Is Sony Placing Too Much Emphasis on Metacritic Scores?

Sony is apparently placing too much importance on Metacritic scores, according to the director of Days Gone.

What’s Been Said ABOUT METACRITIC?

Days Gone screenshot
Credit: Sony

During a recent interview with God of War creator David Jaffe, John Garvin highlighted the issue with Sony’s game development practices. Recently, we learned that Days Gone won’t be getting a sequel, despite previous rumours. According to Garvin, a low Metacritic score is a deciding factor for Sony when it comes to supporting franchises [via GameRant]:

“This is just the reality of Sony. If you’re the creative director on a franchise and your game is coming in at a 70, you’re not gonna be a creative director on that franchise for very long.”

Gavin also compared Sony to Disney, after being asked if the company places more importance on Metacritic than sales:

“If you are Disney, you can’t afford to make a s****** movie even if a bunch of people go to see it,”

Credit: SIE Bend Studio

Upon its release, Days Gone received mixed reviews, with the result being a 71/100 on Metacritic. The game’s score apparently lead to the development of a sequel being denied, despite successful sales figures. Garvin also accepted blame for Days Gone’s Metacritic score while bizarrely hitting out at so-called “social justice warriors”:

“I completely agree that it was on me and Jeff, and the guys at Bend Studio, and on all of us to create something that would have wider appeal, that would avoid some of the pitfalls that were kind of self-inflicted. I’m not saying in any way that we should have all bought into political correctness and become woke and done all the things to satisfy social justice warriors – I’m not saying that at all. I’m saying that as a company making products for millions of people, it’s on us to make sure that it is profitable and also appeal to a wide enough audience to grow the brand.”

While Days Gone 2 isn’t currently on the cards, perhaps we’ll see Sony dust off the franchise in the future. 

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Featured Image Credit: SIE Bend Studio