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This Kane & Lynch circus continues to entertain. Over on GameBump, they discovered that the official Kane & Lynch Web site states that Game Informer and Game Spy have both given the game a perfect score. The problem? Game Informer and Game Spy never gave this a perfect score at all. Game Spy gave the game a three out of five star rating and Game Informer gave the game a seven out of ten rating.

Not only that, but the quotes the Kane & Lynch Web site is using from both sites are actually from early previews of the game the sites did and weren't taken from the actual reviews.

Kotaku even gave this game a five star! Which is really weird because for as long as I've been reading Kotaku, they have rarely ever given a numerical score to a game, let alone some stars. 

Game Spy has contacted Eidos telling them to change the score. No word on if Game Informer or any of the other sites listed on the K&L site is requesting the changes. 

Check out the gallery below for some screen caps from the site or just go visit the site to see for yourself what they're trying to pull off. One thing is for sure; this game is getting more press than it ever would have otherwise.  

[Editor's note: There is a very slim chance that the stars could potentially just be for graphical purposes and not the actual ratings. In the off chance that this is the case, then it is extremely irresponsible and grossly misleading for any company to use a common rating system as a graphic and then have a statement praising the game that could easily be misinterpreted for an actual review score. -- CTZ]

[Thanks, Riven!]


LAUNCH GALLERY (3 IMAGES)
Photo Photo Photo
 

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58 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Prism Schism's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:06
Prism Schism
wow... first the jeff thing now this, sheesh.
Ignus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:08
Ignus
Do people actually go to those sites in the 1st place?
Also, do they use the same quotes in the TV-ads?
Ignus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:08
Ignus
Do people actually go to those sites in the 1st place?Also, do they use the same quotes in the TV-ads?
DanielMachine's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:09
DanielMachine
Hahahahah
Techno Mage's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:09
Techno Mage
You know, Eidos' capacity for bullshit is nothing short of amazing, if I have gotten anything out of this whole controversy, it's that I am a little in awe of an entire company that can, on command, transport itself into a fairytale realm of sunshine and candycanes, where money rains down from the heavens and people who say naughty things about you "get their what-for."
Brass's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:09
Brass
Okay, I think it's pretty clear what's going on here.

I think the stars are merely a sinister design choice. They use previews, which are generally favorable (and 'Kane and Lynch' isn't the first game to abuse this novelty) and then use the stars as an aesthetic. I can guarantee that the marketers are aware of the misconception and are choosing to abuse it, but they will undoubtedly plead ignorance.

My two cents anyways.
c e n o k's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:09
c e n o k
Haha Pathetic much?
Fleet3000's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:10
Fleet3000
are you F***ING kidding me???? what the hell man? do you realize that your game is TERRIBLE and there is NOTHING that can change that??? ever???? geeeeeezzzz
Teta's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:10
Teta
The last sentence of this post must be mearked:
"One thing is for sure; this game is getting more press than it ever would have otherwise."
Ignus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:11
Ignus
Also, why is it that my posts are always double posts...
J03yyz's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:12
J03yyz
click once and move onnn
UNDERSTAR's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:16
UNDERSTAR
Man this game is getting shit on and I still like this game...........WTF????
JaysonNapolitano's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:16
JaysonNapolitano
No, people! You've got it all wrong. Those stars are simply for graphical purposes and do not represent any score given by any media outlet! It's all a misunderstanding!
BFeld13's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:17
BFeld13
Oh noes
liam2015's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:17
liam2015
OH THE DRAMA
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:17
Cheeburga
Owned.
Clockwork's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:18
Clockwork
This is getting pretty out of hand. How do you have the balls to completely make up a review to put on their site?
wardrox's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:19
wardrox
Who needs actual reviews anyway. They're all overrated imho.
Cloudman's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:20
Cloudman
It's obvious there company's PR is based on the secret.
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:23
MaxVest
The stars represent the wanted level of Kane and Lynch! Oh, crap, Rockstar has lawyers too?

Ummm... the stars represent the rank... of the general... who wants to catch them so the army can... ummm... go home.
Barcode's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:25
Barcode
It's a publicity stunt. They now have everyone's attention.

I don't really know, but seeing this bullshit only humors me.

I wonder what else Dtoid will do that's humorous.
WeAreToast's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:28
WeAreToast
GI and GS (Game Spy, as in) employees, you'd better watch your back. CNET may come over to give.. adivce. Don't listen! Don't become Cashwhore!
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:29
The-Excel
Is this game so high profile that it absolutely must have this sort of attention? Or is this just a conspiracy to lower everyone's standards to reduce development costs in the long run?
Namelessted's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:30
Namelessted
how can they so blatantly lie about the review scores that they got on the game?
Harkonnen's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:37
Harkonnen
OMFG THE LAME-O-METER IS SKYROCKETING
Kotua's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:38
Kotua
Wow. This is really getting ridiculous. Shame on you Eidos...shame on you.
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:38
AgentMOO
&LOL
brosef's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:38
brosef
So... you're telling me Karl Rove resigned as Presidential Adviser to do advertising for Eidos?





Up is Down, Down is Up. Your Reality is false. Welcome to the New Math, bitches.
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:38
AgentMOO
&LOL
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:39
Jim Sterling
That "review" quote in the header image should actually read, "A mercenary, a psychopath and a bundle of cash ... that's how EIDOS secures a good review."
tkyy's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:39
tkyy
(five stars)
"I was sooo wrong about my review!"
-- Jeff Gerstmann, FORMER Gamespot Editor
Boolean's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:42
Boolean
God these guys are doing anything to make this game sell. I wonder if this game is a make or break release for Eidos, that if this game bombs Eidos might be saying bye-bye?
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:43
The-Excel
@brosef:
God don't get me started on the new math.
timtheterrible's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:44
timtheterrible
@Jayson

I think you might actually be right, but it's also obvious that stars are often used to render review scores. This is underhanded.
cainball's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 22:46
cainball
Actually, three (out of five) plus seven (out of ten) DOES equal 10 (out of ten). Therefore, it is a perfect score.

I teach maths, and I know.

Eidos has in no way paid me for this comment.
SDogg554's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:02
SDogg554
i love when companies try to advertise their flops with good quotes taken out of context. "game of the year"...."if no other games were made this year".
Trowble's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:06
Trowble
Eidos, open mouth and insert foot.
B-Radicate's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:09
B-Radicate
This is laughably sad. I sure as hell hope no one bought this game. I was interested until I heard the cover mechanic was broken and the graphics were nothing special. Little shit like that kills immersion for me and while I may not be a total graphics whore, from what I heard it looked like the last Hitman game and I hated that game.
TheToiletDuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:10
TheToiletDuck
Silly Eidos, tricks are for kids.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:17
Mxyzptlk
Eidos's Kane & Lynch site say the game is awesome? Shit, I'll buy two copies.
JohnThEReaper617's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:26
JohnThEReaper617
Eidos states that Game Informer and Gamespy give Kane and Lynch a perfect score.

In related business news they also announce the aquisition of the rights to Duke Nukem Forever and will most definatly release in 2008...
brosef's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:32
brosef
@The-Excel
lol. I doubted anyone would get that joke, and I was sure that those who did wouldn't smile, but would only shake their head at the memories. The bitter memories...

Well done sir, you have been counted.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/03/2007 23:39
Sharpless
It makes me so slightly annoyed that this game has gone from something interesting with a lot of promise, to a dirty, filthy, shameful piece of shit. It saddens me.
hoydensnare's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 00:07
hoydensnare
Eidos, how dastardly ye hast becomest. Thou shalt burn in everlasting fires of brimstone.
k u s h's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 00:26
k u s h
Instead of spending all this time being dicks, Eidos should make a good game...
BlueJester's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 00:31
BlueJester
This is just funny. WTF is going on!? Kane and lynch is some kind of curse... crazy things happen to everything around this game.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 00:43
Necros
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I'll cut your balls off.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 00:43
Necros
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I'll cut your balls off.
luvmysegadc's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 00:51
luvmysegadc
Do we need to just boycott all Eidos games for a year!?
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 01:48
AgentMOO
The sad thing is that only the hardcore gaming community knows what a fucking disaster this is. Not having concrete proof keeps this story off the mainstream news sites like CNN. The whole crooked game review racket needs to be exposed on a public level. I wouldn't have said this five years ago, but there's just so much fucking money involved in the sales of these games that those bad business practices cant continue to be excused.
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