GTA 4, Reviews and Ethics

Variety's Ben Fritz has written an interesting article surrounding IGN's disgustingly gushing review of GTA4 and the fact that it was exclusive. He talks about the fact that exclusive reviews are shady because there is so much exchanged benefits and perks that Microsoft's $800 Halo 3 swag back could have a run for its money.

As you should know I started this blog to point out all the crap that goes on in the world of the videogame press and to offer an opinion that isn't bought off with swag, exclusives or huge advertisements. Exclusive reviews should trouble any gamer looking for an honest opinion. For starters a publication only gets an exclusive review if they promise to give the game a certain score. In other words IGN got the exclusive because they promised that their score of GTA4 would be higher than a certain number (probably 9.5). The second issue is that by giving a publication the permission to post their glowing review before everyone else they are assuring a rise in internet traffic or in the case of a magazines sales. Take-Two might as well paid IGN cash money because it's the same damn thing.

Another issue is this whole embargo nonsense that seems to have a strangle hold on the gaming industry. Companies show off their games all the time, but force the gaming press to sign non disclosure agreements until they are GIVEN PERMISSION to talk about what they saw. I can't remember where I read this from, but one company explained it by saying that it gave the gaming press the proper time to digest the information they were given so that they would do a proper write-up. A proper write-up? You would think that people who write about games for a living would already know how to do a proper write up so what the hell does that mean?

I've always said that "pro" videogame reviews shouldn't be trusted. I mean just the other day IGN reviewed Target Terror for the Wii and gave it a score of 3.5 (Bad), while at the same time saying the game was "kick ass" and that it "brings the awesome in a lot of ways." How does that make any sense? Of course there is also the IGN Perfect Shot video review that sounded more like an advertisement than a review. And let's not get into the fact that the gaming press absolutely refuses to ask any real, hard hitting questions that may offend game companies.

The point is that there is so much shady crap going on that you need a flashlight to read most of the stuff offered by the videogame press. Of course many, many gamers worship at the altars of some of these publications, but if you're smart you're not one of them and actually think for yourself.

In any case check out the article here 

tags: gta4  rockstar  take two  niko  xbox  360  ps3  review  ethics  integrity  jounalism  gtaiv  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit