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See that above? That number in the scorecard? That's the last one of those you'll be seeing on Engadget. (The last one for a while, at least -- "never say never" and all that.) Review scores were added to the Engadget way of doing things back in July of 2010 and, since then, they've had an overwhelming effect on how our reviews are read and perceived by you, our dear readers. We write our reviews and do our best to have the text within them speak to each and every one of you, but as we've learned those numbers truly only help very few of you. So, as you may have noticed, review scores on Engadget are dead. Join us as we explore why. %Gallery-133663%
Introducing review scorecards!
As you may have noticed, here at Engadget we've stepped down hard on the gas pedal when it comes to reviews. We've been putting a lot of time and resources into delivering more product reviews at a faster pace, so you guys can know just exactly what you're getting into when it comes to the gear that we cover. In support of those efforts, today we're happy to introduce our review scorecards. We wanted to find a way to deliver a snapshot of our reviews in a really simple, glanceable manner, and also make those snapshots available to sort and search through. So starting immediately, we'll be including scorecards in any new review that goes up, and those cards will appear on our new reviews sorting page. Right now we've got some simple sorting options in there, but we're working on more in-depth sorting options that will allow you to drill down on specifics, so you can find exactly the product you're looking for. We're also in the process of moving backwards through our older reviews and getting cards in place, so if you see a few holes here or there, don't be surprised. Some guidelines you should consider for these cards: firstly, the cards are based on our review at the time the post was published, meaning they're not relative to one another (unless the products were reviewed in the same category at the same time). That means that the G1 can have a higher rating than the Droid X, even though right now it's obvious that the Droid X is a superior phone. The Droid X is being reviewed now, and the G1 was reviewed then. Also, we want to provide a scale of what these numbers mean, so that there isn't any confusion. A 0 rating you'll likely never see. It means that the product was so bad we couldn't even rate it. 1 means the product is pure crap, 2-3 means that the product has a few redeeming qualities, but is not very good. 4 is an okay product, but not something we could recommend. 5 is fair; not great, but not horrible. 6 is a decent product with a few issues, 7 is a strong product with some minor flaws, 8 is a great product with few flaws. 9 is nearly perfect, and 10 (which we haven't handed out yet) is perfect. As with any big addition to the site, we're really interested to hear what you guys have to say. If you have any input, positive or negative, sound off below in comments!
Apple iPad tech specs: rumor vs. reality scorecard
Remember that history of Apple tablet rumors we concocted for you just the other day? Well, we're here to take score now, folks. As you can see from the handy (and magical) chart below, Taiwan Economic News came pretty close to nailing the iPad's specs back September: built-in HSDPA, custom P.A. Semi system on a chip (with the fancy new name Apple A4), 9.6-inch size, February unveiling, and hey -- they were pretty close on that $799 - $999 pricing too. And while iLounge was wrong about some things, they certainly hit this one out of the park: "It's a big iPhone, but it's not a big iPhone." We're going to let you dig into the chart here for yourselves to see who got what right -- and who was terribly, terribly wrong. Here are just a few of the no-shows today, however -- no camera, no multitasking, no phone, no Verizon, no iPhone OS 4.0, and no Flash anywhere to be seen. There were also no MacBook Pro spec bumps in sight, and no iLife to be found. Well, let's just try to be happy with what we did get, okay? The chart is after the break.
Blu-ray studios get graded, Sony Pictures comes out on top
Kudos, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment -- you've apparently been doing quite well in the Blu-ray department this year. The folks over at Sound & Vision recently took a hard look at a number of BD-releasing studios this year in order to give 'em all the grade they deserve. As for criteria? Critics looked at the "technical prowess of the audio and video presentations, the adoption or avoidance of available Blu-ray exclusive technologies (BD-Live, etc.) and the breadth and diversity of their releases as well as their reaction to the unique challenges of the latest evolution of the BD market." Interested to see how the rest of the competition fared? Give the read link a look for all the dirt.
The MMO scorecard
Ancient Gaming Noob has a scorecard up-- after all the hype about the next big MMO after World of Warcraft, he's listed out eight criteria an up-and-coming MMO needs to meet to really be as big as Blizzard's epic game is.And I tend to agree with everything. A great MMO needs to be both a brand of its own and a strong IP, and that right there is enough to get rid of most of the contenders. Tabula Rasa is a good idea, but what makes it unique to any of the other "sci fi legends" settings throughout the rest of history? System spec compatibility, quality and polish, and solo play are Blizzard standbys, and they had the genius and the knowhow to put them into an MMO. Not many game companies can do these three things effectively, although I'd put Bioware on that list (what they miss out in system specs they make up for in quality), and their upcoming MMO will be something to see for sure.PvP and Sandbox play are two things that can turn a good game into a really great game, and again, there are only a few companies so far that can really get it right. Mythic is an old veteran of PvP, but the big question with Warhammer Online will be whether it can appeal to a casual audience in the way that WoW does-- remember, you have to meet all eight of these criteria to really have a chance at beating WoW. And finally, AGN lists financial stability as a must, and that's a no brainer-- it's why Gods and Heroes didn't make it.It's a good list-- I'd say that if he's missing anything, it's that you need to make 100% sure your game is socially accessible. WoW does that with a strong guild system, an easy to navigate realm system, Horde and Alliance factions (you're more likely to make ties when you know an opponent is hunting for you), lots of emotes and waves, and pop culture references that even new players can "get" and see as familiar. Even a terrific game won't reach WoW heights if nongamers log in and don't understand what they see.
Scorecard
Earlier today one of my co-workers came up to me and said, 'Hey, this is a silly question but do you know of any apps for OS X that will let me track golf stats?' Since I am a leading Apple pundit (in my mind), the pressure was on. Luckily, I did know of an app that does just that, Scorecard.I did a quick search on TUAW, and was horrified to find that we haven't mentioned it before. This Universal app tracks every stat a golfer could be interested, as well as tracking weather conditions, and many other data points to track and improve your golf game.Scorecard costs $29.95, and there is a 5 round demo available.
