Valve’s co-founder and managing director Gabe Newell has a gem of knowledge to bestow upon the populace. In the latest issue ofGame Informer, Newell said that videogame enthusiasts were better at judging a game’s quality than publishers.
An excerpt from the conversation provided byRipten:
It seems by and large that gamers are incredibly smart; the average gamer seems to know more about what makes a good game than the average person at a publisher.
The fact that we’re smarter than the average person at a publisher practically speaks for itself. Simply go to the videogame retailer of your choice and browse the Wii aisle if you don’t believe me. I probably shouldn’t say that because even though the majority of us here make good choices, I’m sure publishers stockpile statistics like my car insurance company. I wonder if at age 25 you get a magical box of gaming knowledge delivered to your doorstep instead of driving talent.
I have a feeling that while publishers may not be the most adept at actually knowing what quantifies a great game, they’re aware of what most gamers are willing to buy – which is probably the reason there is aCarnival Games 2on the way. What do you guys think? Is Newell right?
