Oh Eidos, your PR department is really, really bad at keeping this crap under wraps, aren’t you? The company has become notorious for trying to fix and/or “encourage” high review scores for its games, first becoming infamous as a central figure in the Jeff Gerstman/Kane & Lynch Gamespot controversy and then making waves for meddling with Tomb Raider reviews. Now the company’s at it again, this time with Batman: Arkham Asylum.
According to The RAM Raider, Eidos has been “encouraging” review scores of 90% and above by offering an early embargo break to any magazine that gives Arkham Asylum such a rating. Not only that, but willing magazines also have to make Eidos’ Batman game the cover story for that issue. If you can guarantee a 90% score and a front cover, you can run your review earlier.
This is, sadly, a common practice. I’ve been made similar offers by other publishers in the past, none of which have particularly interested me. However, the fact that it’s Eidos, yet again, that can’t cover up its chicanery is hilarious. If Eidos wants to be a corrupt, politicking, shady publisher, that’s up to them — however, they’re going to have to learn to get way better at making sure people don’t find out about it.
Eidos, for their part, are denying the allegations, claiming that there is “not one single shred of truth” to the story. Considering the fact they’ve done it before, coupled with the other fact that it’s been done many times in the past by other companies, I don’t see why now would be any different from Eidos’ usual MO.
