Edit:
 
PC format UK and the writer who wrote the witcher 2 "review" wants to sue me if I don't delete this thread. To the publisher, fuck you. To the writer, fuck you too. Apparently, Phil Iwaniuk believes that the UK doesn't exist on Earth anymore because a UK exclusive beats a world exclusive by another magazine. Hmm, funny that. Also, funny how the review reads more like a preview and doesn't ever point out any actual events in the game. I wonder why that is? Could it be because the version flying around then was 1/3 of the game? No, surely not. It's also written from the same person who said Dragon Age 2 looked gorgeous, had the best RPG combat ever and had the best choices in a game(if he actually paid any attention he'd have seen that NO choice made any difference) and never said a bad word against it. Interesting, especially after all the rumours of EA paying off reviews and faking them on metacritic. But I'm sure it's just a big misunderstanding. A video game magazine would NEVER do anything unethical, right? You can't sue a person over relaying news, Phil, or speculating on a subject.
 

Wow. That's pretty fucking stupid of them.

I had no idea this magazine existed.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.. PC Format is old as shit, and used to be a serious competitor to PC Gamer. Perhaps still are? I don't know. Very weird that they would make such a mistake.

European game journalism strikes again

That is some dumb shit right there.

Do you really care for magazine reviews? Also... what score did they give it?

Every time I hear about a european game review magazine it is basically the same thing.  That thing is sloppy reviewing, biased views, and all around low quality product.

" they gave it a 92,  guess that bodes well for an incomplete version of the game o.O "

This topic will go well.

" they gave it a 92,  guess that bodes well for an incomplete version of the game o.O "

Keep in mind that the first witcher was broken as hell so I won't  be suprised if the sequel has tons of bugs and whatnot.

I don't really see what's wrong with this, unless they claimed they're reviewing the full game somehow. There's many places already posting previews and impressions of the preview build given out to the press.

" European game journalism strikes again "

" Every time I hear about a european game review magazine it is basically the same thing.  That thing is sloppy reviewing, biased views, and all around low quality product. "

" @Metal_Mills: Are PC Format claiming that theirs is a full review of the full game?

" Every time I hear about a european game review magazine it is basically the same thing.  That thing is sloppy reviewing, biased views, and all around low quality product. "

 While I haven't read it

This is pretty much in line with my previous experiences with European game press. 

" @Metal_Mills said:

 While I haven't read it

Oh. "

A 92 and it isn't a complete build. I hope it is higher when it is finished. 

Poor form on their part.

" @blueduck said:

" @Metal_Mills said:

 While I haven't read it

Oh. "

Atually, I have now thanks to Marz. Once, right at the end it points out they played a non-final version. Even saying that the fact they reviewed and scored a game based on an unfinished code of half the game is a joke. It's like watching a movie that hasn't reached final edit, watching an hour of  it and giving it 4 stars. "

" @Metal_Mills said:

" @blueduck said:

" @Metal_Mills said:

 While I haven't read it

Oh. "

Atually, I have now thanks to Marz. Once, right at the end it points out they played a non-final version. Even saying that the fact they reviewed and scored a game based on an unfinished code of half the game is a joke. It's like watching a movie that hasn't reached final edit, watching an hour of  it and giving it 4 stars. "

I'm not trying to be a super defender of this magazine, I've never read it, but they did tell you. The only people who would not be aware of of this fact are the people who didn't read it and why would they have opinion on it anyway. They're also going to review the game in full when it comes out so really I don't see the problem. "

" Keep in mind that the first witcher was broken as hell so I won't  be suprised if the sequel has tons of bugs and whatnot. "

" @phrosnite said:

" Keep in mind that the first witcher was broken as hell so I won't  be suprised if the sequel has tons of bugs and whatnot. "

They coded their own engine this time so it will, most likely, be a lot more buggy. "

" @Karkarov said:

" Every time I hear about a european game review magazine it is basically the same thing.  That thing is sloppy reviewing, biased views, and all around low quality product. "

Some of the European reviews of DA2 were much more honest and critical than most American reviews. All places can have poor writing or biased reviews. Look at IGN or 1up or Kotaku. Some of the stuff written there is atrocious. @Jimbo said:

" @Metal_Mills: Are PC Format claiming that theirs is a full review of the full game?

They wrote it has a full review. While I haven't read it, I believe they said nothing about it being a preview build. "

" @Metal_Mills said:

" @Karkarov said:

" Every time I hear about a european game review magazine it is basically the same thing.  That thing is sloppy reviewing, biased views, and all around low quality product. "

Some of the European reviews of DA2 were much more honest and critical than most American reviews. All places can have poor writing or biased reviews. Look at IGN or 1up or Kotaku. Some of the stuff written there is atrocious. @Jimbo said:

" @Metal_Mills: Are PC Format claiming that theirs is a full review of the full game?

They wrote it has a full review. While I haven't read it, I believe they said nothing about it being a preview build. "

That said I haven't seen either of them ever review a build copy of a game then claim it was a full review, or heard of them claim world exclusives they didn't actually have.

What does it have to do with Europe, have you people forgotten about the American IGN reviews?

The US IGN reviews (well, pretty much all IGN reviews) come up with fucking stupid negatives for games. Being too difficult is always one of them, learn to play, reviewers.

" @Marz said:

" they gave it a 92,  guess that bodes well for an incomplete version of the game o.O "

 though from what Ive gathered about PC Format is that they gave Dragon Age 2 95, which pretty much nullifies any credibility

Shit quality from the European gaming press isn't an exclusive trait, but it's definitely a commonality compared to their American counterparts.  Or do we need to ask how many players will be in ze multiplayer?

" Every time I hear about a european game review magazine it is basically the same thing.  That thing is sloppy reviewing, biased views, and all around low quality product. "

Hi Everyone,

I'm the writer who reviewed The Witcher 2 for PC Format.

Let me clear up some confusion here. I didn't review 'half the game' or 'preview code'. I flew out to Warsaw, Poland, to CD Projekt Red's HQ and played the *REVIEW CODE* from start to finish. I also spoke to a number of developers about issues I had with the game, and at this point they informed me that they intended to iron out these issues before the game hit the shelves -a day one patch, essentially.

That's what i meant when i mentioned 'pre-final code' in the review. I felt I had a duty to mention these issues in my review in case they weren't fully resolved by the time it shipped to stores, but it was also only fair to mention that the developers were working on it.

This is how games journalism works - especially exclusives. We don't go and buy a boxed copy from a store and review that. Publishers provide us with review code, and it's their responsibility to make sure this version is as close to the retail copy as possible. If you take issue with the PC Format review of the Witcher 2, you can also discount every other review you've read in every other publication too.

Your assumptions based around this statement are uninformed and categorically incorrect. As they're also damaging to the magazine's credibility (and wrongly so) I ask that you either take this post down or edit it so that the facts are presented correctly.

If you'd like to discuss it further with me, feel free.

Thanks,

Phil

P.S. I've just noticed the original poster didn't even read the review before starting this topic. Nice work.

Just to hammer the point home once more, the version I played was the complete game, from prologue to ending. It was a genuine exclusive, which is why CDP Red flew me to Poland to play it.

I really don't think anyone cares about this anymore, so this is kind of pointless. But, yeah, okay.

Hi Everyone,

I'm the writer who reviewed The Witcher 2 for PC Format.

Let me clear up some confusion here. I didn't review 'half the game' or 'preview code'. I flew out to Warsaw, Poland, to CD Projekt Red's HQ and played the *REVIEW CODE* from start to finish. I also spoke to a number of developers about issues I had with the game, and at this point they informed me that they intended to iron out these issues before the game hit the shelves -a day one patch, essentially.

That's what i meant when i mentioned 'pre-final code' in the review. I felt I had a duty to mention these issues in my review in case they weren't fully resolved by the time it shipped to stores, but it was also only fair to mention that the developers were working on it.

This is how games journalism works - especially exclusives. We don't go and buy a boxed copy from a store and review that. Publishers provide us with review code, and it's their responsibility to make sure this version is as close to the retail copy as possible. If you take issue with the PC Format review of the Witcher 2, you can also discount every other review you've read in every other publication too.

Your assumptions based around this statement are uninformed and categorically incorrect. As they're also damaging to the magazine's credibility (and wrongly so) I ask that you either take this post down or edit it so that the facts are presented correctly.

If you'd like to discuss it further with me, feel free.

Thanks,

Phil

P.S. I've just noticed the original poster didn't even read the review before starting this topic. Nice work.

Just to hammer the point home once more, the version I played was the complete game, from prologue to ending. It was a genuine exclusive, which is why CDP Red flew me to Poland to play it.

@philiwaniuk said:

If you take issue with the PC Format review of the Witcher 2, you can also discount every other review you've read in every other publication too.

No. Some publications decide not to "review" games at review events that take place outside of their offices and are supervised or also attended by the games' developers or PR people.

@philiwaniuk said:

This is how games journalism works - especially exclusives.

That's the shady kind of games journalism. And that's why I don't give a shit about exclusive reviews - no wait, actually I'm highly sceptical when I see the phrase "exlusive review".

double post, sorry

@philiwaniuk: I find it hard to believe they chose PC Format UK for the first exclusive review, since CD-Action claimed "first" on that one (and it would be corrected by CD Projekt if they were lying). And CD-Action is THE biggest video game magazine in Poland since around the year 2000, they pretty much completely obliterated any competition they had.

PC Format had the UK exclusive. At no point in the review, or anywhere in the magazine do we suggest it's a world exclusive.

I fully understand the reservations people have vocalised about review events, and have no problem with anyone disagreeing with any opinions I've presented in reviews.

I do have a problem with people flagrantly misrepresenting facts and jumping to conclusions that are wildly inaccurate. I played all of Witcher 2's content (including different narrative paths), and mentioned the term 'pre final code' to alert gamers as to the game's potential problems and whether they were likely to be fixed. Without even reading the review, you started this thread which isn't even remotely true.

Again, I think it's only fair that this thread's deleted or edited with the facts in order.

Thanks.

I'm afraid you're 4 months too late. And if you didn't necro this thread, no one would see it anyway.

gamebomb.ru reviewed Brink MONTHS before it came out

Phil Iwaniuk and Future Publishing are threatening to sue me over this thread. Amazing. Even thought they don't know my name, who I am or even exist in the same continent as I do I better go into hiding! I'm thinking of changing my name to Ryan Caravella, move to Russia and join gamebomb. Start fresh, you know?

Ha.

Better watch what you say or a reviewer will find you 6 months later and threaten to sue.

haha oh man, there's no way this magazine is legit if this guy works for it. You can't litigate someone because they hate you, your work, or say it's terrible. Even if it was said on national news.

I continue to believe a lot of games journalism (not all, just a lot) over seas is shady.

Better watch what you say or a reviewer will find you 6 months later and threaten to sue.

haha oh man, there's no way this magazine is legit if this guy works for it. You can't litigate someone because they hate you, your work, or say it's terrible. Even if it was said on national news.

I continue to believe a lot of games journalism (not all, just a lot) over seas is shady.

@Fluxxed: Not complaining (although it is a shame for Europeans that want good, honest, reliable reviewers). Just making a comment on European press.

I don't really know what you mean by your sentence "but are you really going to complain about over seas games journalism being shady on GiantBomb of all sites?"

What's wrong with giantbomb? Or is there a wrong place to make comments about shady magazines? I do not think there is considering its on topic with the thread and more importantly the site (as it pertains to games journalism or whatever).

Phil Iwaniuk and Future Publishing are threatening to sue me over this thread. Amazing. Even thought they don't know my name, who I am or even exist in the same continent as I do I better go into hiding! I'm thinking of changing my name to Ryan Caravella, move to Russia and join gamebomb. Start fresh, you know?

I continue to believe a lot of games journalism (not all, just a lot) over seas is shady.