The Tao of Gaming

I agree that "everyone is entitled to their own opinion" shouldn't be a de facto defense (as it ignores the fact that some opinions are more soundly based and argued than others). But I see nothing wrong with acknowledging that different people of good will can have differing tastes. I can play a game like Pirate's Cove and state it has 15 different things that drive me crazy and wild horses couldn't drag me to another game. But I can also see that the game would be a blast for another audience. How does that empathy weaken my argument? Doesn't it make me a better reviewer, to be able to point to the type of gamer who might enjoy a game that I dislike? Particularly if I can still list the things I dislike about the game and (as always, more importantly) why?

There ARE bad games. For the life of me, I can't imagine who would enjoy something like Polterdice, which has design flaws galore. But unless you're perched upon a soapbox (and I think that's the key distinction), a foreknowledge that your opinion is not the only one in the gaming universe seems like a very healthy attribute to have.

To me it's an unnecessary diversion in a review. By definition a review is an opinion, so I don't need to be reminded that other people are likely to have other views. Any published game likely appealed (or didn't) to someone at some point, so it becomes a trite phrase.

I don't think such a statement invalidates a review, but it adds bulk without adding content. OTOH, as you point out Larry, explaining why someone might have a different appreciation is fine. The open ended "I did or didn't enjoy it, but others felt differently" doesn't say much though.

I had never heard of Rich Sommers before, but I couldn't help but note the irony of him and brushes with fame being in the same sentence. As it turns out he is from Stillwater, MN, which is two towns over from where I grew up and where I had a number of friends. Further, he went to school at the tiny Lutheran college in MN where my parents, aunt and cousin wnet.