BritishBiscuit
Neo Member
Just you wait until Jim Sterling (son) hears about this!
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
MGS Phantom Pain reviews potentially compromised
- Thread starter Jackpot
- Start date
Being first to write a review matters. The sites who've got a review up now will probably end up with more clicks than sites that put up a review in 1 to 2 weeks. I understand all that, but I still wonder why anybody would accept going to this event. It seems like a really good way to ruin your enjoyment of a highly anticipated game. Clearly the review scores are high still, but I wonder now if they were being lenient because it wouldn't be fair to judge the game for them getting bored from time to time. I know I'd get bored playing a story-lite sandbox game like this for hours on end but maybe that's just me.
Trust me he knows.
RichiRamjag
Member
They have that option. No one is forced to go, Jason obviously didn't.
Moreso in an online focused game. Many of us aren't looking forward to the online aspects. Those that are can wait until after release.
Seriously what's the point of a review if your not allowed to talk about negative aspects.
Reviews for MGS4 and GTA4 were the biggest joke to come out the gameing industry.
I except 11 out of 10s and hyperbole attention grab quotes.
Jim Sterling
Member
So, I can't verify it myself, but I did get an email from a legit Aussie game journo who said they had five *hours* out there, rather than days. Not sure how many, or even if it's true, but that's the word on the grapevine.
Wrestlemania
Banned
What's sensationalist about it? It says "potentially" and the conditions absolutely will have lead to reviews being compromised in some way. For a start - they couldn't try any of the online features. Immediately every single review is compromised by not being able to discuss that feature.
IdreamofHIME
Member
It's a shit practice, but it's nothing new. This how journo's famously reviewed GTAIV.
IDK. I'm not a big fan but I don't really think they compromise the integrity of a review or anything like that. They're also not really relevant these days -- I think the last one we went to was in 2012 for Halo 4?
Then it's on the journo to not submit the review until they're ready.
If they're worried about bringing in traffic they can just post another "Konami sucks" article in the meantime.
It may just be me, but when I see "compromised", I think paid off rather than rushed. My assumption is that practically every game review before release is rushed.
RichiRamjag
Member
You sly fox.
Doubt it, it's not a game like battelfield or COD, I don't see many reviewers really doing it.
What shocks me is the fact that the delay to MGO was probably so it wouldn't create a backlash of review scores, as it hasn't been mentioned anywhere I do believe.
With that being the case, how will it be reviewed as a separate game or amending current review scores?
If anyone has seen information regarding MGO please could you make me/us aware, we're worried about the safety of it....
With that being the case, how will it be reviewed as a separate game or amending current review scores?
If anyone has seen information regarding MGO please could you make me/us aware, we're worried about the safety of it....
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Is Konami intent on making themselves into a corporate version of Dracula at this point? Maybe all the negative publicity is actually profitable to them, somehow.
Compromised or not, I'm sure the game is great, and the reviews aren't necessarily completely unreliable, but why do they keep pulling nonsense like this? Between Kojima "leaving", their treatment of employees, this, and the microtransactions thing, it's been nothing but one sucker punch after another.
Compromised or not, I'm sure the game is great, and the reviews aren't necessarily completely unreliable, but why do they keep pulling nonsense like this? Between Kojima "leaving", their treatment of employees, this, and the microtransactions thing, it's been nothing but one sucker punch after another.
Friend of mine was at the review event, but he's not "reviewing" the game like a traditional site, so he wasn't powering through it. He wound up mostly taking his time. I mentioned the "lack of story" complaints in numerous reviews to him, and he straight up told me that people were wrong, and that they probably weren't listening to the cassette tapes.
Yep, we've been here a thousand times before, i.e. a huge release receives outstanding praise... ergo I'll wait until user reviews drop before I make a decision.
I've found must 10/10 games never deserved such a huge score, as a result I always react to perfect scores with raised eyebrows now. A 10/10 score for a video game (especially a hyped title) is like a world record in an Athletics world championship, i.e. good for brand awareness & the industry as a whole, so I'm now always inclined to wait until actual players & fans give their post-release impressions on youtube & forums such as this one.
Maybe MGS 5 deserves the praise? That could well be the case, but, I'm certain I'll be forgiven for not exactly trusting the 'professional' media anymore.
Mr. Nice_Guy
Member
It's not just you, when I say the title I thought this first.
Sad to hear this is how it was reviewed, add it to the pile of reason why Konami can fuck right off. I can't imagine this has affected scores that much anyway, I assumed it would score high like every console Metal Gear game. I'm more curious about longtime fan opinions, and impressions on the multiplayer more than anything.
haha
Wrestlemania
Banned
Well that's your problem. "Potentially compromised" is a perfectly level description of this issue.
the original had a huge following of really great players and a lot of packed servers so it being dismissed like this.
As an old veteran of it really sucks and makes me feel like it's going to be absolutely shocking.
RichiRamjag
Member
I'd just wait until after release rather than be down and out about it now. No one has played it, so nothing anyone can tell you.
Messofanego
Banned
This is part of the problem when people want the first and fastest reviews out the door and don't count the later and perhaps more analytical reviews.
PumpkinSpice
Banned
Most reviews done at launched are rushed through in unrealistically quick play experiences, so I don't see why this is all that different. Good reviewers take that into account and adjust their review/impressions to the fact that the experience they have is different than someone playing normally would likely have.
Most big YouTubers are parts of huge MCNs owned by multinational corporations. You might be able to assume that they play a game in an environment that's more similar to the average consumer, but their conclusions aren't inherently more trustworthy.
MissCauthon
Member
This is good news!!!!! that explains some of the reviews saying there was lack of a story and no codec talks.
Now i'm happy again. It's strange tho that no one talked about the Microtransactions in the game. From what i heard they are more like Farmville Timers (Energy) that you can skip by buying speed ups.
Now i'm happy again. It's strange tho that no one talked about the Microtransactions in the game. From what i heard they are more like Farmville Timers (Energy) that you can skip by buying speed ups.
snake_eater_raiden
Member
Thanks for the response. So why do you think Konami held it? To avoid story spoilers?
Bl@de
Member
Well yeah they are not perfect but most of them are still better then things like we have here.
TurboButts
Member
Games reviews have changed
ID tagged review copies, played by ID tagged reviewers, with ID tagged PS4's. Information control, genetic control, review score control
ID tagged review copies, played by ID tagged reviewers, with ID tagged PS4's. Information control, genetic control, review score control
Seems like Destructoid's review is entirely based on a retail version of the game Konami sent to the site, they didn't attend the review event. Same with Kotaku. Konami seems to maybe be treating outlets differently.
As someone who runs a smaller site I have to agree with most of the feelings here.
Review events aren't great and it would be so much better to be given a copy to review in the comfort of our own office/home.
This happens around 80% of the time for us but for MP heavy games and some publishers they do insist on it being handled at a review event.
When this happens, if we feel we can review it in the time given, the review will be marked as being done at an event.
If the time isn't enough then a hands-on preview will be posted instead.
It's nice to say that we should simply refuse but in the end that would just send our readers to the juggernauts to read the day one review. Which in my opinion is worse for the industry as a whole than these review events.
There is no quick fix and it would be nice for everyone to remember that we aren't all backed by corporations with budgets or live in the EU or US.
My reviewer went to the South African review event for 8-10 hours a day for 5 straight days to get as much playtime as humanly possible.. he also assured me he didn't wear a chicken hat
http://www.lazygamer.net/genre/stealth/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain-review-whos-the-big-boss/
I went past to see him a few times and the setup was very professional, there was a Konami rep there but he didn't interfere or try guide the playthrough by any stretch of the imagination.
It's not ideal but it is the best opportunity we have and I personally thank Konami for at least giving our small market a chance. It's not a perfect world but we do our best to exist in it.
ON THE OTHER HAND
some other local journalists have posted full reviews with no mention of the review event after only playing for less than 7 hours.. so yes problems exist.
In the end you need to find an outlet that you think is trustworthy and will be honest with you...
-Gavin
Review events aren't great and it would be so much better to be given a copy to review in the comfort of our own office/home.
This happens around 80% of the time for us but for MP heavy games and some publishers they do insist on it being handled at a review event.
When this happens, if we feel we can review it in the time given, the review will be marked as being done at an event.
If the time isn't enough then a hands-on preview will be posted instead.
It's nice to say that we should simply refuse but in the end that would just send our readers to the juggernauts to read the day one review. Which in my opinion is worse for the industry as a whole than these review events.
There is no quick fix and it would be nice for everyone to remember that we aren't all backed by corporations with budgets or live in the EU or US.
My reviewer went to the South African review event for 8-10 hours a day for 5 straight days to get as much playtime as humanly possible.. he also assured me he didn't wear a chicken hat
http://www.lazygamer.net/genre/stealth/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain-review-whos-the-big-boss/
I went past to see him a few times and the setup was very professional, there was a Konami rep there but he didn't interfere or try guide the playthrough by any stretch of the imagination.
It's not ideal but it is the best opportunity we have and I personally thank Konami for at least giving our small market a chance. It's not a perfect world but we do our best to exist in it.
ON THE OTHER HAND
some other local journalists have posted full reviews with no mention of the review event after only playing for less than 7 hours.. so yes problems exist.
In the end you need to find an outlet that you think is trustworthy and will be honest with you...
-Gavin
Doesn't seem accurate at all if Greg Miller is to be believed, he says he played it for tens of hours there.
That doesn't ... what?
That doesn't make sense.
Edit:
Ah, Lazygamer's post clears up that assertion somewhat.
Some journalists went to the 5 day review event, and others decided not to or couldn't, so instead based their review on a different MGSV preview event?
TwoDurans
"Never said I wasn't a hypocrite."
I thought it was known that reviewers tend to play games on easy so they could blow through them. It's more concerning that they didn't play MGO or experience the FOBs.
It is, however, exciting that the review scores will go up once the game launches. That's how it works, right? A 10/10 becomes a 12/10 once the reviewer can actually play the full game.
It is, however, exciting that the review scores will go up once the game launches. That's how it works, right? A 10/10 becomes a 12/10 once the reviewer can actually play the full game.
shinobi602
Member
The fact that some outlets had to attend the review event while others did not is really in bad taste.
TheSlySoul
Member
I agree as well.
Pretty much means all reviews of the game can be taken with a grain of salt.
Thanks Konami!
Bartholomuse
Member
But...what if you played a retail build on your own time "listened to all the tapes" and you still came to the conclusion that the content / format of the tapes is inferior to Kojimas traditional cutscene based story telling?
I understand the concern about reviewers missing important info, but "compromised" seems a bit extreme. People haven't been a fan of the tapes being a replacement for cutscenes / codec since Peacewalker. People knew they were there, they just don't like them replacing Kojima directed cutscenes.
I don't think any claim of reviewers rushing through the game could invalidate all the complaints that reviewers have about the perceived lack of story. There's just too many reviewers (bootcamp or not) who are bringing it up.
It seemed obvious from GZ that Kojima was going down the show don't tell route. I might be getting it wrong, but I also remember a quote from Kojima saying cutscenes were kind of "old fashioned"
I understand the concern about reviewers missing important info, but "compromised" seems a bit extreme. People haven't been a fan of the tapes being a replacement for cutscenes / codec since Peacewalker. People knew they were there, they just don't like them replacing Kojima directed cutscenes.
I don't think any claim of reviewers rushing through the game could invalidate all the complaints that reviewers have about the perceived lack of story. There's just too many reviewers (bootcamp or not) who are bringing it up.
It seemed obvious from GZ that Kojima was going down the show don't tell route. I might be getting it wrong, but I also remember a quote from Kojima saying cutscenes were kind of "old fashioned"
Wrestlemania
Banned
You seem to be assuming that people think the reviews could be compromised because there's something "wrong" in them. That isn't the case.
Potentially compromised? Came in imagining Konami had all websites bribed, threatened at gunpoint or hacked to increase review scores.
I'm not downplaying the issue, but there is no reason to single out this game. When everyone expects reviews to be out before the game even launches, expect these sort of shortcuts and less than ideal reviewing conditions. Given that some had access to review copies outside of the event for this game, I'm not even sure what the fuss is about.
The pre-order and "day one" culture among gamers needs to die so that everyone isn't melting down over lack of reviews before launch. When that happens, everything else will self-correct. We all know that will never happen, so here we are.
I'm not downplaying the issue, but there is no reason to single out this game. When everyone expects reviews to be out before the game even launches, expect these sort of shortcuts and less than ideal reviewing conditions. Given that some had access to review copies outside of the event for this game, I'm not even sure what the fuss is about.
The pre-order and "day one" culture among gamers needs to die so that everyone isn't melting down over lack of reviews before launch. When that happens, everything else will self-correct. We all know that will never happen, so here we are.
UrbanDandy
Member
Am I the only one who finds it odd that the reviews are releasing one week before the game ships, rather than the day before?
Nah, reviews are part of the pr machine and getting awareness out there.
Bartholomuse
Member
I know what you mean, but from reading the review thread, where this issue was first brought up, it was being used by a lot people to try dampen fears of the game lacking a story. "Reviewers are criticizing the story, because they rushed through it and missed stuff etc etc."
I'm saying that their could be just as many reviewers who listened to enough of tapes to form an opinion and still fully completed the game by time the Bootcamp ended. After all you can play tapes while moving around in the TPP can't you? Like in GZ?
I've always found that the earlier a review is released and the less marketing is seen the better the game...
no scientific evidence to back that up...
snake_eater_raiden
Member
Well, they even provided different codes to different people.
For example:
Greg Miller got an actual retail code.
Some press played a debug build that had the full game.
Community websites played a debug build which had everything except
the true ending.