Metacritic

Review aggregation for films, TV, music, and video games.

Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc Doyle, and Julie Doyle Roberts and launched in January 2001, and was acquired by Fandom, Inc. in 2022.

Quick Facts

Parent company

Fandom (2022–present)
Red Ventures (2020–2022)
CBS Interactive (2008–2020)
CNET (2005–2008)

Lore & Background

Metacritic was launched in January 2001 by Marc Doyle, his sister Julie Doyle Roberts, and his University of Southern California law classmate Jason Dietz, after two years of developing the site. Rotten Tomatoes was already compiling movie reviews, but Doyle, Roberts, and Dietz saw an opportunity to cover a broader range of media. Metacritic was sold to CNET in 2005. In 2008, CNET and Metacritic were acquired by CBS Interactive (then part of CBS Corporation). In 2020, Metacritic and other CNET titles were bought by Red Ventures. In 2022, Red Ventures sold Metacritic and other entertainment websites to Fandom, Inc.

Reader's Guide

Metacritic turns each critic and user review into a respective percentage score. This can be done either by calculating the score from the rating given or by making a subjective decision based on the review's quality. Before averaging the scores, they are adjusted based on the critic's popularity, reputation, and the number of reviews they have written. The site also includes a summary from each review and links to the original source, using colors like green, yellow, or red to indicate the overall sentiment of the critics.

Scores are weighted averages; certain publications are given more significance 'because of their stature'. Metacritic has said that it will not reveal the relative weight assigned to each reviewer. In June 2018, Metacritic established the 'Must-See' label for a movie that 'achieves a Metascore of 81 or higher and has been reviewed by a minimum of 15 professional critics'. In September 2018, it added the 'Must-Play' certification for video games attaining a score of 90% or more, and a minimum number of 15 reviews from industry professionals.

Did You Know?

Metacritic won two Webby Awards for excellence as an aggregation website, in 2010 and 2015.
In July 2020, Metacritic added a 36-hour waiting period for user reviews to be posted for video games at launch to reduce review-bombing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Metacritic?

Metacritic is not a character in Braid but an external website that aggregates professional reviews for video games and other media. It compiles scores from various critics to provide a single consensus number known as the Metascore.

What are Metacritic's powers or role in Braid?

Metacritic has no powers, abilities, or presence within the actual gameplay or narrative of Braid. Its only role is to exist outside the game as a service that helps players gauge critical reception before purchasing.

Does Metacritic influence the development or legacy of Braid?

While the website did not influence Tim Rogers' creative process, a high Metascore significantly boosted the game's visibility and commercial success. This widespread recognition helped cement Braid as a landmark title in video game history.

What players say: Player verdict on Braid — Rotten Tweets