Question: What is a KidConfidence video game review?
Answer: A KidConfidence video game review provides an objective look at the different aspects of a video game. Our Editors score different parts of a video game which calculates to an overall 1-10 numerical score. The score is displayed on our “KidConfidence Scorecard”, located on the upper screen part of each video game review page. For easy browsing we represent our overall score by icons showing: Thumbs Up (Great Game – Buy), Open Palm (Mediocre Game – Rent) and Thumbs Down (Bad Game – Avoid). KidConfidence also displays the Amazon Customer 1-5 Star Rating for each video game.
Question: How does KidConfidence score new game compared to old ones?
Answer: As the quality of gaming experiences naturally improves over time, we do not simply rate new games higher, even if they’re technically better. Instead, we adjust our expectations and continually recalibrate our numeric rating scale accordingly. What this means in practice is that a high score awarded today by KidConfidence is worth more than if we awarded the same score yesterday. In other words, a game that earns a high score today is probably superior in overall quality to a game that earned the same score on our scale several years ago.
Question: What determines the “Recommended age”?
Answer: KidConfidence bases “Recommended Age” on ESRB Ratings, as well as which ages will enjoy the product. A child’s developmental skill set and popularity help us determine the enjoyment levels of a game.
While many children may enjoy games at different stages of their development, the recommended age is our suggestion for an age which will best enjoy the product. Please use the recommendation as guidelines, and use sensitivity when purchasing games based on the individuals that you are shopping for. Based on your own experience with a game, feel free to also offer reviews and feedback on the website for other visitors to learn from.
Question: What are the different parts of a KidConfidence game review?
Answer: Storyline, Game-play, Multiplayer, Replay, Education and Overall.
Question: How is the Overall Score calculated?
Answer: Game-play 60%, Multiplayer 10%, Replay value 10% and Educational Value 20%.
Got Questions?
Contact: thomas@kidconfidence.com (this is not a link to avoid spam)
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Storyline
The line of a story.
What happens throughout the game.
Game-play
How the game plays.
Fun, challenges, rewards, difficulty and/or flexibility.
The interface, how the game is controlled and how the screen is laid out, keyboard, mouse, joystick, game pad, and other controller support.
Which key game play elements make it fun or not fun.
Multiplayer features
Is this a game played over the Internet, hot seat type game (where two or more people play on the same computer one at a time taking turns), split screen (many games allow simultaneous play on a split screen) or network?
How many people can play in each mode of play?
Is there cooperative and competitive play, and how does it work?
If there is cooperative play can you only play against other humans or can you play the plot of the game?
If there is competitive play are there various scenarios specifically designed for this type of play?
Does the game encourage players to interact or play together?
Replay value
Is it a game that will have years of replay value or something that will be going back to “EBgames” after you are done?
Are there levels that will be unlocked when you finish the game or do you just get an ending once you have spent hours playing it?
Is it a game that you keep playing, even when you have played it for years, or is the demo pretty much it?
Educational value
Does the game involve the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values, through study, experience, or teaching.
Overall
Summary and closing comments
Do we recommend or not?
If so, for what group/kind of player
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The Scores and Icons:
Update: We are currently experimenting with a variety of rating icons. Examples include a Skull and Crossed Bones for video games with intense violence and a blue “E” for games with outstanding educational value.
10.0 – 7.5 Thumbs Up
7.0 – 6.0 Open Palm
5.5 – 1.0 Thumbs Down
10.0: Perfect We couldn’t have done it better ourselves. This game is a must have.
9.0-9.5: Superb We absolutely recommend any game in this range
8.0-8.5: Great This range refers to great games that are excellent in almost every way and whose few setbacks probably aren’t too important.
7.0-7.5: Good A game within this range is good overall, and likely worth playing by fans of the particular genre or by those otherwise interested. While its strengths outweigh its weaknesses, a game that falls in this range tends to have noticeable faults.
6.0-6.5: Fair Games that earn 6-range ratings have certain good qualities but significant problems as well. These games may well be worth playing, but you should approach them with caution.
5.0-5.5: Mediocre A 5-range score refers to a game that’s “merely average” in the negative sense. These games tend to have enough major weaknesses to considerably outweigh their strengths.
4.0-4.5: Poor Games that just don’t work right and maybe didn’t spend enough time in production tend to fall in to this category. They simply lack the cohesion and quality that make other games fun.
3.0-3.5: Bad You probably shouldn’t get too close to a game in this range.
2.0-2.5: Terrible Beware, for a game in this range is almost entirely devoid of any remotely decent or fully functional features.
1.0-1.5: Abysmal Ouch. The rare game that falls in this lowest-of-the-low range has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Don’t play this game.
N/A: Not available A certain feature or category is missing completely.
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