Unbiased and Ethical? EGM's Non-Review of MGS4

[crimsondynamics]

http://www.tomshardware.com/mgs4-konami-egm,video-285.html

There's a video, but it can't be embedded. 

Interesting take on the MGS4 embargo. I think the guys are mainly on the money. Kudos to EGM for not kowtowing to the whims of not just one, but three publishers.

I still think EGM will give a great review, but this is the stuff that builds a site's credibility, unlike the Gamespot fiasco.

[abrader]

Ummm haah who the fukk are these losers?

Some guys from your school or something?

[crimsondynamics]

Ummm haah who the fukk are these losers?

Some guys from your school or something?

If I have to answer this, I'm not sure who the loser is.

Apart from verbal insults, do you have anything constructive to add? Just curious.

[abrader]

1.) They didnt say anything useful or interesting and kept repeating the same things over and over.

2.) Konami has been clear that they do not want spoilers to get out and ruing the story hence the restrictions on what can be mentioned in the reviews

3.) These guys dont deserve anything but verbal insults. Just because you can hang some posters in the background and set-up a card table it doesnt mean you have a TV show or anyone cares.

I cant decide what is better - YouTube Season 2 of the Whippin Sean show - or these two guys in their basement.

[crimsondynamics]

This isn't about Konami wanting spoilers to get out and ruining the story (besides, it didn't only cover the story - the embargo also covered install times, which is a major gripe for many on the PS3); this is about review embargos that publishers demand on review sites and how, lest said sites obey their demands, they are blacklisted and refrained from receiving copies of games to review in the future.

This is also about EGM / 1up not bowing to pressure and how it's the "right" thing to do. It's not about production values, poker tables or promotional posters decorating the set. Hell, if that were the only criteria to credibility we should all watch - and believe in every word from - Fox News. They have really good studio sets.

And... their opinion is just as valuable, invaluable, or useless as forum posters. You learn to weed through the good and bad commenters. I thought these guys had a valid point, and it was much less about MGS4 than it was about embargos, review censorship and journalistic ethics. I think you missed the point by a nautical mile.

[crimsondynamics]

Not that I'd trust these guys any more than I can throw them - and I've got a bad back:

http://www.sonydefenseforce.com/?p=462

MGS4 PS3 sells out; topples Wii, Wii Fit, Mario Kart


"Unbiased. Real Talk." har HAR!

[crimsondynamics]

Did you just de-rail your own topic?

I was referring to your MGS4 cutscene length affecting sales comment and about ethics in game reviews. SDF came to mind. 

[Don Flamenco]

EGM/1UP gets stroked off way too much.  They're always up front with their embargoes, but fuck it--the embargoes are the problem, not whether we know about them or not.  they should take it to the next level so large outlets can actually put out honest, free-of-anything-binding reviews.

[duckman2000]

It's a shame their reviews are typically such useless pieces of garbage though. The poster child for the nerdy and flimsily written ego-piece as opposed to the good buyer's guide. Credibility means little when the staff is incapable of producing good reviews.

[siamesedreamer]

I didn't understand the point of them doing the roundtable anyway. It was basically one giant free advertisement. If they were pissed about Konami imposing restrictions, then they should never have even done it. Just publish the review when the embargo ends.

[homborg]

It's a shame their reviews are typically such useless pieces of garbage though. The poster child for the nerdy and flimsily written ego-piece as opposed to the good buyer's guide. Credibility means little when the staff is incapable of producing good reviews.

uh oh, did they give a six to one of your favoritest games in the werld?

[duckman2000]

It's a shame their reviews are typically such useless pieces of garbage though. The poster child for the nerdy and flimsily written ego-piece as opposed to the good buyer's guide. Credibility means little when the staff is incapable of producing good reviews.

uh oh, did they give a six to one of your favoritest games in the werld?

Not that I can recall, although it wouldn't matter much as the score would be "justified" by way of poorly written McReviews that this SHIT magazine prides itself on shitting out on a regular basis. Worthless magazine, worthless staff.

[homborg]

It's a shame their reviews are typically such useless pieces of garbage though. The poster child for the nerdy and flimsily written ego-piece as opposed to the good buyer's guide. Credibility means little when the staff is incapable of producing good reviews.

uh oh, did they give a six to one of your favoritest games in the werld?

Not that I can recall, although it wouldn't matter much as the score would be "justified" by way of poorly written McReviews that this SHIT magazine prides itself on shitting out on a regular basis. Worthless magazine, worthless staff.

oh okay, so you haven't read anything from them but you hate them based on preconceived notions and/or hearsay from the usual internet trogs. just wanted to make sure.

[duckman2000]

Dumb and obnoxious, what a golden fucking addition. Look bub, if you can't partake in arguments without resorting to making shit up, you're little more than a noisy waste of space. Get lost.

[homborg]

Dumb and obnoxious, what a golden fucking addition. Look bub, if you can't partake in arguments without resorting to making shit up, you're little more than a noisy waste of space. Get lost.

I was going with your flow, that's all. you made up "McReviews" and "prides itself on shitting out on a regular basis".

[duckman2000]

I'm calling them McReviews because that's what they are, short and insubstantial pieces that one would be hard pressed to label a valuable "meal", meaning buyer's guide. I know this from reading said McReviews, and your comeback then is "you haven't read anything from them but you hate them based on preconceived notions and/or hearsay"? Good grief. I don't know what "flow" it is that you're "going with", but I assume it smells strongly of your own shit.

as opposed to the good buyer's guide

does any gaming review site or magazine come even -remotely- close to providing anything like this?

The Eurogamer review of MGS4 qualifies, I think. But you're right, it's rare. That doesn't make it any less important that writers and their magazines/sites do attempt to work their way towards being that, good buyer's guides.

[MCD]

Netherlands are xfags.

[duckman2000]

Dutch people are a bunch of scammers. I bet they aren't buying MGS4 because their Paypal scams didn't work out. Scamming dutchcunts.

[abrader]

Egm will look silly trying to give it a low score after the rest of the known universe agrees that its a 10.9 rated game.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

EGM lost all credibility when they hired Philip Kollar and just became GAF: The Podcast

[Jansen]

EGM will look smart for giving a shit game a shit score.

it's not a shit game tho. if they score it below an 8 i'll be surprised. not upset, just surprised.

[duckman2000]

EGM will look smart for giving a shit game a shit score.

it's not a shit game tho. if they score it below an 8 i'll be surprised. not upset, just surprised.

Er, it's receiving at least one "A-"

[brawndolicious]

It would be great if games didn't get scores anymore.  Then people would have to read reviews to learn about the games.  Then the reviews would have to be well-written and actually explain how the game is good or bad making people have more informed opinions on the games.

For people who believe that this specific action of EGM is stupid: fuck off.  This is a step forward for gaming journalism.  Or at least, it is not a step backwards.  I know this might sound surprising, but it is EGM's job to review games.  It is not their job to give game companies like Konami handjobs after rimming their corn for 5 months with previews that talk about what a homoerotic genius kojima is for inventing a game about ground humping.

Essentially, the technical details of games, such as the way the game handles installation or that it has hour+ long cutscenes, matter and knowing that information won't ruin how much you think you enjoy watching a fucking MGS cutscene.  However, knowing that information could help you decide where to put your hard-earned money.

As shitty as gaming journalism is, Konami expected worse.  And that is something.

[Jansen]

egm uses the letter score system as well now? i didn't know. of course i haven't read a copy of egm in years.

For people who believe that this specific action of EGM is stupid: fuck off.  This is a step forward for gaming journalism.  Or at least, it is not a step backwards.  I know this might sound surprising, but it is EGM's job to review games.  It is not their job to give game companies like Konami handjobs after rimming their corn for 5 months with previews that talk about what a homoerotic genius kojima is for inventing a game about ground humping.

you know it would be great if egm would actually do decent write-ups for reviews rather than a few paragraphs at most. but they don't, so oh well.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

EGM still thinks MLB 2K series is better than Sony's MLB series.

Needless to say, their opinions are fucking stupid.

[Third]

If where I work is anything to go by, MGS has been selling shit poo here in the Netherlands.

Yeah, it sold so shit in the Netherlands that it managed to get to number 1.

1 METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS (PS3)
2 NINJA GAIDEN 2 (X-BOX 360)
3 SPORTS ISLAND (Wii)
4 GRAND THEFT AUTO 4 (X-BOX 360)
5 GRAND THEFT AUTO 4 (PS3)
6 BRAIN TRAINING (Nintendo DS)
7 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES (Wii)
8 MARIO KART (Wii)
9 MORE BRAIN TRAINING (Nintendo DS)
10 WII FIT (Wii)

http://games.fok.nl/news.php?newsid=25690

And this only in 2 days of release. Geez, what a flop.

[duckman2000]

If where I work is anything to go by, MGS has been selling shit poo here in the Netherlands.

Yeah, it sold so shit in the Netherlands that it managed to get to number 1.

1 METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS (PS3)
2 NINJA GAIDEN 2 (X-BOX 360)
3 SPORTS ISLAND (Wii)
4 GRAND THEFT AUTO 4 (X-BOX 360)
5 GRAND THEFT AUTO 4 (PS3)
6 BRAIN TRAINING (Nintendo DS)
7 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES (Wii)
8 MARIO KART (Wii)
9 MORE BRAIN TRAINING (Nintendo DS)
10 WII FIT (Wii)

http://games.fok.nl/news.php?newsid=25690

And this only in 2 days of release. Geez, what a flop.

Er, wouldn't it make sense for it to be at the top after the first two days? Games, especially big releases like this one, tend to be pretty heavily front-loaded.

[Third]

So I guess two day sales are always more than one week sales.

[duckman2000]

So I guess two day sales are always more than one week sales.

No, but saying "that's only two days of sales" tends to mean little when the vast majority of sales seem to occur during those precious first days.

[Trent Dole]

MGS4 got an A- from the main reviewer of EGM.

[duckman2000]

What exactly does A- mean, numerically? The NeoGAF MGS4 thread OP seems to think that it means 9.5, but that doesn't make any sense.

edit: Never mind, it was changed.

[Herr Mafflard]

NeoGaf OP lulz  .

9.5 is too high for A-.

Edit: Metacritic thinks A-  is a 9.1, judging from their take on 1ups review score.