There is a level of consumer advice when it comes to games magazines, for many people that’s the whole point of review sites. I think too many in the industry don’t realise this and are overly comfortable with the free swag and special treatment they often get from PR people and even games companies themselves. The shadier practices – such as those exposed by Rab Florence on Eurogamer – need to continue to be exposed. The press packs and goody bags need to go, it should simply be review copies of the game and nothing else…anything else received should be given to Child’s Play or some other charitable cause. PR people need to be kept entirely separate from the editorial staff. By all means they should be able to facilitate coverage of their games, but not by cosying up directly to those who are supposed to be evaluating the game. In the wake of the Eurogamer fiasco, I saw tweets from several games journalists talking about the friends they have in game company PR. No matter how much they claim otherwise, there has to be a level of influence there when your friend is in your ear.

More sites need to be 100% transparent about where and how reviews take place, were expenses paid, was it a review event etc. Suspicions will die down with more transparency, right now people make a ton of assumptions because it seems like the stuff going on behind the scenes is being purposefully hidden from view and swept under the rug…not a good impression to give to the people looking to your publication for advice.

I feel that it’s pretty sad that I have to wonder if a game review site is on the take, or is softening their language so they don’t hurt themselves financially.

This isn’t the only industry I get weird about when it comes to critic sites. I feel like a film critic could possibly be swayed when they’re invited on set, get free stuff, meet directors, etc.

Oh, that frigging Kane and Lynch thing. Still get a bad itch over that.

You can read a whole overview of the affair here if you want: http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/mcvs-lauren-wainwright-english-libel-law-and-the-gaming-press-why-this-stor

it is a good read.

It isn’t their fault, though, when you have companies like Konami and Square Enix pulling advertising and refusing to offer review copies after the site gives their games a bad score. I think the Kane and Lynch debacle is the poster-child for how many sites are not only beholden to publishers, but they have to be for their own survival.

You got the dead eyed reviewers like Geoff Kieghley surrounded by sponsorships to Rab Florence’s controversial article criticising the GMAs and questioning reviewers like Lauren Wainwright – whose behaviour sounds like she’s in bed with Tomb Raider’s PR team. And it doesn’t help that she responded by threatening legal action against him, all over a little scepticism.