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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - First Super Mario Odyssey Review in! (EDGE)

Nuvendil on 16 October 2017

Also, love this update bit he added ti the article:

"People have pointed out that Edge got the review copy early because they're a print magazine and it wouldn't come out until after release, but as far as I can tell the issue came out yesterday. Indeed, if you look up the current cover of the issue, you'll see that it shows a picture of Mario in a white suit with the words Super Mario Odyssey Review at the top. It released on October 12th, 2017, fully fifteen days before the game's launch and certainly sooner than any other review (12/10/2017 in UK format means Oct 12th). So much for that reasoning, then."


Did this idiot not even have five minutes to do a quick google search?! Edge is a MONTHLY publication. Odyssey releases at the end of the month. So they were either going to be early - anywhere from the 7th to the 12th - or come out after launch in NOVEMBER. The two week gap is irrelevant, it was then or after release.

Does Forbes just not give a crap who writes for their gaming division?!



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KLXVER on 16 October 2017
Nuvendil said:
Also, love this update bit he added ti the article:

"People have pointed out that Edge got the review copy early because they're a print magazine and it wouldn't come out until after release, but as far as I can tell the issue came out yesterday. Indeed, if you look up the current cover of the issue, you'll see that it shows a picture of Mario in a white suit with the words Super Mario Odyssey Review at the top. It released on October 12th, 2017, fully fifteen days before the game's launch and certainly sooner than any other review (12/10/2017 in UK format means Oct 12th). So much for that reasoning, then."


Did this idiot not even have five minutes to do a quick google search?! Edge is a MONTHLY publication. Odyssey releases at the end of the month. So they were either going to be early - anywhere from the 7th to the 12th - or come out after launch in NOVEMBER. The two week gap is irrelevant, it was then or after release.

Does Forbes just not give a crap who writes for their gaming division?!

Again why just EDGE and not other publications released around the same time?



Nuvendil on 16 October 2017
KLXVER said:
Nuvendil said:

*sigh*  It's relevant because a writer for a publication that reviews games just smeared a direct competitor and told their readers not to trust a competitor.  He deliberately and intentionally attempted to undermine and attack a competitor's credibility.  I find it amazing you find ethical issue with a review going out early and not connect the dots that what this guy did was a low blow, unprofessional, dickish, and pathetic.

And other times Edge gets screwed and their review goes out late.  They will get one or the other most times, nature of their business model.

And for Edge to have the review early, they would need the code early.  So the accusation here is of a bribe, straight up.  And that's nonsense.

As for why Nintendo holds the embargo later for most, Nintendo does that for the same reason all publishers do: timing.  October 12 is really dang early.  You want reviews to kick up interest not long before it launches, not two weeks prior and allow it to cool back down.  This was something Edge requested.  Otherwise, Odyssey would be reviewed in their November issue when it's old news.

So who can question this then? I mean since all the proffesionals in this industry cant say anything? Do we have to wait for Joe Youtube to say something before we can speculate? Unless the Youtuber competes with EDGE...

The guy says nothing about a bribe. He just tells us that he wonders why EDGE got their review copy so early compared to others and to take the review with a grain of salt. I find that very reasonable to ask. Some deal must have been made. No matter how you look at it. EDGE couldnt release the review without Nintendo saying ok. So thats a deal being made. The bribe part is just speculation on your part as of what the reviewer meant. 

I don't give a crap when you speculate about whatever you speculate about.  But Erik Kain has no business making unsubstantiated accusations of criminal behavior against a competitor.  And there's very little room for interpretation when he says that this act by Edge should make us question if they're above board.  That is a direct and deliberate implication of unethical and ultimately illegal quid pro quo action on Edge's part.  And for Mr Kain, that is astoundingly unprofessional and borderline libel.  And given he works for a direct competitor that will put out their own review, it's profoundly self serving.

Asking for review code early so you don't have to either delay your standardized publication date by ten or more days or publish your review two weeks early is not a "deal".  That's a request.  One they make with probably every big game that this is an issue.  Sometimes publishers say yes, other times no.  Telling us to take it with a hugh hat full of salt is just dumb.

What you are basically saying is that for Edge to be clean, they should just be perpetually disadvantaged because of their business model OR bend over and kiss their own ass for whatever company is currently publishing the next big game.  



Peach_buggy on 16 October 2017
KLXVER said:
Nuvendil said:

Maybe, maybe not.  But blacklisting major publications is something done fairly rarely as it really doesn't stop anything and only earns you blowback.  Again, given the fact that positive reviews don't necessarily help sales and modest ones don't hurt, is it really worth fussing over?

I mean, Bayonetta 2 got a 93 and won awards, yet never crossed 1 mil.  Destiny got a 72 (I believe that was it) and crushed it, selling absolute gangbusters.  

The prestiege is lovely ammunition for marketing, but you can spin anything above an average score.  

Also, not sure what other big paper magazines there are for this other than maybe GameInformer?  But they conduct things on their own timeline as well.

Also, remember this guy works for Forbes reviewing and writing about games.  EDGE is a direct competitor who beat them to a headline.  Keep that in mind when considering his accusation.

Well any article from a bigger news site or publication dealing with video games are in competition with EDGE, so I dont see how thats relevant. I just see it as maybe some sort of deal was reached between Nintendo and EDGE. Not necessarily anyone paying anything, but Nintendo cherry picking that review. If EDGE gets to publish their review on October 12th, then everyone should be able to. 

As far as i understand it, EDGE gets 1st review exclusivity with Nintendo. Not sure if it applies to all of their games but i know it did to BOTW too. As for breaking the embargo date, it was a leak, possibly leaked as the magazine went to print. Not sure if the magazine is physically out yet. I went to 7 stores looking for it without any success last week. Am gonna try again today.



KLXVER on 16 October 2017
Nuvendil said:
KLXVER said:

So who can question this then? I mean since all the proffesionals in this industry cant say anything? Do we have to wait for Joe Youtube to say something before we can speculate? Unless the Youtuber competes with EDGE...

The guy says nothing about a bribe. He just tells us that he wonders why EDGE got their review copy so early compared to others and to take the review with a grain of salt. I find that very reasonable to ask. Some deal must have been made. No matter how you look at it. EDGE couldnt release the review without Nintendo saying ok. So thats a deal being made. The bribe part is just speculation on your part as of what the reviewer meant. 

I don't give a crap when you speculate about whatever you speculate about.  But Erik Kain has no business making unsubstantiated accusations of criminal behavior against a competitor.  And there's very little room for interpretation when he says that this act by Edge should make us question if they're above board.  That is a direct and deliberate implication of unethical and ultimately illegal quid pro quo action on Edge's part.  And for Mr Kain, that is astoundingly unprofessional and borderline libel.  And given he works for a direct competitor that will put out their own review, it's profoundly self serving.

Asking for review code early so you don't have to either delay your standardized publication date by ten or more days or publish your review two weeks early is not a "deal".  That's a request.  One they make with probably every big game that this is an issue.  Sometimes publishers say yes, other times no.  Telling us to take it with a hugh hat full of salt is just dumb.

What you are basically saying is that for Edge to be clean, they should just be perpetually disadvantaged because of their business model OR bend over and kiss their own ass for whatever company is currently publishing the next big game.  

The fact that EDGE releases their magazine in the timeline they do is on them. Im sure review sites would be happy to get a review out early sometimes as well. Be it either vacation plans or whatever. 

He doesnt say anything illegal went down at all. Hes just questioning the perfect 10 that comes out way before any other review. We should take this review with a grain of salt. We should take every 1 single review of a game with a grain of salt.



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Nuvendil on 16 October 2017
KLXVER said:
Nuvendil said:
Also, love this update bit he added ti the article:

"People have pointed out that Edge got the review copy early because they're a print magazine and it wouldn't come out until after release, but as far as I can tell the issue came out yesterday. Indeed, if you look up the current cover of the issue, you'll see that it shows a picture of Mario in a white suit with the words Super Mario Odyssey Review at the top. It released on October 12th, 2017, fully fifteen days before the game's launch and certainly sooner than any other review (12/10/2017 in UK format means Oct 12th). So much for that reasoning, then."


Did this idiot not even have five minutes to do a quick google search?! Edge is a MONTHLY publication. Odyssey releases at the end of the month. So they were either going to be early - anywhere from the 7th to the 12th - or come out after launch in NOVEMBER. The two week gap is irrelevant, it was then or after release.

Does Forbes just not give a crap who writes for their gaming division?!

Again why just EDGE and not other publications released around the same time?

I don't know if any ARE.  Not of any notoriety.  Edge has spent decades becoming established and respected.  When they ask, publishers are more likely to listen.  The only other big gaming magazine I know of in print is Game Informer.  And they are a late month publication, meaning this is almost never an issue.  The only other paper publications I can think of that review games are not game focused, like city papers and thus...don't care enough to ask.  It's really that simple.  Shoot half of them don't even reach out for review code, all their writing for games is freelance, so their reviews are always late.  

Virtually all other reviewers are online or video.  Edge is one of the few if not the only gaming focused paper publication in this position.  Maybe JeuxActu has been in this position before?  But I have a hard time finding out since the site and everything about it is in French :P



KLXVER on 16 October 2017
Peach_buggy said:
KLXVER said:

Well any article from a bigger news site or publication dealing with video games are in competition with EDGE, so I dont see how thats relevant. I just see it as maybe some sort of deal was reached between Nintendo and EDGE. Not necessarily anyone paying anything, but Nintendo cherry picking that review. If EDGE gets to publish their review on October 12th, then everyone should be able to. 

As far as i understand it, EDGE gets 1st review exclusivity with Nintendo. Not sure if it applies to all of their games but i know it did to BOTW too. As for breaking the embargo date, it was a leak, possibly leaked as the magazine went to print. Not sure if the magazine is physically out yet. I went to 7 stores looking for it without any success last week. Am gonna try again today.

and what was the score for BOTW? If this happens all the time, then I guess its just something I have to get used to. Can you name some Nintendo games that EDGE didnt give a perfect score to that came out much earlier than other reviews?



Nuvendil on 16 October 2017
KLXVER said:
Nuvendil said:

I don't give a crap when you speculate about whatever you speculate about.  But Erik Kain has no business making unsubstantiated accusations of criminal behavior against a competitor.  And there's very little room for interpretation when he says that this act by Edge should make us question if they're above board.  That is a direct and deliberate implication of unethical and ultimately illegal quid pro quo action on Edge's part.  And for Mr Kain, that is astoundingly unprofessional and borderline libel.  And given he works for a direct competitor that will put out their own review, it's profoundly self serving.

Asking for review code early so you don't have to either delay your standardized publication date by ten or more days or publish your review two weeks early is not a "deal".  That's a request.  One they make with probably every big game that this is an issue.  Sometimes publishers say yes, other times no.  Telling us to take it with a hugh hat full of salt is just dumb.

What you are basically saying is that for Edge to be clean, they should just be perpetually disadvantaged because of their business model OR bend over and kiss their own ass for whatever company is currently publishing the next big game.  

The fact that EDGE releases their magazine in the timeline they do is on them. Im sure review sites would be happy to get a review out early sometimes as well. Be it either vacation plans or whatever. 

He doesnt say anything illegal went down at all. Hes just questioning the perfect 10 that comes out way before any other review. We should take this review with a grain of salt. We should take every 1 single review of a game with a grain of salt.

Undisclosed quid pro quo between a product producer and a reviewer tofraudulently inflate a score is criminal so no, he accused them of that. 



KLXVER on 16 October 2017
Nuvendil said:
KLXVER said:

The fact that EDGE releases their magazine in the timeline they do is on them. Im sure review sites would be happy to get a review out early sometimes as well. Be it either vacation plans or whatever. 

He doesnt say anything illegal went down at all. Hes just questioning the perfect 10 that comes out way before any other review. We should take this review with a grain of salt. We should take every 1 single review of a game with a grain of salt.

Undisclosed quid pro quo between a product producer and a reviewer tofraudulently inflate a score is criminal so no, he accused them of that. 

Where does it says that is illegal?



Peach_buggy on 16 October 2017
KLXVER said:
Peach_buggy said:

As far as i understand it, EDGE gets 1st review exclusivity with Nintendo. Not sure if it applies to all of their games but i know it did to BOTW too. As for breaking the embargo date, it was a leak, possibly leaked as the magazine went to print. Not sure if the magazine is physically out yet. I went to 7 stores looking for it without any success last week. Am gonna try again today.

and what was the score for BOTW? If this happens all the time, then I guess its just something I have to get used to. Can you name some Nintendo games that EDGE didnt give a perfect score to that came out much earlier than other reviews?

Not off the top of my head no but the first i heard of it was from their BOTW review. EDGE are extremely well respected though, both in and outside the industry.  That is also the 1st time i've heard someone question their integrity. (Well apart from a few posters here and elsewhere after their BOTW review). I think we can agree that making accusations of a professional, massively respected review site on a forum is silly fanboy stuff. I guess Nintendo chose EDGE for their exclusive 1st review on both games because they know EDGE is the most respected respectors of what is quality out there and Nintendo have enough confidence in the quality of their games to do this.