GameSpy inflating review scores

Nich Maragos' blog

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I’ve never done this before, and I probably shouldn’t be doing it now, but I want to take the opportunity to completely disown the GameSpy Donkey Konga 2 review in its published form. It grew an extra star and a half (or another 30% on the gamerankings scale) from its submitted version, along with several laudatory phrases that I ddn’t write and certainly don’t mean. I hated the game. It’s not a 3/5.

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And some commentary from Andrew Vestal.

So, is anyone surprised by this news?

Im more surprised that someone actually admitted it.

Hopefully this will mark the beginning of the end of videogame journalism as we now know it.

This is disastrous! Now people will be forced to actually READ reviews!

Revolter, according to Vestal (and Maragos, if you read the fucking paragraph epmode quoted), theyre also editing the reviews to make them more positive.

OMG could this be because of nintendo's alliance with gamespyCONSPIRACY+1!!!!$#@!$!11!1

And don't forget who else is partnered with GameSpy...

I think we can now turn our mocking scorn toward MarkRyan and his employeers with renewed vigor.

Indeed, gozen - IGN owns GameSpy, if I remember correctly. And if this is happening at GameSpy... well...

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Indeed, gozen - IGN owns GameSpy, if I remember correctly. And if this is happening at GameSpy... well...

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I had to make a mental note that you meant "owns" in the proprietive sence, not to say it is better than.

I need a vacation from Internet Land.

I wrote the review for Twisted Metal: Head-On and gave it an 8.0, but when it showed up on the live page it turned out to be a 9.0!

It was a mistake, though, and was immediately fixed. I'm not sure who Nich is--99% of the time, the reviewer here inputs the review into the backend system so there's no chance for someone to bump the score (I'm guessing Nich is a freelancer?). Believe me, we at IGN overrate games by our own free will--no one here gets paid to write positive reviews.

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Originally Posted by MarkRyan

...no one here gets paid to write positive reviews.

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I figured you would say that.