. DC would score below 8.0, but it got 5 stars. The star rating is there to illustrate to the reader how much you liked the game, but they have to read the review to get the context."

What's the Deal With Your Rating System?

Giant Bomb reviews games on a five-star scale that does not include half-stars. We feel that this benefits our reviews for a number of reasons. Five-star rating systems are a widely accepted standard outside the field of video games, from Amazon.com to The Source, and we feel that the pervasiveness of the five-star system makes it more intuitive for the reader.

It also helps avoid the hair-splitting that can occur within more granular rating systems. A score is designed to provide the most basic at-a-glance information about a game for those considering making a game purchase--it is not there to justify/attack anyone's entrenched position on the relative value of one video-game franchise, developer, publisher, or hardware manufacturer versus another. We include the full text of the review for those looking for more detail.

We do not use any algorithms to reach our final scores, relying instead on the experience of the reviewer. While fundamental issues such as graphical performance and gameplay originality will almost always be factors in determining a final score, it ultimately comes down to how worthwhile the reviewer found the whole experience to be. If that's not enough, here are some simple illustrations we think you'll find helpful:

While we don't believe any game is perfect, we recommend this game without reservation.

Still very good and easy to recommend, though it doesn't quite live up to its full potential.

The halfway point. An inherent appreciation of this game's specific gameplay style, characters, subject matter, and so on may play as big a role in your enjoyment as the actual quality of the game.

This game's problems outweigh its good qualities.

This game will make you wish you had died in a fire moments before turning it on.

"Video_Game_King said:

"Godwind said:

It is for the people who are too lazy to read reviews

Not exactly. For me, I don't read reviews, I go off the score, but NOT because I'm too lazy to do so. If I want to get the game in the future, I fear that I'll just be parroting whatever opinions I may have been exposed to prior. That's why I close myself off to outside opinions while playing a certain game. Not sure if other people do this, but I'm just clarifying."

Or because you don't have time to read the review.  Lazy was just used for a lack of better words.  I apologize if I had offended you.

"Godwind said:

"Video_Game_King said:

"Godwind said:

It is for the people who are too lazy to read reviews

Not exactly. For me, I don't read reviews, I go off the score, but NOT because I'm too lazy to do so. If I want to get the game in the future, I fear that I'll just be parroting whatever opinions I may have been exposed to prior. That's why I close myself off to outside opinions while playing a certain game. Not sure if other people do this, but I'm just clarifying."

Or because you don't have time to read the review.  Lazy was just used for a lack of better words.  I apologize if I had offended you.

It's not even that, though. And you could've put "and other," but I'm sure we've achieved that already with this discussion."

Nicely done, you must love game reviews

As far as I'm concerned, stars (and other symbol-based review scales) are not meant to be judged as 1/5 or upscaled to a 10 point system.  They're symbols, meant to be quickly and easily recognizable and representative rather than calculative.

You can't get away from the out-of-tens when you have a 5-star system. Instead you get one that tends to give out higher scores than other outlets.

Numbers really shouldn't matter that much. Just read the damn review :)
You can't equate stars to numbers, and even if you could...I think you did it terribly. The more numbers a publication utilizes for scores, the more the score means. I've given games on this site a 5, but if my reviews were put on other sites they may have gotten an 8 or so. Bottom line, you shouldn't care.

I could be mistaken, but aside from user reviews I'm almost positive that Giant Bomb doesn't support half-stars.

"I could be mistaken, but aside from user reviews I'm almost positive that Giant Bomb doesn't support half-stars."