Hey all-

Here's a question for ya:

When you read reviews on IPDB (if you do), do you have a particular favourite reviewer who's opinion you look for? Of course, it would have to be one of the more frequent reviewers.

I don't really have a favourite reviewer, I concentrate with the one with the most reviews...  some people on here gives are good for info, they can explain why they don't like a pinball in particulary and not just 'hit the trunk'

Yeah, I like to read the lengthy reviews myself.. not anyone in particular though, and I tend to stay away from anyone who writes things like "This is a DE pin so it blows!!!!!" and then gives it 1's across the board.

I like what BruceMoyerNewRinggoldPa has to say: http://www.ipdb.org/rate/showuserrate.pl?uid=11351.

He's older and mainly an EM fella but gives fair SS reviews as well. 835 reviews!

Bruce Moyer, New Ringold PA.

He's my man for sure. On one of his reviews he talks about how a particular machine was a favourite of his teenage son who was subsequently run down and killed by a car that jumped the sidewalk years ago. Seems like a really sincere guy.

Yours truly, Warren Bradley, Thornhill ON

Can't say I've ever made a point in reading any of the reviews on IPDB, reason being I see no point.  

Opinions are like A**holes everyone has got one and there all diffrent.  Just because a game is popular and well liked doesn't mean I'm going to like it.  I always prefer to reserve any judgment until I've played the game myself.  

I agree with Adam on this one... some opinions are biased. Anyone who is a WPC fan is going to nail ANY EM or even some SS pins with bad reviews. People forget that it is best to review a game against similar ones of it's era... or else any opinion is quite irrelevant.

Putting a score of 0 or 1 for sound on an EM pin when you are a WPC fan tends to induce people in error. Best to compare apples with apples, and oranges with oranges.

I often feel like putting my opinion down, but I rather document serial numbers these days on IPSND.net . There is a link for every machine on IPDB, but few use it. Too bad... it is a great way to record any machine population. Also kind of cool to see if a machine with an adjacent serial number to yours is still out there.

Warren:

You are the best one to review what games you like. I would recomend spending more time playing than reading.

Quoted from wbradley

... Seems like a really sincere guy.

I agree. However, 'distasteful' themes/art throw off his reviews. He gave '24' a 1.6 out of 10 because of the violent theme.

Quoted from Vengeance

Can't say I've ever made a point in reading any of the reviews on IPDB, reason being I see no point.

Opinions can be skewed/biased but a general gameplay consensus can be gleamed from numerous reviews. There will always be a few bad apples everywhere but many make an effort to contribute their experiences for the benefit of others. Would IPDB be better off without the reviews? I don't think so; it is valuable information.  

Quoted from OTTOgd

Opinions can be skewed/biased but a general gameplay consensus can be gleamed from numerous reviews. There will always be a few bad apples everywhere but many make an effort to contribute their experiences for the benefit of others. Would IPDB be better off without the reviews? I don't think so; it is valuable information.  

I disagree.  Pinball is such a sujective hobby, regrdless of good/badd reviews by biased people, it has no bearing on my own experiance with the machine.  The information is irelevant, it's not like a static piece of software like a game where the experiance will be exactly the same no matter who the person is.

Just the way a machine plays can affect a person opinion, if a machine is in crap shape and the reviewer doesn't know any better it may be reviewed poorly as a result.  

I need to play a machine myself in order to see if I like them, hell I've even gone as far as buying a machine just so I can get some good play time on it to see if I really like it or not.  Other peoples opinions will never help when it comes to my own personal opinion on a game

Quoted from OTTOgd

I like what BruceMoyerNewRinggoldPa has to say: http://www.ipdb.org/rate/showuserrate.pl?uid=11351.

He's older and mainly an EM fella but gives fair SS reviews as well. 835 reviews!

+1 - I've never played the older pins, so his reviews help as he highlights some of the special rules or shots in the game...

Proof that most ratings suck:

I like the Midget. It is in my favorite pins, yet rated as one of the worst ever. I look past the cab and translite art. Cool playfield art, cool sounds, cool music, great classic playfield layout.

Yet people are fixated on the midget...

Hmm... I could actually make a NICE Genesis...