Metacritic Adds iOS Reviews Section

Widely-used critical reviews aggregator site Metacritic this week unveiled a new section for mobile games released on Apple iOS platforms. The site, which offers weighted averages of critical scores for games and other forms of entertainment, said the iOS addition "reflects the critical community's growing acceptance of the iOS platform as a legitimate, full-fledged gaming system whose games can compete with those designed for the more established, dedicated gaming systems." Metacritic already follows critical reception of games on major home consoles, PC and handhelds. Currently, top-rated iOS games include 2D Boy's World of Goo, Firemint's Real Racing 2 and Gameloft's shooter N.O.V.A. Metacritic launched in 2001 and was founded by three former attorneys. The new iOS section highlights "the most important current releases" and their Metascores, according to the site. The website and its scores are often referenced by video game makers, including the industry's biggest publicly-traded game publishers like THQ, Electronic Arts, Activision and Take-Two. Recently, Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick stressed the importance of Metacritic scores. "Unlike many other entertainment business -- there are just a few -- ratings by Metacritic and others' reviews really can influence the success of a newly-released title," he said. "In fact, if your ratings go below a certain level, it can really hurt your ability to sell the title, and above a certain level can make a real difference in your success."