History Main / EightPointEight

Whether or not an 8.8 furor is justified is up for debate. On one hand, a reviewer shouldn't just automatically go along with the crowd, even for nigh-universally-loved games. On the other hand, sometimes you get the feeling that they're doing it [[{{Troll}} intentionally to create controversy]] [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity and attract attention]], forgot to do their research on the subject, or were downgrading the game for the wrong reasons.[[note]]Such as by driving a BiasSteamroller.[[/note]]

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC Magazine'' once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they jokingly included [[TakeThatAudience a perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[HilariousInHindsight Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games as time passed.

Other numbers are associated with this as well. One notable example is IGN's infamous 7.8 rating of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', which listed "too much water" as one of the game's cons. As a result, this generated dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

There is some internal logic to this and related reactions, as far as video game developers are concerned. There is evidence of a correlation that good reviews will, in fact, drive sales. In one study, [[http://www.gamesradar.com/study-professional-game-reviews-strongly-affect-consumer-behavior/ three groups of people were to read a]] (fake) review of ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' and then play the game for 45 minutes. At the end of the session, they would be given the choice of taking either 10 bucks or a free copy of the game. The group that was given reviews that were positive (a score of 90) tended to take the free copy. Those that were given reviews that were negative/unflattering (a score of 61) tended to take the 10 bucks instead. So, in essence, an expected KillerApp getting TheBGrade may ''[[TruthInTelevision indeed]]'' make its publisher nervous.

On the other hand, film critic Creator/RogerEbert [[http://www.rogerebert.com/answer-man/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-genders once pointed out]] that even such acclaimed movies as ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' and ''Film/StarWars'' have ratings ''lower'' than 8.8 on Website/IMDb. All things considered, a less-than-perfect score doesn't necessarily mean a ''bad'' score.

Other numbers are associated with this reaction as well. One notable example is IGN's infamous 7.8 rating of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', which listed "too much water" as one of the game's cons.[[note]]Doubles as a case of HypocriticalFandom, since "too much water" was one of the most prominent criticisms of the original game for ''years'' before this review.[[/note]] As a result, this generated dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

There is some internal logic to this and related tropes, as far as video game developers are concerned. There is evidence of a correlation that good reviews will, in fact, drive sales. In one study, [[http://www.gamesradar.com/study-professional-game-reviews-strongly-affect-consumer-behavior/ three groups of people were to read a]] (fake) review of ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' and then play the game for 45 minutes. At the end of the session, they would be given the choice of taking either 10 bucks or a free copy of the game. The group that was given reviews that were positive (a score of 90) tended to take the free copy. Those that were given reviews that were negative/unflattering (a score of 61) tended to take the 10 bucks instead. So, in essence, an expected KillerApp getting TheBGrade may ''[[TruthInTelevision indeed]]'' make its publisher nervous.

This trope has other numbers as well. One notable example is IGN's infamous 7.8 rating of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', which listed "too much water" as one of the game's cons.[[note]]Doubles as a case of HypocriticalFandom, since "too much water" was one of the most prominent criticisms of the original game for ''years'' before this review.[[/note]] As a result, this generated dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

[[SelfDemonstratingArticle I give this trope article 9.5/10. Eh, it's okay.]]

The name comes from the unimaginable havoc created by [=GameSpot=]'s review of the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' in November 2006, which awarded the game a great-but-not-amazing score of 8.8 out of 10. The Internet erupted in anger and chaos, as ''Twilight Princess'' was one of the most anticipated games of the time and near-perfect/perfect scores were expected. Strangely, [=GameSpot=] gave the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] version of the game a score of 8.9, despite claiming the Wii version was superior.[[note]]The reason for the score discrepancy is that the Wii was theoretically a more powerful console than the [=GameCube=], so the Wii version's score was adjusted downward as a result.[[/note]]

This trope has other numbers as well. One notable example is IGN's infamous 7.8 rating of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', which listed "too much water" as one of the game's cons. As a result, this generated dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC Magazine'' once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they jokingly included [[TakeThatAudience a perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[HilariousInHindsight Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the '''most hated''' ''Star Fox'' games as time passed.

'''8.8''' is a {{fan speak}} term that describes the stir created in the video game community when a high profile game receives an unexpected review score by a major reviewer, especially when it significantly differs from the general consensus. This can be especially jarring, because professional video game reviewers tend to give out [[FourPointScale very similar scores]].

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC Magazine'' once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they jokingly included [[TakeThatAudience a perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[HilariousInHindsight Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games as time passed.

Often, the score may be controversial because it adversely affects the game's averaged score on review compendium sites such as [[http://www.gamerankings.com GameRankings]] and [[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic]]. If the review itself is largely positive, it can appear that the few minor complaints account for a fairly significant drop in the rating. Alternatively, animosity can be generated from detractors of the game who all act as if the low score is the only "correct" one, using it as "proof" that the game is rubbish no matter how many good reviews it got.

Another issue has arisen in which publishers would not give bonuses to employees if a game did not achieve a certain arbitrary Metacritic score, and some classifieds for video game industry professionals have included requirements that applicants should have worked on games that achieved at least some specific Metacritic score.

Often, the score may be controversial because it adversely affects the game's averaged score on review compendium sites such as [[http://www.gamerankings.com GameRankings]] and [[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic]]. If the review itself is largely positive, it can appear that the few minor complaints account for a fairly significant drop in the averaged rating. Alternatively, animosity can be generated from detractors of the game who all act as if the low score is the only "correct" one, using it as "proof" that the game is rubbish no matter how many good reviews it got.

Whether or not an 8.8 furor is justified is up for debate. On one hand, a reviewer shouldn't just automatically go along with the crowd, even for nigh-universally-loved games. On the other hand, sometimes you get the feeling that they're doing it [[{{Troll}} intentionally to create controversy]] [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity and attract attention]], forgot to do their research on the subject, or were downgrading the game for the wrong reasons (such as by driving a BiasSteamroller).

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[HilariousInHindsight Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games as time passed.

'''8.8''' is a {{fan speak}} term that describes the stir created in the video game community when a high profile game receives an unexpected review score by a major reviewer, especially when it significantly differs from the general consensus. This is especially jarring because professional video game reviewers tend to give out [[FourPointScale very similar scores]].

The name comes from the unimaginable havoc created by [=GameSpot=]'s review of the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' in November 2006, which awarded the game a great-but-not-amazing score of 8.8 out of 10. The Internet erupted in anger and chaos, as ''Twilight Princess'' was one of the most anticipated games of all time and near-perfect/perfect scores were expected. Strangely, [=GameSpot=] gave the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] version of the game a score of 8.9, despite claiming the Wii version was superior.[[note]]The reason for the score discrepancy is that the Wii was theoretically a more powerful console than the [=GameCube=], so the Wii version's score was adjusted downward as a result.[[/note]]

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[HilariousInHindsight Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games as time passed.

Reviewers in the past have casually handed out perfect 10/10 scores like they were nothing, praising a video game endlessly and giving their readers a false sense of expectation. Publishers force journalists to award 10 out of 10 by applying external pressure to get those perfect scores. Scores that are 'fair', 'good' and 'great' are no longer acceptable. They, along with any form of critique, are seen as ''undesirable''.

Often, the score may be controversial because it adversely affects the game's overall average score on review compendium sites such as [[http://www.gamerankings.com GameRankings]] and [[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic]]. Alternatively, animosity can be generated from detractors of the game who all act as if the low score is the only "correct" one, using it as "proof" that the game is rubbish no matter how many good reviews it got.

Another issue has arisen in which publishers would not give bonuses if a game did not achieve a certain arbitrary Metacritic score, and some classifieds for video game industry professionals have now included requirements that applicants should have worked on games that achieved at least some high arbitrary Metacritic score.

Another problem can arise if the review itself is largely positive, making it look like the few minor complaints account for a fairly significant drop in the rating.

There is some internal logic to this and related tropes, however, as far as video game developers are concerned. There is evidence of a correlation that good reviews will in fact drive sales. In one study, three groups of people were to read a (fake) review of ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' and then play the game for 45 minutes; at the end of the session, they would be given the choice of taking either 10 bucks or a free copy of the game. The group that was given reviews that were positive tended to take the free copy. Those that were given reviews that were negative (or unflattering) tended to take the 10 bucks instead. So, in essence, an expected KillerApp getting TheBGrade may ''[[TruthInTelevision indeed]]'' make its publisher nervous.

This trope has other numbers as well. One notably example is IGN's infamous 7.8 rating of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', which listed "too much water" as one of the game's cons. As a result, this generated dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

Sometimes you get the feeling that 8.8 situations are simply the fans are making [[SeriousBusiness a mountain out of a molehill]]. It's worth noting that reviews tend to be published a day or two before the game is actually released, meaning that many people are decrying the score awarded to a game ''[[PraisingShowsYouDontWatch they haven't yet played themselves]]''. Naturally, this is caused by the fact that many gamers believe ReviewsAreTheGospel. Might lead to [[HePannedItNowHeSucks fans disliking the reviewer]].

Often, the score may be controversial because it adversely affects the game's overall average score on review compendium sites such as [[http://www.gamerankings.com GameRankings]] and [[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic.]] Alternatively, animosity can be generated from detractors of the game who all act as if the low score is the only "correct" one, using it as "proof" that the game is rubbish no matter how many good reviews it got.

This trope has other numbers as well. One notably example is IGN's infamous 7.8 rating of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', which listed "too much water" as one of the game's cons. This generated dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

This trope has other numbers as well, one example being IGN's famous 7.8 rating of [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokemon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire]] because of "too much water", generating dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

'''8.8''' (occasionally '''hate/10''') is a {{fan speak}} term that describes the stir created in the video game community when a high profile game receives an unexpected review score by a major reviewer, especially when it significantly differs from the general consensus. This is especially jarring because professional video game reviewers tend to give out [[FourPointScale very similar scores]].

The name comes from the unimaginable havoc created by [=GameSpot's=] review of the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' in November 2006, which awarded the game a great-but-not-amazing score of 8.8 out of 10. The Internet erupted in anger and chaos, as ''Twilight Princess'' was one of the most anticipated games of all time and near-perfect/perfect scores were expected. Strangely, [=GameSpot=] gave the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] version of the game a score of 8.9, despite claiming the Wii version was superior.[[note]]The reason for the score discrepancy is that the Wii was theoretically a more powerful console than the [=GameCube=], so the Wii version's score was adjusted downward as a result.[[/note]]

Sometimes you get the feeling that 8.8 situations are simply the fans are making a [[SeriousBusiness mountain]] out of a [[FanDumb molehill]]. It's worth noting that reviews tend to be published a day or two before the game is actually released, meaning that many people are decrying the score awarded to a game ''[[PraisingShowsYouDontWatch they haven't yet played themselves]]''. Such is the behavior of a console or series [[{{Otaku}} fanboy]]: {{complaining about people not liking the show}}. Naturally, this is caused by the fact that many gamers believe {{reviews are the gospel}}. Might lead to [[HePannedItNowHeSucks fans disliking the reviewer]].

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[HilariousInHindsight Funny story]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games after time had passed.

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[HilariousInHindsight Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games after time had passed.

Often, the score may be controversial because it adversely affects the game's overall average score on review compendium sites such as [[http://www.gamerankings.com GameRankings]] and [[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic]]. Alternatively, animosity can be generated from detractors of the game who all act as if the low score is the only "correct" one, using it as "proof" that the game is rubbish no matter how many good reviews it got.

The name comes from the unimaginable havoc created by [=GameSpot's=] review of the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' in November 2006, which awarded the game a great-but-not-amazing score of 8.8 out of 10. The Internet erupted in anger and chaos, as ''Twilight Princess'' was one of the most anticipated games of all time and near-perfect/perfect scores were expected. Ironically, [=GameSpot=] gave the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] version of the game a score of 8.9, despite claiming the Wii version was superior.[[note]]The reason for the score discrepancy is that the Wii was theoretically a more powerful console than the [=GameCube=], so the Wii version's score was adjusted downward as a result.[[/note]]

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[DramaticIrony Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games after time had passed.

Whether or not an 8.8 furor is justified is up for debate. On one hand, a reviewer shouldn't just automatically go along with the crowd, even for nigh-universally-loved games. On the other hand, sometimes you get the feeling that they're doing it [[{{Troll}} intentionally to create controversy]] [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity and attract attention]] or forgot to do their research on the subject.

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[DramaticIrony Ironically]], ''Star Fox Adventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' ''Star Fox'' games after time had past.

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[DramaticIrony Ironically]], ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' ended up being one of the ''most hated'' Star Fox games after time had past.

I give this trope article 9.5/10. Eh, it's okay.

This trope has other numbers as well, one example being IGN's famous 7.8 rating of Pokemon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire because of "too much water", generating dozens of satirical IGN ratings revolving around "too much" of something and a 7.8 rating.

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]]. [[DramaticIrony Ironically]], VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures ended up being one of the ''most hated'' Star Fox games after time had past.

Gamers, reviewers, and publishers all share the blame equally for allowing these controversies to arise. Angry gamers pile the pressure on reviewers to award high profile titles higher scores, often forcing editors of video games magazines to revise their scores and strip themselves of all credibility in the process. ''NGC'' magazine once gave ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' a mediocre score. [[CriticalBacklash They received so much backlash]] that they eventually conceded and jokingly included a [[TakeThatAudience perfect score sticker for readers to apply over the original score if it upset them that much]].

This trope has other numbers as well, one example being IGN's famous 7.8 rating of Pokemon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire because of "too much water", generating dozens of satirical IGN rating revolving around "too much <blank>" and a 7.8 rating.

On the other hand, film critic Creator/RogerEbert [[http://www.rogerebert.com/answer-man/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-genders once pointed out]] that even such acclaimed movies as ''Film/Casablanca'' and ''Film/StarWars'' have ratings ''lower'' than 8.8 on Website/IMDb. All things considered, a less-than-perfect score doesn't necessarily mean a ''bad'' score.