Posted Tue Oct 25, 2016 at 01:08 PM PDT by Brian Hoss
Ditto for 'Skyrim Special Edition.'
For anyone interested in the ever-shifting dynamic between reviews, games, and publishers, today's events have to be fascinating. With both 'Dishonored 2' and 'Skyrim Special Edition' getting close to release, Bethesda published a public statement credited to Gary Steinman in which the publisher outlined a current policy of holding media review copies until one day before the release date.
The reasoning given here, and I write this without trying to editorialize, appears to be that 'DOOM' reviews copies went out the day before release and that game is now a "critical and commercial" hit.
Further reasoning for this public decision could be extrapolated from the line, "we want everyone, including those in the media, to experience our games at the same time."
Again, without trying to get too far away from what Bethesda has stated, it will be interesting to see how this policy bears out over time. In theory that means no early reviews unless they are from a rushed session with the game or else have been taken early off the back of a truck or through some other means.
Here is that full statement from Bethesda:
Bethesda & Game Reviews
At Bethesda, we value media reviews.
We read them. We watch them. We try to learn from them when they offer critique. And we understand their value to our players.
Earlier this year we released DOOM. We sent review copies to arrive the day before launch, which led to speculation about the quality of the game. Since then DOOM has emerged as a critical and commercial hit, and is now one of the highest-rated shooters of the past few years.
With the upcoming launches of Skyrim Special Edition and Dishonored 2, we will continue our policy of sending media review copies one day before release. While we will continue to work with media, streamers, and YouTubers to support their coverage – both before and after release – we want everyone, including those in the media, to experience our games at the same time.
We also understand that some of you want to read reviews before you make your decision, and if that’s the case we encourage you to wait for your favorite reviewers to share their thoughts.
Skyrim Special Edition releases globally on October 28 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Dishonored 2 releases globally on November 11 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Source: Bethesda
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