Bethesda's New Review Policy

[J4MES OX4D 10,025]

Slags http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/26/bethesda-refuse-to-send-out-early-review-copies-of-new-games-6216179/

Honestly didn't expect this from them. Also a bit weird that they wont send out review copies to the press but they're still happy throwing out gold copies to their cocksucking YouTuber's who dare not spout any bad shit about their games even if they are bug-ridden and broken off the bat. I'm feeling a bit uneasier about Dishonored 2 now..  

[Auptyk 4]

This is my response I posted on another site (so the 'you' in there is not YOU J4MES OX4D): 

Why do reviews need to be early? Can you make a reasonable argument as to why you HAVE to buy the game on launch day? (Not want to... NEED to)

Game launches on Tuesday, if the review drops Thursday or Friday morning... have you really lost anything? Especially since Bethesda creates mostly Single player games anyway. So we as a community have lost nothing. We are not less informed by any means. We are simply informed a few days after launch.

If you are someone that uses critic reviews in the first place, you shouldn't be pre-ordering (which are before the critic reviews) anyway. How does that make any sense? Wait for the reviews to drop the week of/after launch and decide to the buy the game.

Simple. Solved.

[Rumelylady 188]

Hear, hear.

[The3rdWalker 1,271]

Destiny was the last product I have and will ever preorder. I can see why some early reviews are great but let's go back to game demos. I won't preorder and will generally wait two weeks to a month before picking up something now.

[J4MES OX4D 10,025]

1 hour ago, PlasticGaming said:

Destiny was the last product I have and will ever preorder. I can see why some early reviews are great but let's go back to game demos. I won't preorder and will generally wait two weeks to a month before picking up something now.

I miss the days of demos I remember when publishers/developers used to battle to get media attention but now they actually seem to hold all the cards in terms of influence and control. Good video from Jim Sterling on this too

 

[The3rdWalker 1,271]

 

[J4MES OX4D 10,025]

^ Good video from Boogie. I'd perfectly respect Bethesda's statement and wishes completely if it wasn't hypocritical and full of double standards. What they are basically saying is that we wont hand out review codes to mainstream media outlets before release but we'll happily hand out gold copies of the complete game for free to YouTuber's days/weeks before, who are on our approved list and wouldn't dare say anything bad about us or the game. It's just a petty and needless move that arouses more suspicion and media bias. 

If a game goes gold and is obtained by the media; they should be able to review it in terms of public interest and not be bound to an embargo either as we see many other publishers enforcing this over the years. Skyrim Remastered was given to hundreds of YouTuber's a few days ago just before the statement was released and it does seem a bit of a farcical situation that the media cannot obtain the game direct or even review it despite the Bethesda-approved mafia spouting opinions left right and centre freely. I'm not a huge fan of the gaming media but it's a bit of a kick in the balls to them especially as they promote them heavily and drive interest more than ever and are very respectful in doing so for most AAA games. 

I seriously don't know why they just don't send out copies a week early with the YouTuber's freebies and just put an embargo on the media mainstream sites like other publishers? Bethesda's games aren't short and a 24 hour window before even a 'review in progress' page can be stamped is just poor form. If anything; they may find their games reviews rushed so the media can pick up their clicks before the ad rev pop sinks. That would be a far worse representation of their products.  

[Auptyk 4]

1 hour ago, PlasticGaming said:

 

Flawed Premise: Still basing his argument on day one purchase REQUIREMENT? We have to buy day one?. He says that it is anti-consumer... how? Just don't buy the game on day one. 

In all honesty, we shouldn't be doing that anyway, stemming from his point in the video about "day one, two, three... week one patches". Yet... we still buy day one? We as consumers deserve this. haha. 

[The3rdWalker 1,271]

You like to capitalize one word EVERY post you make.  In a video after No Man's Sky happened Boogie2988 did mention we as consumer deserved this, we don't challenge developers/ publishers to put out a quality working- complete package anymore. He's saying it's anti consumer because it's limiting the game being reviewed before it's purchased, not available to you and i. That's like saying you can't review a new laptop or piece of hardware until you buy it. Consumers are not able to read about the game until they buy it, I personally won't take the bait.

I'm just posting alternate viewpoints, always good to hear from others. I personally don't preorder anything unless it goes back to the olden days where you would get physical gifts from the preorder and it's for a game I am genuinely interested in. Now i've heard Gamestop employees use a counter argument that stock is based on pre orders taken but I find that to be bullshit. Unless it's an iconic title you are not going to sell out of a physical copy, you just won't.