'Opinions don't matter anymore'

Interesting editorial at VGResCtr:

Something dawned on me today: Opinions don't matter anymore.

People read game review sites, not because they want to hear somebody's opinion on a game to make up their own mind, but because they want to hear somebody agree with them on a game. These people describe themselves as masters of everything gaming, and preach their gospel across the internet, not because they have something interesting to say (because most of the time they don't) but because they want to hear agreement with their opinions without arguement. So, when a dissenter posts something that contradicts the popular opinion, all hell breaks loose on the wide world of the Internet.

The article was about the new Zelda game, but substitute anything you want here …

While I'll agree that there are some sites where that happens, it is not universal!! We are a good example of that.

I dont know much of it could be considered genuine tho

Seriously, methinks a good deal of it is just good old-fashioned trolling. Someone gets the ball rolling, people get behind the snowball. It gets really fun for a bunch of mid-puberty boys to act like total dickheads one-upping each other for the fun of ripping into someone or something anonymously, online.

I think it is all in how it is handled - the Gothic 3 2/10 score ignited people here, and while the argument is from a fanbase perspective, it is all pretty serious and thoughtful.

Go to the GameStop forums sometime, though …

PLEASE, I'm neither a masochist, nor desperate!!