Instead of getting a press release from publisher Eidos glorifying their upcoming Batman game Arkham Asylum as the pinnacle of all multiplatform gaming experiences, we're greeted by today's Kotaku offering:
Several mags have their review code already, but have to sit on their reviews until a hateful embargo expires at the end of the month. But Eidos, ever the helpful fellows that they are, have been offering a way around this embargo. If you dedicate the cover of your mag to Arkham Asylum and guarantee a score of at least 90%, Eidos will allow you to run the review early.
Hopefully their upcoming assimilation by Square Enix will flush away the unethical turds in Eidos' toilet and start anew with a fresh, shiny bowl. Or it might make the whole stink worse if it backs up over the seat. Either way, it might take a lot of Lysol to get rid of that stench. Kane and Lynch, anyone?
How will you know though, Elsa? Every publication that ends up giving Arkham a 90 or higher is a potential sellout? Will the game actually be reviewed lower than it should be for the sole purpose of appearing to not be bought?
Edios just made is so that any score around the 80-100 mark for this game has lost any sort of assurance in the publication's believability. Either the reviewers will be seen as sellouts or pussies afraid to be sellouts, whether or not either is actually true.
Being the first with the review will boost sales for the publication in a time where print media is dying. Putting it on the cover will boost sales for the game. No problem there, but when you have a carrot on the stick with requiring a 90+ percent, no matter how the publication reacts they will be put into doubt. I honestly don't care about this game but Eidos is something I do care about and to see them dicking around like this to get free advertising and higher reviews takes the fucking cake.
Video-game journalism is fucked up. We need the sort of critical freedom enjoyed by the other entertainment industries- fucktards like Eidos need to realise that the consumer has the power, not them.
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You know, I just read that comic yesterday. Definitely badass.
It'll be interesting to see if any of the magazines actually sink low enough to do this... their review would always be somewhat suspect.
How will you know though, Elsa? Every publication that ends up giving Arkham a 90 or higher is a potential sellout? Will the game actually be reviewed lower than it should be for the sole purpose of appearing to not be bought?
Edios just made is so that any score around the 80-100 mark for this game has lost any sort of assurance in the publication's believability. Either the reviewers will be seen as sellouts or pussies afraid to be sellouts, whether or not either is actually true.
Being the first with the review will boost sales for the publication in a time where print media is dying. Putting it on the cover will boost sales for the game. No problem there, but when you have a carrot on the stick with requiring a 90+ percent, no matter how the publication reacts they will be put into doubt. I honestly don't care about this game but Eidos is something I do care about and to see them dicking around like this to get free advertising and higher reviews takes the fucking cake.
Video-game journalism is fucked up. We need the sort of critical freedom enjoyed by the other entertainment industries- fucktards like Eidos need to realise that the consumer has the power, not them.