Game Reviewers taking bribes to boost scores...

[Drakron]

im suddenly a little worried about where youre typing your post from. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I dont own one.

 

I use OXM as reading material in case I run out of toilet paper.

[Kaftan Barlast]

How could *reading* be of any help when youre out of toilet paper?

 

"Oh, gee Im all out of tp. Well, I guess Ill just pick up this magazine lying here and read until someones comes along with the right stuff."

[Drakron]

...In conclusion, it is fair to say that all magazines and other outlets give the most positive score that they can get away with to any game from a major publisher. They know how the system works, and they are not foolish enough to think that they are so important to a publisher's marketing strategy that they can get away with telling the truth all of the time. Review scores are irrelevant anyway, they don't make the game any better or worse and the true state of the game will be known in time regardless. Besides which, their entire industry is based on offering completely subjective appraisals of a form of entertainment and no-one, especially not the reviewers, should take the process too seriously.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Problem with that.

 

First, game boxes have stickers with review scores and gotY labels, game ads display the same things including passes of review scores.

 

So its without a question that review scores play part of marketing.

 

Second, on the "dog eat dog" world of game magazines having a exclusive review of a highly anticipated game can mean selling a lot more issues of their magazine and lets not highly anticipated games are created by the hype machine, the publisher own marketing division.

 

Third, the "true state" of a game becames irrelevent since its the first weeks that matter and on the consumer market of these days people tend to rush out and get the game instead of waiting (I did that with Driv3r, that lesson was learned) with means they get a lot of sales (shops no longer acept games because we dont like then) they would not get if the game have a lower score.

[Drakron]

How could *reading* be of any help when youre out of toilet paper?

 

"Oh, gee Im all out of tp. Well, I guess Ill just pick up this magazine lying here and read until someones comes along with the right stuff."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

OXM is a piece of crap ... sorry a biased piece of crap, I just get it (from time to time) to laugh over their statements (who tend to be "known PC games will be ported to the Xbox" and "PS2 sucks", I read one anwer to a letter that said that and confirmed that GTA:SA would come to the Xbox) and in case I run out of toilet paper I can use it to wipe my ass.

[grphiw]

"I bet that's how the sims 2 got high score."

 

I'd bet you'd lose that bet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd bet you'd lose that bet that he'd lose his bet.

[The_Prodigal_Knight]

"I bet that's how the sims 2 got high score."

 

I'd bet you'd lose that bet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd bet you'd lose that bet that he'd lose his bet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My favorite kind of posts

(w00t)

 

Id bet that youd lose the bet that youd bet that hed lose the bet that the other guy bet that the other guy bet that thats how the sims 2 got a high score. "

[Ostkant]

Magazines are always good for reading everywhere, I prefer them much more than reading reviews online, which I consider a very dull activity.

 

I bet you will all lose your bets...

[Cantousent]

I'm not a betting man, but if I were....

 

 

I'd bet that Hades reads a lot of reviews.

[HK-74]

...In conclusion, it is fair to say that all magazines and other outlets give the most positive score that they can get away with to any game from a major publisher. They know how the system works, and they are not foolish enough to think that they are so important to a publisher's marketing strategy that they can get away with telling the truth all of the time. Review scores are irrelevant anyway, they don't make the game any better or worse and the true state of the game will be known in time regardless. Besides which, their entire industry is based on offering completely subjective appraisals of a form of entertainment and no-one, especially not the reviewers, should take the process too seriously.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Problem with that.

 

First, game boxes have stickers with review scores and gotY labels, game ads display the same things including passes of review scores.

 

So its without a question that review scores play part of marketing.

 

Second, on the "dog eat dog" world of game magazines having a exclusive review of a highly anticipated game can mean selling a lot more issues of their magazine and lets not highly anticipated games are created by the hype machine, the publisher own marketing division.

 

Third, the "true state" of a game becames irrelevent since its the first weeks that matter and on the consumer market of these days people tend to rush out and get the game instead of waiting (I did that with Driv3r, that lesson was learned) with means they get a lot of sales (shops no longer acept games because we dont like then) they would not get if the game have a lower score.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A good 85% (guesstimate) of games on the shelf do not display review scores on the package. In fact, it's a pretty good rule of thumb that if a box is plastered with review scores and quotes you can assume that the sources of those scores are highly suspect and not to be trusted, same goes for the game - or whatever other form of media you find it on, movie ads, book covers, etc. Usually it's a last resort of sorts, a makeweight when the publisher can't afford to plaster the game's logo on every tv station and cheap piece of plastic on the planet. Face it, any game that is trying to sell itself on its review scores rather than its own merits is immediately suspect. The review scores play a very minor part, if any, in the promotion and reputation of a good game. Sure, a crapheap like Driver may sell a quarter million copies despite being worthless, but that's the problem not the cause. With the ability to rent games before buying them these days, there's very little need to base a purchase on a stranger's opinion anyway. And yes, I know that not all games make it to the shelves of your local blockbuster outlet, but the overhyped and highly-scored ones surely do.

 

As for your second point, I do believe that was the whole rationale that I presented in my post?

 

And thirdly, lastly, you're correct. That's the cause of this whole discussion, the fact that people are duped into buying crappy games because of the hype preceeding the release. But still, they hype is only as serious a problem as you make it. And I'd assume, by virtue of the fact that you were stung by Driver 3, that you'll take the hype less seriously in the future and so it immediately becomes less of a problem.

[Judge Hades]

I'm not a betting man, but if I were....

 

 

I'd bet that Hades reads a lot of reviews.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I use to, but not any more. I have learned that they are pointless.

[mkreku]

I gave Driv3r 64% when I reviewed it..

 

We at NordicGamers have daily contact with the Atari PR department in Sweden, and I must say I haven't noticed anything like what was described in that article. Atari Nordic has always been very fair with us, and they keep sending us review code, even if we trash their games. As long as we're honest, they're honest. We treat them (and their products) with respect, and they show us the same respect back.

 

Of course, I, too, have been wondering about some review scores on Gamespy and Gamespot.. Sometimes they don't seem completely honest..

[Naso]

Out of curiosity, how much do you think they got paid for this one:

http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/mercenaries/5....html?fromint=1

 

Maybe it's just me, but I find it hard to believe that LA released such a polished game. The review tries to be so glowing, yet it's just saying "you can blow a lot of stuff up". Also, the "nice but not excessive light-bloom" comment was pretty funny, because they were ripping games for less than half what you see in the screenshots there....

 

Oops, somehow didn't see a thread already started about this game....