Two MGS4 Reviews: Same Words, Different Scores
by Patrick Steen on June 3, 2008 at 8:18 am
Both CVG and Gamesradar have published the same review with a different man as their author. Should Metal Gear Solid 4 be tainted by one fellow’s words?
Don’t get me wrong, the review is very well written and gives the title a generally glowing appraisal. The CVG.com’s first review happens to be from the UK Magazine, PSW. No score was given and so the article was christened a “Feature.” This has been the tradition for the print and online pairing, since CVG prefer to post their own review.
Gamesradar are the next to follow with an indepth 3 page review, commandeered from PSM3 UK Magazine’s editor Daniel Dawkins. The review expresses the game’s successes and failures, even stating that “Metal Gear Solid 4 is a masterpiece, arguably the best in the series and – though many will fiercely disagree – ever so slightly disappointing.” Nevertheless, the score given was a 9/10. That’s the extent of Snake’s disappointment.
I began to worry when I read similar sentiments in CVG’s review, only to notice that they weren’t just similar, they were the very same words. The same words, the same disappointments, the same criticisms, and the same appraisals. Was Daniel Dawkins of PSM3 UK posted as its author? No, Mike Jackson of CVG was, with a score of 9.5/10 given, not particularly matching the “disappointed” sentiment expressed.
Naturally, the review is beautifully written, but something is wrong here. Both CVG and Gamesradar are owned by Future Publishing, as are the magazines PSW, PSM3 and even the highly respected Edge. Even though Gamesradar only reviews on an integer scale, in comparison to CVG’s 0.5 scale, hence the score disparity, do you think it’s right for one magazine’s review to be posted by two different websites and pronounced as original?
Reasons for the duplications could be that Konami are holding back the review copies, and only the select few have been able to get their hands on Snake’s final mission. In truth, we’ve yet to be graced by Kojima Production’s presumed masterpiece.
Even if the reviews were correctly presented as Daniel Dawkin’s work, is it right that his opinion is taken precedence on two popular game websites? I’d be extremely interested to hear your opinions on this matter, and we’ll inform you if CVG and Gamesradar make any comments. We just hope Daniel didn’t also provide himself for Edge’s review.
*Update* - CVG’s review has now been correctly listed as Daniel Dawkin’s PSM3 review. However, the same conclusion remains. Two different popular websites, with two differing readerships are posting the same review. This may make business sense for Future Publishing, but does it make sense for their audiences?
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on June 3, 2008 9:17 am
I guess Future publishing are just being a bit cheap, but the original author should always be credited. It does seem a little deceptive and they should be honest about the source.
on June 3, 2008 9:22 am
More reviews are coming in, and the reviewers seem to indicate that Metal Gear Solid 4 is the third best game in the series. MGS1 is considered the best, and MGS2 is considered the second best. MGS3 is by far the worst in the series.
9 out of 10 isn’t a bad score, it is still an “A,” but just barely. That’s actually pretty good considering that Hideo Kojima talked so much about the low-resolution graphics and aliasing graphic flaws.
on June 3, 2008 9:34 am
Bottom line here, Patrick, is that reviews are pure shit. All reviews. Since gamers dont know who to trust, and cant trust any specific gaming site on reviews anymore. Due to the game publisher pulling hundreds worth of ads, or any other kid of threat.
Whatever, honestly, I dont care about reviews anymore, because they are just ones opinion tagged with a number that can be so easily manipulated, causing thousands to turn and spend their money, or not, on a game.
So yea, 2 reviews same words different score. Credibility for gaming sites have gone down to nothing, honestly.
Truth and honesty in previews, reviews, features, articles, etc is no more. Why? Because who knows if its truth or manipulation anymore. And if some are BS, then I dub them all as just that, bull shit, since I can’t seem to tell the difference anymore.
I’ll trust my gaming friends, instead of big sites like IGN.
- Sen
on June 3, 2008 9:55 am
Who knew people actually read the text, lol.
That is a bit wack though, you think an editor might have caught that. Wierd…
on June 3, 2008 10:04 am
Well, considering that Gamesradar, CVG, and even EDGE are all part of Future Publishing, it seems pretty cheap to me that they would just have the same review but with scores to match each sites grading scale. At the very least each of these sites should have their own staff review the game. How many gaming sites does Future Publishing need anyway? It’s ridiculous!
However, I’m pretty certain someone else reviewed MGS4 for EDGE.
on June 3, 2008 2:20 pm
Michael: None of the reviews seem to suggest that at all.
Sentry: You can trust our reviews. :)
on June 3, 2008 6:12 pm
@patrick
Most of the reviewers clearly indictaed that MGS4 is the best MGS in the series. I trust IGN more than anything else and IGN UK reviews clearly indicated that nation.
Some reviewers took off points because it was the best MGS game but didnt meet their expectations????????
when a subpar game like GTA4 gets 10/10 from the reviewers then that is a real shame
@michael
MGS4 has no flaw and runs at 720P native. Most reviewers termed it as the best game this gen –Meristation/level/opm uk etc
However Ninja gaiden 2 runs at 585P at 20 fps
same goes to cartoon Halo 3 at 600p –a sb HD game which is overrated and features low poly aliens in greenish diapers
why dont u weep over your flop gaiden 2 rather than posting BS
MGS3/2 got the same score as MGS4 from EDGE/EUROGAMER (proven OSNY haters)
MGS4 will get 10 or close to 10 from all other websites
on June 3, 2008 6:14 pm
there are 2 8/9 for MGS4 which are incoming
we all know SONY haters like 1up and Gamespot would give MGS4 a mediocre score
barring those 4 SONY haters MGS4 would get 9/9.5/10 from most other websites
on June 3, 2008 6:18 pm
@patrick
do save gaming my friend
dont be a SONY/PS3 hater .
a game like MGS4 deserves a 10 .
the British are governed by strong ethics.
Hopefully u dont give in to bribes like other SONY haters –1up/Gamespot/Eurogamer and EDGE
on June 6, 2008 11:39 am
lenHART: We still don’t know MGS4’s native resolution, but MGO suggests a res below 720p
Ninja Gaiden runs at 30fps, not 20fps.
Halo 3 is 640p, not 600p
lenHart and wasim - enough of calling websites “Sony haters”.
on June 8, 2008 5:49 pm
Ninja Gaiden 2 runs at 585P (confirmed). The FR is not rock solid . It dips to 20-25fps during intense boss battles
MGS4 runs at 720p native. I am a lead game tester too at ********
MGS4 runs at 720p native. be very sure of that
I am appalled though at your stance on Gamespot and 1up. There is no way a game like Ratchet gets a 7.5 /a game like Uncharted gets an 8.0 from GS. same goes to another SONY hating website like 1up with their vindicated reviews.
But u saw the result. GS which was no1 gaming website in the world was not just replaced by IGN but the traffic of that DUBIOUS website fell by 70%. It is now considered a joke website rather than a credible gaming website. Almost no one visists 1up/GS now
Most reviewers including Meristation/LEVEL/GAMEPRO/OPM UK termed MGS4 as the best NEXT GEN game. Most websites including CVG claimed that MGS4 is the best one in the series.
MGO beta was
on June 8, 2008 7:21 pm
rabble rabble lies rabble rabble bullshit rabble poor spelling rabble.
That’s all I saw there.
on June 8, 2008 7:51 pm
Wasim: The FR may well not be solid, but I doubt it drops to 20fps.
I’ll hold you to that resolution.
That’s your opinion.
What’s to say Gamespot and 1up don’t think the same?
Also, “the British are governed by strong ethics.” - yes, that’s why we conquered half the world through war and tried to convert non-Christian countries to the faith. Such a holistic view of a countries population and it’s history is slightly disturbed.
David: Come on, we don’t need to enter playground tactics.
on June 8, 2008 8:51 pm
Ok here, let’s try this then:
MGS4 runs at 1024×768 CONFIRMED.
I work at nintendo and created mario, CONFIRMED.
You’re all a bunch of microsoft haters, CONFIRMED.
Hey, it worked for wasim.
on June 8, 2008 9:17 pm
lol @ david….
on June 8, 2008 10:41 pm
@DAVID
this is a commentary board not a grammar classssss. As long as your sentences are BARELY comprehensible then there is no reason to whine
@PATRICK
We hope to see the true score MGS4 deserves
the IGN MGS4 review will be out tonight if i am not wrong.
You saw the fate of Gamespot and 1up –two famous websites which are down to rubbles
I just hope that you give MGS4 the true score it deserves
also we encontered numerous articles on GTA4/HAZE’s sub HD rez . However no ripten article was seen on the SUB HD rez /inconsistent FR of NG2.
but anyway lets just put all BS aside since MGS4 is just 3 days away.
There is no time to discuss about any other game when there is MGS4
:)
on June 9, 2008 12:52 am
“this is a commentary board not a grammar classssss.”
Believe me, I noticed that.
on June 9, 2008 5:37 am
David: Stum.
Wasim: We’ll give MGS4 the score we feel is relevant.
I wrote on the Haze res because it was after an exclusive interview. I wrote on the GTA4 res because I was the first to do so.
With NG2, its resolution was reported on before it was confirmed, and so I missed the boat. But I am aware that NG2 has a lower resolution than NGS and that would involve a lot of irony/humour after Itagaki’s dislike of Sigma and the PS3.
However, if our readers would like me to write on NG2’s sub-HD resolution then I will oblige.
on June 13, 2008 7:37 pm
Uh….I don’t know why you all are getting on Gamespot’s back, I mean I understand the scores for Uncharted & Rachet were lower than most, but they did score MGS4 a 10/10.