It only takes a ripple to start a Sunami(sp?). Anyways, Matt made it a point that this generation he would do the scoring fairer so that later on in the lifetime it wouldn't get so skewed like it did with the Cube. I support what IGN Wii and NWR is trying to do. It is not very uncommon that NWR will buck the trend themselves. There have been plenty of times and they have gotten slack about it. Each time it was the honest opinion of the reviewer, in general. Policy here states that a game with a 5 is average its not good. It has enough pros and cons to make it just average but if you are a fan of the series or genre you'll probably get some goodie out of it. Though stepping back its not a game review problem alone.
Going through school people are expected to now get A's and A's only. Anything below a 3.5 in some fields getting out of college, and some of these fields are hard, makes it seem impossible for you to get your foot in the door. Companies won't talk to you. Get less than a 3.0 and you might as well welcome yourself to a life of flipping burgers. Which I think is pathetic. It use to be a 2.5. Which showed you weren't slacking. As they said in the Incredibles, "if everyone is special then no one is special at all." How does such an inflation in grades do anything but look good on paper for some politician? Its a real travesty and let down for are youth, 0-Graduating College; it gives the smarter kids no way to really be engaged and flex there mental capacity, and it does disservice to the less capable because they have no real place to strive for. When Exceptional, an A, is average doesn't that make it a C? Its just frustrating. Making the youth of the day less respectful, less capable, and less intelligent for the future. No wonder the US is working itself to 3rd world status. Are education system is below 3rd World.
Though this isn't really the place for this type of discussion is it? To sum it all up Consumers want the best and only the best bang for their buck. Which is great when you are talking TV's and Washers not when you are buying interpretted things like Movies, Music, and Games. Which I guess would be one of my best reasons for saying games are art. There is no true hard facts that matter about them when making a decision its all opinion in the end.