Banned
Member Since: 5/15/2010
Posts: 15,858
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Microsoft hushing reviewers due to poor Xbone CoD/BF4 ver.
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In 2013 I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that major gaming outlets are nothing more than an extension of PR, and I’m pretty sure the publishers see them that way too. Every outlet wants to be able to review games prior to them hitting store shelves, and in order to do that you have to basically be on PR’s leash. So you have to play by their rules, even if it goes against your instincts or beliefs.
Embargoes are obviously important for marketing reasons as the publisher would have a specific marketing timeline worked out, and they’ll like to see a bunch of review hitting at the same time to coincide with their launch push of the game. Embargoes for crap games that are set to not run until launch day, or after, in order to hope people spend money on a game before reading how bad it is are deceptive. The same thing happens with movies (usually if you hear no reviews until opening day, you know it’s crap), but that doesn’t make it any more right.
But when a publisher sets an embargo that outlets need to follow, and stay quiet about, in order to hide a potentially major negative aspect that could affect purchases, the editors of that outlet become true collaborators in throwing their readers under the bus. If a publisher wants to blacklist you for telling the truth, tell the damn truth. So you won’t get a free copy of the latest Spider-Man game anymore. It’s more important to be truthful to your readers and not be a puppet of a publisher’s marketing department.
Ten years ago I doubt I would be writing this rant. But that was a decade ago. People grow, they change, beliefs also grow and evolve, as do convictions and outlooks on life. I’ve been pushing the Xbox One 720p stuff as it just really feels like people are being lied to and the truth, which could affect their $500 purchase, is being hidden from them. $500 is a hell of a lot of money for a gaming console, especially in this economy, and I know there are a lot of people out there who may think twice about buying one right at launch if some of the big titles are running at 720p.
Gamers have a right to know what they’re about to spend a lot of money on, and to hide that from them is wrong. That’s why this whole 720p thing is exploding today, and why people are so interested in finding out the truth.
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