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[Lorcain]

With digital downloads there's no reason for me (or anyone really) to have to pre-order, unless it's for a pre-order bonus or collector's edition. There's never going to be a scarcity of the game I want since I can just buy it and download it same day.

The pre-order concept is antiquated from the days of physical media. I'll wait for reviews, and if they're good, buy the digital version.

 

[Falchion]

That's fine, I'm just not going to buy it until I hear if there are any issues. Also until the price of Skyrim drops to like $20.

 

[Truant]

Skyrim SE was free (PC user), so it doesn't really matter to me.

 

[Spacecowboy77]

I'm perfectly fine with this as long as they do not incentivise preorders

If you feel so strongly that everybody should play at the same time, you should not give bonuses to those who buy before reviews, that's just double standard

 

[Rexatality]

What I don't understand is why they put a community event at three different cities in the US with foods, drinks, prizes and a playable booth for Dishonored 2 free of charge, but at the same time not willing to hand out review codes earlier before release.

Do they not have faith in their products?

 

[Zombie James]

Skyrim SE was free (PC user), so it doesn't really matter to me.

 

[Gator86]

What I don't understand is why they put a community event at three different cities in the US with foods, drinks, prizes and a playable booth for Dishonored 2 free of charge, but at the same time not willing to hand out review codes earlier before release.

Do they not have faith in their products?

They want to promote visibility without opening themselves to critique. Their job is to sell the game by any means necessary, not demonstrate faith in their product. Consumers are supposed to tell them to fuck off. We don't.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I'll be buying SKyrim day one.

I have little concern about it being not so good.

 

[mabec]

It was free if you had all the DLC, which currently costs 45 euro. You can find a cdkey for cheap tho

 

[Lashley]

Skyrim SE was free (PC user), so it doesn't really matter to me.

Yep, same here

 

[TeddyShardik]

This almost seems like Bethesda just wants to "normalise" this to a degree so that people stop being wary of this move.

Or I might just have just gotten a little hot under my tinfoil hat...who knows?

 

[Rexatality]

They want to promote visibility without opening themselves to critique. Their job is to sell the game by any means necessary, not demonstrate faith in their product. Consumers are supposed to tell them to fuck off. We don't.

Good point. I get they want to sell as many copies as possible, but they're hurting the goodwill of their consumers and fanbase with their new policy. Of course, some people won't care enough and they'll pre order on blind faith as always.

 

[ghostjoke]

we want everyone, including those in the media, to experience our games at the same time.

I want a rep at Bethesda to say that with a straight face. It's also hilarious that they bring up DOOM (yes, the single player was awesome) when their reasoning for holding off on review copies in that case was over the multiplayer. Combined with how they've beaten down a section of gamers to now believing pre-order stuff are bonuses, not divided off content to squeeze extra cash - gotta respect that hustle. I'd like to believe gamers as a whole are better than this, but then I think of the excel sheets I have to look through to ensure I'm getting the full game and... I'm dreading a few years from now.

 

[Rain City Gamer]

I've never really understood why this is such a problem. Just have some patience.

This. ^^^^

Personally reviews rarely impact my purchase decisions at launch. There's always enough information available prior to launch, especially for AAA titles to help me decide. Worst case, you can just watch a couple launch day streams and decide then.

 

[Regginator]

From the now closed thread:

Never purchased a Bethesda game and will continue to not do so until reviews say otherwise.

I wonder where this cave is you're living in. You might want to look up reviews for Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Skyrim and (to a somewhat lesser extent) Fallout 4. There isn't a single game of theirs that reviewed poorly. In fact, none of them are lower than 88.

 

[Aaronrules380]

I've only ever bought one Bethseda game, but practices like this shit are a good incentive for me to keep it that way

 

[Regginator]

I've only ever bought one Bethseda game, but practices like this shit are a good incentive for me to keep it that way

Talk about a sense of entitlement. There's literally zero reason to indicate that, by not sending review copies until release, their games are going to be as shit as you make them out to be. If they had a track record of doing such things numerous times, for example like Ubisoft, I'd have agreed with you, but what did they do to not deserve the benefit of the doubt?

In fact, did they ever make a game that reviewed poorly? Even Fallout 4, one of their recent "disappointments" if GAF is something to go by, still had glowing reviews. Yet, you say you're ignoring well reviewed games, the very same reviews you claim to hold so dear.

Furthermore, if you have so much doubts why the fuck would you want to buy day 1? Why not, geez, wait a few days after release and see the reviews popping up then?

 

[EvB]

What's to review with Skyrim?

At the very least it's the same game at a higher resolution, if it was playable then it will be playable now.

 

[ghostjoke]

I wonder where this cave is you're living in. You might want to look up reviews for Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Skyrim and (to a somewhat lesser extent) Fallout 4. There isn't a single game of theirs that reviewed poorly. In fact, none of them are lower than 88.

Reviews are more than numbers. Just because a review is positive on a game, that doesn't mean the reader/watcher will buy it. The next Elder Scrolls could be awarded perfect scores all round, but if the contents of the reviews don't suggest a major change from the dregs of Skyrim, I'm not interested.

If I were to be conspiratorial, the contents of reviews could be damaging to Bethesda games with how broken they are on launch (and for several months after until the modders get to it). Even the most glowing reviews of Fallout 4 couldn't overlook the issues it was plagued with. There's definitely some amount of damage such things can do on launch.

Of course, Dishonoured 2 is not developed by Bethesda - I can't remember if the first one had any major issues on launch - but there is tangible benefit to Bethesda locking up reviews copies while still pushing pre-orders. They know gamers are impatient, the state pre-order culture has gotten to proves that, and it will net them profits. End of the day, the only ones benefiting from this are Bethesda. The have the right to, but it's lace with scummy behaviour.

What's to review with Skyrim?

At the very least it's the same game at a higher resolution, if it was playable then it will be playable now.

Not all HD versions are created equal. Silent Hill says hello. Skyrim probably isn't the biggest one for potential problem, but, well, Bethesda games on launch - see above.

 

[MadLaughter]

What's to review with Skyrim?

At the very least it's the same game at a higher resolution, if it was playable then it will be playable now.

It wasn't that playable then, for many people.

People don't seem to realize that remasters can be done shoddily, and it's very possible that they ship the game with a shit frame rate or the same save bugs as the original. That's why the press is there, to let people know if the developer fulfilled their promise.

 

[RPGam3r]

They want to promote visibility without opening themselves to critique. Their job is to sell the game by any means necessary, not demonstrate faith in their product. Consumers are supposed to tell them to fuck off. We don't.

I'm not telling them to fuck off. Their games are great and easily rank among my favorite games of all time.

 

[EvB]

It wasn't that playable then, for many people.

People don't seem to realize that remasters can be done shoddily, and it's very possible that they ship the game with a shit frame rate or the same save bugs as the original. That's why the press is there, to let people know if the developer fulfilled their promise.

It can't be any worse than it already was, can it?
I mean, has there been an example of a remaster that categorically looks and runs worse in every measurable metric?

Also, even with pre-release copies available for Skyrim last , it still has a 96 Metacritic score and a 92 on PS3. Despite the shit frame rate and saving bugs.

 

[mishakoz]

A little late here....

Bethesda can obviously do whatever it wants, consumers can, in response, wait. But I dont like this policy. It favors hype and marketing over honest critical impressions*, favors quick knee-jerk responses over more long-term contemplation. I rather have reviewers all have the game early enough to review it, and the embargo lifts a day or so before release, giving time to cancel preorders or, if you like, buy and pre-load the game to play at launch.

Not having a review system in place is a disservice to the consumer, pure and simple. The less non-marketing driven information can help us avoid situations like No Man's Sky, or Fallout 4 where the game had some significant bugs.


*which can be all over the place, the odds are still in favor of you gaining information to make an informed decision.

 

[Dsyndrome]

It can't be any worse than it already was, can it?
I mean, has there been an example of a remaster that categorically looks and runs worse in every measurable metric?

Also, even with pre-release copies available for Skyrim last , it still has a 96 Metacritic score and a 92 on PS3. Despite the shit frame rate and saving bugs.

Silent Hill HD Collection.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-what-went-wrong-with-silent-hill-hd
https://www.destructoid.com/review-silent-hill-hd-collection-224478.phtml

 

[Justinh]

I just cancelled my Dishonored 2 Collectors' Edition preorder because of this. I really want that mask, but I don't like this and I really don't like how it's their "policy" now.

Maybe I'll get it later on down the line. I don't know if Dishonored is that popular of a game that it'll be hard to find...