Comment Re:playola and where the good reviews are (Score 1) 223
Oh no, I admit that the companies sometimes make the attempt to threaten with advertising money when they don't like a review score. However, I'm just saying that in my experience that doesn't work too often.
As far as the "OMG EXCLUSIVE ++HOT!!" articles go... well, the cover article is *never* a review. It's always a preview, and always something that the magazine thinks will provide incentive to make an impulse purchase based on desire to have information about that "featured preview" product.
Sales and circulation figures are what is presented in the attempt to attract further advertising money... that's the lifeblood of the industry.
I do, however, feel weird when by "coincidence" a big glossy two-page ad for a game shows up right before its review in the magazine. However, sometimes that review is BAD, so while the company might pay for placement they're certainly not paying for an elevated score.
I don't think I've ever heard (and believe me, we're a chatty bunch) from another writer about being instructed to give something anything other than a fair objective score based on the merits of the software. So, if there's anything going on that's unjust then rest assured it's happening at the editorial level and NOT with the individual writers themselves.
As far as the "OMG EXCLUSIVE ++HOT!!" articles go... well, the cover article is *never* a review. It's always a preview, and always something that the magazine thinks will provide incentive to make an impulse purchase based on desire to have information about that "featured preview" product.
Sales and circulation figures are what is presented in the attempt to attract further advertising money... that's the lifeblood of the industry.
I do, however, feel weird when by "coincidence" a big glossy two-page ad for a game shows up right before its review in the magazine. However, sometimes that review is BAD, so while the company might pay for placement they're certainly not paying for an elevated score.
I don't think I've ever heard (and believe me, we're a chatty bunch) from another writer about being instructed to give something anything other than a fair objective score based on the merits of the software. So, if there's anything going on that's unjust then rest assured it's happening at the editorial level and NOT with the individual writers themselves.
