Do publishers pay for review scores?

I have heard a number of people on these forums state this as if it is a fact. First off do you belive it to be factual?

And is there real proof behind these claims, any evidence at all. I know there was the report of Battlefield 3 supposedly paying a publication in a European country for a review score, but it seems that many people beleive Activision is clearly paying for review scores.

Just curious

Not directly I believe, but it is just like newspapers. Indirectly some sort of disagreement can be solved by removing advertising and therefore revenue for those websites. Or even by refusing to let future products to be reviewed after.

Of course not. They make threats and force them to pay them a percentage to maintain their sites stability. Gamespot is the most stubborn about it -- hench, the amount of bugs and glitches it suffers from every other week as a warning for noncompliance.

I have heard a number of people on these forums state this as if it is a fact. First off do you belive it to be factual?

And is there real proof behind these claims, any evidence at all. I know there was the report of Battlefield 3 supposedly paying a publication in a European country for a review score, but it seems that many people beleive Activision is clearly paying for review scores.

Just curious

hkhatir

[QUOTE="hkhatir"]

I have heard a number of people on these forums state this as if it is a fact. First off do you belive it to be factual?

And is there real proof behind these claims, any evidence at all. I know there was the report of Battlefield 3 supposedly paying a publication in a European country for a review score, but it seems that many people beleive Activision is clearly paying for review scores.

Just curious

gameofthering

I don't know if paying is the right word, but if you look around at anything game related, there's surely a ton of money surrounding MW3s release.

[QUOTE="hkhatir"]

I have heard a number of people on these forums state this as if it is a fact. First off do you belive it to be factual?

And is there real proof behind these claims, any evidence at all. I know there was the report of Battlefield 3 supposedly paying a publication in a European country for a review score, but it seems that many people beleive Activision is clearly paying for review scores.

Just curious

gameofthering

How is that going to answer anything?

Some publishers bribe for scores, others don't. In this world where Metacritic scores can determine profits and salaries it's something that will inevitably happen.

All of them do.

Some are just more obvious about their bribes than others.

the only 2 game i believe that paid for review is mgs4 and gta4.

for gta4 maybe its me but the game is crap.

for mgs4 the game is good but the graphics are crap and yet it recieve the graphics award.

if that elmo game got a 10/10 it would still be the same as it getting 8.0

the audience of the game are to dumb to make a gamespot account.

I doubt any bodys grandma has a gamespot account.

these days its adverts and public awareness that boosts sells.

You dont hear much people talking about mortal kombat.

the only 2 game i believe that paid for review is mgs4 and gta4.

for gta4 maybe its me but the game is crap.

for mgs4 the game is good but the graphics are crap and yet it recieve the graphics award.

pc-ps360

[QUOTE="pc-ps360"]

the only 2 game i believe that paid for review is mgs4 and gta4.

for gta4 maybe its me but the game is crap.

for mgs4 the game is good but the graphics are crap and yet it recieve the graphics award.

free_milk

not it wanst ever since i played it, i still hav the cd also. the graphics felt so bad and outdated adn washed out, maybe i was expecting too much but i dislike the graphics

I'm sure it has happened, there's corruption everywhere, and it's not like game reviewers are too rich or virtuous to be bribed. Directly paying off reviewers is a bit risky though, you never know who's gonna blow the whistle. I think it's more likely they just try to influence them other ways, arranging review events in hotels, bying ad space, giving early review copies, exclusive interviews etc.

Activision flies reviewers out to resorts just to let them review the game on site... so yes, they do it, just indirectly. Chances are I'm betting, CoD8 is going to get 9.0 here.foxhound_fox

Yah, and there's been plenty of reported instances of other companies doing similar things, or offering gift packages.

And let's all not forget the reason Giantbomb exists :D

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]Activision flies reviewers out to resorts just to let them review the game on site... so yes, they do it, just indirectly. Chances are I'm betting, CoD8 is going to get 9.0 here.SW__Troll

Yah, and there's been plenty of reported instances of other companies doing similar things, or offering gift packages.

And let's all not forget the reason Giantbomb exists :D

Yes, many publishers do. Especially when releasing big titles.

These is what the media experienced:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/01/what-we-and-activision-learned-from-modern-warfare-2.ars
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/11/modern-warfare-2-reviews-behind-the-scenes-of-early-access-1.ars

I'm sure everybody knows Bungie was sending out gift baskets...but I'm not sure about others.

[QUOTE="free_milk"][QUOTE="pc-ps360"]

the only 2 game i believe that paid for review is mgs4 and gta4.

for gta4 maybe its me but the game is crap.

for mgs4 the game is good but the graphics are crap and yet it recieve the graphics award.

pc-ps360

not it wanst ever since i played it, i still hav the cd also. the graphics felt so bad and outdated adn washed out, maybe i was expecting too much but i dislike the graphics

Not directly at least as far as I know. There is evidence of games with a lot of advertising on a website getting a higher score than the average though I'm pretty sure. There's of course the super special reviewer only editions of a lot of games. There's the Activision MW2 thing posted earlier in this thread. There's the Bungie gift baskets. There's the EA blacklist for Battlefield 3. There's Giantbomb. So yes, I'd say there's plenty of evidence that indirectly at least, publishers influence review scores.

Of course not. They make threats and force them to pay them a percentage to maintain their sites stability. Gamespot is the most stubborn about it -- hench, the amount of bugs and glitches it suffers from every other week as a warning for noncompliance.

TecmoGirl

They do when a game you don't like gets high scores.