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Author Topic:   PC GAMER REVIEW BOUGHT

Jack Greenfeld posted 03-06-99 07:52 PM ET
I HAVE RECIEVED INFORMATION FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE AT PC GAMER MAGAZINE, THAT FRIXAS GAMES PAID THE EDITOR OF PC GAMER $300,000 TO UP THE RATING OF SMAC FROM THE ORIGINAL 88% TO 98% AND MAKE THE LOWS OF THE GAME AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE.
Jack Greenfeld,
Pc Gaming News

Freddz posted 03-06-99 08:03 PM ET
Oh well... or maybe you are bought from a competitor to Firaxis.... ?
Freddz posted 03-06-99 08:38 PM ET
I may or may not agree to that 98% is a bit high, but to post such a serious statement like that with no further reference to than "a reliable source" is a bit too much for me, and plain ugly if it is wrong. You have to give more if you hope are going to buy in to that.
LackOfKnack posted 03-06-99 08:58 PM ET
What kind of a professional reviewer YELLS OUT HIS NEWS LIKE SOME KIND OF A TOWN CRIER OR SOMETHING?
Hmm... see?
Lack
player1 posted 03-06-99 10:36 PM ET
I recommend you be careful about where you say things like that, as you could be sued for libel over accusations like that.
And please don't make accusations about people unless you have a reliable source (just telling us that you have one isn't going to cut it) lest your credibility will fall to tabloid status.
If you are legitimate about what you say, tell us how you got this information in the first place.
Jack Greenfeld posted 03-06-99 10:53 PM ET
Dear Frixas
I would like to retract my previous statemen, I have just found out that the whole story was made up and frixas is guilty of nothing I apologiza for any bad pr, this may have caused.
Jack Greenfeld
megaloB posted 03-07-99 12:12 AM ET
uhh...
i think SMAC is a great game and the super-high reviews it's getting are earned. Next-Generation gave SMAC 5 stars (out of 5), and i think Next-Gen is one of the better video game magazines out there. Next issue comes out on newsstands on the 16th, I think (I subscribe).
Imran Siddiqui posted 03-07-99 12:36 AM ET
It is good that you retracted that statement! I was about to say Activision sent you!
Imran Siddiqui
uncleroggy posted 03-07-99 01:23 AM ET
Mr. Greenfeld,
I find it highly irregular that your sources can go from "highly reliable" to made up within such a time span. As such, I find your comments to be reckless and that they should stand out as an example of the worst that human beings can offer. In addition, I chastise you, because no retraction can never wholly undo the damage from such comments.
geraden posted 03-07-99 03:46 AM ET
WOO HOO! Guess what everyone - it's the affliction that hit the boards over on the CTP forum - name duping!
And here's how you can tell: Highlight Jack Greenfield's name (the one at the top). Then highlight the one that retracts the comment. Notice that odd space at the end? That's because they are TWO DIFFERENT COMMENTS.
I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't from someone on that forum. Note: this isn't saying everyone over there is evil, stupid, etc. But boy was it a hoot reading the forum on CTP off-topics...
Anyway, don't give any credibility to any Jack Greenfield posts anymore.
Gardener Geraden
Xentropy posted 03-07-99 04:03 AM ET
actually, in *any* thread, every poster except the one at the top has that "odd space at the end"... it's nothing to do with a name dupe, it's some oddity with the forum tables... check out another thread and you'll see what I mean...
Calanor posted 03-07-99 09:30 AM ET
Well, on the other hand, PC Gamer reviews _seem_ to be bought at times, hehe
Regards,
Calanor
tOFfGI posted 03-07-99 09:54 AM ET
It wouldn't surprise me if PC GAMER, with their bad reputation, would get paid for reviews, but from Firaxis? No way!
Spook posted 03-07-99 11:05 AM ET
A bit of the harsh real world in this thread.
First off, the accusation gets blurted out that Sid pays PC Gamer to "rate up" SMAC. Which would infer the worst not only of Sid, but also of PC Gamer. In this era of increased "cheat to win" mentality (OJ, Clinton, Gates, etc.), I can't say that I would've been extremely surprised, although I wonder why with all the various PC review magazines and media, PC Gamer has special status in review quality. No single review of a game is gonna do it for me, I get at least four or five instead.
And then, lo and behold, later the same day, the accusation is recanted. A bit of the "Matt Drudge" style here? It's exactly as Uncleroggy pointed out, this innuendo does irreparable damage.
I used to think that PC games and the game market allowed escapism from that crap. How stupid of me.
Michael Kelly posted 03-07-99 12:55 PM ET
PC Gamer gives SMAC 98%? Are you talking about the American version? In the UK PC GAMER is the most popular pc games magazine in the country and its reveiws generally considerd most accurate over here the y gave SMAC 92% which you should note is a near perfect score. I doubt any game that has average quality graphics, sound effects, plot, story, gameplay etc.etc. would get anything close to 98% in PC GAMER in fact in the letters page one reader asked about american PC GAMER which for some reason is being sold in some british stores the editor says they have no connection whatsoever with the american version and in fact says the american version is usually less accurate than their version. Also i doubt that any games company would be so stupid as to bribe a magazine where information apparently slips so easily.
regards,
Ekim
Shining1 posted 03-07-99 04:25 PM ET
Yeah. Given the chance to print a "Sid Meier TRIED TO BRIBE US!!!" story, I think a measly $300 000 wouldn't be much competition, really. I could be wrong, knowing the computer industry this kind of thing could be common practise, but I'd still favour the 'reporter's instinct' over the finacial dealings story.
Besides, it sounds uneconomical of Firaxis to offer such a massive bribe for such a small change. Games companies don't usually have this kind of money to waste on such actions - $300 000 is a lot of cardboard instore advertising when you think about it.
And every moron on the web these days has a 'reliable source'. You can't really expect to sell rumours without one, now, can you.
Eagerly awaiting more information,
Shining1
Vger posted 03-07-99 05:12 PM ET
Hello,
I completely agree with those castigating Mr. Greenfeld. I've never written for PC Gamer, but as someone who's written about games for a living since the IBM PC existed, I think it EXTREMELY unlikely that any major publication would do anything like that. Not to mention that Firaxis is one of the last companies I would believe capable of such a thing.
In all the time I've been writing I've never been pressured to change a review by Gamecenter, Computer Games & Strategy Plus, Gamespot or CGW. I would be most surprised if PC Gamer were any different.
This incident smells to high heaven and I wish Firaxis well if they (or PC Gamer) attempt to take action against Mr. Greenfeld.
Disgusting,
V'ger gone
SnowFire posted 03-07-99 05:20 PM ET
While it is completely obvious that Mr. Greenfeld either made up his original post or hadn't learned that the flamers on Usenet are rarely reliable, I have a comment on your post Micheal Kelly- PC Gamer UK rates on a slightly lower scale than PC Gamer US. I think the highest score they ever gave was a 95%. So a 92% there means a lot more than a PC Gamer US 92%.
CaptComal posted 03-07-99 10:00 PM ET
I can't believe that nobody else thought to click on the red sunglasses icon to see who this person was making the ridiculous claims.
I find it quite FUNNY that a person working for PC GAMING NEWS has an EMail address of:
[email protected]
And only posted TWO messages on these forums ... both on the same day in this message thread (good spelling on that second message he posted too).
Best Regards,
CaptComal
Apocalypse posted 03-07-99 10:34 PM ET
The biggest way you can tell its false is when he said Firaxis paid. Firaxis doesn't have the money. It would have to be Origin (which wants to give away all the games they make and don't really care about money, ust quality) or EA (who would be ruined if they did that and were found out).
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Author	Topic: PC GAMER REVIEW BOUGHT
Jack Greenfeld	posted 03-06-99 07:52 PM ET I HAVE RECIEVED INFORMATION FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE AT PC GAMER MAGAZINE, THAT FRIXAS GAMES PAID THE EDITOR OF PC GAMER $300,000 TO UP THE RATING OF SMAC FROM THE ORIGINAL 88% TO 98% AND MAKE THE LOWS OF THE GAME AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE. Jack Greenfeld, Pc Gaming News
Freddz	posted 03-06-99 08:03 PM ET Oh well... or maybe you are bought from a competitor to Firaxis.... ?
Freddz	posted 03-06-99 08:38 PM ET I may or may not agree to that 98% is a bit high, but to post such a serious statement like that with no further reference to than "a reliable source" is a bit too much for me, and plain ugly if it is wrong. You have to give more if you hope are going to buy in to that.
LackOfKnack	posted 03-06-99 08:58 PM ET What kind of a professional reviewer YELLS OUT HIS NEWS LIKE SOME KIND OF A TOWN CRIER OR SOMETHING? Hmm... see? Lack
player1	posted 03-06-99 10:36 PM ET I recommend you be careful about where you say things like that, as you could be sued for libel over accusations like that. And please don't make accusations about people unless you have a reliable source (just telling us that you have one isn't going to cut it) lest your credibility will fall to tabloid status. If you are legitimate about what you say, tell us how you got this information in the first place.
Jack Greenfeld	posted 03-06-99 10:53 PM ET Dear Frixas I would like to retract my previous statemen, I have just found out that the whole story was made up and frixas is guilty of nothing I apologiza for any bad pr, this may have caused. Jack Greenfeld
megaloB	posted 03-07-99 12:12 AM ET uhh... i think SMAC is a great game and the super-high reviews it's getting are earned. Next-Generation gave SMAC 5 stars (out of 5), and i think Next-Gen is one of the better video game magazines out there. Next issue comes out on newsstands on the 16th, I think (I subscribe).
Imran Siddiqui	posted 03-07-99 12:36 AM ET It is good that you retracted that statement! I was about to say Activision sent you! Imran Siddiqui
uncleroggy	posted 03-07-99 01:23 AM ET Mr. Greenfeld, I find it highly irregular that your sources can go from "highly reliable" to made up within such a time span. As such, I find your comments to be reckless and that they should stand out as an example of the worst that human beings can offer. In addition, I chastise you, because no retraction can never wholly undo the damage from such comments.
geraden	posted 03-07-99 03:46 AM ET WOO HOO! Guess what everyone - it's the affliction that hit the boards over on the CTP forum - name duping! And here's how you can tell: Highlight Jack Greenfield's name (the one at the top). Then highlight the one that retracts the comment. Notice that odd space at the end? That's because they are TWO DIFFERENT COMMENTS. I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't from someone on that forum. Note: this isn't saying everyone over there is evil, stupid, etc. But boy was it a hoot reading the forum on CTP off-topics... Anyway, don't give any credibility to any Jack Greenfield posts anymore. Gardener Geraden
Xentropy	posted 03-07-99 04:03 AM ET actually, in any thread, every poster except the one at the top has that "odd space at the end"... it's nothing to do with a name dupe, it's some oddity with the forum tables... check out another thread and you'll see what I mean...
Calanor	posted 03-07-99 09:30 AM ET Well, on the other hand, PC Gamer reviews _seem_ to be bought at times, hehe Regards, Calanor
tOFfGI	posted 03-07-99 09:54 AM ET It wouldn't surprise me if PC GAMER, with their bad reputation, would get paid for reviews, but from Firaxis? No way!
Spook	posted 03-07-99 11:05 AM ET A bit of the harsh real world in this thread. First off, the accusation gets blurted out that Sid pays PC Gamer to "rate up" SMAC. Which would infer the worst not only of Sid, but also of PC Gamer. In this era of increased "cheat to win" mentality (OJ, Clinton, Gates, etc.), I can't say that I would've been extremely surprised, although I wonder why with all the various PC review magazines and media, PC Gamer has special status in review quality. No single review of a game is gonna do it for me, I get at least four or five instead. And then, lo and behold, later the same day, the accusation is recanted. A bit of the "Matt Drudge" style here? It's exactly as Uncleroggy pointed out, this innuendo does irreparable damage. I used to think that PC games and the game market allowed escapism from that crap. How stupid of me.
Michael Kelly	posted 03-07-99 12:55 PM ET PC Gamer gives SMAC 98%? Are you talking about the American version? In the UK PC GAMER is the most popular pc games magazine in the country and its reveiws generally considerd most accurate over here the y gave SMAC 92% which you should note is a near perfect score. I doubt any game that has average quality graphics, sound effects, plot, story, gameplay etc.etc. would get anything close to 98% in PC GAMER in fact in the letters page one reader asked about american PC GAMER which for some reason is being sold in some british stores the editor says they have no connection whatsoever with the american version and in fact says the american version is usually less accurate than their version. Also i doubt that any games company would be so stupid as to bribe a magazine where information apparently slips so easily. regards, Ekim
Shining1	posted 03-07-99 04:25 PM ET Yeah. Given the chance to print a "Sid Meier TRIED TO BRIBE US!!!" story, I think a measly $300 000 wouldn't be much competition, really. I could be wrong, knowing the computer industry this kind of thing could be common practise, but I'd still favour the 'reporter's instinct' over the finacial dealings story. Besides, it sounds uneconomical of Firaxis to offer such a massive bribe for such a small change. Games companies don't usually have this kind of money to waste on such actions - $300 000 is a lot of cardboard instore advertising when you think about it. And every moron on the web these days has a 'reliable source'. You can't really expect to sell rumours without one, now, can you. Eagerly awaiting more information, Shining1
Vger	posted 03-07-99 05:12 PM ET Hello, I completely agree with those castigating Mr. Greenfeld. I've never written for PC Gamer, but as someone who's written about games for a living since the IBM PC existed, I think it EXTREMELY unlikely that any major publication would do anything like that. Not to mention that Firaxis is one of the last companies I would believe capable of such a thing. In all the time I've been writing I've never been pressured to change a review by Gamecenter, Computer Games & Strategy Plus, Gamespot or CGW. I would be most surprised if PC Gamer were any different. This incident smells to high heaven and I wish Firaxis well if they (or PC Gamer) attempt to take action against Mr. Greenfeld. Disgusting, V'ger gone
SnowFire	posted 03-07-99 05:20 PM ET While it is completely obvious that Mr. Greenfeld either made up his original post or hadn't learned that the flamers on Usenet are rarely reliable, I have a comment on your post Micheal Kelly- PC Gamer UK rates on a slightly lower scale than PC Gamer US. I think the highest score they ever gave was a 95%. So a 92% there means a lot more than a PC Gamer US 92%.
CaptComal	posted 03-07-99 10:00 PM ET I can't believe that nobody else thought to click on the red sunglasses icon to see who this person was making the ridiculous claims. I find it quite FUNNY that a person working for PC GAMING NEWS has an EMail address of: [email protected] And only posted TWO messages on these forums ... both on the same day in this message thread (good spelling on that second message he posted too). Best Regards, CaptComal
Apocalypse	posted 03-07-99 10:34 PM ET The biggest way you can tell its false is when he said Firaxis paid. Firaxis doesn't have the money. It would have to be Origin (which wants to give away all the games they make and don't really care about money, ust quality) or EA (who would be ruined if they did that and were found out).