Battlefield 3: EA Allegedly Tried Filtering Reviewers

[Easy Rhino]

this is stupid 'news.' if you are a reviewer you can always just make up your answers to appear favorable to the game if you really want to review it. this news post reads like a child discovering for the first time that santa clause is not real. we need grown up news here, not nonsense.

 

[Damn_Smooth]

this is stupid 'news.' if you are a reviewer you can always just make up your answers to appear favorable to the game if you really want to review it. this news post reads like a child discovering for the first time that santa clause is not real. we need grown up news here, not nonsense.

He has links to 4 other sites that considered it newsworthy, and it has generated 2 pages of discussion. I don't understand the problem.

I thought my birth of a planet thread was somewhat "grown up", and that only had 1 reply.

 

[Easy Rhino]

it makes massive assumptions about the motives behind EA drawing conclusions that this is some scheme to destroy videogame journalism. do you know how many companies that GIVE out copies of games/gadgets/music/movies require new or generally unread blogs/newspapers/magazine to fill out paperwork?

this would be a news story if EA, the largest game producer decided not to give the new york times an early copy because the new york times always trashes EA. (note, i don't know if the NYT cares about EA I just made that up as an example.)

 

[Damn_Smooth]

it makes massive assumptions about the motives behind EA drawing conclusions that this is some scheme to destroy videogame journalism. do you know how many companies that GIVE out copies of games/gadgets/music/movies require new or generally unread blogs/newspapers/magazine to fill out paperwork?

this would be a news story if EA, the largest game producer decided not to give the new york times an early copy because the new york times always trashes EA. (note, i don't know if the NYT cares about EA I just made that up as an example.)

I agree, but the assumptions are logical. Especially with EA blaming it on human error and withdrawing the questionnaire.

 

[Easy Rhino]

so what if they blamed it on human error? how does that provide any evidence that they are some corrupt company trying to take down videogame journalism.

this is an ACCEPTED practice by the industry and by all tech/media industries. to have a news story that reads like it is a brand new discovery is insulting to the readers of tpu.

 

[Deleted member 67555]

This is a good news story...But the opinions needed to be left out...This isn't an Effing tabloid site...
Shit like this is gonna cause people to not take this site serious...

Good story, Yes
Opinions needed, Yes in the comment section not in the dammed article!!!

 

[Damn_Smooth]

so what if they blamed it on human error? how does that provide any evidence that they are some corrupt company trying to take down videogame journalism.

this is an ACCEPTED practice by the industry and by all tech/media industries. to have a news story that reads like it is a brand new discovery is insulting to the readers of tpu.

I just didn't get that from the OP. The articles he linked to have pretty much the same tone. Like I said before, I really don't blame EA for doing it though.

 

[Easy Rhino]

I just didn't get that from the OP.

It's a real stretch to think how this could have been anything but a deliberate attempt at reviewer manipulation.

lawl wut? how can somebody who has no real world experience in this industry draw that massive conclusion based on what other people say? you want to make this news article legit then you get a quote from EA directly. this is incredibly slanted and disingenuous and insulting.

If this practice is allowed to continue, then it threatens the integrity of independent journalism, potentially, leading to biased and untrue reviews.

straight FUD. i would expect this from the National Inquirer.

But no matter, the games publishers would have that reliable old scapegoat "piracy" to fall back on and blame for their hard times (or less good ones) wouldn't they?

seriously, this is a valid and fair point to make? a bit childish and unprofessional, no?

 

[Damn_Smooth]

lawl wut? how can somebody who has no real world experience in this industry draw that massive conclusion based on what other people say? you want to make this news article legit then you get a quote from EA directly. this is incredibly slanted and disingenuous and insulting.



straight FUD. i would expect this from the National Inquirer.



seriously, this is a valid and fair point to make? a bit childish and unprofessional, no?

I see your point. qubit should have left some of his opinions out of there. I still think it is a valid thread though because outside of the opinions, the events did happen.

 

[csendesmark]

EA-s policy will kill the industry....
...and definitely not the pirates.

 

[Easy Rhino]

I see your point. qubit should have left some of his opinions out of there. I still think it is a valid thread though because outside of the opinions, the events did happen.

well true, but since every publisher who gives away early copies of games/movies/music/etc for review does the same thing i don't see how it is news.

 

[Damn_Smooth]

well true, but since every publisher who gives away early copies of games/movies/music/etc for review does the same thing i don't see how it is news.

I didn't know everyone else did it, so it was news to me.

 

[RejZoR]

CoD or BF3, who cares, buy both like i will and forget about the nonsense fanboys fight about.

I like independent reviewers that realyl review the game as it is. Giving games false praise will just piss off gamers and make them refusing to buy any continuing games. Why do everyone look only short term (and to make some quick bucks). Just like programs evolve and improve, do the same for games. If you know how to take advantage of the negative reviews, games could only get better. Instead they try to get around that. Pathetic.

 

[BumbleBee]

I didn't know everyone else did it, so it was news to me.

EA not only singled out these journalist but requested personal information. this is not normal. EA would not apologize if they felt they did no wrong doing.

 

[btarunr]

Lol, nobody who's ever played a Battlefield game is ever going to read a review before buying BF3.

 

[Jack Doph]

Lol, nobody who's ever played a Battlefield game is ever going to read a review before buying BF3.

Except I will.
BF3 looks good in Beta, but I'll hold off until it's been released and some independent reviews have been published.
Automatically presuming the next version of whatever game is better than its predecessor, is akin to presuming the world will never end.
Mistakes will be made and many times over, sequels do NOT automatically mean a better game

 

[NC37]

Well, in a way, this wouldn't be needed if there was more quality reviewers. There are way too many poor ones out there. Lots I've seen either rating too high with little time actually testing the game, then others rating too low without really even playing it. Heck I stopped buying Game Informer years back when they had the sports reviewer do the review for Shenmue. The guy was a total ADD spots nutcase and it was so obvious he couldn't sit still 10 mins to appreciate Shenmue. I've refused Gamestop edge cards for years because they came with Game Informer. Then finally when they didn't make it mandatory, I got one.

Carrying a chip against them still, yeah, game was a freaken masterpiece at launch.

 

[Mr McC]

Wow, and EA were supposed to be on the straight and narrow these days...

Those disseminating such information are EA employees, had a gun held to their heads, or are currently institutionalised or awaiting capture.

 

[Bundy]

Qubit, you have raised some strong allegations of misconduct, you should be providing supporting evidence. The survey questions are not very good evidence unless you can show that they were used to filter reviewers.

So who was filtered? Was it because of their answers?

We have only half the story here.

 

[BumbleBee]

the story is posted all over the internet.

 

[mtosev]

EA you suck

 

[TIGR]

EA messed up and admitted it, promising not to do it again. They've earned shame for doing it but kudos for the subsequent apology and straightforwardness. This won't stop me (or others, I think) from getting the game.

Of course, these dodgy reviews would make gamers very unhappy customers when they realized they'd been duped, likely resulting in the eventual reduction of future game sales as gamers lost confidence in them.

If MW2 and Black Ops are any indication, "eventually" may be a long time later.

 

[laszlo]

"perfectionist" questionnaire

 

[W1zzard]

do you know how many companies that GIVE out copies of games/gadgets/music/movies require new or generally unread blogs/newspapers/magazine to fill out paperwork?

I never filled out a questionnaire for my reviews. No company has ever asked me if I like their or the competition's products.

 

[TIGR]

I never filled out a questionnaire for my reviews. No company has ever asked me if I like their or the competition's products.

That's good to know. What would you do if they did?