Eurogamer why our Starfield: review will be late (DF unaffected and will be on time)

Bernoulli

M2 slut
All UK sites seem affected
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Axios too


UPDATE: they just received a code


Just two days away from Starfield's review embargo, Eurogamer is still to receive a copy of the game from Bethesda.

No publisher is obligated to provide a copy of their game to us, but it is important we are able to be transparent with you, our readers, about the delay this will have on the Eurogamer coverage you expect, especially as it has become clear that copies of the game are abundant elsewhere, and in particular in the US.


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Access to the game appears to have been heavily restricted in the UK, where Bethesda has also not provided copies of Starfield to other websites and YouTube channels owned by Eurogamer parent company Reedpop. Meanwhile, some other UK outlets have been provided access through Bethesda's US arm.


Throughout the past two weeks, since copies of the game were made available to the media, I've spent hours trying to discuss the issue with Bethesda, and the matter has been repeatedly flagged to both Bethesda and Microsoft at senior levels.

Lastly, a note on Digital Foundry. You should expect to see relatively prompt coverage of the game by Rich and his team after a separate delivery of Starfield code was provided to them. However, this was provided alongside instruction to me by Bethesda that no other parts of Eurogamer were granted access. This was an unprecedented request, but one I ultimately felt compelled to honour to ensure the access granted to Digital Foundry was not subsequently impacted by any other mandate.

 
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Was expecting it to be a delayed review so they can check if a producer said something controversial on twitter first.
 
No performance reviews from DF then....


Lastly, a note on Digital Foundry. You should expect to see relatively prompt coverage of the game by Rich and his team after a separate delivery of Starfield code was provided to them. However, this was provided alongside instruction to me by Bethesda that no other parts of Eurogamer were granted access.



DF is fine, fuck eurogamer - Zenimax

Performance must suck then, they're afraid of DF roasting them.

I'll take "Posts that age terribly before even made" for $100, Alec.
 
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Skill up also did not get a copy.
That's not a good look not giving Skillup a review copy. Seems like they gave review copies to outlets and people they know will give them the highest metacritic on day 1, then eventually others with review the game and the metacritic will be more accurate. I could be completely wrong but that's what it seems like
 
Eurogamer, VG247 and RockPaperShotgun have all been shitting on the game in their articles for months.

Bethesda apparantly also has an issue with the parent company of all these websites, ReedPOP.

What that issue is, we don't know.

But when VG247 writes shit like this in their articles

Assassin's Creed, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, The Outer Worlds just to name a few. All of those games are basically Bethesda spin-offs.

Who can blame them?
 
Edge aswell.



Tbh both these publications should never be given review codes by anyone.

One uses their reviews to push their agenda the other one is pretentious.
 
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I love this. Blacklisted media outlets publishing articles crying that they've been denied early access to any publisher's game is always so satisfying. It's the most comically un-self aware shit. Just dripping entitlement. All of these gaming websites started as just fan enthusiast blogs that started generating revenue and none of them are owed early (or any) free access to any game. They should publish an article every time they do get an early review code thanking the publisher. Should be the exception, not the rule. These people should be out there buying the game on day one like the rest of us and I don't care if that means their review goes up a week or two after launch. Kotaku (unsurpsingly) does this same shit.
 
That's not a good look not giving Skillup a review copy. Seems like they gave review copies to outlets and people they know will give them the highest metacritic on day 1, then eventually others with review the game and the metacritic will be more accurate. I could be completely wrong but that's what it seems like

Yes it looks like a big red flag. Or alternatively the game is great but Microsoft are seriously petty which is unbecoming for such a big company.
 
Yes it looks like a big red flag. Or alternatively the game is great but Microsoft are seriously petty which is unbecoming for such a big company.
While I agree, there was a point when Bethesda didn't send review copies to anyone:

 
I know Bethesda blacklisted Kotaku because of the fallout 4 leak of it being based in Boston. But what's the backstory on Eurogamer being blacklisted by Bethesda?

This must be a story I haven't heard yet.
 
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Yes it looks like a big red flag. Or alternatively the game is great but Microsoft are seriously petty which is unbecoming for such a big company.
Are they or are they ignoring shit publications like EG who did not review Harry Potter because of 'issues'

Or someone cried because you could look up Ashleys skirt in RE4
 
Their reviews are shit anyway. FFXVI had this shite globbed in the middle
The world is also conspicuous for its ethnic homogeneity, which producer Naoki Yoshida has explained as a reflection of the "geographical, technological, and geopolitical constraints" of medieval Europe. Leaving aside the fact that there were Black and brown people in medieval Europe, this justification rings hollow given that several locations take open inspiration from north Africa and the Middle East, with towns that, for example, riff on Islamic architectural traditions and attire, but are predominantly or exclusively populated by anglophone white people (I hedge, here, simply because I haven't been around and talked to everybody). I find the deletion of people of colour from these spaces more sinister than the racial stereotypes of older Final Fantasies, particularly in a game that wants to talk about overcoming structural injustice and bringing people together. That "togetherness" is worth fighting for, but it's characterised here by what it excludes.

They shit all over Kingdom Come: Deliverance and the game's rep really tanked because of it.
 
Are they or are they ignoring shit publications like EG who did not review Harry Potter because of 'issues'

Or someone cried because you could look up Ashleys skirt in RE4

Microsoft are at least as 'woke' as EG in that regard so they probably agreed with that dumb RE4 reviewer.
 
This is a bad look on Digital Foundry. They have always been chummy with MS and this reeks of favoritism.

Also no loyalty from rich towards his parent company lmao.
 
Microsoft are at least as 'woke' as EG in that regard so they probably agreed with that dumb RE4 reviewer.

Im not saying they are ignoring them because of woke issues, but because the publications are trash.

This is a bad look on Digital Foundry. They have always been chummy with MS and this reeks of favoritism.

Also no loyalty from rich towards his parent company lmao.

Todd has stated multiple times that he respects DF's work and how everyone in the industry watches their videos.
 
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This is a bad look on Digital Foundry. They have always been chummy with MS and this reeks of favoritism.

Also no loyalty from rich towards his parent company lmao.

Rich did the Hogwarts Legacy video, Eurogamer boycotted the review.

I don't think there's a loyalty aspect here.
 
Eurogamer, VG247 and RockPaperShotgun have all been shitting on the game in their articles for months.

Bethesda apparantly also has an issue with the parent company of all these websites, ReedPOP.

What that issue is, we don't know.

But when VG247 writes shit like this in their articles



Who can blame them?

So you're openly supporting publishers fucking around with free and open journalism because they've published something you don't like?
 
Hahaha petty Microsoft punishing the CMA for not supporting their merger. So childish.

I feel sorry for UK game review sites that have to deal with this. But, when a mega corp is told no, this is the kind of behavior they opt for.
 
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So you're openly supporting publishers fucking around with free and open journalism because they've published something you don't like?
Publishers are free to send out review codes to whomever they want. This has nothing to do with free and open journalism you crybaby.
 
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