Eidos Asks Critics To Hold Sub-8 Reviews Of Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider: UnderworldOh, Eidos, Eidos, Eidos... 'shakes head'
Most of you are probably familiar with last year's GameSpot/Gerstmann/Kane & Lynch fiasco, but if you were hiding under a rock during that time, let us sum up. GameSpot had big ol' full-page advertisements for Eidos' highly anticipated game, Kane & Lynch. Then, GameSpot veteran Jeff Gerstmann gave it a low score - too low to entice consumers to buy it - and the ads mysteriously disappeared...as did Gerstmann. The rumor was that he was told to change his review, refused, and was fired for it. That has never been confirmed, and Jeff himself won't speak clearly on the subject, either, but ever since, gamers have had it in for both GameSpot and Eidos. Well, check this out: according to the Videogaming247 blog, Eidos UK PR reps have confirmed that the publisher is asking all publications not to release any sub-8 reviews for Tomb Raider: Underworld until Monday. That's right; if you awarded the game less than an 8, they don't want that review up until the weekend is over. Thus far, the game hovers around 80% if you count early reviews, and we're guessing some critics aren't gonna wait.
But man, Eidos is just a sucker for punishment, aren't they? We know all about review embargoes - we get them all the time, and we always follow them, too - but conditional embargoes? Don't release the review soon unless it's good? Yeah, thanks for upholding our integrity, Eidos. Seriously.
Related Game(s): Tomb Raider: Underworld
11/21/2008 Ben Dutka
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Comments (49 posts)
LightShow
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 6:29:06 PM
so no c4, just business tactics.
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HUSO
Saturday, November 22, 2008 @ 4:43:54 AM
1 up, 0 down
tramp
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 11:22:54 AM
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EIDOS cop on to yourself and stop handing us this crap.
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Arvis
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 11:24:01 AM
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-Arvis
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Sir Shak
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 11:32:34 AM
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Buckeyestar
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 11:33:27 AM
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In any case, I do love this game. It's another in a string of titles that I get totally enthralled with. I'd give it an 8 to an 8.5 myself.
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The_Benny
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 11:46:46 AM
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It does raise a question about how somebody from their firm managed to tell two separate journalists the same thing though.
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Ultimadream
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 12:05:30 PM
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Wage SLAVES
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 7:40:48 PM
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Qubex
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 12:07:35 PM
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Q!
"i aM hOMe"
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MetalHead09
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 12:08:21 PM
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Last edited by MetalHead09 on 11/21/2008 12:08:47 PM
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dillonthebunny
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 12:16:58 PM
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Joe_III
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 12:21:16 PM
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IGN (and all their sites) probably, because they can't really afford to piss off pubs.
Gamespot definitely. Everyone knows they knobgobble on Eidos.
Kotaku -- most likely, but that's probably because they're just slow to actually do reviews.
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djjake
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 12:22:07 PM
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7.5
killzones is 4 decemeber apparently :S even though the games for feb release
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djjake
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 12:35:46 PM
its now an 8.5
and i know that it was defiantly a 7.5 because i was disappointed
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Joe_III
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 1:56:59 PM
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Aftab
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 4:57:18 PM
1 up, 0 down
bearbobby
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 5:39:42 PM
To be honest I found the UK review to be the more thought out and detailed of the two.
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LunaticFringe
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 1:06:12 PM
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LunaticFringe
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 1:06:50 PM
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Reccaman18
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 2:26:20 PM
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Aftab
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 4:58:30 PM
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Tim Speed24
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 1:17:07 PM
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bearbobby
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 5:46:08 PM
People are much more forgiving of a game that may not wow graphically but weaves a good yarn and has tight controls than a game that visually drips with polish but plays like crap and goes no where.
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Dustinwp
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 1:38:45 PM
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1 up, 0 down
killzone100
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 2:11:01 PM
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ArnoldK PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 2:27:29 PM
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Tim Speed24
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 2:50:45 PM
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Aftab
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 4:59:36 PM
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tlpn99
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 6:53:45 PM
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dillonthebunny
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 2:30:48 PM
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i knew a games tester who worked for Eidos a few years ago.. they still talk about the testing of Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness, it sends shivers up spines just thinking about the testing of that game. ..the testers still to this day have nightmares of what they had to go through with it (lol).
so I cant really blame them for being cautious, but still get decent testers in, run a beta.. and if you dont have a quality product then soon you will have.
but to start dictating when people should release scores and reviews.. thats BS, they should be fined or something.
or give everyone one earth a free copy of Timesplitters 4 :)
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WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 3:57:48 PM
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Seriously though, if the control scheme in K&L had been better it woulda been a decent title.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 11/21/2008 3:58:18 PM
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tanner1
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 5:24:35 PM
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Daedusian
Saturday, November 22, 2008 @ 2:08:43 PM
And I laugh at Eidos for stating this. If they just make a decent game, they wouldn't have to be so worried about the outcome. LOL.
Last edited by Daedusian on 11/22/2008 2:11:17 PM
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rjmacready
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 5:31:34 PM
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Considering all of the good games that have come out recently, that score is not that great.
http://www.metacritic.com/games/ps3/
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LightShow
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 6:31:10 PM
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tlpn99
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 6:56:21 PM
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What happens is they get sales increase who cares if its good or not as long as were lining their pockets right ? What a load of ***t, Eidos lost a lot of my respect today, if not all of it.
Come on, if you want us as gamers to buy your product at least give us a decent game to get our teeth into.
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chicko1983
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 7:24:15 PM
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When you think about the second game on PS1, nothing is different except the graphics have improved. Need to change the settings and story, or go sci-fi, or back in time, or introduce another playable character, or change the gameplay mechanics - just do something drastic ala Modern Warfare for the COD series.
Give up Eidos, Uncharted has superseded this outdated series.
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 8:25:08 PM
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I have no problem with that. ;)
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Scarecrow
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 10:03:03 PM
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Lara's getting tiresome, give us a new character.
A stronger story/objective and please change the annoying control scheme....
Oh well, thanks for letting us know PSXE. These companies have got to be truthful to us gamers.f
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ArnoldK PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 10:34:59 PM
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HUSO
Saturday, November 22, 2008 @ 4:45:47 AM
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coverton341
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Friday, November 21, 2008 @ 11:17:46 AM
By the way does this mean you guys have played it and it scored a 4 and you can't put it up because Eidos has your business rigged with C4?? Just curious :)
Last edited by coverton341 on 11/21/2008 11:19:37 AM