Eidos Trying to fix Tomb Raider: Underworld Metacritic Scores

[7th lutz]

http://kotaku.com/5095674/eidos-tryi...acritic-scores

According to the article, Eidos UK PR firm has confirmed that British sites planning on posting Tomb Raider: Underworld reviews with less than an 8.0 score are being asked to hold off posting them until Monday.

The Eidos Spokesperson Said " Edios is to get the Metacritic rating to be high, and the brand manager in the US that’s handling all of Tomb Raider has asked that we just manage the scores before the game is out, really, just to ensure that we don’t put people off buying the game".

[Bojay1997]

http://kotaku.com/5095674/eidos-tryi...acritic-scores

According to the article, Edios UK PR firm has confirmed that British sites planning on posting Tomb Raider: Underworld reviews with less than an 8.0 score are being asked to hold off posting them until Monday.

The Edios Spokesperson Said " Edios is to get the Metacritic rating to be high, and the brand manager in the US that’s handling all of Tomb Raider has asked that we just manage the scores before the game is out, really, just to ensure that we don’t put people off buying the game".

The most shocking part about this whole story is just how dumb the PR person is. If you're gonna engage in shady practices to hide bad reviews, at least be smart enough to not admit it when asked.

[Porksta]

Here is an easy solution that keeps people from posting bad reviews. It is really simple.

Step 1 - Don't make a shitty game.


There. One easy step.

[SegaAges]

Yeah, if they are that worried about scores, maybe they should stop making games with crappy camera angles and the likes.

[s1lence]

Thats a bummer, I enjoyed the last two Tomb Raiders.

[le geek]

Having read some under 8.0 reviews it still sounds like a good game if not without flaws, particularly if you crave more Tomb Raider, unlike Kane & Lynch.

It doesn't excuse Eidos PR from being clueless dicks though...

[Nebagram]

^^ Beat me to it with the Kane & Lynch references. Eidos are more sensitive than Jeff Minter at times, so it seems.

[DeputyMoniker]

Here is an easy solution that keeps people from posting bad reviews. It is really simple.

Step 1 - Don't make a shitty game.


There. One easy step.

Does not compute.

[BHvrd]

Does Lara do naked handstands yet? If so I sure hope the lighting is good!

[c0ldb33r]

Does Lara do naked handstands yet? If so I sure hope the lighting is good!

That reminds me of the old nude raider hacks for TR 1 and 2. I know this is a no nudity board, but I don't think Lara's pixel boobs really count

[roushimsx]

Man, you really gotta feel bad for the developers caught in the crossfire. I love Crystal Dynamics and IO Interactive and it's just a shame to see their work get knee jerk grudge fucked just because of the publisher and overzealous fanboys. Kane and Lynch wasn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be (especially the PC version) and I've got no doubts that Tomb Raider Underworld will be fun as well (I mean, other than their decision to only ship like half the game and presumably offer the rest as paid DLC...).

Actually, if anything is going to keep me from buying Tomb Raider, it's not the "Good but not Amazing" reviews, it's because I'm waiting for a rerelease that has all of the DLC bundled at a reduced price.

What really bums me out is that the bullshit over Kane and Lynch didn't just cost Gamespot and Eidos their credibility or Gertsmann his job, it looks like it killed Freedom Fighters 2 as well.

[davidbrit2]

Guess Eidos doesn't want you to find out the game sucks until after you've paid for it.

[roushimsx]

Guess Eidos doesn't want you to find out the game sucks until after you've paid for it.

That's dipping into "7 sucks, 8 is awesome" territory, which is a pretty bullshit mentality to have. Of course, it's the mentality that Eidos' UK PR apparently has, which I guess kind of explains things a bit.

PR lackeys

[DigitalSpace]

[Rogmeister]

I guess this means I shouldn't put this game on my PS2 Want List...that version doesn't come out until January according to Amazon.com's info.

[unwinddesign]

Eidos should stop with this crap. It just makes everyone want to buy their games less than they already do to begin with.

[davidbrit2]

That's dipping into "7 sucks, 8 is awesome" territory, which is a pretty bullshit mentality to have. Of course, it's the mentality that Eidos' UK PR apparently has, which I guess kind of explains things a bit.

PR lackeys

Yeah, plenty of people seem to need a good/bad boundary somewhere, and for many, that appears to be at the 7/8 boundary.

[esquire]

That's dipping into "7 sucks, 8 is awesome" territory, which is a pretty bullshit mentality to have. Of course, it's the mentality that Eidos' UK PR apparently has, which I guess kind of explains things a bit.

PR lackeys

While I agree, I think this is more of self-realization on Eidos' Marketing Department that in today's marketplace, 7's just won't sell as much as 8's or 9's. Yes, 7 is still a good score for a game. However, everything is relative. 1). The market is being flooded with new releases for the holiday season; 2) Many of these games are great titles with very good scores; 3) The economy is in the shitter and people aren't spending as much on themselves and probably doing likewise for Christmas gifts. All these factors mean less opportunities for your 7's to do well in the marketplace. It doesn't mean it's a crappy game. It all comes down to the almighty $$$. If a 7 score still meant the game would make the amount of profit they expect to make on the game, they could probably care less.

[Poofta!]

Here is an easy solution that keeps people from posting bad reviews. It is really simple.

Step 1 - Don't make a shitty game.


There. One easy step.

lmao. thank you, sir. it is stupefying how many publishers do not understand this, then go on a campaign to hide reviewer's words of wisdom

[kedawa]

Considering the fact that most reviewers ignore the lower half of the review scale anyway, 7 and 8 actually represent is 2/5 and 3/5, respectively.
Anything scoring 5/10 or lower is effectively a 0/5, as it basically means it isn't worth your time or your money.