Ubisoft Block Reviews for ‘the Crew' Because it is a "Social Game"

[Val the Moofia Boss]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...aOq-rn5E7FpI-g

[Edge-]

*fucking sigh*

No_they_did_not.

Not anymore than Blizzard did for WoD, Carbine did for WildStar, or ZMO did for ESO.

It's a MMO, it can only really be reviewed in a live environment.

That is, unless you want another Sim City debacle where press get a perfect working version and the game is broke as a joke at launch.

There's plenty of reasons to hate on Ubisoft and trash talk them. This is not one of them.

Not to mention, no developer or publisher has an obligation to provide pre-release copies of the game to media for reviews. It benefits them to do so, as they can get games reviewed in a more controlled environment, and it benefits media as they're not rushed to push out a review before their competition. It's a standard practice, but it in no way should be viewed as necessary or mandatory.

[Holtzmann]

*fucking sigh*

No_they_did_not.

Not anymore than Blizzard did for WoD, Carbine did for WildStar, or ZMO did for ESO.

It's a MMO, it can only really be reviewed in a live environment.

That is, unless you want another Sim City debacle where press get a perfect working version and the game is broke as a joke at launch.

There's plenty of reasons to hate on Ubisoft and trash talk them. This is not one of them.

This, a dozen times.

Seriously, Ubisoft didn't "block" reviews. They delayed them. Anyone who wishes to write a review will be able to, just not while the game is not yet live. As Edge- said, that game is an MMO: it has to be reviewed with actual people playing it, not just reporters and late beta testers, because it will make sure the game systems will be tested at the settings they were designed to.

Considering how painful MMO releases tend to be in terms of server stability, this is a very ballsy move from Ubisoft. Sure, any possible negative reviews take a while longer to come out... but when they come out they will have all the inevitable nitpicks from launch sorted out. All the proverbial Error #37s. They must really trust their servers.

[Mormolyce]

Honestly this seems like a non-issue to me, if you don't like buying games that have review embargoes then don't buy them. The premise of this complaint is that the game companies are trying to avoid damage to sales from bad reviews, but if all the people who weren't going to buy the game because it had bad reviews didn't buy it because it had no reviews then that neutralises the advantage of doing it.

If that doesn't happen then it just isn't an issue that enough people care about.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

...Not to mention, no developer or publisher has an obligation to provide pre-release copies of the game to media for reviews. It benefits them to do so, as they can get games reviewed in a more controlled environment, and it benefits media as they're not rushed to push out a review before their competition. It's a standard practice, but it in no way should be viewed as necessary or mandatory.

Edge, that's like saying movie critics shouldn't be able to attend a pre-release screening so that they can write a review because the film lacked a full audience.

Would you even consider paying $15 for a ticket to the cinemas if what they were showing had absolutely no ratings yet?

[Mormolyce]

Not to mention, no developer or publisher has an obligation to provide pre-release copies of the game to media for reviews.

And I mean, if you're afraid you might not like a game don't rush out to buy it on release day.

[Spraxle]

I think the biggest problem with this is that the game had some serious issues in beta apparently. Like cars feeling like they were hovering and such. If things like that are going to be in the live version people should get to see reviews that point out issues like that before they plink down their money.

I also get that Ubisoft can do no right at the present time. The Crew seemed like a very interesting idea on paper, but I'll still hold off on it for a multitude of reasons.

[Deleted]

Edge, that's like saying movie critics shouldn't be able to attend a pre-release screening so that they can write a review because the film lacked a full audience.

Would you even consider paying $15 for a ticket to the cinemas if what they were showing had absolutely no ratings yet?

Don't buy games on release or pre order then , problem solved.

[Holtzmann]

Edge, that's like saying movie critics shouldn't be able to attend a pre-release screening so that they can write a review because the film lacked a full audience.

Would you even consider paying $15 for a ticket to the cinemas if what they were showing had absolutely no ratings yet?

That's a spurious analogy.

Is your moviegoing experience in any way positively affected by how many other people are around you? I'm going to guess probably not, because you don't go to the movies to interact with the other moviegoers. If they do interact with you, it's usually a bad thing because it takes you away from the movie. MMOs require interaction between players, so you do need people.

And yep, I've spent $15 to watch things without reading any reviews or seeing any ratings. Why? Because I've watched the trailers and got interested by it. That's what most early adopters do. Or do you think all the people who bought Sunset Overdrive only did so after reading the reviews?

[Mormolyce]

Edge, that's like saying movie critics shouldn't be able to attend a pre-release screening so that they can write a review because the film lacked a full audience.

Would you even consider paying $15 for a ticket to the cinemas if what they were showing had absolutely no ratings yet?

If nobody did then movie makers would lose a shitload of money. And stop doing it.

Basically, if the problem you're talking about exists then it solves itself.

*EDIT*

Hey wow I didn't know there was a new title at 20k.

[Edge-]

Edge, that's like saying movie critics shouldn't be able to attend a pre-release screening so that they can write a review because the film lacked a full audience.

No...no it's not at all. A MMO is an infinitely different beats than a film, or a simple single player game. It simply cannot be reviewed on its own, it needs to have the social interactions and grouping that come with playing a MMO.

Your comparison if faulty.

Would you even consider paying $15 for a ticket to the cinemas if what they were showing had absolutely no ratings yet?

Depends on the movie. For some, sure. For others, no. But if there wen't reviews for a week or two, I'd just wait a week or two to see it. Not really going to make or break my enjoyment of the movie.

And I mean, if you're afraid you might not like a game don't rush out to buy it on release day.

This so hard.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

...If things like that are going to be in the live version people should get to see reviews that point out issues like that before they plink down their money.

This. For a company not to allow reviews before release strongly indicates that they do not think it will survive them at launch, therefore it's broken. Regardless of whether or not reviews are released before or after, reviews don't fix games. If Ubisoft's previous launches tell us anything, it's that they are going to use the initial amount of players who bought the game before reviews were uploaded to basically bug test their game.... a game which they paid $60 for expecting a finished product. Holding off those reviews might mean that Ubisoft isn't confident either that what the testers played was good enough to be sold on, therefore they will restrain them until that initial day 1 patch is released before tellin them to go play it again...

Hey wow I didn't know there was a new title at 20k.

Gratz!

[Manabomb]

It's honestly nothing like that. Edge's point is that they didn't do a pre-release because it would have been a false review, since it's impossible to give the game an *HONEST AND FAIR* review without it being online live with other players to get the full experience.

You're entire complaint can be remedied though just be you sitting on your thumb for a week or two before you buy it. Kind of don't see any valid reason for the 'campaign against ubisoft' you are trying to stir up here.

Just how much of an MMO do you think is hung on multiplayer content? Most MMO's these days (this one being no exception) put the social interaction into a corner while trying to promote what is largely a single player experience you will be able to have with your friends if you so choose. So no, a lot of the game can be honestly and fairly reviewed if said reviewer has intelligence to understand what is largely being designed for a single player and what is being designed for multiple players.

Anyone saying otherwise is a discredit to reviewing, and Ubisoft doing this is either trying to add fire to the flames of hype, or legitimately thinking their game is so special that in order to review it you need to have the "full experience" including but not limited to launch day disasters.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

It's honestly nothing like that. Edge's point is that they didn't do a pre-release because it would have been a false review, since it's impossible to give the game an *HONEST AND FAIR* review without it being online live with other players to get the full experience.

You're entire complaint can be remedied though just be you sitting on your thumb for a week or two before you buy it. Kind of don't see any valid reason for the 'campaign against ubisoft' you are trying to stir up here.

You cant test a multiplayer game with other testers? Wow. Looks like I really do learn something new everyday.

[Deleted]

If they don't want you to know what you're buying it's a scam

[Edge-]

You cant test a multiplayer game with other testers? Wow. Looks like I really do learn something new everyday.

Would you trust a review of WoD if someone simply played by themselves with nobody else in the world?

Would you trust a review of WildStar if 10 reviewers total were playing weeks before launch, with nobody else?

Have you created threads claiming Blizzard is sleazy for not allowing pre-release reviews for WoD? Or Carbine for WildStar? Or any other MMO? No? Then you're either a hypocrite or you're being extremely selective in your criticisms.

If they don't want you to know what you're buying it's a scam

Nothing is stopping anyone from, you know, waiting a week or two after the game launches to check out reviews before purchasing.

Jesus, it's like people have gone EA levels of retarded in their Ubisoft hate lately. Ubisoft deserves a lot of justified hate, but for fucks sake, hate them for legitimate reasons, not for stupid irrelevant bullshit.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

If they don't want you to know what you're buying it's a scam

This is the underlining, definitive fact that can be inferred from this fiasco.

[barackopala]

Would you trust a review of WoD if someone simply played by themselves with nobody else in the world?

Would you trust a review of WildStar if 10 reviewers total were playing weeks before launch, with nobody else?

Have you created threads claiming Blizzard is sleazy for not allowing pre-release reviews for WoD? Or Carbine for WildStar? Or any other MMO? No? Then you're either a hypocrite or you're being extremely selective in your criticisms.



Nothing is stopping anyone from, you know, waiting a week or two after the game launches to check out reviews before purchasing.

Jesus, it's like people have gone EA levels of retarded in their Ubisoft hate lately. Ubisoft deserves a lot of justified hate, but for fucks sake, hate them for legitimate reasons, not for stupid irrelevant bullshit.

Edge dont try to sugarcoat this, sim city had the same issue, it's bullshit presented on an icecream cone with a bullshit cream on top, this is bad for reviewers and consumers, ubisoft is by far the worst gaming company there is, their "drm system" is beyond broken and intrusive, even more than origin for fucks sake.

DO NOT BUY FROM BUGGIESOFT

[prwraith]

After what happened with assassins creed unity.

I'm squarely on the side of ubisoft "blocked" the review.

[Edge-]

Edge dont try to sugarcoat this, sim city had the same issue

No, Sim City had pre-release reviews in a controlled environment where everything worked. So when the game launched, it launched to glowing reviews from media who were playing pre-release.

What happened at release? People believed reviews, bought it, and it was broken as fuck.

This is nowhere near the same issue. This is the same issue as WoD, Destiny, ESO, and WildStar. i.e. welcome to MMO launches and how they're reviewed post-release.

The recent wave of hate they're very rightfully getting is leading to a giant EA-esque circle jerk of, "HATE EVERYTHING THEY DO NO MATTER WHAT IT IS BECAUSE IT MUST BE BAD!" which is stupid as hell.

After what happened with assassins creed unity.

I'm squarely on the side of ubisoft "blocked" the review.

Blizzard "blocked" WoD reviews. BioWare "blocked" SWTOR reviews. ZMO "blocked" ESO reviews.

Do you not see how stupid those statements are, and how making them for The Crew, but not those games is hypocritical?