Battlefield 3 review unlikely to post before game is released next week.
If you're anything like most of us at GameSpot, you can't wait to get your hands on Battlefield 3 next week. You might also be expecting to check out reviews of the game this side of the weekend, but I'm afraid that's not going to happen.
Just yesterday we received an email asking us to confirm our mailing address because review copies of Battlefield 3 are coming soon. More specifically, the email explained that the game will be making its way to our mailboxes "early next week." In case any of you have lost track of time during this busy fall season, Battlefield 3's release date of October 25 is also "early next week." Clearly, receiving a game so close to its release makes it impossible for us to deliver a timely review.
The silver lining here is that Electronic Arts' thinking behind not sending out copies of the game early appears to be very much in line with our own reviews policy. Day-one updates sometimes make it hard for us to review the exact same game that you'll be playing on launch day, but we never knowingly review from unfinished builds of games, and on consoles we always insist on testing copies that will run on retail hardware (as opposed to debug/test kits) before committing to a review score. EA and DICE want to make sure that everyone reviews the game that you'll be playing at launch rather than the game that's on your disc, and we really can't fault them for that. Here's the official line:
Copies are set to arrive on Tuesday because there is a Day 1 update. DICE are perfectionists -- they will not stop polishing the game until it is in your hands. The Day 1 update incorporates real-time feedback from the beta, ensuring that the consumer experience on launch day is outstanding. It is the actual consumer experience that we wish to be reviewed. The game with the Day 1 update will be available for review on Oct. 25.
At the time of writing it looks like we might be able to get our hands on a PC version of the game (complete with launch-day patch) this side of the weekend, which is great news for our reviewer and for any of you hoping to read a review before making a purchase. Where the console versions are concerned, though, it looks like we'll be stepping out onto the battlefield for the first time alongside many of you.
Justin's youth was largely misspent playing Commodore 64 and Amiga games. He left the UK's Official PlayStation Magazine to join GameSpot in 2000, believes that he's one of the best Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe players in the world, and puts HP Sauce on everything.
People can think whatever they want, I guess B3 will get their tasty bite of money like COD will do, but after half a year, people won't even remember about it, so this is just a good way to make the games more popular in forums or all these review sites)
i want this game and if there are still bugs i have no problem with it because i have faith that dice will patch it.
The PC score better reflect the fact that this game is extremely buggy. Else I won't be taking GameSpot seriously anymore. Many issues are still present that were identified in the beta. It's a shame DICE released it in this shape.
Doesn't matter, we already know both this and Modern Warfare 3 are getting godly ass scores. I can't believe game companies nowadays will acknowledge that they're releasing unfinished products. Makes me sick.
It's strange on Metacritic Uncharted 3, a PS3 exclusive not due til next week has 42 reviews out already, and Battlefield 3 only has 17 reviews for PC only since the console versions can't be reviewed yet either.
Sounds to me like Dice is worried that the review will cause their sales to decrease. They were selling out big time earlier this year but now they are afraid to have the game reviewed before it's released??? Yeah, something is fishy about that. A day one update??? Hmmmmmm.
This doesn't bother me. We all know BF3 is going to be an amazing game. Just how amazing, we shall find out.
I tend to agree with EA's approach. Games get butchered in reviews because they are reviewed without any of the day one patches, which makes the review ultimately useless as the game being reviewed isn't the same guy we end up buying on launch after the patches.
I was wondering why Gamespot's review of BF3 was absent in the flurry of reviews that have been released recently. Thanks for the update on the delay. I hope it wasn't because of that survey...
Speaking of reviews, I'll be waiting to see how much BF3 and MW3 score, but I gotta tell ya, with all the hype that both games have been getting I'm gonna LMAO if neither of them gets at least a 9
@kais112 They only changed the words,but not the meaning of them... Always the same with EA,you just cant trust them...
@Rocker6 I'm sure it was said a while ago that they changed this. I don't have a source though, I think it was on this site.
@Tidal_Abyss Well said,Gamespot as a gaming site should warn us about these horrible trends,make those who are uninformed more informed.Origin is a part of the PC version of BF3,and IMO a part of the review should do some explaining about it.Spyware is a big deal,and the issue needs to be acknowledged!
@ClaudiusCaesar They've gotten ad dollars from games and destroyed them in reviews(Darkest of Days) so I don't think thats an issue.
After the whole brouhaha over EA's PR team doing a critic survey to weed out potential fanboys or in the pocket of their competitors, specifically Activision and Call of Duty, I think this is even more of how badly timed or played out this all is by EA's teams. Wouldn't look so bad if for starters they stated that reviews were to hold scores till updates rolled out on release and notes added to reflect day one patches but this is just looking a bit bad in my opinion. I hope for the best but I'm not going through another Homefront or CoD:Black Ops so easily.
GS- I'd like you to look into the 'stink' that's arisen about ea's Origins and the debate about what type of 'spyware' it involves and what it snoops into on the PC review of BF3- a lot of PC gamers out there trying to find the bottom line on that and I know I'm not getting it until I know where that line is- and maybe not get it at all depending where that line lies. A lot of conflicting information about it, hard to decide. They've supposedly changed it and I don't have a clue what the deal is now. I don't care how nice Dice did the PC version if there is spyware scanning harddrives as I've read- it's a no-go. That's important information for a review, as reviews help you decide on purchases. At least Stronghold3 will release the same day. :)
With the amount of money spent on BF3 ads here on Gamespot, it's hard to believe that will be a impartial review. To be impartial, you cannot receive money from what you are reviewing. P.S. That's not only for Gamespot, all others that get so much BF3 ad money (IGN and others).
lol, i find it funny how some people suggest GS is corrupt. Most conspiracies involve governments and secret societies...not gaming websites. @bat725 "That means no flying out GS employees for wine & dine" "GS knows the rules of the game when it comes to dealing with the big boys like EA and Activision." OMG hahaha...that hilarious. Your making it sound like EA and Activision are drug lords or large criminal gangs and GS is a politician taking bribes. Sure gaming is big business and reviews can have some effect on game sales, but its very unlikely that there would be that much corruption.
I don't think this is a reflection of the quality of the game insomuch as it is a reflection of Dice's regard for consumers to ensure the best possible experience. That being said, this is definitely going to hurt sales...
You know, its funny to find these posts, bashing GS with these ridiculous theories. What proof do you guys have of any of this crap? You guys are worse than those anonymous disgruntled employees you see online, slamming a game to get attention for your blog. In any study, theories cannot be valid if you dont have evidence to base off of. Sure, EA is a bit shifty... They have always been like that. Does that mean EVERY game they create gets a good rating, good or bad? No. They might be pushing REAL hard for positive publicity, that is true. But thinking that they solely determine the score of their reviews is ridiculous.
If the final game is anything like the 360's "beta" then I can see a 7/10 if its lucky. A cynical person may say this is why the review embargo exists and they may have a point! After the beta I wont be going down to pick my preorder up until Edge magazine have a review up.
I'm not buying Battlefield 3 in any case, but I respect your guys' review policies immenseley. Not that I always agree with the reviews themselves, but I know in my gut that Gamespot reviews are as thorough and untainted as they can possibly be. And that should be worth more to your readers than if you guys are first to publish, or that they personally agree with your reviews (you can never please everyone).
@ZoTrAcK -- That is, in fact, a common tactic in the industry. PR folks frequently ask publications who will be reviewing games, and may even request particular reviewers. And in every case, we never tell them. It's easy to single out EA because of the Kotaku article, but assuredly, Kotaku knows that EA is not the only offender. It happens all the time. I don't know how other outlets handle it, but at GS, the response is always the same: "we're not telling you."
Like Mr.Boone said, you got to take the EA game reviews with a grain a salt, since they select their reviewers..:http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/10/ea-caught-pressuring-publications-over-battlefield-3-reviews/
@NoHotAshes -- This is a reviews blog. It's very purpose is to communicate to our readers about the status of reviews when we think it's of particular interest.
@wavelength121 -- Canned review? I work with the best writers in games criticism. A good amount of play time and writing time goes into every single review. We don't ask you to agree with everything we write or say in a review. (It is, after all, impossible to write an evaluation every person agrees with; we're all human beings that way.) But to insult me and my talented coworkers is unnecessary, and devalues the love and passion we have for games, and for what we do.
How little kindness and decency is left in this world, that we bring you into the fold and inform you--and people mercilessly insult the individuals that pour talent and passion into what they do, and do well. You aren't attacking some faceless corporate head; you attack people--some who have been with GS almost since the beginning. They are good people, who do what they do with honesty and love. I am proud of them. When you type what you do--are you proud of that?
I just hope the game is nearly "perfected" from the get go. I dont want some massive patch hogging my system. Im nearly out of hard drive space lol.
@Unfallen_Satan: We always prioritize quality over speed. It's difficult to deliver on either without a copy of the game to play though. Unlike many of the folks in this thread, we like to play games before deciding on review scores for them. ;) @bat725: Wow, for someone who claims to know so much, you really know nothing. It might interest you to learn that GameSpot is one of very few media outlets that insists on paying for its own flights and accommodation when attending press events.
@bat725 -- Seriously--have the tinfoil hats gotten that tight on all of your heads? Some of the stuff you guys come up with--I am not sure if it's funny, or if I should simply weep. I usually try to take the high road and ignore the cray-cray, but holy cow, y'all: the conspiracies you come up with are so removed from reality I can't help but wonder if you exist in alternate dimensions.
How bout we all stop complaining and just play the game next Tuesday. Let GS do GS and you do you.
@CUDGEdave Man, that's crazy! How can anyone NOT think the BF3 reviews will be tainted? EA is pulling out all the stops for this one, people. Believe it. Critics shouldn't wait for a patch to review a game. If the game is gold, it should be "good as gold".
EA have asked for reviewers history in Norway.... Fishing for good reviews? [url]http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/19/ea-asks-for-reviewers-gaming-history[/url]
I think it will get a 9 at least. I've always wondered how video-game sites(in general) are able to fully review the multi-player portion of a game before its released to the public?? I know you get advanced copies but there's no way you can give us a real review unless you have played the online for a few weeks.
@Gelgon_baat "That said, you are going to learn the hard way that making personal attacks on others for disagreeing with you is frowned upon here." Practice what you preach.
@TheIfym20 I think you mean Activision, not EA. Sure EA is greedy but Activision simply takes the cake. Look at CoD, it's been the same goddamn game these past 4 years and they're selling map packs with 4 maps each for friggin' 15 dlrs/euro. Not to mention the Guitar Hero franchise...
They just want to make sure to hold it off as long as possible.. Incase as bat725 said, GS would rate it under 9.5. EA has also sent out a form that journalist has to fill out before making a review. In that form you had to answer if you are a BF fan and if you have played previous games in the series. If so, the reviews had to be checked. Couldn't risk choosing a reporter that said bad things about BF!
Gamespot and EA are still negotiating the terms of the payoff for a good review. I know it. EA is NOT going to let GS give this game less than a 9. Actually, they want at least a 9.5, but, if GS gives this game anything less than a 9.0, it will severely affect EA's relationship with GS. That means no flying out GS employees for wine & dine; no exclusive previews, interviews, footage, etc. GS knows the rules of the game when it comes to dealing with the big boys like EA and Activision.
Regardless of when the reviews come out, I think the gameplay in the Beta was good enough to warrant a purchase. Yes, I agree there were several issues with the beta (hitbox/collision detection, graphical anomalies, etc.), but nothing that I haven't seen in every other game that's been put out there as a beta. I'll guess that the launch-day patch will fix most of that. I do hope the single-player is decent, as I enjoy that the most (especially with co-op). I do enjoy multiplayer, but I really consider multiplayer as the icing on the cake that extends the value of my purchase...lets keep our fingers crossed on this one.
@zpluffy I know EXACTLY what you mean. I have 3 upper division history courses, and I'm going to put off buying anything until break. Maybe not Skyrim. Maybe I can find an hour or two, poke around a bit?
I'll buy it when I read a number of positive reviews from my most respected sites. The beta showed huge promise, so I'm anticipating a great product. In troubled times, though, I'll need to be sure of it before I plunk down $60. No amount of free pre-order DLC can sway me on that.
I want to play this, darksoul, forza 4 with CSR elite and Skyrim. I can afford it, but i just wouldn't have time to play it. I have 15 units in college: Eng 49, statistic, Calculus, and Java Prog. I Just don't have the FREAKING TIME. please winter break comeeeeeeeeeee tooo meeee.......
Fair enough, pre-ordered mine after the beta which i thought was brilliant with the release of caspian border.
In the realm of online combat, Battlefield 3 provides thrills that few games can match.
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