Ubisoft Bribes Publications for Good Reviews for AC2

[Poomanchu745]

So apparently Ubisoft is trying to bribe companies for good/top reviews for Assassins Creed 2 in exchange for an early copy to play. I gotta say this doesn't bode well for the game that they have to revert to trying to bribe companies for good reviews. Seems to say they aren't fully confident in the game they are putting out.

http://www.softsailor.com/news/11468-ubisoft-demands-positive-assassins-creed-2-review-in-exchange-for-an-early-review-copy.html

 

[Dr Faust]

This is far from the first time this has happened. If the past is anything to go by, the truth of the game will come out sooner or later. I mean, if you were planning on buying it at launch, you probably don't need to read a review. Otherwise, you can wait for non-bribed reviews.

 

[Xan Krieger]

That really is sad when a company that advertises a game that much (there's even an ad for it in the lower right of my screen as I type) doesn't have enough faith in the game to get good scores. So this leads me to think the excessive advertisments are a way to compensate for the game not being up to par.

Also (and this is totally random) is it just me or does the symbol on the graphics card on the magazine look a lot like the Jedi Knight series' logo?

 

[Poomanchu745]

This is far from the first time this has happened. If the past is anything to go by, the truth of the game will come out sooner or later. I mean, if you were planning on buying it at launch, you probably don't need to read a review. Otherwise, you can wait for non-bribed reviews.

Na not saying its the first time its ever happened but it is a pretty high profile and probably the "biggest" game yet to come out this year.

 

[badgersprite]

They're certainly not the first game devs to do this. In fact, I think this explains how so many awful games get 10/10 scores prior to release. I'm disappointed in Ubisoft for doing this though because AC2 actually looks like a good game, and now they've just shot themselves in the foot with their own medieval concealed gun.

 

[squid5580]

I thought this was pretty standard business practice with review sites these days.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

.

So apparently Ubisoft is trying to bribe companies for good/top reviews for Assassins Creed 2 in exchange for an early copy to play. I gotta say this doesn't bode well for the game that they have to revert to trying to bribe companies for good reviews. Seems to say they aren't fully confident in the game they are putting out.

http://www.softsailor.com/news/11468-ubisoft-demands-positive-assassins-creed-2-review-in-exchange-for-an-early-review-copy.html

I have been saying this for months. Ubisoft suck, people.

Prince of Persia 2008
Far Cry 2
Assasins Creed 1

All of these games had huge, gaping flaws that made them a pain in the ass to play. Yet they all have high Metacritic scores.

Ubisoft game philosophy:

'If we make it really pretty people will ignore the fact that it plays like shit.'

Ubisoft have been sending cocaine and hookers to critics for a long time now.

I'm amazed how much aggro Infinity Ward are getting when these assholes have been ripping us off for years.

 

[Kollega]

Well,hooray for them,then!

One wise man (by that i mean "me") once (by that i mean "now") said - if you have to bribe the reviewers,your game is not sufficently awesome.

 

[thenightgaunt]

I thought this was pretty standard business practice with review sites these days.

I thought it was. That's why I stopped watching X-Play. The bias was painfully obvious but at least the skits were funny. When they went away I changed channels (the innane TRL-like chat scrawl didn't help either).

Same reason why I abandoned Gamepro, Game Informer and the rest of the magazines (PC Gamer too, but that was because I hated where the new editor took the magazine).

As for websites. I trust Kotaku for the most part and either Angry Gamer or Crispy Gamer. All the rest can go to hell. The Escapist has good videos though, so they're cool. ^_^

 

[Twilight_guy]

I heard about this before. I'm not inclined to believe that a game that already has people lining up needs to have its developer bribe someone but stranger things have happened. I just think it's not very likely.

 

[ffxfriek]

Doesn't surprise me. I'm getting a ps3 and I'm stayin away from this game at all costs. If anything I'll borrow it off my friend since he's lame like that.

 

[Artemis923]

Hrrm. Good luck selling a copy with everyone playing MW2.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I really dont give two shites whether Ubisoft or any company for that matter bribes or not. In the end it's up to ME to decided if i like a certain game or if i don't. I personally believe that if someone decides on a game based on what someone else said then they obviously don't have a gaming mind of their own and follow what the hype says to. Just look at Halo

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I'm disinclined to believe the rumor until I see it somewhere else.

.

Have you played Prince of Persia 2008 or Far Cry 2?

Having played them both and seen thier Metacritic scores I am VERY inclined to believe the rumour.

I heard about this before. I'm not inclined to believe that a game that already has people lining up needs to have its developer bribe someone but stranger things have happened. I just think it's not very likely.

Given the history of Ubisoft's games and review scores, it is something I thought they were doing long before this rumour came out.

In case I'm not being clear enough:

FUCK UBISOFT.

 

[Harlequin_Z01]

So? Im pretty sure IW bribed IGN to say Mw2 is "Perfectly Balanced".

Infinity Ward are the developers of Modern Warfare 2. If any bribing were to occur it would be from Activision who are, depending on who you ask, pure evil. I personally wouldn't put it past them. They're a publisher and beyond that they're a large corporate entity who are to be trusted as far as they can be thrown.

But this sort of behaviour from a company like Ubisoft, who to my knowledge act as both developer and publisher, just shows a lack of faith in a product which was developed in-house by their own people.

 

[Mr. Grey]

I'm starting to wonder if I'm the only one that actually enjoyed Far Cry 2. Then again I enjoyed it because I could light just about darn near everything on fire.

I never really trusted reviews anyways. Too subjective and as we all know, subjective isn't objective. But do you want my personal feelings on this matter? Very well, I'm not shocked, I'm not disturbed and all I got out of this was a yawn. You act as if this is evil, it's not evil... not really. Evil is if Ubisoft said the reviewers can't review it unless they paid them or they can review it early if the reviewers paid Ubisoft. And clearly Ubisoft can get away with that, considering the fanbase of the former Assassin's Creed.