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Wii and DS, Worst Scoring Platforms Of The Year
on 13.12.2009 at 23:25
Posted by Calum Peak (Echoes221) 
Comments: 26 
Reads: 29645
Tags:
Wii, DS, Metacritic, Metascore, 2009
Posted by Calum Peak (Echoes221) Comments: 26 Reads: 29645 Tags:
Wii, DS, Metacritic, Metascore, 2009 Related Stories
According to Metacritic, Wii and DS have had the worst overall average score compared to competitors Sony and Microsoft - though only by a short margin. Out of the 362 Wii titles reviewed, Metacritic concluded the average Metascore was a disappointing 67% with the DS fairing only slightly better with 69%. Microsoft's Xbox 360 danced just above DS with 70%, while Sony's PlayStation 3 scored an average of 72% per game.
The top of the crop was the re-visited Metroid Prime Trilogy with a Metascore of 91% overall, whereas DS heralded Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars' 93% Metascore. They were two of only four Nintendo titles with a Metascore of 90+ this year, the others being Flipnote Studio (DSiWare, 93%) and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS, 91%). In comparison, Xbox 360 had seven titles over this limit, with PS3 ruling the consoles with ten titles.
Even though these scores are averages (and therefore include all data sets), it's apparent that Nintendo's consoles have suffered from mediocre releases. However, with the lack of any 'major' first party titles for Q1 - Q3 2009 and slowly strengthening third party releases, is it really having that much of an adverse effect on the overall quality of our games and is the big N really that far behind their competitors?
What do you think?
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is spinning plates.
10036
L100 C3 Master
Well, you could look at it negatively, or you could look at it positively. A 6 - 7/10 is a GOOD score (yes, even if many reviewers don't seem to think that way, those are ABOVE AVERAGE on a ten point scale). So if the average game is getting that, then well done I say. It's not all doom and gloom, either, as Microsoft and Sony's platforms only just edge out Nintendo's, there's not a chronic difference.
You've only got to look at the amount of titles on Wii/DS in comparison to see where the problem lies. PS3 - 228. 360 - 279. DS - 329. Wii - 362. The fact that Wii and DS are so popular means that the systems are both caked in shovelware, and these are the things that have dragged their percentages down. The issue of a lack of huge games is of course a contributing factor - PS3 and 360 have both blatantly had better years for this - but even in the face of an overwhelming amount of shovelware the fact remains that Wii and DS really aren't THAT far behind the other systems in terms of overall quality for 2009.
You've only got to look at the amount of titles on Wii/DS in comparison to see where the problem lies. PS3 - 228. 360 - 279. DS - 329. Wii - 362. The fact that Wii and DS are so popular means that the systems are both caked in shovelware, and these are the things that have dragged their percentages down. The issue of a lack of huge games is of course a contributing factor - PS3 and 360 have both blatantly had better years for this - but even in the face of an overwhelming amount of shovelware the fact remains that Wii and DS really aren't THAT far behind the other systems in terms of overall quality for 2009.
Wiimote > mouse - Bit.Trip Beat
3151
L81 Chun-Li
I'd take user score as the more accurate measure.
L1 New Born
Still a lovely job. Getting paid for playing games and assigning a mark to it, like it's some sort of school exam.
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3815Character Profile Editor
Modplan Man said:
I'd take user score as the more accurate measure.
I'd take user score as the more accurate measure.
Same here, with games on all consoles. Except, I feel better if I go with my own instinct.
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super meat boy
779
L45 Funky
It doesnt surprise me. These are just averages. So a game like resort might have got a few over 90 scores.
But come on, even if your an avid fanboy surely you were mildly entertained by the wii game efforts this year at best.
I felt the quality was invested on games that have cheaper dev costs. Punch out, NSMB, Excitbots, Metroid trilogy, Resort. None are taxing for nintendo, Sports racing, tech demos or reimaginings of DS software.
No real innovations no real indepth games with story or worlds to explore. Fun yes, shallow? extremely.
Same for third parties: even when addressing hardcore franchises they tried to play it safe with guided first person experiences.
Wii got belted. The 360 remained constant but the PS3 thanks to third party offering made huge strides. Complete underperformance from nintendo and third parties alike.
But come on, even if your an avid fanboy surely you were mildly entertained by the wii game efforts this year at best.
I felt the quality was invested on games that have cheaper dev costs. Punch out, NSMB, Excitbots, Metroid trilogy, Resort. None are taxing for nintendo, Sports racing, tech demos or reimaginings of DS software.
No real innovations no real indepth games with story or worlds to explore. Fun yes, shallow? extremely.
Same for third parties: even when addressing hardcore franchises they tried to play it safe with guided first person experiences.
Wii got belted. The 360 remained constant but the PS3 thanks to third party offering made huge strides. Complete underperformance from nintendo and third parties alike.
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5151
Moderator
Alternative Content Editor
As with averages (it really needs to use standard deviation really) it all does get dragged down. However, even with the lack of first party support earlier this year, there have been quite a few good games from third parties, much of which will be overlooked which is a shame. Such as:
The Conduit
Little Kings Story
Another Code: R A Journey into Lost Memories
Muramsa: Demon Blade
A boy and His Blob
But those few releases (to name but a few) within around 362 wii releases can't really save them from the masses
The Conduit
Little Kings Story
Another Code: R A Journey into Lost Memories
Muramsa: Demon Blade
A boy and His Blob
But those few releases (to name but a few) within around 362 wii releases can't really save them from the masses
Have N64 back. Untold joy.
11558L100 C3 Master
Greater proliferation of tat on both Wii and DS drags down the gems of which there are a similar amount to all the other platforms. You could perform the same trick with the PS2 a few years back I'm sure. I wouldn't say any of those platforms 'suffered from mediocre releases'...they make an absolute bomb from flogging cruddy games. Good thing is there's still enough of the good stuff about.
Trying to think of a witty signature after 'Hacker-gate'...
Hey everybody have seen my balls? They're big and salty and brown...
6367L100 C3 Master
No surprises there.
But really averages mean nothing. 2 consoles can have the same average score, but one can have twice as many 10/10 games if it has twice as many titles out...
But really averages mean nothing. 2 consoles can have the same average score, but one can have twice as many 10/10 games if it has twice as many titles out...
YOU HAVE JUST LOST THE GAME. Sorry. 
L1 New Born
Just clicked the link, I\'m interested in exactly 1(!) game out of the presumably 10 best games according to Metacritic.
So I guess that site is just not for me.
( Edited 13.12.2009 19:09 by Josef )
So I guess that site is just not for me.
( Edited 13.12.2009 19:09 by Josef )
Xenobladed
2789
L77 K.K. Slider
Absolutely true.
Youd get that for any platform thats got the vaste majority of games coming out for it.
While overall, Nintendo hasnt had much this year, I find it absolutely baffleing how people that have seen WiiSports Resort can possible refer to it as a tech demo. Its really extensive and well put together.
Cursed Mountine too!
Very overlooked that
Youd get that for any platform thats got the vaste majority of games coming out for it.
I felt the quality was invested on games that have cheaper dev costs. Punch out, NSMB, Excitbots, Metroid trilogy, Resort. None are taxing for nintendo, Sports racing, tech demos or reimaginings of DS software.
While overall, Nintendo hasnt had much this year, I find it absolutely baffleing how people that have seen WiiSports Resort can possible refer to it as a tech demo. Its really extensive and well put together.
much of which will be overlooked which is a shame. Such as:
The Conduit
Little Kings Story
Another Code: R A Journey into Lost Memories
Muramsa: Demon Blade
A boy and His Blob
The Conduit
Little Kings Story
Another Code: R A Journey into Lost Memories
Muramsa: Demon Blade
A boy and His Blob
Cursed Mountine too!
Very overlooked that
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blargh
6937L100 C3 Master
You guys can dismiss this as a result of shovelware all you want, but the fact that there is only 1 Wii and 1 DS game above 90% says it all. Mason, 6-7/10 is good with movie reviews. You know as well as anyone that game reviews have a shitty curve and a 6-7/10 movie review is more like an 8/10 game.
There\'s also the fact that a LOT of the games on the wii don\'t get reviewed. So most of the shovelware doesn\'t even contribute towards the average.
Oh and, go by users scores? Are you fucking kidding me? You realise most of the good games on metacritic have shit user scores because of trolls right? The only reason you\'ve said that is because most of the top PS3/360 games have bad user scores.
( Edited 13.12.2009 19:22 by knighty )
There\'s also the fact that a LOT of the games on the wii don\'t get reviewed. So most of the shovelware doesn\'t even contribute towards the average.
Oh and, go by users scores? Are you fucking kidding me? You realise most of the good games on metacritic have shit user scores because of trolls right? The only reason you\'ve said that is because most of the top PS3/360 games have bad user scores.
( Edited 13.12.2009 19:22 by knighty )
I didn't nope
22263Moderator
knighty said:
Oh and, go by users scores? Are you fucking kidding me? You realise most of the good games on metacritic have shit user scores because of trolls right? The only reason you've said that is because most of the top PS3/360 games have bad user scores.
Oh and, go by users scores? Are you fucking kidding me? You realise most of the good games on metacritic have shit user scores because of trolls right? The only reason you've said that is because most of the top PS3/360 games have bad user scores.
Not entirely true. Many games I thought were good (Star Ocean 4 and Sonic Unleashed for example) have higher user reviews than published reviews, because published reviews feel the need to compare everything to great big games rather than their own merit.
One day I will be a real life anime.
is spinning plates.
10036L100 C3 Master
knighty said:
You guys can dismiss this as a result of shovelware all you want, but the fact that there is only 1 Wii and 1 DS game above 90% says it all.
You guys can dismiss this as a result of shovelware all you want, but the fact that there is only 1 Wii and 1 DS game above 90% says it all.
And yet the percentages really aren\'t that different between all platforms - just a few points between each, so overall I don\'t think this looks too bad for anybody. Don\'t get me wrong, I\'m not putting Nintendo on a podium in all this - I\'ve played 360 more than my DS and Wii combined this year - but considering the amount of shovelware, I think that percentage is pretty good. Regardless of the fact that not all Wii games are reviewed by everybody (because there are too many!) the shovelware will have contributed to the score to some degree, just as any shovelware games on other formats will have contributed to their averages.
And I like to live in a happy world where 6/7 is a decent score. I know that it\'s not a widely held view for some stupid reason, but 5 is average, not 6/7. The places I actually respect generally adhere to this, but sadly it\'s not the standard as it should be. This is why I get so irritable with this sort of thing; sure Wii comes out worst in all this, but scoring in the majority of gaming outlets is broken. ALL those \'averages\' should really be a bit lower if anything.
( Edited 13.12.2009 19:31 by Mason )
519
L36 Dhalsim
First of all, Metacritic is pure sh**. Second of all, you can blame the loads of cheap, "me-too", party crap and fowl ports 3rd parties have been dumping on them, on the 3rd parties. It isn't legit to accuse the systems or the company. 
*sigh* ...so much potential going to waste.
*sigh* ...so much potential going to waste.
super meat boy
779L45 Funky
Yes the wii gets a lot of shovelware like the PS1 and PS2. The difference is that third parties also put their best efforts on the PS1 and PS2 and even the PS3 to some extent compared to the Wii and the last 3gens. Some of the best long standing franchises have debuted and/or evolved on sony formats.
To confound matters Nintendo hasnt really stepped up and shouldered the weight this year. Its just continued its own agenda.
You can all argue the agenda \'but their games are about pure fun\' but its limited.
There have been quality smaller titles no doubt. But like my movies as much as I loved watching Dan in real life, the squid and the whale, 500 days of summer I equally loved the dark Knight, Iron man. A console needs both every year. Since its first year the blockbusters have treacled out of the gate.
( Edited 13.12.2009 20:13 by meeto_0 )
To confound matters Nintendo hasnt really stepped up and shouldered the weight this year. Its just continued its own agenda.
You can all argue the agenda \'but their games are about pure fun\' but its limited.
There have been quality smaller titles no doubt. But like my movies as much as I loved watching Dan in real life, the squid and the whale, 500 days of summer I equally loved the dark Knight, Iron man. A console needs both every year. Since its first year the blockbusters have treacled out of the gate.
( Edited 13.12.2009 20:13 by meeto_0 )
Xenobladed
2789L77 K.K. Slider
You guys can dismiss this as a result of shovelware all you want, but the fact that there is only 1 Wii and 1 DS game above 90% says it all.
http://www.metacritic.com/games/ds/scores/
Theres 3 DS games above 90 in 2009.
Not sure I\'m understanding the rules of this artical.
But China Town Wars, Bowsers Inside Story and Flipnote Studio all got over 90.
Now, maybe the last can be dismissed, but I dont see any reason why BiS should be.
===
Anyway, as for Metacritic in general (or gamerankings). You can pick small flaws in its design, but overall its more trustworthy then any one reviewer...
... *unless* that reviewer is one you know matchs your own tastes.
Ideally, if we all had a load of reviewers that correlated well to our tastes, those are the ones we should personally trust.
( Edited 13.12.2009 20:45 by Darkflame )
Please give our little random review show a try;
http://randomreviewshow.com/index.html
We have special effects and umm...stuff...
http://randomreviewshow.com/index.html
We have special effects and umm...stuff...
Wiimote > mouse - Bit.Trip Beat
3151L81 Chun-Li
Most of the games I\'m most interested in hardly ever get 90% averages. You either get reviewers who are too intellectually above the peasants to give it above 80%, or aren\'t \"mainstream\" and hyped enough for most reviewers to give them anywhere near the scores that the MW2\'s or Halo 3\'s get.
Edit: There\'s also a much larger amount of users in the voted score than there are critics in the normal score. Trolls get drowned out by large majority of people who are just posting whether they enjoyed it or not.
( Edited 13.12.2009 23:42 by Modplan Man )
Edit: There\'s also a much larger amount of users in the voted score than there are critics in the normal score. Trolls get drowned out by large majority of people who are just posting whether they enjoyed it or not.
( Edited 13.12.2009 23:42 by Modplan Man )
I didn't nope
22263Moderator
Why isn\'t Spirit Tracks up there. :x
Spirit Tracks should be getting over 90 easy.
I\'ll give people a little longer to review it I suppose.
( Edited 13.12.2009 20:46 by SuperLink )
One day I will be a real life anime.
Spirit Tracks should be getting over 90 easy.
I\'ll give people a little longer to review it I suppose.
( Edited 13.12.2009 20:46 by SuperLink )
One day I will be a real life anime.
L1 New Born
meeto_0 said:
There have been quality smaller titles no doubt. But like my movies as much as I loved watching Dan in real life, the squid and the whale, 500 days of summer I equally loved the dark Knight, Iron man. A console needs both every year. Since its first year the blockbusters have treacled out of the gate.
There have been quality smaller titles no doubt. But like my movies as much as I loved watching Dan in real life, the squid and the whale, 500 days of summer I equally loved the dark Knight, Iron man. A console needs both every year. Since its first year the blockbusters have treacled out of the gate.
Sounds to me you bet on the wrong horse then, IF you only got a Wii. Did you?
blargh
6937L100 C3 Master
Darkflame said:
http://www.metacritic.com/games/ds/scores/
Theres 3 DS games above 90 in 2009.
Not sure I'm understanding the rules of this artical.
But China Town Wars, Bowsers Inside Story and Flipnote Studio all got over 90.
You guys can dismiss this as a result of shovelware all you want, but the fact that there is only 1 Wii and 1 DS game above 90% says it all.
http://www.metacritic.com/games/ds/scores/
Theres 3 DS games above 90 in 2009.
Not sure I'm understanding the rules of this artical.
But China Town Wars, Bowsers Inside Story and Flipnote Studio all got over 90.
Sorry I only went off of the C3 article.
is spinning plates.
10036L100 C3 Master
Altering that slightly to include the other couple of 90+ Nintendo games for the year.
5528Moderator
SuperLink said:
Why isn't Spirit Tracks up there. :x
Spirit Tracks should be getting over 90 easy.
I'll give people a little longer to review it I suppose.
Why isn't Spirit Tracks up there. :x
Spirit Tracks should be getting over 90 easy.
I'll give people a little longer to review it I suppose.
There seems to be a trend of down-rating handheld games. You rarely if ever see a DS game get the sort of scores that the blockbuster games get. Which I don't really understand as I end up enjoying most DS games more than the Halo and Modernwarfare's of the world.
11 days left!
713
L43 Pipsy
It is depressing because the ratio of good titles to crapware is ridiculous. Nintendo releases awesome titles and a few other companies too (sega, capcom) but when you have Ubisoft, EA, Popcorn arcade and such shoving out shitty games every week, you gotta be amused. I like to see it as how many good games there are instead of putting them against shitty games.
playing games
720L43 Pipsy
As a few have said, more games = more crap games. And Nintendo hasn't released many great first-party games, with New Super Mario Bros. Wii just now coming out. It's been a slow year for Nintendo.
Not sure where all of the great games on the other systems are coming from... I've taken it to be a slow year for video games in general. Microsoft was probably helped a lot by Left 4 Dead 2, but I can't even remember the last time I heard about a great PS3 title hitting the shelves.
In any case, comparing the user reviews to "critic" reviews usually yields interesting results. Critics tend to hand out negative reviews like US bailouts, these days. I can open my latest GameInformer and find a three-page, well-written review of some Xbox 360 game I've never even heard of, but their DS review section consists of taking 5 random DS games NOBODY has ever heard of, writing half a paragraph on each, giving them all a 2 out of 10 and mashing them into the footer space of the reviews of other games, probably just so the magazine can say that they've covered them.
I guess it all just goes back to Nintendo needing to get better first and third party games out in the coming year. Hopefully, they've learned that people don't want motion control games, they want GOOD motion control games.
And I don't mean motion-control REMAKES of good games.
Not sure where all of the great games on the other systems are coming from... I've taken it to be a slow year for video games in general. Microsoft was probably helped a lot by Left 4 Dead 2, but I can't even remember the last time I heard about a great PS3 title hitting the shelves.
In any case, comparing the user reviews to "critic" reviews usually yields interesting results. Critics tend to hand out negative reviews like US bailouts, these days. I can open my latest GameInformer and find a three-page, well-written review of some Xbox 360 game I've never even heard of, but their DS review section consists of taking 5 random DS games NOBODY has ever heard of, writing half a paragraph on each, giving them all a 2 out of 10 and mashing them into the footer space of the reviews of other games, probably just so the magazine can say that they've covered them.
I guess it all just goes back to Nintendo needing to get better first and third party games out in the coming year. Hopefully, they've learned that people don't want motion control games, they want GOOD motion control games.
And I don't mean motion-control REMAKES of good games.
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It's completely free to download. If you enjoy it, please also check out a collection called "Dark Things." This one is $.99, but the first two stories are free.
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