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Eurogamer finally posts Darkfall re-review, game now 4/10
Hands up who remembers the Darkfall/Eurogamer scuffle about a certain low score? If you didn't and just to recap: reviewer Ed Zitron gave the game 2/10 and dev Tasos let forth his unhappiness with a vengeance. He accused Zitron of only having played the game for a few hours, most of which were spent designing characters or screenshotting. Eurogamer's editor-in-chief, Tom Bramwell, then promised to re-review the game, this time entrusting journalist Kieron Gillen with what had to be a very unenviable task. I admit to taking a personal interest in this since the story broke; like many other British games journalists I've done a stint writing reviews for Eurogamer and I know both Ed and Kieron both professionally and personally. Indeed within the British games industry, Kieron Gillen is something of a minor celebrity whose opinion is trusted and respected.
How exactly do you review an MMO?
Reviewing MMOs is a tricky business, as Eurogamer learnt this week when they published a review of Darkfall and gave it 2/10. Developer Tasos Flambouras wasn't happy about this and published a scathing forum post in retaliation at the low score. They accused reviewer Ed Zitron of playing for a mere two hours (he asserts he played the game for over nine) and most of that time was -- according to Tasos -- spent screenshotting or creating characters. This prompted Eurogamer to respond and promise to do a re-review, which in turn prompted Tasos to respond to the response. This begs the question: how do you review an MMO? It's not like any other kind of game; there's no beginning, middle and end, just a beginning and an endless middle. Added to that, while video games are without a doubt mainstream, MMOs are a lot more niche. But Lesley, I hear you cry, how can games like Guild Wars and World of Warcraft with seventeen million players between them, be called niche?
Champions Online getting microtransactions?
Eurogamer are reporting that upcoming MMO Champions Online may be testing out in-game microtransactions. Last week during their press beta coverage, they noted a Champion Store. While not currently active, using it summons an error which mentions microtransactions. They contacted Cryptic for a chat and got the following response from an unnamed spokesperson: "As you may have noticed in the recent play test for Champions Online, we are currently testing functionality for in-game transactions. Virtual asset sales are a necessary component of the greater Cryptic platform since we plan on working on a number of different titles using our technology platform. At present we do not have any finalised plans for how and if these will be implemented in future releases."
Darkfall's Tasos calls out Eurogamer on 2/10 review
Tasos Flambouras, Lead Developer for Darkfall, is not a happy bunny after seeing how low Eurogamer scored Aventurine SA's latest game. They gave it 2 out of 10, which according to their scoring policy, rates the game as 'less entertaining than burning a ten pound note'. Nice.Quick to respond, Tasos posted a lengthy forum post. It's fascinating not for the ire and vitriol, of which there's quite a bit, but for the breakdown of how the process works. Basically he alleges that EG's reviewer Ed Zitron (formally a staffer on the UK edition of PC Zone magazine), played the game for a total of 2 hours spread across 13 sessions.
Win a lifetime subscription to Lord of the Rings Online from Eurogamer!
If you missed out on the lifetime subscription the first time, and you live across the pond, then do we have a contest for you! Eurogamer MMO got their hands on some tasty Lord of the Rings Online special editions, one of them being the Exclusive Collector's Edition, which you can't get in stores anymore.This hefty, and beautiful, edition of Lord of the Rings Online comes with more features than you can shake Gandalf's stick at, but most importantly, it comes with a lifetime membership to LotRO. It use to retail for a whopping 150 pounds when it was in stores (which it isn't anymore) and it can be yours by entering the contest!Speaking of shaking Gandalf's stick, Gandalf just so happens to be the topic of this contest. Simply answer who played Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, and submit it to Eurogamer. The first person who's drawn at random with the correct answer will get the Exclusive Collector's Edition. 10 others will be winning LotRO Gold Editions, which aren't anything to scoff at either!Plus, with Book 13 just recently hitting servers, now's a great time to pick up LotRO for yourself. So what are you waiting for? Get going! Just remember though, this is open to Europe only. Sorry North Americans, but we already had a contest for you.
