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

Metacritic was launched in 2001 by Marc Doyle, his sister Julie Doyle Roberts, and Jason Dietz, with the primary goal of saving people money by compiling reviews from notable critics to gauge the quality of games, TV shows, and movies. The site has undergone various changes in ownership, with its most recent acquisition by Fandom in 2022. Despite these changes, the core operation remains relatively small, with a tight-knit editorial team. Over the years, Metacritic has faced controversy, particularly regarding its influence on the game development industry, with some companies linking employee bonuses to Metacritic scores. Doyle emphasizes that Metacritic's primary focus is on providing users with a reliable source of information to enhance their gaming experience. The site's scoring system has evolved, with adjustments made to accommodate different versions of games and to ensure the credibility of its critics. Metacritic employs a strict policy of only considering a publication's original review, avoiding score manipulation and protecting critics from external pressures. The inclusion of re-reviews is a topic of ongoing debate, with Doyle expressing openness to linking to re-reviews but hesitant to alter a game's official Metascore. The process of selecting which publications to include on Metacritic involves a rigorous evaluation, considering factors such as the site's history, review rate, and scoring philosophy. Doyle relies on a network of advisors from tracked publications to inform his decisions. As the media landscape continues to shift, with the rise of non-traditional media outlets and AI technology, Doyle remains committed to the value of human critics and the importance of formal review formats, believing that Metacritic's mission to provide a critical consensus will endure.