233
rate

Eidos playing dirty again with reviews. Current victim: Tomb Raider Underworld

November 21, 2008 in News comments 16

When you hear "Eidos" and "review" on the same topic you're probably reminded of the Kane and Lynch Gamespot / Jeff Gertsmann incident and we all know what happened the last time that controversy reared it's ugly head.

Well, Eidos is at it again but this time Eidos UK are asking that all reviewers who are giving Tomb Raider: Underworld a score lower than 8/10 should hold off on posting it till Monday as to not tarnish the already mid range score of 78 on MetaCritic.

Interestingly enough a few sites have already given it lower than 8 scores:
Eurogamer - 7/10
OXM UK - 7.0

A British PR firm, Barrington Harvey who is in charge of asking UK websites on behalf on Eidos has also confirmed this bit of news and has issued a statement in light of the subject stating:

quote
That’s right. We’re trying to manage the review scores at the request of Eidos.

tekmosis via videogaming247.com »
Favourite this article Add source
| More
Report!
News story attached to:
Additional sources:

Comments

Register as a member to subscribe comments.
  • 0
    chautemoc Nov 21, 08
    I love the honesty, I really do. Hahah.
  • 2
    Bale Fire Nov 21, 08
    Eidos just can't seem to take the fact that there latest offerings just aren't that good, if you don't want such average review scores then make a better game.
    • 0
      chautemoc Nov 21, 08
      But Silver, it's just capitalism! Less effort, roughly the same amount of money = who gives a crap we're rich. Everyone wins. Except not. Best thing we can do if we feel strongly enough about it is to not buy the game. Well that and tell off Eidos and the publications involved, hehe. Who's up for a protest?

      quote
      #
      Blerk said:

      November 21st, 2008 at 1:08 pm

      That’s… shockingly honest. The PR firm tea-boy who answers the phone while everyone’s out on their regular liquid lunch will no doubt be out on his ear by the end of the day. :-D

      God forbid we should have reviews putting people off buying the game, though. I mean, who do these people think they are? Offering opinions? On games? So that people can decide whether to buy them or not? It’s unbelievable, the front of some people!
  • 0
    Storm Nov 21, 08
    Meh, it's not as bad as last year's mentioned incident. I mean, "fans" of Jeff gave K&L 1/10s with one-worded reviews and such, most of which didn't even play the game (I could tell by those who have their gamercard's on display). Not only that, they were going on whim, only by one rumour turned huge.

    That still ticks me off, how Jeff had some "cult" followers like he was some review God. If a reviewer can make this happen, I don't want to know what'll happen with someone bigger like a huge actor. K&L may not have had the greatest gameplay, but the graphics, sound, and story especially were better than average.
    • 0
      chautemoc Nov 21, 08
      It got messier than it should have, I'll agree on that, but taken simply, as I understand it, Gerstmann was honest and the powers that be didn't like it. It doesn't matter if you don't agree I don't think..the point is he was honest and he has the right to that, as anyone here does in comments and reviews. I mean if we started censoring your comments/reviews because they slammed a game due to us having advertising from the company that published the game and advertised with us, you'd be pretty pissed, no?

      I understand business is business but there has to be a firm line somewhere...
      • 0
        Storm Nov 21, 08
        But wait, wasn't he fired for some other reasons? I don't think that one review caused it.
        • 1
          chautemoc Nov 21, 08
          quote Wikipedia
          Both Gamespot and parent company CNET stated that his dismissal was unrelated to the review, but due to corporate and legal constraints cannot reveal the reason. A month after Gerstmann's termination, freelance reviewer Frank Provo left GameSpot after eight years stating that "I believe CNET management let Jeff go for all the wrong reasons. I believe CNET intends to soften the site's tone and push for higher scores to make advertisers happy."

          GameSpot staffers Alex Navarro, Jason Ocampo, Ryan Davis, Brad Shoemaker, and Vinny Caravella also left as a result of Gerstmann's termination.
        • 1
          Storm Nov 21, 08
          Ah I see, thanks chautemoc. Shame it blew up the way that it did.
      • 0
        Final Blade Nov 21, 08
        quote
        the point is he was honest and he has the right to that, as anyone here does in comments and reviews.
        Except the fact just cause your opinion is honest doesn't make it right. I can make tons of honest opinions about games, systems, and members here but I know for a fact if I did that I'd be flamed and banned relatively quick.

        Business is above most things. Money talks, Bullshit walks.

        Jeff being fired at the end benefited him, gamespot and CNET, but how it happened was so dramatic and not the best way. Still personally I felt his review was uncalled for and very harsh. As storm said, the game maybe didn't have the best gameplay, but graphics sound and story made it enjoyable and hell of a better game that deserved a better score then what it got. Especially from Rabid Jeff followers. They're puppets to the puppeteer(jeff).
        quote
        I mean if we started censoring your comments/reviews because they slammed a game due to us having advertising from the company that published the game and advertised with us, you'd be pretty pissed, no?
        And wouldn't you be pissed if our comments and reviews some how screw you from money from the site, thus giving the site and game a bad image? Thus the issue with his review and whatever else he happened to caused to gamespot and CNET.

        As the old saying goes from this site and Neo, you have no freedom of speech and I assume the same holds true to gamespot and CNET.
        • 1
          Killosity Nov 22, 08
          Thats your honest opinion Final Blade. But alas, that doesn't make you right either. Personally I felt the game deserved what It got, and him getting fired was a horrible event and to me, it truly showed the level this industry and the media have sunk to. Hindsight is a wonderful thing; who know he would go on to make a better media foundation.

          Point is, peoples opinions really cant be calculated in terms of right and wrong. Which is why it annoyed me when they fired him I guess..
        • 1
          Final Blade Nov 22, 08
          His firing may have included his review, but it wasn't the main reason, he did something else that caused his downfall and his little puppets followed him. I never said my post was widely accepted, but I make a better point to questions to Chaut. There is no freedom of speech on the internet, that is fact. And certainly the case on Neoseeker and Gamegrep.

          While some may not agree with me, there's no denying the fact money talks louder then people's Bullshit. Anything that ends up screwing money from someone, even if it was a small review or comment can be detrimental to your site and business thus needing axing.
  • 0
    Play ISDF Nov 21, 08
    This is starting to get a little more common by the looks of it. A review is not a true review if the reviewer is being influenced. I can understand from a business point of view why they do it but it's just unethical.
    • 0
      chautemoc Nov 21, 08
      Indeed. Ethical business I guess is what I'm after with this.

      Kevin brought up a good point though..it was probably a lot worse before online game journalism became popular. Thank gosh for it.
      • 0
        Play ISDF Nov 22, 08
        That is probably true, but at this rate we might be seeing a return to this kind of thing.
  • 0
    Killosity Nov 22, 08
    quote
    His firing may have included his review, but it wasn't the main reason, he did something else that caused his downfall and his little puppets followed him. I never said my post was widely accepted, but I make a better point to questions to Chaut. There is no freedom of speech on the internet, that is fact. And certainly the case on Neoseeker and Gamegrep.

    While some may not agree with me, there's no denying the fact money talks louder then people's Bullshit. Anything that ends up screwing money from someone, even if it was a small review or comment can be detrimental to your site and business thus needing axing.
    Yeh your dead right there (why the hell cant I reply to your comment directly...) Money does talk in the industry- in all industry, but it talks here now more than ever. Thats where I think review sites are given too much credit thesedays. We need to look beyond them and get opinions from people within communities like this.

    Thats what I love about Gamegrep. Despite me usually going off at someone in those lame ramblings I do (yeh sorry!), I respect all your opinions and you guys have in the past, influenced my purchasing desicions. Online communities are the hidden gem in reviews and promotion of gaming; well thats my view anyway.


    (PS. Final Blade you getting Killzone2? Because Ill play with you online)
    • 1
      tekmosis Nov 24, 08
      You cannot infinitively reply to a reply to a reply to a reply etc etc. We only allow a few levels deep. You could do what FB did and reply to FB's reply to chautemoc.

This news story is archived and is closed to comments now.