Unveiling the Inner Workings of Metacritic: An Exclusive Interview with Co-Founder Marc Doyle

Metacritic, founded in 2001 by Marc Doyle, his sister Julie Doyle Roberts, and Jason Dietz, has undergone significant transformations over the years. Initially, the site was created by lawyers who sought to provide a reliable indicator of quality by pooling reviews from noted critics. As the site evolved, it was acquired by CNET in 2005 and later by Fandom in 2022, along with other gaming sites like GameSpot and GameFAQs. Despite these changes, Metacritic remains a relatively small operation, with a team of five people handling editorial tasks. The site's role in the gaming industry has been a subject of debate, with some companies tying bonuses to Metacritic scores. However, Doyle emphasizes that Metacritic is solely focused on providing a better gaming experience for users, rather than influencing developer bonuses. Over the years, Metacritic has made adjustments to its system, including separating scores for PC and console versions of games. The site converts review scores to a 100-point scale, with some nuances in converting letter-based scores. A key aspect of Metacritic's scoring system is the weighting of publications, with veteran writers and critics holding more influence. While the exact calculations remain a secret, Doyle notes that an unweighted score would only differ by a point or two from the final Metacritic score. Metacritic has a strict policy of only allowing original reviews to count towards a game's Metascore, with no re-reviews permitted. This policy aims to prevent score manipulation, which was a significant issue in the early 2010s. In recent years, some outlets have begun re-evaluating games that have undergone significant changes, but Metacritic's policy can leave games with outdated ratings. Doyle is open to including links to re-reviews on a game's Metacritic page but is hesitant to change the official score. The site's co-founder has an annual evaluation window to decide which new sites to add to Metacritic's roster, using a comprehensive questionnaire to assess potential candidates. Doyle relies on a group of advisors, comprising critics from tracked publications, to inform his decisions. Metacritic has expanded its international reach, but Doyle must be cautious of potential conflicts of interest when adding new publications. The site has also seen the rise of non-traditional media, such as YouTubers and streamers, and is open to including video reviews, provided they adhere to a formal review format. As AI technology advances, Doyle believes that human judgment and criticism will continue to be essential, and Metacritic will focus on highlighting individual critics and publications, rather than relying solely on AI-driven recommendations.