I am depressed... that flowchart accurately describes most threads argueing about reviews
yeah, i believe thousands of lair owners who much enjoyed the game over couple of dudes who runs a reveiw site. would b getting it the moment it hits Australia for sure.
A poor review doesn't mean a game isn't fun or won't appeal to certain gamers. Reviews are an "opinion" art based on some basic criteria and critical approach. The scores are relative to a lot of things (games on the platform, the broader market, the genre, etc). A low score, like a 5, can mean something different everywhere. Some places, like Edge, a 5 is average, Other places it is horrible.
Anyhow, less those thousand Lair owners have the same gaming tastes you do why would their opinion be any more valid? One the one hand, critically, it is less valuable. From a "we like the same games" approach it may be more valuable. And from a fan perspective and the current PS3 lineup and what motived a lot of early adopters there may be some invested interest by many consumers to pick it up and enjoy it. And it may be enjoyable, just not as good as expected or hoped.
A score should never prevent anyone from enjoying a game; scores only give us a relative general barometer of how the critics evaluated it. Sales tell us how marketing was effective and whether consumers were compelled (hype, renting, catchy graphics, previews, critical acclaim, etc) to buy it.
You can like a game, agree on the specific issues the game has, and disagree with how your
personal enjoyment relates to an arbitrary number that is only there to give a relevant means to gauge a games quality relative to other factors. Your enjoyment doesn't negate the issues or how it relates to the market though. e.g. I am more inclined to like a certain game in a small genre, even if significantly flawed, because it is unique. Relative to the market it has huge problems, but it offers me, personally, something I want.