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[jxN3]

That's very disgusting behavior from 2K. Also, I must admit I am very disappointed The Sixth Axis complied. Or is tentatively complying by changing it to a review in progress.

I mean from a business standpoint, I understand why they complied. Let's be honest, Sixth Axis are the little guys out here. IGN would never be in this position because 2K wouldn't be dumb enough to blacklist the biggest publication in games.

Losing access to early preview events, interviews and review copies really only hurts Sixth Axis. The only reason 2K gives a shit enough to contact them is because it's hurting their precious Metacritic score, and they know they can bully them because they are a smaller publication.

Again, if this means 2K and Take-Two as a whole, that could be really damaging for a smaller publication.

Straight up taking their lunch money. Shit is gross.

 

[hawk2025]

We need microtransactions regulation, and we need it now.

I’m strangely not opposed to stuff like this for ridiculous review scores.

I don’t even play 2K Sports games but I still fucking hate intentionally over the top low review scores.

I personally don’t feel microtransactions are a reason to give a review score normally reserved for broken games.

That's all well and good, but how you personally feel is irrelevant -- the reviewer felt like the microtransactions effectively breaks the game. It's not up to you to suppress that opinion.

 

[Diablohead]

I'd point part of the blame at the six axis editor, he or she has agreed to pull down the review when they could just leave it up and tell 2k to go home.

 

[FunkyDealer]

I’m strangely not opposed to stuff like this for ridiculous review scores.

I don’t even play 2K Sports games but I still fucking hate intentionally over the top low review scores.

I personally don’t feel microtransactions are a reason to give a review score normally reserved for broken games.

1 or 2 would be broken. 3 is "rather bad". At least if you use 5 as mediocre. Which one should.

 

[Kintaro]

I blame Ronnie2k.*

Spoiler

This goes far above the head of a Community Manager, but fuck Ronnie.

3/10 is too low. Save that score for a busted game that barely functions. 2K18 is a fun basketball experience with greedy microtransactions.

MT has busted this franchise for a while now.

Low reviews, low metacritic and lower sales are the only thing that will cause change.

 

[adj_noun]

Someone light up the Jim Sterling signal

 

[OrlanisWorks]

Jim Sterling did some talking about this VC shit as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9gwtmcB_TM

So it does sound like they really want you to purchase VC. Playing hundreds of games to reach that level 99? That sounds like dozens of repetitive hours that would turn the fun of the gameplay to absolute mulch.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Well, they absolutely are a reason if they hurt the game as much as they are here.

The score is deserved.

I do play 2K Sports games. They SIGNIFICANTLY decrease my enjoyment of the game.

What modes to they significantly affect?

 

[OdysseusVA]

Disgusting

2K pressuring and the editor caving. Stand by your staff.

 

[Greatest Ever]

I hope no one thinks this hasn't been always entirely possible and that the review kits reviewers get really don't affect scores for games.

This medium's critical process is a joke, because reviewers can't do shit to big companies in terms of ethics or business practices.

 

[gogosox82]

Disgusting. They should put it up with 1/10 score just because 2k is trying to strong arm them into changing the score.

Edit: if the editor is reading. Do not cave to the pressure 2k is putting on you. Stand by your reviewer and trust his judgement.

 

[Uno Venova]

What modes to they significantly affect?

Every single one lol

 

[Carlius]

I’m strangely not opposed to stuff like this for ridiculous review scores.

I don’t even play 2K Sports games but I still fucking hate intentionally over the top low review scores.

I personally don’t feel microtransactions are a reason to give a review score normally reserved for broken games.

come on man...

 

[Belker]

This is very troubling. Someone writing a review of a product should not have to amend it or edit it, unless there's a compelling reason to do so, for example factual inaccuracies.

I think it's far better if reviewers are able to rent or buy the games they review, so they do not have to worry about harming a relationship with publishers or developers by being negative about a title.

Not that they should ever be taking the relationship into account when reviewing a title.

 

[ZeoVGM]

What modes to they significantly affect?

So you haven't even read the review but you decided to post in the thread about it to complain that the score is unfair.

 

[NHale]

I'm strangely not opposed to stuff like this for ridiculous review scores.

I don't even play 2K Sports games but I still fucking hate intentionally over the top low review scores.

I personally don't feel microtransactions are a reason to give a review score normally reserved for broken games.

So you don't play or know the game but even then you claim it's a "intentionally over the top low review score"?

Now imagine if Forza 7 releases and you go to play multiplayer or career mode just to find out that every car you drive only reaches 100kph. If you want to unlock more speed you have to spend real money in microtransactions. Still don't find a reason to give the game a bad review because of that?

 

[Jawbreaker]

Tell your editor to to quit being a chump.

 

[shira]

Crazy the pull these videogame companies have over the reviewers.

I can't even imagine something like this happening to a movie review.

 

[FinalStageBoss]

Whoever did this at 2K is garbage tbh. I'm done with their games.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

So you haven't even read the review but you decided to post in the thread about it to complain that the score is unfair.

So you don't play or know the game but even then you claim it's a "intentionally over the top low review score"?

Now imagine if Forza 7 releases and you go to play multiplayer or career mode just to find out that every car you drive only reaches 100kph. If you want to unlock more speed you have to spend real money in microtransactions. Still don't find a reason to give the game a bad review because of that?

5/10 is still a “bad” review score that would more accurately reflect the reviewers disdain for microtransactions. Or 6/10.

3/10 indicates a broken game. I just read that review. He flat out says the actual game itself is great. He just hates how much the VC creeps into most parts of the game.

That’s not 3/10 to me. That’s 5 at worst.

 

[Jagsrock]

I’m strangely not opposed to stuff like this for ridiculous review scores.

I don’t even play 2K Sports games but I still fucking hate intentionally over the top low review scores.

I personally don’t feel microtransactions are a reason to give a review score normally reserved for broken games.

Since you don't play them let me explain. It's not over the top. The Microtransactions directly impact the gameplay and enjoyment.
They literally lock game progression behind a big fat wall of VC that they award you at a snails pace. You start out with a shit player in Myplayer and have to grind grind grind grind just to become decent. Not to mention all customization requires it too. It's a total cash grab that's everything that's wrong with microtransactions and encourages pay 2 win. It completely sucks the fun out the mode people used to love.

 

[Greatest Ever]

3/10 is bad, not broken.

 

[ethomaz]

That is ridiculous.

 

[Charles Brandon]

Dead Space 3 really fucked the industry

 

[NullPointer]

2K fucked up and raised the macrotransaction heat a little too quick, and some of the frogs are jumping out of the water.

Give this shit an inch, and they will take a mile. Guaranteed.

If these schemes disgusted the reviewer enough to give it a 3/10, that's just how it goes. These are subjective metrics, and personal ones, and only need to have the reasoning spelled out in the review to be 'appropriate'.

 

[Saganator]

Fuck NBA2k. I bought NBA2k14 because of all the glowing reviews. I don't even like basketball. I loved 2k14 for a few days and then the VC shit made itself known. I won't touch the NBA2k 10 foot pole now. I hope this story blows up and 2k gets massive blow back, it's the only way it'll ever get better. The reviewer should send a bigger fuck you and drop the score to a 2.5.

 

[Dre3001]

Im honestly surprised this is gaining this much traction now. 2k has been doing this VC garbage since atleast 2k10.

This is a long time coming.

 

[theWB27]

5/10 is still a “bad” review score that would more accurately reflect the reviewers disdain for microtransactions. Or 6/10.

3/10 indicates a broken game. I just read that review. He flat out says the actual game itself is great. He just hates how much the VC creeps into most parts of the game.

That’s not 3/10 to me. That’s 5 at worst.

You need to stop. The VC system directly affects enjoyment and quality of play. It straight shits on a players ability to enjoy the game if they don't grind all day. A casual player that wants to do myplayer cannot progress at a reasonable pace.

What makes it worse is they even hide features like putting your own face on a player behind modes that require VC. That goes from moves for a created player also.

There's modes I cannot play because I refuse to mess with VC.

 

[CazTGG]

2K/10.

 

[SURGEdude]

Man they both look so bad with this move.

 

[RichiRamjag]

I’m strangely not opposed to stuff like this for ridiculous review scores.

I don’t even play 2K Sports games but I still fucking hate intentionally over the top low review scores.

I personally don’t feel microtransactions are a reason to give a review score normally reserved for broken games.

I do. They’re straight up the reason I skipped the game this year.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Since you don't play them let me explain. It's not over the top. The Microtransactions directly impact the gameplay and enjoyment.
They literally lock game progression behind a big fat wall of VC that they award you at a snails pace. You start out with a shit player in Myplayer and have to grind grind grind grind just to become decent. Not to mention all customization requires it too. It's a total cash grab that's everything that's wrong with microtransactions and encourages pay 2 win. It completely sucks the fun out the mode people used to love.

I’m not saying the microtransactions aren’t bad. I’m also not saying they don’t affect the game. I’m saying I believe 3/10 is over the top. To me, 3/10 suggests are broken or really poor game which this (by the reviewers own admission) isn’t.

A 5/10 or 6/10 to me, would be a more accurate score that balances the reviewers hate for VC with the quality of the game itself.

 

[ZeoVGM]

5/10 is still a “bad” review score that would more accurately reflect the reviewers disdain for microtransactions. Or 6/10.

3/10 indicates a broken game. I just read that review. He flat out says the actual game itself is great. He just hates how much the VC creeps into most parts of the game.

That’s not 3/10 to me. That’s 5 at worst.

You didn't play the game.

 

[ASaiyan]

I'm sure this review would be welcomed with open arms at Giant Bomb.

I thought this kind of disgusting behavior was left in 2007. Then again, this is Take Two, right? The people who hired detectives to stalk and intimidate modders? How have they not been burned by the law yet.

 

[Liamc723]

I’m not saying the microtransactions aren’t bad. I’m also not saying they don’t affect the game. I’m saying I believe 3/10 is over the top. To me, 3/10 suggests are broken or really poor game which this (by the reviewers own admission) isn’t.

A 5/10 or 6/10 to me, would be a more accurate score that balances the reviewers hate for VC with the quality of the game itself.

The virtual currency breaks the game's progression and accessibility?

 

[Neptonic]

Never back down from your score if you truly believe a game deserves it

 

[DoubleTake]

I’m not saying the microtransactions aren’t bad. I’m also not saying they don’t affect the game. I’m saying I believe 3/10 is over the top. To me, 3/10 suggests are broken or really poor game which this (by the reviewers own admission) isn’t.

A 5/10 or 6/10 to me, would be a more accurate score that balances the reviewers hate for VC with the quality of the game itself.

Who really gives a damn about the scores except for publishers. The problem here isnt the review score that was given, the problem is the publisher trying to censor the reviewer and bury the problem which garnered the review score.

 

[Ristifer]

I’m not saying the microtransactions aren’t bad. I’m also not saying they don’t affect the game. I’m saying I believe 3/10 is over the top. To me, 3/10 suggests are broken or really poor game which this (by the reviewers own admission) isn’t.

A 5/10 or 6/10 to me, would be a more accurate score that balances the reviewers hate for VC with the quality of the game itself.

How would you even know though? You haven't played the game.

Don't you think it would also seem ridiculous if they gave it a 10/10, and you ended up arguing that it wasn't a perfect game, even if you hadn't yet played it? The reviewer felt the microtransactions significantly hampered their enjoyment of the game. So, it's a 3/10 for them.

 

[Htown]

uh oh, are we about to get another one of these?

5/10 is still a ”bad" review score that would more accurately reflect the reviewers disdain for microtransactions. Or 6/10.

3/10 indicates a broken game. I just read that review. He flat out says the actual game itself is great. He just hates how much the VC creeps into most parts of the game.

That's not 3/10 to me. That's 5 at worst.

and if you wrote a review, you could give it a 5

when you read somebody else's review, you're getting their opinion. not yours.

i know this could be confusing if you're used to only reading reviews you agree with.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Then i won't even think of buying this. That's ugly

 

[Stabby McSter]

5/10 is still a “bad” review score that would more accurately reflect the reviewers disdain for microtransactions. Or 6/10.

3/10 indicates a broken game. I just read that review. He flat out says the actual game itself is great. He just hates how much the VC creeps into most parts of the game.

That’s not 3/10 to me. That’s 5 at worst.

vc breaks the game

 

[Z3M0G]

Holy shit... so if they change the system for the better, the review may go up. But if they change nothing, the 3/10 returns.

This is good! And crazy... its probably the one review keeping the meta score below a target goal, so they are considering rebalancing the game.

Its insane enough that meta score is directly tied to developer/publisher bonuses... but if it changes the game for the better, bring it!

 

[NHale]

Holy shit... so if they change the system for the better, the review may go up. But if they change nothing, the 3/10 returns.

This is good! And crazy... its probably the one review keeping the meta score below a target goal, so they are considering rebalancing the game.

Its insane enough that meta score is directly tied to developer/publisher bonuses... but if it changes the game for the better, bring it!

Sure they are. They are just going to remove all VC from the game to please The Sixth Axis.

 

[Z3M0G]

Sure they are. They are just going to remove all VC from the game to please The Sixth Axis.

They could be considering how much VC to award in-game that would have reviewer bump the score to a 5 or whatever.

 

[GiantBreadbug]

Pretty despicable shit from 2K and this editor. If you call yourself an editor and you had a problem with the review before it was published, that was the time to do something. Not after the game publisher tries to push you around.

What a joke.

 

[OriginalJonty]

I'm going to step in real quick before bed.

So at TSA we're all just guys who do the video game stuff outside our day jobs. While some of us have some media training the site doesn't generate the kind of cash that allows us to do this full time. We're no IGN, Kotaku or Eurogamer.

That said I will support my editor's decision precisely because no one here including myself knows what has been said between the parties involved.

Have blacklists been threatened? I don't know.

Will the review score change? I don't know. Though my personal position is if the game doesn't ease up on the VC then it won't.

Honestly while the aim was to help highlight the issue, like Kotaku and Jim Sterling have, I don't think anyone at TSA thought it would get this much attention.

Just like you we're waiting on a statement from 2K. Just like you we don't know what will be said or what changes will be announced, if any. Right now I can't shed anymore light on the situation.

 

[Inuhanyou]

sixth axis is the new gamespot. caving to pressure is not cool

 

[Tiger Mask]

Barring a case of libel, an editor should always stand by his or her writer. This is bad and is driven by TSA's desire to maintain a good working relationship with 2K.

Small sites like these live on game companies sending free copies/codes to them.

The issues of this being a "protest score" is a quality of the publication issue, and if it is defended in the writing, should not matter. If it was a principled "I hate all games participating in microtransactions" stance, that would be different.

 

[NHale]

They could be considering how much VC to award in-game that would have reviewer bump the score to a 5 or whatever.

Do you think 2K actually care now that they managed to make The Sixth Axis look weak and the editor actually accepting to remove a score that was posted based on empty promises?

2K already won this particular battle. The editor of Sixth Axis undermined his own review by allowing this to happen, it doesn't look "legit" since apparently Sixth Axis turned a fixed review score into a review in progress after 2K called... it should be noted the official release of the game was 1 week ago, this isn't review in progress territory. Everyone has their own right to give the current product an actual final review, since they sold the current version into the public, if they patched after that tough luck.

Did The Sixth Axis changed Rainbow Six Siege review score after each Operation is launched?

 

[HelloNewman]

They should score it low I'm sick of buying 60 dollar games with mobile game monetization.