starcraft said:
I disagree entirely. I recognize that some views are tarnished by a commercially-inspired bias, but by and large professional reviews remain a key element of information-gathering for consumers wanting to know if a game is worth their money. Pre-order bonuses were once a reasonable tool to bring forward revenue and cement an idea of sales. Now when combined with last minute (or even post-launch) review embargoes, they are nothing more than a scam! |
Not to mention preorders are supposed to be a sign of trust and 90% of companies out there have done everything they can to destroy any trust and good will they had - western or Japanese - with obscenely priced season passes, and special ultimate collectors editions, and microtransations, and overrsized preorder bonuses. The movement ofreview embargoes to day-of or post launch is just the latest and most blatant middle finger to consumers.
Also, plenty of Japanese games get fair shakes from western reviewers, I would say most do. It's just that goofs or negative criticism gets blown out of proportion by whining fans.
