Comments on: IGN US refuses to review MGS4 until it can play MGO

By: morriss

morriss — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:10:37 +0000

Well living in a world where the media doesn’t try and become the news itself is fine and dandy. Utterly and absolutely unrealistic however, but a nice ideal to have.

For example, did Eurogamer themselves not propel themselves to the “front pages” by agree to a highly restricted, very early review? Forget the score, the very fact they got it first, although hamstrung, was news itself and was a great advert for the site itself.

There are two sides to every story, is all I’m saying.

By: mart

mart — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:02:05 +0000

Nailed it

By: Shatner

Shatner — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:59:46 +0000

I look forward to seeing IGN apply this reviewing principle consistently across all future games on all formats from all countries with both very high and very low profile games.

If, on the other hand they’re just trying to get themselves noticed by latching onto a high-profile game and spinning some holier-than-thou yarn about reviewing principles then they can fuck right off.

I don’t recall them holding out for ‘proper’ online stuff to kick off before their WORLD EXCLUSIVE FIRST EVA review of GTA4. And IGN UK has already shot its load over MGS4 anyway.

I’m sick and tired of the media being the story. Just do your job and deliver the damn news, don’t try and become it.

By: DrDamn

DrDamn — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:57:27 +0000

I don’t mind things like this not being part of an initial review – but it should be absolutely clear what they are reviewing – and I don’t think the EG review did this.

By: Psychotext

Psychotext — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:41:10 +0000

/takes notes

Can’t win, don’t try. Gotcha.

By: mart

mart — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:13:39 +0000

Well it’s a pointless debate really. Some (most) people think you need reviews NOWNOWNOW, and other people think reviews should wait until multiplayer can be taken into account. And even then, there’s the “Orange Box” angle. Can’t win.

By: morriss

morriss — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:10:27 +0000

mart’s making me talk to the hand.

By: Newbie101

Newbie101 — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:01:48 +0000

morriss is sooo right. Reviews are surposed to be buyers guides. As MGS online is apparently a large element of the package you buy, it seems wrong that it isnt being put into reviews.

By: mart

mart — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:57:39 +0000

I’m going to drink my coffee and eat my flapjacks now.

By: morriss

morriss — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:57:00 +0000

Yeah there is. There’s loads of things.

By: mart

mart — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:55:36 +0000

/shrug

Not much else I can say really.

By: morriss

morriss — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:48:44 +0000

I understand the predicament but as Krudster says, what most reviews boil down to is one question, “Is it worth your money?”. Now if MGO brings loads more life to the experience and thus makes your £40 seem cheap, surely it should affect the score?

(not bashing the 8/10 btw. – I really don’t care)

By: CastellanSpandrell

CastellanSpandrell — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:48:41 +0000

They are two distinctly separate games. IGN are being petty.

By: mart

mart — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:42:25 +0000

Becuase, Newbie, with the constant requirement for timeliness in online media, it’s not always possible to get access to / an appropriate impression of the multiplayer modes before the game launches and has been played for a few weeks. You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.

By: Newbie101

Newbie101 — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:40:47 +0000

Finally a site saying something like this!

I never understand how reviewers in general only review the single player when multiplayer is usually always part of the package, part of your moneys worth and should ALWAYS be included in the review.

By: mart

mart — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:35:31 +0000

Thing with MGO is that I see it as kind of an Orange Box type of deal – quite different products within the same package. MGO will be rated and reviewed separately from the main game by EG, just as the different components of Orange Box were reviewed separately.

Generally for people that are thinking about buying an MGS game, a review of the main game is enough; I don’t think a review one way or another for MGO is a deciding factor.

By: Whizzo

Whizzo — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:34:17 +0000

I think it’s more IGN(US) not wanting to do a review with the restrictions and used this as an excuse not to annoy Konami.

By: morriss

morriss — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:32:03 +0000

Fair enough, imo. A game is what what you get on the disk: all of it. If you can’t review all the content adequately you can’t really do a thorough review. IMO.

By: CastellanSpandrell

CastellanSpandrell — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:29:57 +0000

Imagine them doing this with a US game…oh hang on, they wouldn’t.