This chart is provided for your interest and use as a purchasing guide. It will represent the accumulated opinion of gamers as to the value of the listed games.

It is not, due to its sample population, unbiased. However, for those who vote, it will be accurate. Every game is available to be re- evaluated whenever you like (as long as the Rating Chart Rules are followed.) Therefore, if game X has either too high or low a rating, you can send in your opinion. This is added to those before you and divided by the total number of votes a game has gotten to give a new rating. A simple weighted adjustment. This should help keep the rating current. A game will not be in- cluded on the chart if it has less than 25% of the average number of votes per game. Games without enough votes to make the chart will be listed.

We will only ask for two specific ratings per issue. These will usually be new games not yet listed on the chart. The remain- ing spaces on the sheet are for your use (as well as any additional paper you wish to use.) You may vote for as many games as you like.

The games are rated as an overall item for the simple reason that we cannot take into account everyone's opinion of what makes a good game. To list a few categories to use as parameters doesn't work because it makes the categories of equal weight and no one has any ability to determine otherwise. Besides, if you are told to rate a game according to factors X, Y and Z, but you know that what makes a good game is box color, not X, Y or Z, how can you rate it correctly? This is an extreme example to be sure, but I feel it illustrates the right point.

Your views cannot, and should not, be constrained by someone else. By having the rating free-form, you are free to rate base on what you think is important.

Why no requirement to play the game? If you are like me, you won't try to play games you don't like. Does this mean you cannot voice that opinion on what you do not like? I should hope not. If more players like subject X than Y, X will get more and better votes than Y. Is this fair? Maybe not, but it more accurately represents the voting population.

People are generally unable to properly rate things on scales of much greater than 5, say 10. Therefore, we opted for a 1 to 5 scale, with its subjective definitions of good and poor. I think the differences between a 7 and an 8 on the usual scale are too subject to chance. I want games that are rated by player's according to their opinion of the game, not thier interpretation of the scale values.

Finally, a plead for sanity. I want you to vote on any game whose rating "seems" wrong, but I want you to vote by the rating you think it should be. Please do not vote by only using 5 or 1 to push the rating one way or the other.

I look forward to future issues and the adjusting ratings of games as time goes on. I, like most of you, am very curious about the interrelationship of the assorted game products out there and which ones are most (least) liked. This initial chart was based on a small group I could call, write, or otherwise pester. I look forward to hearing your views and tabulating your votes.