VG247 - "The Great Review Debate: Can we find our way back?"

[AmberClad]

Taking a look at the processes at work both at review publications/websites and among the PR flacks at game publishers, and the types of deals and arrangements that get worked out in "exclusive" game reviews, among other things.

Exclusive!

As it’s the first one you’re likely to see, let’s think about the exclusive review. This is arranged between an outlet and a publisher. The publisher will never agree to this if there’s a risk of a low score, for obvious reasons. That’s not to say the publisher will demand a certain rating; the publisher in this instance, and the outlet involved, will be well aware of what it means to have this happen. You’re looking at a 9 or higher here.

Then, though, you have a problem: you have to stop people cancelling their pre-orders for any reason. This is vital for the publisher, and it will usually do everything possible to protect the game from being shown in an uncontrolled way before release. Pre-orders really can make or break a game in today’s market. Publishers are in the business of “make”.

Full Article: "The Great Review Debate: Can we find our way back?" - VG247

I love these types of articles taking an inside look at the gaming industry. Gamasutra has plenty of these as well. While I was reading this, I couldn't help but be reminded of how the first indication we had of any issues with Rage was on release day, whereas with Skyrim, we already had tons of reviews out on 11/10, one day before release.