review guides are given out all the time.

It has been demonstrated time and time again that 'SWAG' works at biasing people and most companies have set very strict rules about accepting anything worth more than (about) $50.

I'm not the one that insinuated anything about a low review score embargo for MP3.

I've been in journalism for nearly 12 years and have yet to run across one. As I stated earlier, swag or not, since I have to give it away anyhow, doesn't affect me. I was a young copy ed when a PR guy for a hockey team came into the paper and was talking to the sports editor. I was like 'Man, I would love to get an authentic jersey ...' and he was grinning. 'Here's my number - I'll get you one." Right after that, I got a long talking to about ethics. As a journalist, you have a very important job - to inform the masses about the truth. Look, I can see good in every game, and I'll point that out. But don't get it twisted - I won't sugar coat or flat out lie ... or lie for that matter.

I will admit - I do get fact sheets for games, that's it. For someone to suggest how to write a review goes against everything I believe as a journalist, even if I love gaming.

The purpose of reading reviews is to determine whether or not a game is crap and if I should drop $60 on it or not.

 If the reviewer is in the pocket of the game developer, then it completely defeats the purpose of having reviews.

Basically, this kind of thing means you can't trust reviewers anymore.

How would you feel if reviewers convinced you to buy a copy of "Grabbed by the Ghoulies" on launch day because Rare paid them to keep bad reviews from being made public until after the game's release?

Does anyone else find this to be perhaps one of the most confusing threads they've ever tried to make sense of?

Game critics suck. I never let those scores influence my decision on what to buy.

I go based on game concept and briefing on how the controls work to make my decision. Also cover art and title. A critic's uninformed opinion I take as DEAD last in my decision making process. If THAT.

Gamespot tried to lowball Zelda: Twilight Princess with that BS 8.8. It's all politics and posturing from the big buck boys. Anyone with some sense wouldn't take any of those scores that seriously.

John Lucas 

I hear you, Master of Soul J.Lucas ... I read reviews and get the game to see how far off base the reviewer is. As a reviewer, I really try my best to present accurate info and let the reader make a choice.

My ultimate goal? To be the Roger Ebert of video game reviewers one day soon ...

At the end of the day the only people that actually read gaming reviews are gamers. The reality is that most gamers (besides people like Hus) can read between the lines and know whether a game will be good by or just after the release date. For this reason i find it difficult to get worked up about this.

The only reviews that are more widely read are those in mainstream print media, and tend to be far less biased as they don't rely on Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo for advertising.