Peter Molyneux Has a Very Interesting Request for Games Reviewers

The season of big game releases is rapidly coming and developers are already handing out games to publishers in order to have their creations reviewed. They want them to be ready to appear when the titles go on sale to determine people to buy them. They also send out certain notes and features list. These usually contain details about the aspects they find wonderful about their own games and how they will offer a great experience for any type of gamer and so on.

But now, Variety's games reviewer Ben Fritz has published Peter Molyneux's request that came with his review copy of the much awaited Fable II. In the note, Molyneux, the lead creative director for this game, urges reviewers to take a look at the game from a non-gamer's point of view in order to see the impact it has on the player. “I have a favour to ask you -- we build this game not only to appeal to gamers like yourself, but to appeal to anybody. So please, please, please, please, please find somebody who doesn't play games, watch them play it and see how their world turns out, because I think it's only when you see those differences that the unique experiences comes through.”

It certainly is a good thing, a bit weird though. Many publishers and developers complain that reviewers do not see games from a normal point of view, but only from a hardcore one. In their eyes, reviewers sometimes don't get the aspect of hard work, and give it a low score.

Although in some cases, like here at Softpedia, where our readers aren't avid gamers, sometimes it is true. Reviewing a game is very delicate. First of all, you must look at it from the point of view of its target audience, be it casual or hardcore, and judge it from that angle. But you also have to offer readers a personal opinion, it's something that in some cases turns out good.