With the new Metal Gear Solid 4 fast approaching, reviews and gaming media of all types are scrambling to get coverage of the new game. That is everyone but Electronic Gaming Monthly. Why? Because EGM has your best interests at heart. We already know how Ubisoft blacklisted EGM for their honest reviews of Assassins Creed, and now Konami is taking a lesson in the less than true reviews and asking reviewers not to mention certain aspects of the game. For me as a gamer, this fact it pretty scary.
Game companies should NEVER have a hand in how a game is reviewed, game companies should never have that kind of pull on the media. Banning magazines and websites because a review did not come out the way they wanted and now asking them to not mention certain things is already asking too much. This time it’s Konami, asking reviews and the media not to mention the all to lengthy cut scenes or the installation sizes. Game companies should NEVER put limitations or consequences on game reviews. Dan Hsu, recent former Editorial Director for the 1UP Network had this to say about the whole deal, “I don’t blame game companies for trying to control the message somewhat — if they can influence the reporters and critics to get a more positive message out there, why not? That, after all, is the point of PR. That aspect of the business will never go away, so there’s no point being upset about it. What people can get upset over, however, is if reporters and critics do give in to inappropriate PR demands. Hey, it’s up to the journalists to be independent and objective…it’s up to them to report on the full story. If the PR “demands” aren’t fair, then don’t abide by them…or call them out, even, so that your readers and viewers get total transparency on the process. Only then can your audience trust what you report on.”
I guess you just have to be a bit more picky about what reviews and news outlets you can trust. Who is giving you the whole story, and who is giving you just what they were told to give you?
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
You know, this is just ridiculous. For a game company to want to control the reviews. Why not just post a review on your own site, magazine whatever? When you hand in something for review, you have to be willing to here all that the reviewer has to say. Good and bad. Not just what you want to here. You want to control what is reviewed in your game, put out your own publication and review it yourself. And see how much fans will respect you when you lie to say a game is good when it is not worth the box it comes in. Censorship by the companies is something I simply despise. Well, I despise almost all censorship. I don’t know. This type of control they want … it is just sickening to me.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I could not agree more rjac, it is pretty horrifying.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I have to agree… freedom of speech and HONEST reviews are what I like. I am sick of seeing shitty games receive positive reviews (Ubisoft) and even more sick of console specific magazines being so biased against games.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Thank you Raychul. And thank you VK. I was trying to simplify what I wanted to say but couldn’t. I stumble on my words sometimes. But you. You said it perfectly.
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Oh well, glad I’m not getting this. I’ve made the decision even if it’s a game I like, I’m not going to buy from companies that use shady practices on a game.
Thankfully I’ve never had to make that choice.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:14 am
I’m glad integrity is never an issue with me. I tell it like it is, period.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
http://kotaku.com/5013432/kojima-productions-responds-to-mgs4-nda-complaints
There has been some clarification to the issues some reviewers had with what they can and cannot report on for the next MGS game. If it makes a difference to you, okay… if not okay. Just some added info to this story.