originally posted in:Sapphire
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Critics of games, music, films, etc.
Assuming the majority of us are sensible and will respond with "yes, but I don't let their opinions become my own", what would you say is more damaging to consumers: making decisions based purely off critical reception or the opinions of a specific critic/website ("I won't buy anything that scores lower than 80 on Metacritic!"), or blindly buying/preordering things that you essentially know nothing about based largely on marketing and/or brand loyalty ("there is no possible way this game can be bad - I love 'Aliens' and 'Borderlands'!")?
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Edited by Cat: 2/21/2013 1:32:59 PMYes and no. On one hand, subjectivity plays a big role, and you might like what a professional doesn't. On the other, you can save yourself from wasting money on mediocrity by trusting a professional's opinion. The way to go is to check out professional opinions if you're skeptical, but take it with a grain of salt. You'll have an informed look into the item in question, but you can still make the ultimate decision on your own. I must say, if not for Beer Advocate, I'd still be drinking fizzy yellow piss water that macro-breweries call beer, so I'm definitely glad that critics/reviewers exist.