EUROGAMER exposed as the worst reviewers on the web. They review w/out playing..

That's right. They reviewed "Darkfall Online" and gave it a 2/10. Must be one of the worst games ever, right?

Wrong. According to the devs behind Darkfall Online, the reviewer actually put in only 2 hours playing the game and most of the two hours were spent on character creation. Now to be fair to Eurogamer, very few websites have even reviewed it. This game might actually be a 2/10, but spending two hours playing an MMO before reviewing it is just plaing wrong. Here's how it all went down.

Eurogamer's MMO Editor came to me over a month ago and asked for 2 accounts to review Darkfall which they promptly received.

......
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.

.......

We sent the play-time information to Eurogamer and asked them to take down the article as it is damaging our game's reputation but also Eurogamer's reputation. We asked to get an unbiased reviewer on the case who will actually play the game before writing about it. They said that taking it down now would be more damaging to their reputation than if they left it up. After our reaction to publicize the play history of their reviewers to protect our game, they asked us to wait while they try to confirm what we already knew from our logs. We're afraid that waiting any longer is unacceptable to us, because this review was designed to drive people away from our game and allowing it to remain without any kind of reaction is out of the question. Out of professional courtesy we've waited 5 hours longer than we said we would before posting this.

........

An update: Eurogamer got back to us via their editor and said that their reviewer is a contributing writer rather than a staff writer, that he claims to have spent at least 9 hours playing the game and they will stand by their publication. We wrote back that this is a lie and that our server logs(which they already have) show the playtime down to the second and they are at their disposal. They offered to re-review the game and see if the second reviewer has a different opinion than the first one. We wrote back that it might be hard to find someone to confirm the first review, especially if they actually play the game.

Darkfall Dev

:lol: This just made my day. I hope Edge is next.

I read Eurogamer in the past and gave weight to its opinions, but I won't make that mistake again.

Contributing writers are writers that come and guy that spend very little time in the office if they do so at all...That does not mean that Eurogamer is totally corrupt, it just means that they were forced to cut costs by hiring freelancers to lend reviews to games that they don't have time to cover, and this seems to qualify as just that type of game.

Sounds like a review I would have written, lol. Half assed, like most of my papers :P

How can they be the worst? GS just did the exact same thing a month ago with Men of War.

i'm sure it happens a lot more than we thinksmerlus

Every publication hires contributing writers nowadays, even the likes of Rolling Stone, it just shows the dire circumstances of the journalistic world.

Wow. That's a horrible situation for both parties.muthsera666

No, it's a horrible situation for the developer. Eurogamer is just being exposed as having absolutely no journalistic integrity. If they were half as ballsy and honest as they and their legions of fanboys claim, then they would have immediately retracted the review, fired the contributor, and issued a public apology for the mishap. Not only do they not pull it when shown clear evidence the guy played about two hours, but when he blatantly lies and claims it was nine, they seem to think that's good enough. Nine hours in a MMORPG is NOT enough time to write a review. It's not even enough time to really get your feet wet. Any WoW players can tell you that, or like me, former FF11 players. Nine hours in one of those games is considered a good first day, at best.

I agree with the OP, hopefully Edge is exposed as being just as fallible as every other game coverage team on the internet and in print. So we can stop being led to believe that they are the "honest" reviewers because every now and then they slam a quality game, or talk up a crappy one like it's the second coming of Christ. If you don't have time to really dedicate to playing the game..... don't review it. It's not hard. I mean for crying out loud, I had no idea it existed until I read this article. I fail to see how not having a review of it would have hurt much.

I've never really cared much about Eurogamer. But if I did, this would assure I never read so much as a title of one of their reviews again.

See, the thing is, I believe the entire VG Press is completely corrupt and/or incompetent outside of a few sources who don't have their hand in the cookie jar quite as often as others. In other words, there was a time when this would have surprised me. That time passed a long while ago. The video game press rammed its head through a window and opened its throat in the process as far as I'm concerned.

This is just the bleed out.

Even 9 hours on an MMO isn't enough.ALLoY1717

Below is a quote from the review.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/darkfall-online-review?page=2

You see, anyone can kill anyone. For the most part, your first ten or so hours in Darkfall are spent dying, repeatedly, at the hands of either the AI or a cyber-bully in a wolf-suit. In fact, past that mark, it feels impossible to avoid the clammy hands and bloodied sword of somebody who has specially allocated part of their day to griefing.

What's funny is that even if one accepts Eurogamer's dubious claim that the reviewer played Darkfall 9 hours, he clearly lied in the review because he states that he played it more than ten.

Despite the fact that gaming is bigger than ever, videogame magazines/websites have had trouble just because so many gamers don't read them and don't trust them, and crap like this is why.

I wouldn't be deeply shocked if the game is in fact garbage (one doesn't need to play through a bad game to realize it is bad) but while its reasonable for a layman to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then not recommend the game to others (provided he is honest about the amount of time he spent with it), its not reasonable for a professional reviewer to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then write a negative review in which he lies about the amount of time he spent with it.

[QUOTE="ALLoY1717"]Even 9 hours on an MMO isn't enough.CarnageHeart

Below is a quote from the review.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/darkfall-online-review?page=2

You see, anyone can kill anyone. For the most part, your first ten or so hours in Darkfall are spent dying, repeatedly, at the hands of either the AI or a cyber-bully in a wolf-suit. In fact, past that mark, it feels impossible to avoid the clammy hands and bloodied sword of somebody who has specially allocated part of their day to griefing.

What's funny is that even if one accepts Eurogamer's dubious claim that the reviewer played Darkfall 9 hours, he clearly lied in the review because he states that he played it more than ten.

Despite the fact that gaming is bigger than ever, videogame magazines/websites have had trouble just because so many gamers don't read them and don't trust them, and crap like this is why.

I wouldn't be deeply shocked if the game is in fact garbage (one doesn't need to play through a bad game to realize it is bad) but while its reasonable for a layman to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then not recommend the game to others (provided he is honest about the amount of time he spent with it), its not reasonable for a professional reviewer to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then write a negative review in which he lies about the amount of time he spent with it.

True.

But look, it became evident a while ago with 1UP (and even Gamespot, back when they had decent reviewers) to me that none of these guys WANT to be people who write about games. They all get into it as a stepping stone to get picked up by a publisher, and that mentality assures that video game reviews are never going to be what they could and should be. Imagine getting in a legal bind and hiring a lawyer who didn't really want to be a lawyer, but a judge -- is he or she going to do their best to represent you (or anyone)?

And while not an authority on this, I've heard game reviewers make a pittance relative to the cost of living in an expensive town like Frisco (or the surrounding areas.) Who wants to go to college for four years to write about games just so you can end up living in a dumpy apartment with three room mates for the rest of your days? In that sense, I can't blame them for not having their hearts in it.

EDIT: Of course this pertains to Eurogamer, but if the U.S. press is garbage, I can't imagine the EU equivalent being much different.

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"]

[QUOTE="ALLoY1717"]Even 9 hours on an MMO isn't enough.Shame-usBlackley

Below is a quote from the review.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/darkfall-online-review?page=2

You see, anyone can kill anyone. For the most part, your first ten or so hours in Darkfall are spent dying, repeatedly, at the hands of either the AI or a cyber-bully in a wolf-suit. In fact, past that mark, it feels impossible to avoid the clammy hands and bloodied sword of somebody who has specially allocated part of their day to griefing.

What's funny is that even if one accepts Eurogamer's dubious claim that the reviewer played Darkfall 9 hours, he clearly lied in the review because he states that he played it more than ten.

Despite the fact that gaming is bigger than ever, videogame magazines/websites have had trouble just because so many gamers don't read them and don't trust them, and crap like this is why.

I wouldn't be deeply shocked if the game is in fact garbage (one doesn't need to play through a bad game to realize it is bad) but while its reasonable for a layman to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then not recommend the game to others (provided he is honest about the amount of time he spent with it), its not reasonable for a professional reviewer to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then write a negative review in which he lies about the amount of time he spent with it.

True.

But look, it became evident a while ago with 1UP (and even Gamespot, back when they had decent reviewers) to me that none of these guys WANT to be people who write about games. They all get into it as a stepping stone to get picked up by a publisher, and that mentality assures that video games are never going to be what they could and should be. Imagine getting in a legal bind and hiring a lawyer who didn't really want to be a lawyer, but a judge -- is he or she going to do their best to represent you (or anyone)?

And while not an authority on this, I've heard game reviewers make a pittance and are forced to live in an expensive town like Frisco (or the surrounding areas.) Who wants to go to college for four years to write about games just so you can end up living in a dumpy apartment with three room mates for the rest of your days? In that sense, I can't blame them for not having their hearts in it.

Greg Kis a ****c case of that, but while he was taking money to review games, he clearly took his job seriously, sketching out the strong and weak points of every game he reviewed, no matter how me felt about the game.

I agree that most reviewers aren't that professional though, and tend to write sloppy reviews which only convey the details which support the picture they want to paint.

This isn't about gamespot or 1UP this is about Eurogamer, and its clear that they screwed up badly, and whats worse is they refuse to acknowledge it. This guy lied twice, and his lies are in his reviews he should be fired, and an apology is in order for the devs.

I'm really disappointed in Eurogamer. Mistakes made by a freelancer is something that can happen in any media outlet (be it gaming or mainstream), but the way they handled the situation is deplorable (if all of this is indeed true). The guy played at least 9 hours? Seriously? It's a ****ing MMO, even as someone who has never played an MMO in my entire life, I am well aware that 9 hours in an MMO is less than nothing. ****, it's nothing in a regular RPG.

I'm really disappointed in Eurogamer. Mistakes made by a freelancer is something that can happen in any media outlet (be it gaming or mainstream), but the way they handled the situation is deplorable (if all of this is indeed true). The guy played at least 9 hours? Seriously? It's a ****ing MMO, even as someone who has never played an MMO in my entire life, I am well aware that 9 hours in an MMO is less than nothing. ****, it's nothing in a regular RPG.

UpInFlames

Yes people should be more appalled at Eurogamer's response than at the screwup by the freelancer.

That's pretty bad, but my ability to care in this case is minimal.

I just got done playing the demo for Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2. Why I played it, I have no idea, but I played it for about 5 minutes, and I feel like I could write a review up RIGHT NOW.

In all honesty, this Darkfall game is probably beyond terrible, and it was easy for the reviewer to see. Maybe he had something going on or was just lazy that day. I can sympathize with the reviewer forced to play a terrible MMO. That still doesn't excuse what he did, but please, don't act like he ate a baby.

That's pretty bad, but my ability to care in this case is minimal.

I just got done playing the demo for Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2. Why I played it, I have no idea, but I played it for about 5 minutes, and I feel like I could write a review up RIGHT NOW.

In all honesty, this Darkfall game is probably beyond terrible, and it was easy for the reviewer to see. Maybe he had something going on or was just lazy that day. I can sympathize with the reviewer forced to play a terrible MMO. That still doesn't excuse what he did, but please, don't act like he ate a baby.

AtomicTangerine

I'm going to quote a prior post from this very thread.

----------------------------------------

Below is a quote from the review.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/darkfall-online-review?page=2

You see, anyone can kill anyone. For the most part, your first ten or so hours in Darkfall are spent dying, repeatedly, at the hands of either the AI or a cyber-bully in a wolf-suit. In fact, past that mark, it feels impossible to avoid the clammy hands and bloodied sword of somebody who has specially allocated part of their day to griefing.

What's funny is that even if one accepts Eurogamer's dubious claim that the reviewer played Darkfall 9 hours, he clearly lied in the review because he states that he played it more than ten.

Despite the fact that gaming is bigger than ever, videogame magazines/websites have had trouble just because so many gamers don't read them and don't trust them, and crap like this is why.

I wouldn't be deeply shocked if the game is in fact garbage (one doesn't need to play through a bad game to realize it is bad) but while its reasonable for a layman to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then not recommend the game to others (provided he is honest about the amount of time he spent with it), its not reasonable for a professional reviewer to quickly stop playing a game he doesn't enjoy and then write a negative review in which he lies about the amount of time he spent with it.

-------------------------------------------------

Oh yeah, I think what he did was real bad, especially because he is PAID to play that game, but I'm just saying I can't care much. I would just rather have the guy come out and say, "I did not want to play the game cause ___" than to say he did. It's just in this particular instance, I can't really fake any outrage. I just imagine that guy playing the first hour of the game and realizing the magazine expects him to play for DOZENS more.

Of course, Eurogamer messed up with standing behind this guy, but once again, that game is probably very dumb. Online MMORPGs can be the most boring games ever if it isn't designed well.

Almost everytime that I've seen a games staff start to complain about a review or reviewer it's almost always been that their game actually was that bad.
Unless they have a log to actually show the public what that reviewer did, I'm leaning towards the devs possible making some of it up since they probably got an honest review which just so happens to be low.
Eventhough 9 hours (if true) isn't really enough to get a feel for a game, let alone an MMO.

This is a prime example why I don't trust "professional" reviewers of any sort anymore.

Apparantly, Eurogamer will have one of their own PC editors (founding editor of Rock, Paper, Shotgun) review Darkfall Online as well.

That still doesn't excuse what he did, but please, don't act like he ate a baby.AtomicTangerine

I don't think anyone really gives a flying crap about the random nobody who wrote the review. It's Eurogamers refusal to pull the review despite the overwhelming evidence that it is based on not even a small fraction of the play time needed to be accurate that has people up in arms. Eurogamers, along with Edge, is pushed on us as "the standard of hard hitting brutally honest gaming journalism". But Eurogamer is destroying their role in that claim. I'm just gonna enjoy watching them burn. Edge is next, get the marhmellows.

Apparantly, Eurogamer will have one of their own PC editors (founding editor of Rock, Paper, Shotgun) review Darkfall Online as well.

UpInFlames

Apparantly, Eurogamer will have one of their own PC editors (founding editor of Rock, Paper, Shotgun) review Darkfall Online as well.

UpInFlames

I wonder if the score will improve at all, my spidey sense is telling me no.

Eurogamers, along with Edge, is pushed on us as "the standard of hard hitting brutally honest gaming journalism".RandolphScott

Hmm, I wouldn't lump Eurogamer with Edge at all. For better or worse, Edge is an elitist magazine that prides itself on high standards and tough reviews and take themselves way too seriously in the process. With that line of thinking, I would argue they have more in common with American outlets than most European ones (such as Eurogamer) who generally don't take themselves too seriously at all and use humor in almost all of their reviews.

So do you guys now think that this automatically makes Eurogamer the worst review publication on the web?

So do you guys now think that this automatically makes Eurogamer the worst review publication on the web?HiResDes

Eurogamer still has some of the best writers around and we all know that S0lid's overly sensationalist topic title stems from the fact that he already hated Eurogamer for giving his precious Metal Gear Solid 4 an 8. :o

Eurogamer is not where i go if i want decent gaming journalism. This article doesn't surprise me in the least.

Almost everytime that I've seen a games staff start to complain about a review or reviewer it's almost always been that their game actually was that bad.
Unless they have a log to actually show the public what that reviewer did, I'm leaning towards the devs possible making some of it up since they probably got an honest review which just so happens to be low.
Eventhough 9 hours (if true) isn't really enough to get a feel for a game, let alone an MMO.

Chaos1031

Except both the devs AND people who have actually played the game says that the review contains a number of factual errors that are outright wrong. It's not a case of "I think this was bad, it didn't feel right," it's actually saying a fact about the story that's flat out wrong.

I get the feeling that the game sucks. If I had to take a blind guess, I would say it's a bad game. I could, for example, guess that a quickly-made movie tie-in game would be bad. However, I expect a PAID professional review to actually back up WHY its bad, and not just guess.

[QUOTE="HiResDes"]So do you guys now think that this automatically makes Eurogamer the worst review publication on the web?UpInFlames

Eurogamer still has some of the best writers around and we all know that S0lid's overly sensationalist topic title stems from the fact that he already hated Eurogamer for giving his precious Metal Gear Solid 4 an 8. :o

[QUOTE="HiResDes"]So do you guys now think that this automatically makes Eurogamer the worst review publication on the web?UpInFlames

Eurogamer still has some of the best writers around and we all know that S0lid's overly sensationalist topic title stems from the fact that he already hated Eurogamer for giving his precious Metal Gear Solid 4 an 8. :o

Perhaps, but without integrity they cannot be relied upon.

they have lost a lot of their credibility however

[QUOTE="UpInFlames"]

[QUOTE="HiResDes"]So do you guys now think that this automatically makes Eurogamer the worst review publication on the web?inoperativeRS

Eurogamer still has some of the best writers around and we all know that S0lid's overly sensationalist topic title stems from the fact that he already hated Eurogamer for giving his precious Metal Gear Solid 4 an 8. :o

So if a chef crapped into a bowl of soup and management supported his action, you'd continue to frequent the restaurant until it was proven that there is a pattern? Fair enough.

[QUOTE="inoperativeRS"][QUOTE="UpInFlames"]

Eurogamer still has some of the best writers around and we all know that S0lid's overly sensationalist topic title stems from the fact that he already hated Eurogamer for giving his precious Metal Gear Solid 4 an 8. :o

CarnageHeart

So if a chef crapped into a bowl of soup and management supported his action, you'd continue to frequent the restaurant until it was proven that there is a pattern? Fair enough.

[QUOTE="AtomicTangerine"]That still doesn't excuse what he did, but please, don't act like he ate a baby.RandolphScott

I don't think anyone really gives a flying crap about the random nobody who wrote the review. It's Eurogamers refusal to pull the review despite the overwhelming evidence that it is based on not even a small fraction of the play time needed to be accurate that has people up in arms. Eurogamers, along with Edge, is pushed on us as "the standard of hard hitting brutally honest gaming journalism". But Eurogamer is destroying their role in that claim. I'm just gonna enjoy watching them burn. Edge is next, get the marhmellows.

This.

Also, the pretentious vibe that stems from the text of their reviews makes me sick to my stomach.

we all know that S0lid's overly sensationalist topic title stems from the fact that he already hated Eurogamer for giving his precious Metal Gear Solid 4 an 8. :o

UpInFlames

Maybe they aren't so bad after all.... :P

[QUOTE="HiResDes"]So do you guys now think that this automatically makes Eurogamer the worst review publication on the web?UpInFlames

Eurogamer still has some of the best writers around and we all know that S0lid's overly sensationalist topic title stems from the fact that he already hated Eurogamer for giving his precious Metal Gear Solid 4 an 8. :o

:P

Actually, it wasn't the score that pissed me off, it was them naming MGS4 their 30th Best Game of the year ...... five places behind the superb Wii Fit.