Eurogamer Review Under Fire, Called Out for Not Playing Game

[modeps]

What is worse that a reviewer not spending more than a couple hours playing a game? A reviewer not spending anytime with a game! That is the allegation this morning over a Eurogamer review for Darkfall Online (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/darkfall-online-review). Commenters to the article are not particularly kind, pointing out many factual errors in the review. Even a Darkfall developer has made a post to their forums (http://forums.darkfallonline.com/showthread.php?t=185060) with this scathing information:

“When we read the hostile review by Ed Zitron, one thing became apparent: he had not played the game at all. Eurogamer readers and Darkfall players are posting bullet lists of factual errors in the story. The reviewer hadn’t even figured out the very basics of the game before he wrote about it. We checked the logs for the 2 accounts we gave Eurogamer and we found that one of them had around 3 minutes playtime, and the other had less than 2 hours spread out in 13 sessions,”
“Most of these 2 hours were spent in the character creator since during almost every one of the logins the reviewer spent the time creating a new character. The rest of the time was apparently spent taking the low-res screenshots that accompanied the article. At no point did this reviewer spend more than a few minutes online at a time.”

[Via DarkZero (http://darkzero.co.uk/game-news/eurogamer-called-out-by-developer-for-bad-review-journalist-alleged-to-have-not-played-game/)]

Is this a case of sour grapes by Darkfall folks, or a knock at Eurogamer's credibility?

[Vorge]

I think this must be the worst review ever writen. It's thoroughly under researched (even by MMO standard reviews), bitter, twisted and has not one jot of journalistic integrity.

The guy played the game for no more than 3 hours, most of that in the character creation screen, and he has the nerve to give the game 2/10? Most people I speak to who play DF admit to its faults, but point to the huge list of mistakes in the review and the seemingly intentional bias from the outset.

Of all the review sites out there I have always looked to Eurogamer to give a good review, but this is a serious blow to their integrity. I mean 2/10? It's beyond a joke.

[modeps]

And thanks to certain websites for stopping by and posting this story without giving proper credit to DarkZero (or us)!

[Exodus]

The real question is, even if the facts are wrong, is the game still a bad game?

I have a pretty good gut feeling that the game still sucks despite the 'incorrect facts'.

[ElfShotTheFood]

I guess they threatened to pull all their advertising from EG unless they got a re-review.

[modeps]

The real question is, even if the facts are wrong, is the game still a bad game?

I have a pretty good gut feeling that the game still sucks despite the 'incorrect facts'.

Great question. Right now Metacritic shows that Eurogamer is the only outlet to have reviewed the game.

[Mr.Green]

The real question is, even if the facts are wrong, is the game still a bad game?

I have a pretty good gut feeling that the game still sucks despite the 'incorrect facts'.

And your point is? That it's okay to review a game without playing it as long as you can safely assume it's pretty bad?

[modeps]

And your point is? That it's okay to review a game without playing it as long as you can safely assume it's pretty bad?

Well, its an MMO, and they're the first to review. MMOs in general are tough to review so *perhaps* he just got some facts wrong... and is still correct on his score.... maybe.

If the game is truly shit, and worthy of a 2/10, it could be seen as just a developer that's upset.

[Exodus]

And your point is? That it's okay to review a game without playing it as long as you can safely assume it's pretty bad?

No what I am saying however is that even if the review is wrong that doesn't automatically mean the game is good.

[modeps]

Eurogamer has responded (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/editors-blog-darkfall-aftermath-blog-entry):



Yesterday Eurogamer MMO published a review of Darkfall Online, scoring the game 2/10.

Several hours later, after a bit of email discussion, Aventurine responded on its forum, claiming the review was factually inaccurate and the reviewer had played the game for only two hours.

As I said to Tasos Flambouras from Aventurine yesterday, I take any feedback on our reviews - and especially this kind of response - extremely seriously. However, I disagree with Flambouras' depiction of events.

The reviewer in question, Ed Zitron, disputes the server logs that Aventurine presents as fact. According to the logs they supplied, Ed played the game for just over three hours. Ed says the logs miss out two crucial days and understate others, which suggests they are incomplete, and he insists he played the game for at least nine hours.

I did tell Flambouras - as he writes on the forum - that Ed is a contributor rather than a staff writer, but the implication is that I said this to distance Ed from Eurogamer. This is wrong. Ed Zitron has my full support.

As I told Flambouras, Ed's references and background are immaculate, as many PC Zone readers will attest. I also do not believe server logs are incontrovertible proof of the scenario Aventurine describes. Aventurine says Ed's response is a "lie", and demanded that I take down the review and issue a retraction, but I can't do that on the basis of the evidence presented.

Speaking as someone who hasn't played the game, questions of factual accuracy are more difficult for me to quantify (although the review thread has a crack, and you should read it if you're interested). It's also hard to judge from a distance whether two, nine or 50 hours would be appropriate to review Darkfall, as this clearly varies enormously from game to game.

That said, the passion with which Aventurine has attacked Ed's review is considerable, and the allegations obviously go a long way beyond arguing the toss. With this in mind, it seems only fair to take another look at Darkfall to supplement the review we've already published.

I've already contacted another one of our PC writers, Kieron Gillen, who has agreed to review Darkfall. Kieron is a vastly experienced, award-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of Rock, Paper, Shotgun. I'll publish his review as soon as it's ready, and we will see whether he agrees with Ed or not.

It's safe to say that we've learned some lessons from this episode, and they will be beneficial when it comes to future reviews. In the meantime, any and all discussion of the subject on the forums and comments threads is fine. Just as game developers have to deal with the response to their work, so too do we, and you've every right to criticise and debate it.

[Zander]

I did tell Flambouras - as he writes on the forum - that Ed is a contributor rather than a staff writer, but the implication is that I said this to distance Ed from Eurogamer. This is wrong. Ed Zitron has my full support.

...

I've already contacted another one of our PC writers, Kieron Gillen, who has agreed to review Darkfall. Kieron is a vastly experienced, award-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of Rock, Paper, Shotgun. I'll publish his review as soon as it's ready, and we will see whether he agrees with Ed or not.

Yeaaaaaaaah. That doesn't scream of "full support" to me. Full support would be "we stand by this reviewer and review, live with it".

Looking at the game again undermines his initial statements.

[brandonjclark]

I have some friends that are trying to get me into this game, and although some parts of it looks good (mainly the PVP side of things), I was going to wait for a review. Looks like I'll wait for another.

[Redline]

Oooooo! A game development shitstorm, just the thing to liven today up. :D

I don't play MMOs, but nine hours doesn't seem like enough review time for an MMO. An FPS? Sure, most of them don't last 9 hours, but not an MMO. So, best case scenario is that inadequate time has been spent with the game.

[Earth Djinn]

This reminds me of a review I read a couple of weeks back for Wheelman, in which the reviewer repeatedly referred to the game as being based on a movie (which doesn't exist) and not only that, he also claimed that the movie (which doesn't exist) was bad.

[gzsfrk]

This reminds me of a review I read a couple of weeks back for Wheelman, in which the reviewer repeatedly referred to the game as being based on a movie (which doesn't exist) and not only that, he also claimed that the movie (which doesn't exist) was bad.

That's hilarious. Do you have a link to that reveiw (unless it's already been pulled)?

I suppose the reviewer could have gotten confused and been thinking about "Transporter", perhaps? Jason Statham does sort of have that "British Vin Diesel" thing going. (Or maybe Vin has that "American Jason Statham" thing going? :) )

[Froggy]

They caught him, fair and square. Anyone who says otherwise has a serious logic impediment.

Now (let's hope) he has to pay for it.

[greenapple]

This reminds me of a review I read a couple of weeks back for Wheelman, in which the reviewer repeatedly referred to the game as being based on a movie (which doesn't exist) and not only that, he also claimed that the movie (which doesn't exist) was bad.

That seems like a pretty different situation: that's a reasonable mistake of opinion. Clearly, the guy had some movie in mind that he though sucked.

This is, if the allegations are true, is an intentional deceipt resulting from being lazy.

Hell, whether the second review agrees or disagrees with the original score is irrelevant. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. What's more important is whether the mistakes in this review clearly point to a fraudalent act of "journalism".

[Vandenh]

Some games need only a few minutes to find out if they suck... so, for me personally, time played is not a requirement for a review.

[greenapple]

Some games need only a few minutes to find out if they suck... so, for me personally, time played is not a requirement for a review.

Actually, there's a big difference between making a call that a game sucks (I agree with you, this can be done quickly some times) and writing a review.

A review ISN'T just about making a call on whether it sucks. A review is meant to allow others to make the same call, based on your writing.

There's a difference between just an opinion and a review.

[Exodus]

Actually, there's a big difference between making a call that a game sucks (I agree with you, this can be done quickly some times) and writing a review.

A review ISN'T just about making a call on whether it sucks. A review is meant to allow others to make the same call, based on your writing.

There's a difference between just an opinion and a review.

I can understand fraudulent journalism being a serious crime but I'm really interested in the game, not the journalism and if the bottom line is pretty much the same thing i could really care less. Bad journalism on a bad game is one thing, bad journalism on a good game(beyond good and evil i think?) totally something else.

[bean19]

They caught him, fair and square. Anyone who says otherwise has a serious logic impediment.

Now (let's hope) he has to pay for it.

Or they could be lying.

I certainly don't know one way or the other, but that's my point. I don't necessarily believe the writer is telling the truth and has played 9 hours (as he states), but I don't necessarily believe these developers who are unknown to me or supporters of the game on their beta forums.

The point I'm making is that Eurogamer AND Aventuria do not have credibility with me, so I do not favor one side of the argument or the other.

Having played a large number of absolutely awful independent MMOs and a very small number of independent MMOs that are worth playing even for short periods of time, I tend to believe that they will more than likely be terrible without reading a single review.

[greenapple]

I can understand fraudulent journalism being a serious crime but I'm really interested in the game, not the journalism and if the bottom line is pretty much the same thing i could really care less. Bad journalism on a bad game is one thing, bad journalism on a good game(beyond good and evil i think?) totally something else.

I disagree, both are unprofessional.

Remember, even bad games involve somebodies livelihood, sweat, and tears. That doesn't earn them a good score, but it does earn them a fair shake.

[Froggy]

Or they could be lying.


You're right. There's no way to tell from here. But it seems to me that falsifying the log data would be an easy lie to get caught in. There's also no motivation behind it. It's ad hominem, for sure, which makes it a bad argument. Still, I can't see them attacking from such a coarse front without having verified the logs.

[Wyrm]

How are the logs not sufficient evidence to damn that fucker to the bowels of internet hatred? And even if he did spend nine hours playing it, as he claims to have done, that isn't enough time for a massively multiplayer game to even get its hooks in you.

Yes, you can make a decision, based on your own experience, and decide twenty minutes in that you don't want to play any more because it is bad. But you don't have other people reliant on your review in order to make purchasing decisions.

And, if you're being given the opportunity to review the game early, it's a good idea to sort of know what you're talking about, considering that the hardcore defenders of the title will hold you to your bullshit, and Darkfall has an extremely hardcore group defending their beloved software.

Having played a bit of Darkfall myself, I can say with honesty that it is not nearly as bad as the reviewer would lead you to believe, and in fact, has many great ideas at its core, some of which are well-executed, others of which are not. Still, if I was forced to score it, based on my thirty or so hours during various states of beta access, I would give it a six or so out of ten. But I really hate to give scores, so instead, I'll say this: Darkfall is a fun, hardcore approach to the MMO, where skill and perception are more paramount to your success than the numbers game that usually goes on behind the scenes.

So, in my opinion, the guy who wrote the article ought to be ejected from a shuttle in low orbit with no space suit. I'm not sure how you can take the word of a game reviewer over the actual server logs from the game, and I'm not saying that we should believe Adventurine just because they say so, but it seems like it's his word against theirs, and they have the better evidence.

[MacD]

modeps, shame on you.

You have no qualms at all over editorialising in your news posts. You never have in the past. Yet here you pull a FoxNews worthy byline of 'reporting the controversy' in a case where there is none.

This is a gaming website. There should be ire and anger at a review site which pulls shit like that; no matter the quality of the game (why does that enter into the discussion at all? It's totally irrelevant to the question at hand), the facts remain that the review had such glaring errors that they are not errors anymore: they are lies: made up facts. Things which are not true.

And that's beside the fact that even nine hours playing an MMO is not enough to form a correct verdict (which is one of the reasons we rely on QUALITY reviewing and it is that much worse when we are misled by someone who does not review correctly; it's our money and time at stake when we rely on reviews). Nine hours of WoW or EVE or CoH is not enough for a review which scratches the edge of the game. It's barely enough to be able to say if the game is (un)stable or what the graphics are like.

It's pretty obvious the reviewer fucked up and hardly played the game (how much 'hardly' is irrelevant when 'hardly' equates to 'not enough'). His lies are damning enough. And then it gets posted here with the byline 'the earth, round of flat?' as if there is an argument possible? As a gaming website, the answer is obvious. Or at least it should be.

Unless the website in question is more and more driven by payed for blogging, posting and product placement (that Pespi/Mountain dew thing on teh mainpage last. Really? A new Pepsi? On a gaming website? How much did they pay you for that one?), in which case I can imagine you might think there is a blurred line. Thing is, that line isn't blurred at all; it is very clear here: the reviewer didnt play the game in any sense a real gamer would recognise. And you, modeps, ask the reader if the reviewer wasn't maybe correct notwitstanding?

Bad journalism on a bad game is one thing, bad journalism on a good game(beyond good and evil i think?) totally something else.

NO IT'S NOT. Bad reviewing is BAD, period! The reason being that you can't distinguish between the two....a glowing reviwe of a bad/good game and a bad review of a bad/good game is exactly the same: untrustworthy. But you wouldn't, couldn't know the difference without playing the game! The exact analogy: is torture maybe a good thing? No, it is unarguably bad. The argument has been had, concluded, done with, ages ago.
Oh, and BG&E was never badly reviewed...it was a critical suiccess but sold badly nontheless.

[baz]

I think Eurogamer's response seems reasonable. I'll be interested in seeing more reviews come in.

[AlmostSente]

No matter what score the game actually deserves, the review was obviously not written by a professional reviewer / journalist. I've seen worse reviews but usually not from a big/respectable source like EG.

Call me old fashioned but even for a bad game I expect a thorough review where the journalist behind it "suffered" through at least a few days of hardcore gaming before writing his review. For an MMO I would like to see at least a few weeks of play time...

[Demo_Boy]

This is every developers nightmare.

First review on Metacritic? Check.
Shit review score? Check.
Reviewer didn't take the trouble to understand the game? Check.

Trend result: Damage done. Game sales in the shitter. Company may as well close up shop while theres any liquidity left to pay employees.

Its crap like this that happens all the time and fucks up developers doing good work. You have to work for a media darling to get protection. EA/Ubi/MS I'm looking at you

[Exodus]

This is every developers nightmare.

First review on Metacritic? Check.
Shit review score? Check.
Reviewer didn't take the trouble to understand the game? Check.

Trend result: Damage done. Game sales in the shitter. Company may as well close up shop while theres any liquidity left to pay employees.

Its crap like this that happens all the time and fucks up developers doing good work. You have to work for a media darling to get protection. EA/Ubi/MS I'm looking at you

That's why i'm interested in if the game is actually good or not. If it's good then there will be a ruckus that is truly just and a crusade there shall be but if the game sucks regardless of the misinformation. In the end though if the game sucks it doesn't matter why it sucks if it still sucks even if the corrections are made.

[Vorge]

If you like sandbox FFA PVP games then this is supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread. However, even those in my guild who love Darkfall admit that they are basically paying for an open Beta at the moment, but none the less claim DF is the next AC or UO (or Ralos Zek depending on how you grew up). If you like WOW you're unlikely to like DF, but if you're a fan of UO and understtand the beauty of a game with FFA and loot drop, and all teh associated politics which go alongside it, then DF will do wonders for your soul.

[Vorge]

Oh, and apparently someone made a Eurogamer guild in DF. Thye didn't survive too long:

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/1433/wardec.jpg

[bean19]

NO IT'S NOT. Bad reviewing is BAD, period! The reason being that you can't distinguish between the two....a glowing reviwe of a bad/good game and a bad review of a bad/good game is exactly the same: untrustworthy. But you wouldn't, couldn't know the difference without playing the game! The exact analogy: is torture maybe a good thing? No, it is unarguably bad. The argument has been had, concluded, done with, ages ago.
Oh, and BG&E was never badly reviewed...it was a critical suiccess but sold badly nontheless.

Here's the thing though, do any of you really trust Eurogamer reviews anyway? I put a little faith in Gametrailers and used to put quite a bit in Gamespot before they started firing people who gave bad reviews to major investors. A Eurogamer review does nothing for me.

[F3nyx]

MMOs suck absolutely without exception so yeah, up the irons to that guy.

[Earth Djinn]

http://palgn.com.au/playstation-3/14155/the-wheelman-review/

That's the review I talked about in case anyone still cares.

[bean19]

MMOs suck absolutely without exception so yeah, up the irons to that guy.

Hax0r-spelled Phoenix has shared his opinion of all MMOs, so let that be the final word. All this reasoned discussion about journalistic integrity should cease in light of this profound expert opinion.

[F3nyx]

Hax0r-spelled Phoenix has shared his opinion of all MMOs, so let that be the final word. All this reasoned discussion about journalistic integrity should cease in light of this profound expert opinion.

Yeah I got this name back when leetspeak and this site were still cool and relevant. Now it's like I'm wearing a mullet in a hipster bar because I just don't give a fuck. Would you like to share the origins of your name with us?

[bean19]

Leetspeak was not cool and relevant in Feb 2005, but I wasn't making fun of your handle. I was making fun of what you did with it.

[Meusli]

My names the coolest out of everyone's so shove it you two. :P

[F3nyx]

Leetspeak was not cool and relevant in Feb 2005, but I wasn't making fun of your handle. I was making fun of what you did with it.

I didn't get it in 05. I started using it here in like 2000 or 2001, when it was marginally more relevant than it is now.

My names the coolest out of everyone's so shove it you two. :P

Deliberate misspelling?

[silv]

Leetspeak was never cool.

[Dag-Sabot]

Leetspeak was never cool.Not to mention annoying as hell.

[Meusli]

Deliberate misspelling?

Sort of, I spelt it wrong when I was a little school boy(it was my nickname) and have continued to spell it like this out of habit.