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[Zee-Row]

Dave Halverson. He's special.

Isn't that the reason the magazine died?

 

[Foffy]

making journos buy the game doesn't sound like a bad idea across the board

But reviews are supposed to be done before the game comes out. How can you buy the game? Making sites pay for review code? That puts them more in danger of biting the hand that feeds them...

Are you for real? You want more of that Assassin's Creed Unity shit, that we hear about the messes after people throw away their money because nothing gets posted until the game is available to everybody?

 

[Axass]

Oh no, childish game journalists not getting free games, WHAT WILL WE DO

Defense force. For everything.

 

[Vandole]

That's not colors 2.
I don't know why everyone focuses on generations when half the selling point was nostalgia. Colors was better in that it proved modern sonic could stand on its own.

Colors was on the Wii. It gets docked points in people's judgement for that.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

What was up with Play giving Sonic 06 a near perfect score? Was that a confirmed money hat?

Play claimed Sega told them that many of the glitches and abhorrent load times were going to be fixed in the retail version, so their review reflected that. When the retail copy came out and remained broken, they went on to adjust their 9.5 score.


To an 8.5.

 

[Opiate]

I actually might approve of this under other contexts -- I could imagine free copies of games (and the swag that can on occasion come with them) affecting and inflating review scores. I do not approve of it when the goal clearly isn't impartiality but is instead to hide the poor quality of your game.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Isn't that the reason the magazine died?

It could be. I like Dave and have great memories of reading GameFan and fawning over Sega Saturn screengrabs for hours and reading Posty's column. But he has the jubilant, undying enthusiasm of a very young man when it comes to certain things. For better or worse.

 

[Clefargle]

I look at this game, and I can't believe someone actually thought any of the design choices were good ideas. And now it seems like many people in SEGA just didn't care it was bad.

 

[bigboss370]

But reviews are supposed to be done before the game comes out. How can you buy the game? Making sites pay for review code? That puts them more in danger of biting the hand that feeds them...

Are you for real? You want more of that Assassin's Creed Unity shit, that we hear about the messes after people throw away their money because nothing gets posted until the game is available to everybody?

would make them more relatable to the consumers.

I actually might approve of this under other contexts -- I could imagine free copies of games (and the swag that can on occasion come with them) affecting and inflating review scores. I do not approve of it when the goal clearly isn't impartiality but is instead to hide the poor quality of your game.

.

 

[BBboy20]

SO...in Sanzaru, we trust?

 

[thewhitehawk]

Sonic Boomba indeed.

 

[TheBaronOfNA]

This industry is hilarious.

Why? This is a bad sign for the game quality and journos are calling it for it. Sounds that is working as intented,

I actually might approve of this under other contexts -- I could imagine free copies of games (and the swag that can on occasion come with them) affecting and inflating review scores. I do not approve of it when the goal clearly isn't impartiality but is instead to hide the poor quality of your game.

Last week Jeff Gertsmann from GB outright told the only real case when developers outright want to hide the quality of a game is a day after embargos and/or not sending a copy to anyone.

 

[Arc Christelle]

The reviews on metacritic are hilarious.

People going in on their only review rating it a ten/ten because they enjoy the "variety of moves and exploration" of the "Wii U exclusive". They simply "can't understand the hate" as they love the "humor and quirkiness of the story." They love it so much that they "can't wait for the cartoon" and the "3DS companion".

Smh.

Links. I demand Links.

 

[213372bu]

Links. I demand Links.

Some of them, including my favorite, are being deleted but...

here are some of them

Can't tell if astroturf, overt fans, or both.

Edit : My new favorite :

This is a different Sonic game that we are used too, but it is also one of the greats. The music is very captivating and sets the mood of the levels, the character development is strong and interactions are comical., The gameplay is fun and intriguing with no bugs and the game looks fine as far as graphics are concerned. I love how you can also play as Amy, Knuckles, and Tails. The beginning level shows that although the a level can be small, there is a lot one can do within it. Metal Sonic I back as well, which is a character I always thought should sty consistent within Sonic games. I wrote this article because I saw all the hate Sonic has had over the years and he does not deserve it. I will stand up for Sonic!!!

 

[lonedigitalwolf]

SO...in Sanzaru, we trust?

Sanzaru is behind the 3DS version only AFAIK.

 

[Sinoox]

You know I almost don't blame them, Sonic will never win with critics even if the game is good. Colors, Generations, and Lost World all got fairly mediocre to horrible responses despite the fact they were great.

I have to say though... Sonic Boom doesn't look too hot.

 

[Hero of Legend]

OKAY, I now have permission to confirm copies ARE being sent out today, including to yours truly!

Expect my review of the Wii U version soon. My first ever professional review (well SonicStadium is my first gig), so wish me luck!

 

[jay]

It would be cool if journalists took it on themselves to buy the games they review to reinforce the notion that they are impartial and not merely a wing of publishers' PR departments. It is not cool to have a publisher purposefully hold back only one game because they know it's shitty.

 

[213372bu]

OKAY, I now have permission to confirm copies ARE being sent out today, including to yours truly!

Expect my review of the Wii U version soon. My first ever professional review (well SonicStadium is my first gig), so wish me luck!

I wish you luck!

Spoiler

To both your review and endurance of the game.

 

[Winterfang]

Obviously Sega just made this game to fill their 3 game exclusive deal with Nintendo. They oursource it to a cheap third party and are not treat it as an AAA Sonic game.

 

[chiimisu]

What a disaster.

 

[KingJolly]

Sonic 06 will be better than this

At least 06 had a good soundtrack. Boom has nothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VHnFwVskl0

 

[Drkirby]

The toilet is an awful place to put crappy video games, they just clog it. You have to treat them like dog shit and just place them outside in the garbage.

 

[AgentOtaku]

This.... Is.... Unreal

What a goddamned disaster and sad that this I just gonna further fuck over the IP after the legit Generations and Racing Transformed

SEGA, please...

 

[NintenDOMG]

The reviews on metacritic are hilarious.

People going in on their only review rating it a ten/ten because they enjoy the "variety of moves and exploration" of the "Wii U exclusive". They simply "can't understand the hate" as they love the "humor and quirkiness of the story." They love it so much that they "can't wait for the cartoon" and the "3DS companion".

Smh.

Not thinking like you is SO hilarious...
Let me guess, most of the people saying the game is huber crap didn't even played it.

 

[kess]

Summary of all the reviews I've read so far:

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

I know, right? In what other industry can these major players get away with openly hating their own customers?! If they put as much time and energy into making good products as they did trying to fuck us over, maybe they wouldn't need to hide their games from us (while asking us to pre-order). Such a fucking weird industry at times.

Whenever a crappy new horror movie comes out the press usually never get screening to go see it because they pretty much know their gonna get atrocious reviews. It's all about getting that no. 1 box office for that one weekend and then dropping out of the top 5 like dead weight.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

they had an amazing template with unleashed. Why didn't they just iterate on it?

 

[ArtHands]

But reviews are supposed to be done before the game comes out. How can you buy the game? Making sites pay for review code? That puts them more in danger of biting the hand that feeds them...

Are you for real? You want more of that Assassin's Creed Unity shit, that we hear about the messes after people throw away their money because nothing gets posted until the game is available to everybody?

I think you are missing his point. The publishers are not obligated to send in review copies of all their games to the reviewers.

Most of the time they did this is out of goodwill, build relationship with the reviewers and to market their games.

It is like condemning someone for not donating to a charity whereas everyone did.

 

[Choomp]

Hoo boy it's been a rough day for this kind of stuff. How did we lose the Sonic series so quickly like this

 

[shark sandwich]

This will finally be the game to dethrone Sonic 06.

 

[jnWake]

If anything this is a favour to journalists so they can skip playing the game.

 

[Einbroch]

At least Dragon Age seems pretty good.

 

[MYeager]

I've no problem with companies not sending out copies of their game to websites, there's no obligation to do so. There's also no obligation to provide any coverage of the game either. I'd just not bother with it.

 

[Log4Girlz]

On the flip side of the coin, not giving journos games for free is the best way to get an honest opinion about whether they think it's worth its price tag.

But let's go on promoting the idea that the consumer watchdogs should receive expensive gifts from the same people they're supposed to be a check on.

I honestly think consumers would be better off if no journalist accepted the benefit of early exclusive content in exchange for their written review.

Its about ethics in games journalism

 

[Frankenstrat]

Summary of all the reviews I've read so far:

It can't be as bad as 06 was, right?

 

[Demon Lizardman]

Watchin DSS stream, my god, these levels look incredibly generic and long and the music is so fucking mediocre.

 

[themagicalkitsune]

The reviews on metacritic are hilarious.

People going in on their only review rating it a ten/ten because they enjoy the "variety of moves and exploration" of the "Wii U exclusive". They simply "can't understand the hate" as they love the "humor and quirkiness of the story." They love it so much that they "can't wait for the cartoon" and the "3DS companion".

Smh.

they're quote trolling unquote.

 

[Snaku]

Watchin DSS stream, my god, these levels look incredibly generic and long and the music is so fucking mediocre.

Makes Knack look AAA.

 

[213372bu]

Not thinking like you is SO hilarious...
Let me guess, most of the people saying the game is huber crap didn't even played it.

I was referring to the fact of possible astroturfing.

Also, I have watched an hour + of content and have heard a plethora of other trusted impressions.
After hearing that this is about as Sonic '06, but not as laughably bad, I have no intention of purchasing this game.

they're quote trolling unquote.

Or that.
lol.

 

[th4tguy]

Hard to believe this is made by ex naughty dog guys

 

[NewGame]

Metacritic will not be kind...

 

[Haunted]

I don't think there's anything wrong with this per se, actually.

Of course they're trying to hide the poor quality of the game, but they're not required to send them out.


Now, the interesting question for me would be how to handle this as a review site. It's tempting to simply not review the game and shun it that way. On the other hand, you probably have some sort of obligation to warn people of a shit game (yet dozens of shit games do not get reviewed every week).

I'm kinda in the "just ignore" camp. Like many other shovelware titles releasing every week, it's probably just not worth the attention.

 

[MrCunningham]

It could be. I like Dave and have great memories of reading GameFan and fawning over Sega Saturn screengrabs for hours and reading Posty's column. But he has the jubilant, undying enthusiasm of a very young man when it comes to certain things. For better or worse.

Even during the GameFan years the guy was shady though. He used to create multiple persona's in GameFan just to boost review scores for games he was featuring in his Die Hard Gamers Club store (or whatever it was called) that would be featured in the back pages of the magazine. If you ever looked at the "Viewpoint" reviews in GameFan, sometimes you might see reviewers like "Skid" and E.Storm" give an almost identical score for a game... both those reviewers would be just Dave Halverson under different names.


Oh yeah, back on topic. I guess Sega has to make those Wii U sales somehow.

 

[entremet]

Isn't that the reason the magazine died?

No. Play was having a hard time getting advertisers. US game mags were on their way out as well.

 

[RagnarokX]

Why on earth would Sega not want people reviewing this ga...

Oooooh

 

[OnionPowder]

Sonic fans don't need review scores they'll just buy it anyways.

Why on earth would Sega not want people reviewing this ga...

Oooooh

wtf?

 

[7DollarHagane]

Well, I'm sure the game will get the attention it deserves.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

It's actually about ethics in games journalism

- Sega, 2014

 

[Lernaean]

Does Sega do anything right anymore?
Sigh.