Home Gaming Ryse embargo raises many red flags

Ryse embargo raises many red flags

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If you send an assassin we're Australian

In the few years that I’ve been doing this job I’ve noticed two common traits that hold throughout the world when it comes to video games. The first being that if a relatively unknown title has a huge marketing budget then you should be very wary of its quality and the second is that if reviews are embargoed to release date then start panicking.

Now none of these are absolute truths. Call of Duty often waits until release day for review embargoes and is generally pretty good but you get the idea.

For example Forza on the Xbox One has an unknown review embargo that is close to the release date but we all pretty much know the game will be solid, maybe not as good as we hope but it’s got pedigree now and that goes some way into allowing for pre-orders without knowing about the game.

Ryse on the other hand is making me panic in no small manner. Ryse is a total unknown, it’s a brand new IP that Microsoft have been pushing very hard as the leading title for the Xbox One.

It’s impossible to see a Xbox One advert without Ryse being showcased and we are constantly bombarded with videos like this one showcasing how incredible the game will be.

I’m a huge fan of the Spartacus series and as such I’m really hoping Ryse is going to be good but in all honesty I’m expecting it to be a stinker.

The gameplay has been bashed for having too many QTE’s already which the developer now says has been changed. Microsoft has been marketing the hell out of it and now we find out that the review embargo is set for exactly one day before release.

Put simply I expect this game to be bad to mediocre as it’s following all the standard industry attempts at pushing a bad game onto the audience.

If you have a pre-order for Ryse then I’d recommend cancelling it. You don’t lose out if it ends up being good but I’d personally like to see the community fighting back at underhanded tactics.

Cancel your pre-order and then when the reviews hit and the game is excellent simply go pick it up. But I bet you it isn’t.

Last Updated: November 19, 2013

84 Comments

  1. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    November 19, 2013 at 13:38

    Owning a PS3 and a PC means I would never have played this anyway, but something just had me convinced that the idea was too awesome for MS NOT to fuck it up…

    Reply

  2. Devourer of Small Bunnies

    November 19, 2013 at 13:42

    Shieeet.

    Reply

  3. InsanityFlea

    November 19, 2013 at 13:44

    Guess you wont do the review since you’re already in the wrong frame of mind :p

    Reply

  4. Alien Emperor Trevor

    November 19, 2013 at 13:44

    That would be a pity if true, because it does look cool.

    Poor reviews is the only reason I can think of for an embargo. Good reviews would increase preorder sales.

    Reply

  5. Alien Emperor Trevor

    November 19, 2013 at 13:46

    This is the same reasoning behind demos not being released for games – publishers found sales decreased when people didn’t like the demo. So instead of improving the game to increase sales, they remove the demo that causes a decrease.

    Reply

    • Captain GUZ

      November 19, 2013 at 14:15

      I remember looking forward to my demo disk in PCformat/NAG every month. Ahh those were the days

      Reply

    • Rags

      November 19, 2013 at 16:55

      And oh man did I play some of those demos. I remember playing the Unreal Tournament demo for weeks! And Roller Coaster Tycoon with its damn 15min timelimit was just enough to research a steel roller coaster to make 16 people die 😀

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        November 19, 2013 at 18:55

        The Carmaggeddon demo had a few minutes time limit too. It was a race to get the most kills… er… I mean… beat the other cars.

        Reply

  6. Hammersteyn

    November 19, 2013 at 13:54

    WWGD

    Reply

  7. RinceandShrubbery

    November 19, 2013 at 13:56

    Wow Gavin! You are such a FANBOI! Hang on, I think it’s your turn to be a SONY fanboi, right?

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      November 19, 2013 at 13:58

      Well it is Tuesday. Odd days are Xbone days, even ones PS4.

      Reply

      • RinceandShrubbery

        November 19, 2013 at 13:58

        Ah, is that how it works. Good system.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          November 19, 2013 at 13:59

          I think it should be the other way round given how the PS4 wobbles trollol!

          Reply

          • RinceandShrubbery

            November 19, 2013 at 14:02

            Ohhhh!

  8. RinceandShrubbery

    November 19, 2013 at 14:01

    Do you know what this reminds me of? DO you PUNKS?! This RUBBISH! I Will not make the same mistake again If it wasn’t for a little birdy I would have wasted a crap load of money on a load of Crap! (See what I did there?)

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      November 19, 2013 at 14:04

      Hence a major part of the no preorder rule – too much over-hyped crap being released. Excluding Witcher 3. I love you Witcher 3.

      Reply

      • RinceandShrubbery

        November 19, 2013 at 14:09

        Mmm, I think the last game I preordered was Far cry 3, and I loved every second of it.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          November 19, 2013 at 14:13

          Mine was Borderlands 2, which I played to bits. But I won’t preorder the next one.

          Reply

    • Devourer of Small Bunnies

      November 19, 2013 at 14:10

      Looks like the marine is ready for his poopy time.

      Reply

      • RinceandShrubbery

        November 19, 2013 at 14:16

        If I was in this game I would too…

        Reply

      • oVg

        November 19, 2013 at 15:09

        No, in the game the Alien has frozen in place. 😛

        Reply

  9. RinceandShrubbery

    November 19, 2013 at 14:04

  10. CaptainNemo42

    November 19, 2013 at 14:07

    You know. I was very keen for next gen. Hoping to pick up a PS4 next month. But, I will wait. There’s just too many unknowns at the moment, and I’m not willing to risk it with my money right now. I know this is about an Xbox exclusive, but it makes me realise its better to wait for the teething problems to get sorted out, and also for the better games to become available for the PS4/Xbox.

    Reply

    • Captain GUZ

      November 19, 2013 at 14:17

      Save your money or go on holiday come back once the dust has settled and then decide

      Reply

  11. iAmWeasel

    November 19, 2013 at 14:14

    Game Informer did a hands-on preview and said the game is about as fun as dialing phone numbers.

    Reply

    • That Dark Twit

      November 19, 2013 at 14:16

      Winning comment!

      Reply

    • Anon A Mouse

      November 19, 2013 at 14:36

      But you don’t understand how giddy I get when I dial those hot phone sex numbers…

      Reply

  12. Deano

    November 19, 2013 at 14:16

    Pre-ordering in general is for fools.
    Be it a day one console or brand new ip.

    Reply

    • CypherGate

      November 19, 2013 at 14:24

      Why is pre-ordering for fools exactly? Because they dont wait to check out reviews of the game?

      Reply

      • Lardus-Resident Perve

        November 19, 2013 at 14:43

        I kind of agree with both. If it is a proven IP, like a new version of NBA or CoD, then pre-ordering is not foolish. When, however, it is a brand new IP like Ryse, then it could be very risky and a fools game. I have pre-ordered new “awesome” sounding games just to be disappointed. Have not done that for a while now except XCom Enemy Within, but I had the original so I knew it would be good.

        Reply

        • CypherGate

          November 19, 2013 at 14:49

          I understand what you saying and there isn’t anything wrong with that. I been burned once or twice with pre-ordering, but one can be disappointed with known IP as well.

          Reply

          • Lardus-Resident Perve

            November 19, 2013 at 14:56

            True, I loved one particular WWE game, then pre-ordered the next one. I have not bought another WWE game since and continue to rant on these forums about it every time a new one comes out 😛

    • jimmyq

      November 19, 2013 at 22:44

      Why not just pre-order from a place that allows returns? I have almost every upcoming PS4 game pre-ordered (a store here had a deal where they would give you $20 off per title), and Ryse for XB1. When I get the game, i don’t immediately open it until I’ve read the reviews from a couple of sites whose opinions I trust. If a game gets bad reviews then I simply return it. That’s what I did with Knack. I don’t see what’s foolish about pre-ordering then? I get a discount, pre-order bonusses and no risk if it turns out bad. Even better, my card only gets charged when the game ships.

      Reply

  13. Alien Emperor Trevor

    November 19, 2013 at 14:24

    Now that I think about it, doesn’t this raise some interesting questions about ethics & gaming journalism? The game is being marketed as fantastic. But if game reviewers, who want to be seen as serious journalists and not just “gaming journalists”, have knowledge that it’s decidedly not fantastic and keep that to themselves, are they not concealing the truth from consumers who do preorder titles?

    Reply

    • Robert Hart

      November 19, 2013 at 14:26

      We need like a gamer-leaks site where journalists can leak reviews without damaging their rep!

      Reply

      • Captain GUZ

        November 19, 2013 at 14:39

        ala wikileaks, fighting the corporate fat cats

        Reply

      • Mick

        November 19, 2013 at 18:35

        Here’s the thing: review copies are a FAVOR that publishers do to journalists, it’s not a “god-given right” in any way. Reviews are a game that both sides have to play. Otherwise you just go to Best Buy, buy your own copy, and review the game. So, you want advance review copies? You want to be flown around to preview events and get exclusive coverage? Then you play the game. If the publisher says there’s an embargo, you respect it, so you can stay in their good graces and get advance copies for the next game, and be there with a review before your competitors and get more clicks to that page. That is called business. And in terms of reviews, it’s how it is in every industry, by the way. It’s like that with movies, it’s like that with cars.

        Reply

        • Robert Hart

          November 19, 2013 at 19:13

          I know. I’ve worked in the industry. That is why an anonymous leak site would actually do well. No one would know who to blame.

          Reply

          • Mick

            November 19, 2013 at 21:00

            I think there are more important things in life than anonymous game review leaks, but hey.

    • Lardus-Resident Perve

      November 19, 2013 at 14:40

      This is quite a valid point you make here.

      Reply

  14. Lardus-Resident Perve

    November 19, 2013 at 14:49

    Had a quick session at Rage this year. Looked good, but it was tricky not knowing the controls. I will not buy a console yet, but would not have been a day-one Ryse client in an case.

    Reply

    • FoxOneZA

      November 19, 2013 at 14:52

      A total lack of mammary gland physics left Lardus unimpressed about the next-gen. He gave it a thumbs down.

      Reply

      • RinceandShrubbery

        November 19, 2013 at 15:14

        THIS

        Reply

      • Lardus-Resident Perve

        November 19, 2013 at 15:29

        Hahaha!!! Yes, when DoA 6 and Soul Calibur 6 come out I will seriously consider getting high-deff mammary gland physics! Lol, mostly waiting for the teething issues to subside and more games to be available, but mammaries would help to get one up…or thumbs up 😛

        Reply

        • Weanerdog

          November 19, 2013 at 15:32

          Is there not some mammarys in KI, There were in the original.

          Reply

          • Lardus-Resident Perve

            November 19, 2013 at 16:16

            I have never played the original, and the gameplay video I saw just now is not inspiring me to get the new one either.

          • Weanerdog

            November 19, 2013 at 17:41

            Well here you go to tide you over

  15. oVg

    November 19, 2013 at 14:49

    It was 50% a Kinect title before they bombed it and turned it into QTE game.

    gameinformer said it best “Ryse: Son Of Rome Is As Fun As Dialing Phone numbers”

    Reply

    • Rikus

      November 19, 2013 at 15:25

      Was just about to quote that…

      Reply

      • Mick

        November 19, 2013 at 18:09

        Yeah. Nevermind that it’s the only media that was so insanely negative. selective quoting; what a beautiful thing to make you feel better about your own ideas, eh?

        Reply

        • Rikus

          November 19, 2013 at 18:19

          Selective quoting, probably. My own ideas, not so much. Did you even read the article, or are you just random trolling? If you’ve read the article you would know why we are skeptical about this game. Not only that, but I’ve played Ryse….

          …pause for dramatic effect….

          …and I was not impressed. Yes, it looked pretty, but as the leading title for the Xbone, definitely not in my opinion. It is a typical Crytek game. Graphics over substance.

          Reply

          • Mick

            November 19, 2013 at 18:32

            I read the article, and i played it. I played it a lot. It’s not the game of the year, but it certainly looks fantastic, and plays just fine. Rumors of it’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

          • Rikus

            November 19, 2013 at 18:43

            I agree with you. “Demise” is a too strong word and I bet Ryse will do just fine. I do, however, think that the rumors are there for a reason and that it will probably turn out to be a mediocre game. Which is also fine, as long as it is enjoyable.

  16. FoxOneZA

    November 19, 2013 at 14:49

    I wouldn’t cancel a pre-orfer based on a review embargo for gaming journos. I’m a gamer, not a critic so from what I’ve seen on the game, it looks like a fun and that’s why I game. Just last month GTAV had a similar review embargo. Did it make me to start hating? No.

    Reply

    • Johan du Preez

      November 19, 2013 at 16:08

      Hey dont let us stop you go and get Ryse and play it. We all knew the potential of GTA V and we all know the potential of Ryse.

      But then again your head is so far up Steve Ballmer’s ass that shit smells normal to you …

      Reply

  17. Craig Deubler

    November 19, 2013 at 14:58

    I’m guessing you’re just bitter you didn’t get a pre-release to review yourself :p

    Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      November 21, 2013 at 13:19

      Totally, you’ve caught me. It’s just so handy that I was totally right though.

      Reply

  18. HalfBlackCanadian

    November 19, 2013 at 15:17

    I thought this game was getting better and better preview opinion as the time went on…just me?

    Gavin, I don’t understand “Cancel your pre-order”. Why not buy the game, bring it home, wait a day, if the reviews (you trust) are terrible, bring it back. This seems like no less work than going back out to grab it if it’s good. Additionally, most who have pre-ordered it likely have a clue of the talk surrounding it (people with pre-orders are generally savvy customers)

    My personal projection? This will be to God of War Ascension what Killzone Shadowfall is to Halo 4 (not reviewed as well, but generally a serviceable game with heavy opinion on both sides)

    Reply

  19. Pandrew Ance

    November 19, 2013 at 15:20

    just go to reddit .. there are a couple of people already playing Ryse and they like it very much.

    it’s a love or hate game ..

    Reply

  20. chiefconcern

    November 19, 2013 at 15:27

    I canceled mine for this reason and got the game that looks more fun to me, Dead Rising 3. Hope it doesn’t suck but couldn’t take the chance.

    Reply

  21. Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

    November 19, 2013 at 15:45

    But Arkham Origins had an embargo….

    Hehehe 😀

    Reply

    • Johan du Preez

      November 19, 2013 at 16:10

      Yeh and check how crap it is compared to the previous 2.

      Hehehe 😀

      Reply

      • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

        November 19, 2013 at 16:12

        LIES! ALL LIES!

        Reply

  22. Jessenia Lopez

    November 19, 2013 at 16:12

    meh ryse meh

    Reply

  23. house_hero

    November 19, 2013 at 16:15

    I wasn’t too impressed with the Ryse demo at Rage. Its looked amazing but the mechanics felt very clunky and unnatural.

    Reply

  24. Rags

    November 19, 2013 at 16:51

    Ya, because you should trust reviewers 😉

    Reply

    • BIG BOSSDEN

      November 19, 2013 at 17:57

      I played the RYSE on XB1 at a Game store lock in night. Up till then it wasn’t even on my preorder list. NOW it is, WOW it looks amazing, plays super smooth, so much going on and no qte’s (yes you do get a colour icon for brutal finishing executions, which you can do on your own or intandem with your coop player) but having played on 2 tv’s in coop in the Coliseum(with scenery erupting from the floor smoothly and so much blood etc rest assured it works, and works very very well peeps, Can’t bloody(I know crap pun lol)wait!!

      Reply

  25. Mick

    November 19, 2013 at 18:11

    Both Forza and Ryse have embargoes because they’re the 2 first-party flagship titles, and they came in really hot on the platform side (discs were handed out, like, last week?). That’s all there is to it.

    Reply

  26. Alien Emperor Trevor

    November 19, 2013 at 18:47

    Maybe the title’s lacist & is really “Lies.”

    Reply

  27. Pandrew Ance

    November 19, 2013 at 19:02

  28. AlexH

    November 19, 2013 at 20:16

    Somy did the same with their garbage game titles and I didn’t see you complaining. Get a life sony fanboy hermit.

    Reply

  29. AlexH

    November 19, 2013 at 20:18

    Sony will bomb as it’s only a PS3.5, nothing new

    Reply

  30. Benjamin Anson ?

    November 19, 2013 at 23:46

    I played Ryse today at the #XboxOneTour, and even though I only played the Colosseum section of the game, it feels very solid! Gorgeous graphics and the combat is ALOT better than it was when it was first shown!

    I’m going to be picking up Ryse, not at launch, AC4 has that honor, but I will get it later down the line 🙂

    Reply

  31. bydavidrosen

    November 20, 2013 at 03:14

    i played through the demo at e3 and it was fun as hell. somehow the whole internet decided the game would be crap but i’d be willing to bet you’re all gonna be surprised. i preordered it and i can’t wait.

    Reply

    • raceReady

      November 20, 2013 at 09:46

      I have also pre-ordered it I cant wait till next year July to play this

      Reply

      • bydavidrosen

        November 20, 2013 at 18:21

        i don’t get it…

        Reply

        • Gavin Mannion

          November 21, 2013 at 13:15

          Xbox One doesn’t get released in most regons until next year,,,, also you should have listened to me 🙂

          Reply

          • bydavidrosen

            November 21, 2013 at 17:28

            haha… sorry about that. american typing over here 🙂

  32. Rock789

    November 20, 2013 at 08:07

    First time I saw some footage of Ryse was in one of the MS XBOne conferences. I must admit, I was really impressed. But, since then, their lack of actually allowing people to play it (and, when people do get their hands on it, they say it looks great but the controls could be better and the QTEs are overwhelming – both of which MS say have now been sorted) and this whole embargo story is definitely worrying for this title… Hopefully it can still be good, and not just bad to mediocre.

    Reply

  33. MS

    November 20, 2013 at 20:16

    It’s Cytek. They even admitted that they were so focused on how good the game looked that they didn’t do as much for the gameplay.

    Reply

  34. TwinStripeUK

    November 21, 2013 at 00:20

    A bit naughty, because he’s broken the embargo by about an hour:

    http://n4g.com/news/1397762/ryse-son-of-rome-review-3news

    Not half bad according to him.

    Also check out the gameplay here:

    http://www.gamespot.com/videos/xbox-one-pre-launch-live/2300-6416189/

    Then check out the other reviews on Thursday and realise it’ll score an average of 75 – 80% (putting it in the top end of the next-gen bracket).

    Then tell Gavin Mannion to shove his head where the sun doesn’t shine because you’ve listened to him and cancelled a pre-order for a game you (and everyone else) suddenly decides they want and your local shops are now out of stock…

    Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      November 21, 2013 at 13:14

      erm.. have you seen the real reviews?

      Now everyone can say thank you to me for cancelling their pre-orders. It’s a pleasure

      Reply

      • TwinStripeUK

        November 22, 2013 at 01:05

        Actually just watched the GameInformer feed on Twitch, with the guy who wrote the original ‘as much fun as dialling a phone’ review whining like a problem kid on a long car journey that he thinks it’s boring and the other insisting it’s not and that he can’t understand why he gave it such a bad review.
        .
        Also just watched the Primagames feed where they played it for over an hour and said that ‘while it’s not the best game in the world, it’s very enjoyable and (we) feel invested enough in it to finish it’. They also made the comment that those who thought it too repetitive ‘..probably weren’t playing it properly’

        So yes, I have seen the ‘real’ reviews… Those who like it like it, those who don’t don’t – it’s a ‘Marmite’ game… Which is why I posted links for people to make up their own minds rather than recommending people cancel pre-orders when I haven’t even played the game.

        Oh, and I was only 10% out on the average due to two EXTREMELY low scores on Metacritic, (which were well outside the spread) so I’m feeling pretty vindicated, thanks.

        Equally a pleasure.

        Reply

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