Much has been made the past couple of days about the Redner Group, a PR firm, stating that it will be more careful about who gets early access and review copies of games. All the crap hit the fan because of the formerly ghostware title Duke Nukem Forever. This game has been almost universally reviled by the elitist "professional" game press. I think there was a universal bloodlust in the water about the quality and morality of Duke and the game press just piled on and did a lot of over-the-top reviews filled with disgust and hate. I've only played like the first 30 minutes of the game so far and I thought it was hilarious. I'll be playing through it after I finish Alice Madness Returns.
I think it's ok to do invective hate-filled reviews of games or whatever, but if you are being PAID to write reviews, you have to have to draw a more polite line in your criticism. You are responsible for more than just yourself. If you piss off a PR or game company, you might keep YOUR company, be it IGN or G4, or another fake geek site, from getting early access to a game or a new system. If you want to say exactly what you want, then you shouldn't write about games for a job. As soon as you do, you have an editor, and you can't truly speak your mind without consequences.
Why SHOULD a PR or game company give coverage to assholes? Why should they OWE you access and free games that hard-working people like me PAY for? Maybe you would appreciate the games more if you actually had to sacrifice something for them. There is a severe disconnect between the game press and regular gamers. Do you really think anyone is going to feel sorry for the fact that you're not getting free games? You should appreciate and feel lucky that you have a job in the gaming industry and treat companies and entities you rely on with respect. Do not feel you are OWED. In this world you can get some things by being an ass. But most of the time you get things you want by being nice. If you want your mom to buy you a new videogame, do you walk up to her and say "bitch, buy me a fucking game!"? If you want a raise at work, do you walk into your boss's office and say "Give me a raise, you shitface!"? The game companies control you, not that other way around. Accept it. They have the right to not give you the game for whatever fucking reason they don't want to. There is no law against it.
The other question that springs to my mind about all this is just how corrupt the game press is? In my opinion, really corrupt. For example, three old franchises were rebooted in the past week. Duke Nukem Forever, Alice The Madness Returns, and Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D. Something that comes up over and over again with Duke and Alice is the outdated gameplay, the failure to come up with new ideas, and the feeling you've already played it 10-15 years ago. Right now on Metacritic, Duke Nukem Forever has a 57 metascore and Alice has a 69. The suspicious thing about this is that Ocarina of Time 3D has a 94! I just find it hilarious that game reviewers cite that not much has been done to Ocarina except updated graphics but still give it such high scores. I bet when Tales of the Abyss 3D comes out as a straight port from the PS2, game reviewers will be licking the shoes of Nintendo again. They want this SORRY excuse of a portable called the 3DS to do well.
Why is Ocarina not being given lower scores for ITS lack of innovation, outdated gameplay etc.? I will give you a reason: The game press wants early access to the WiiU and upcoming Nintendo first party games on the 3DS. They know if they give negative press to Nintendo, they will be punished. Nintendo is not going to be honest enough to say it, but we all know the real deal. Ocarina of Time the greatest game of all time? OMG, quit sucking up for once!
So, to wrap this up, game journalists are not to be trusted. You must always take what they say with a grain of salt. Know that if they are paid for their work, they are being controlled by forces they know and do not know about. By the first the power of their paycheck and game industry goodwill. By the second, I mean their subconscious urge to reward the game companies that supply them. It's kind of like a drug addiction. They're willing to do whatever it takes to get their next free game or get invited to their next launch party. They do not earn their access. They do not earn their games. It is given to them by the whim of the game makers. But as long as you accept this, things are cool. Everyone compromises. If everyone told the truth about everything, nobody would have a job.
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