No, I don't think it's realistic to expect reviewers to "maintain" their reviews over time. The few outlets that try to do this (Polygon?) tend to apply it selectively, and I'm not sure it actually helps anyone. If you want good reviews, give the reviewers a good game in the first place. Post launch, only enthusiasts can be counted on to care about your game. The news and reviews cycle doesn't linger on anything except spectacular disasters.
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Should Driveclub be re-reviewed?
- Thread starter entremet
- Start date
Daffy Duck
Member
Do we also re-review a game when someone releases an update that breaks the game?
Where would you draw the line.
Where would you draw the line.
The reviewers reviewed the game with a working online system. So why should they review the game again? Because weather and photomode were added? I'm convinced this would not have made any difference on reviews. Because, in the end, weather is mostly a visual change, it doesn't change or add much to the core funtionality of the game. Reviewers who didn't like Driveclub at release, would most probably still not like it now because they clearly wanted something else from what Driveclub offered.
In short, i see no reason for re-review and i don't believe it would end up having different scores. Also, i think Driveclub should have released with replays and weather from the start.
In short, i see no reason for re-review and i don't believe it would end up having different scores. Also, i think Driveclub should have released with replays and weather from the start.
Twin Tails
Member
Yup
viveks86
Gold Member
I do think there is merit in keeping reviews up to date though. At least for games that draw enough viewership to pay for a reviewer's time. But yeah, if people think negative reviews are magically going to turn around after the weather update, then I'd like what they are smoking. This game is my GOTY, and even I don't think it will score any better in a re-review. Now it's up to the gamers to try and see for themselves.
Yup, at this point in a game, I feel the community impressions mean much more, and help others get a more up to date look at the game in a way that most reviews can't match.
CadetMahoney
Member
first post nails it.
What if I buy a game a few years down the line when the servers have been shut off? Should the game have been re-reviewed then too?
Khalifa Jayy
Banned
Why is it willy nilly? Enlighten me, please.
No, developers need to get their shit together and released the game as advertised. They deserve the low scores purely for fucking over early adopters. Everyone else was able to come in and buy it for cheap once fixed (I got it for £25 on ebay). It's not very fair on their most dedicated fans. That price hugely undercuts the PS+ price too (and you get a resellable, physical copy) so that whole PS+ deal turned out to be a crock of shit too.
Omnistalgic
Member
Yeah I think so...
Great game now...
Great game now...
thelastword
Banned
Apart from the online issues there were many issues with the title in off-line play as well, unlike driveclub. Save issues in single player, game freezing and game crashes, framerate issues, sound skipping amongst many. I would also like to believe that the title made it's name on multiplayer more than any other racer ever did. At one point, this game was more popular online than call of duty. There's no way you should review halo without a big portion of the score being important to that review. The fact that you mentioned that it was mostly singleplayer being re-viewed when the singleplayer had many of it's own issues is paramount.
I personally don't think driveclub should be re-reviewed, I just feel word of mouth from gamers is much more important now more than ever. There was a time I used to sit down and read every single review, buy a million different gaming magazines, I can't do that anymore, especially with all that has gone on at review outlets in recent times. I sometimes look at a video-review or two or some previews, but when I look at some of those guys who write these reviews I'm baffled. Recently I've encountered some reviewers/previewers who don't even know the basics of the game they're going to pre-view or much at all about the console that it's on. Sometimes they don't even own the console.
I'll take a queue from people who own the systems, know the systems and buy the games day 1, those who spend 20-30 hrs playing the game. I believe their word is much more important in this current gaming climate.
Ingueferroque
Banned
Simply wrong.
If a game has changed significantly since its release with fixes,updates, or dlc then yes it should be rereviewed. We no longer get games that stay fixed one way. Reviews should be an ever changing thing to keep up with all the adjustments and dlc. So if a game comes out broken as whatever and a few months later becomes the best thing ever or game of the year and your score is still like a 2/10 then your review /site becomes outdated because you didn't keep up with the times. Keep the old review as reference but put an update at the top as well as change the score if necessary.
entremet
Member
I'm not even arguing a numerical revision. But if reviews are considered consumer guides, and the game has changed since its release, why not even add an addendum?
As of now, the reviews for DC are outdated and don't provide a prospective buyer with all the info.
Ingueferroque
Banned
Or it encourages them to do so?
Fuck, they had peoples money. The game sold reasonably well. They could have just fired their developers and folded up shop.
And DriveClub was not 'sloppy ass' at launch, besides the shit netcode. This is why people are so vocal about it now when they're shocked at how good it actually is.
Dust-by-Monday
Member
No games are ever finished as there are always ways to improve things. You pretty much have to set a deadline and shoot for that deadline. Also, if you've already delayed your game once, delaying again could anger a lot of fans.
I'd rather have a game like Driveclub where I can play the single player events while waiting for the online fixes than no game at all.
Also, they're giving us a ton of free DLC, so how can we complain?
I think they're people and people can make mistakes. They set out to create a very ambitious title and what they did give us, is nothing short of spectacular, so I can't really be angry at them for it.
I've loved Driveclub from day one and I'm not usually into linear racers. They proved me wrong by making something that I enjoy playing.
Dust-by-Monday
Member
You make it sound so easy. How about you try to make a video game that is even 1% of what Driveclub is and see how that goes.
A racing game that touts itself as some big social experience with friends having shit net code and nearly unplayable online for 2 months isn't a sloppy ass launch?
It's great that the game has been improved, but we can't expect all reviews to go running back to it just to giving the game more oddities promotion. Evolution/Sony screwed up and they deserve whatever sales and good reputation they lost by screwing over consumers.
Teletraan1
Banned
Thats not really the consumers problem. Either they should adapt to the changing tide or get washed away. I know not every site is flush with Internet Explorer monies but the couple of paragraphs update that Polygon does should suffice. It at least keeps the review current. Obviously the game would need some sort of worthwhile update to be eligible for an updated review or at least an update. In this case I doubt it is worth it for just weather but once they add replays and all the other shiz they said was coming it might be worthy of an update or another look down the road. I think this makes for better reading than some of the dreck that these sites produce ala "what can x learn from y", top 10 worthless lists etc.
DidntKnowJack
Member
Nah, fuck the reviews. I mean what, they'll add another .2 to the overall score? Maybe.
Waste of time. The knocks against this game had very little to do with lack of weather effects or even the borked server issues. No, every racing game from now on has to be open world. Didn't you guys know that? Come on. Get with the times. Racing has evolved. Pfft.
Waste of time. The knocks against this game had very little to do with lack of weather effects or even the borked server issues. No, every racing game from now on has to be open world. Didn't you guys know that? Come on. Get with the times. Racing has evolved. Pfft.
There's no incentive for outlets to rereview a game that already launched 2 months ago. If it was an MMO or a major expansion I would guess they would do it though. I think some individual outlets (polygon at least) do updates to scores but that could be problematic also. One update breaks the game into an almost unplayable state, dock a few points on the score, a further update fixes that, the score goes back up, when does that stop? What should be significant enough to necessitate a rereview? And finally, metacritic won't change.
Omnii-chan
Member
No, don't give publishers leeway for unfinished games being released.
DragonKnight
Member
Yep. One and done.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
Eh, I don't think the original reviews should be erased or anything, and they should make sure to note the launch issues, but the point of reviews isn't to reward or punish developers. It's to inform gamers. If reviews are all talking about issues that no longer exist, how does that help a gamer buying the game X months/years/whatever down the line who wants to know how the game is now? Locking reviews to launch day impressions just strips of them of any use they ever had.
RedAssedApe
Banned
maybe a mini-review once the ps+ version launches
but re-reviewing stuff probably sets bad precedence unless its really quick after launch. (i.e. lowering a score because online is broken)
but re-reviewing stuff probably sets bad precedence unless its really quick after launch. (i.e. lowering a score because online is broken)
TriniTrin
war of titties grampa
I personally think that since the game didn't include the weather at the start it was unfinished. They had talked about weather being in it for awhile so it's not like its a content patch of extra stuff. It was supposed to be in the game the whole time but needed more time to complete. They shoulda have released the game now after testing it through beta and through the last few months. It coulda been a big hit.
D
Deleted member 59090
Unconfirmed Member
From what I remember the online portion of the game worked before release and I don't think adding weather changes that much so I'm gonna say no to OPs question.
DidntKnowJack
Member
That is inaccurate. The weather was announced late into the development cycle, it was always going to come post launch. They were very clear about that.
I'd say yes but not a total re-do. More like an update.
The reviews at launch reflected the game as it was. The game is no longer the same. Online works. Challenges work. New cars. New tracks. New dynamic weather system. Club rewards work offline. All these things change the experience from the launch state. Some in minor ways, other in major ways.
The reviews at launch do not accurately reflect the current state of the game.
The original reviews should stay but I think it would be a disservice to not at least throw in an updated section of the review with maybe a revised score.
The reviews at launch reflected the game as it was. The game is no longer the same. Online works. Challenges work. New cars. New tracks. New dynamic weather system. Club rewards work offline. All these things change the experience from the launch state. Some in minor ways, other in major ways.
The reviews at launch do not accurately reflect the current state of the game.
The original reviews should stay but I think it would be a disservice to not at least throw in an updated section of the review with maybe a revised score.
This TBH.
They deserve to learn from this. Don't push an unfinished product out before release or work harder to hit the deadline.
You can find this great game for $35 dollars now. Every one that paid $60 was pretty much a beta tester.
blastprocessor
The Amiga Brotherhood
kinda - dynamic review scores need to be considered given that games are being updated via patches regularly.
The press need to move with the times.
The press need to move with the times.
Rogue_Ledr
Banned
The reviews at launch didn't even take into account the online issues. The leaderboards, the challenges. Hell, even trying to play a private game was messed up. How many reviews mentioned that stuff? Should they retroactively add that stuff was not working for the first 2 months and then add an addendum to that saying it works now?
I'd say that situation is even more in need of a re-review. If a game is made worse then the review copy people need to know.
jellies_two
Member
FFS..
1. I don't think Evolution studio thought their online infrastructure would fail after release. Nor did reviewers, btw. Nor did Sony QA know.
2. If it had not crumbled, the game would have never be labelled as "un-finished"
3. Driveclub was always marketed as a rolling experience with constant updates. Rather more like a MMO than a one-and-done game.
So you guys with the rope and noose are looking to hang or punish someone that doesn't actually exist.
What you're all arguing about is whether the reviews-at-launch system needs to be adjusted for games that evolve over time, as certain titles do now. I think it does. Reviews are still written as though a game after launched never gets anything beyond minor bug fixes. That applies to some but not all games.
Pound_lb003
Member
Maybe, but I think they deserve the lack of coverage. It SHOULD have been that at launch, after a year's delay. If it comes back to the fore, because of a viral effort by people playing, then fine. It's impactful enough for those playing to evangelise it - good for Driveclub, but that's all it is.
Leafhopper
Banned
Are you going to allow every other game that got patches and content later to be re-reviewed too?
I don't take most people's opinions around here seriously, especially when it comes to platform exclusives like this.
freakzilla3000
Junior Member
Ok- so with the update- is the game worth buying now? I am still waiting for my PS Plus edition but I don't think that's going to see the light of day.