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Historic Video Game Critic & User Reviews
Retail & Consumer Behavior
Tags and Keywords
Trusted By
"No reviews yet"
Free
About
This dataset details top-rated video games released between 1995 and 2021, sourced from Metacritic. It provides key information such as release dates, user review ratings, and critic review ratings. This collection offers a valuable resource for analysing gaming trends and performance over nearly three decades.
Columns
- name: The name of the video game. There are approximately 12,254 unique game names, with Madden NFL 07 being a frequently occurring title.
- platform: The gaming platform on which the game was released. Common platforms include PC (26%) and PlayStation 4 (11%), with a total of 22 unique platforms identified.
- release_date: The date when the video game was released. Dates range from 30th April 1995 to 15th October 2021.
- summary: A brief synopsis or description of the game. Approximately 1% of entries are missing a summary.
- meta_score: The aggregated critic review score from Metacritic, ranging from 20 to 99. The average critic score is around 70.6.
- user_review: The aggregated user review score. Some entries are marked as 'tbd' (to be determined), and 7.7 is a common score, representing 4% of entries.
Distribution
The dataset is provided in a CSV format, specifically as 'all_games.csv', with a file size of 12.1 MB. It comprises six columns and approximately 18,800 records of video game data.
Usage
This dataset is ideal for:
- Analysing trends in video game releases and popularity over a significant period.
- Comparing and contrasting critic reception versus user sentiment for a wide array of games.
- Identifying highly-rated or influential games released between 1995 and 2021.
- Market research into game performance across various platforms.
- Historical research into the evolution of video gaming.
Coverage
The dataset covers video games released within a time range from 30th April 1995 to 15th October 2021. The content reflects aggregated scores from Metacritic, suggesting a global scope for the games included. No specific geographic or demographic limitations are noted within the data.
License
CC0: Public Domain
Who Can Use It
- Gaming historians and enthusiasts interested in the historical performance of video games.
- Data analysts and researchers studying trends in the entertainment software industry.
- Game developers seeking insights into successful game characteristics and market reception.
- Students and academics for research projects related to media studies, data science, or cultural analytics.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- Metacritic Video Game Ratings 1995-2021
- Historic Video Game Critic & User Reviews
- Gaming Industry Performance Data
- Video Game Metascores Compendium
Attributes
Original Data Source: Historic Video Game Critic & User Reviews
QUALITY