User:Ss0jse/Criteria for notably negatively received games

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In order to be included in the List of video games notable for negative reception, a video game must meet the criteria listed below.

List of criteria

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Initial reception was negative, or reception over time has been negative.
With some exceptions, indie games don't count.
Shovelware, mobile games, and asset flips don't count.
The negative reception should be tied to the game's quality.
The reception was notably negative according to at least 3 sources.
At least one of these:
- At least 10 review scores averaged below 5 out of 10.
- Multiple sources panned it in, say, deciding the top 10 worst games of the year, decade, etc.
- It has had a significant, lasting effect on the video game industry.
- User reception was lastingly negative according to at least 3 sources, and critical reception was not positive.

List of video games notable for negative reception#Criteria

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The list is not comprehensive, but represents the most visible examples of games principally recognized for their enduring negative reception, or in the case of titles such as Final Fantasy XIV, No Man's Sky, and Cyberpunk 2077, at their original launch before they were reworked with content updates through patches. The list mostly omits licensed tie-in games for films or television shows, which are generally accepted by the industry as shovelware and not expected to have high production values as they are typically produced by non-AAA development studios. With certain exceptions, this list also omits controversial video games whose negative reception revolves around the controversies they started and is not related to the quality of the game itself, including those that were subject to review bombing by users for non-gameplay related issues. For similar reasons, the list mostly omits indie games, which are developed by smaller teams that typically lack the ability for full quality control of their product, as well as mobile gaming, of which there are countless developers with the ability to self-publish on app stores and frequent copycats of more successful games driven by unpopular microtransactions, as well as extensive use of stock game assets with little to no original artwork used.

Talk:List of video games notable for negative reception

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Notice - Inclusion Criteria

Because there are a wealth of bad video games out there in the world, a set of criteria have been created to make sure we're focusing truly on games that are truly notable for their negative reception. Games are eligible for inclusion in this list if they have an article on Wikipedia, have established notability, and have demonstrated a strong negative reception described by one or more of the criteria listed below. This demonstration requires providing in-line citations for the entry to several published articles, from sources that are generally considered reliable for the coverage of video games, which describe in significant detail (not in passing) how the game meets the criterion/criteria; entries that fail to provide these citations will likely be removed without question. A minimum of three such sources is strongly recommended, and preferably at least five such sources should be provided. Note that you may reuse citations from the game's article to support inclusion here.

Having low review scores; a game with an aggregate review score below 50/100, as determined by at least 10 critic reviews is generally considered eligible but not guaranteed a spot on the list.
Its quality having been acknowledged in relevant retrospectives and columns by reliable sources (i.e. being literally referred to as one of the "worst games ever" (either of all-time or within a specific category or genre).
Its negative reception resulting in a long-term impact on the video game industry (see the story behind E.T. and the Atari video game burial as a strong example of this).
Having a notably negative response from end-users over its quality, especially in situations where negative user response impacts the reception by professional critics. In order to meet this criteria, at least three reliable citations must discuss such a response in significant detail. This negative reception should be something of discussion some months after a product's release; short-term negativity towards a bug or flaw that is patched shortly after release does not qualify for inclusion on this list. A title is ineligible for inclusion based on user response if it received an otherwise positive response from critics, as it might be more indicative of a controversy surrounding a portion of the title or its background, or one "manufactured" by its community, rather than the quality of the title as a whole. Titles with controversies unrelated to their overall quality may be eligible for inclusion on List of controversial video games instead, such as in the case of Daikatana. Games that are the subject of "review bombing" due to non-gameplay related issues, such as Sonic Mania at launch [1] are not considered appropriate for this list.

Shovelware, tie-ins, and non-notable indie or mobile titles are typically excluded from this list, barring exceptional circumstances, since they generally receive little media attention and do not typically have a reasonable expectation of quality (thus they would have negative reception, but not be notable for it). Other common examples include cheap cash-in games based off of movies, television, or other similar media.

Start discussion on this page for any questions or proposed exceptions.
Please review the talk page archives (searchable below) for past discussions on games. Many games that have been often considered as "worst-ever" at some point have been discussed before and either added or rejected based on the arguments and sourcing presented.

Notes

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References

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