Telltale Games employees found feeding perfect 10 reviews to Metacritic

[thom-22]

Originally Posted by Shadowknight1

Also, I find this entire situation to be completely full of BS. Do you want to know why? Metacritic started the investigation on this matter because of one thing: The reviews used proper grammar and spelling. That is BS.

You are aware that the grammar and spelling were merely clues that prompted further investigation, which then led to evidence indicating that Telltale employees were indeed responsible? I have difficulty grasping how the nature of the initial clues that lead to the discovery of some action by some party could have any bearing on whether the action in question should be considered right or wrong.

[Shadowknight1]

Originally Posted by thom-22

You are aware that the grammar and spelling were merely clues that prompted further investigation, which then led to evidence indicating that Telltale employees were indeed responsible? I have difficulty grasping how the nature of the initial clues that lead to the discovery of some action by some party could have any bearing on whether the action in question should be considered right or wrong.

I think it's wrong of them to assume that a normal person writing a review for a game will not use proper grammar.

Not everyone in the world writes their own reviews like this: "OMG this game roxxorz!!!!11 kthxbai!"

Therefore, I find it extremely insulting that they automatically assumed that, since the reviews were written intelligently, they must not be real gamers.

[thom-22]

Originally Posted by Shadowknight1

I think it's wrong of them to assume that a normal person writing a review for a game will not use proper grammar.

Not everyone in the world writes their own reviews like this: "OMG this game roxxorz!!!!11 kthxbai!"

Therefore, I find it extremely insulting that they automatically assumed that, since the reviews were written intelligently, they must not be real gamers.

But they didn't "assume". They suspected and they investigated further. Again, I fail to see how the clues that prompted further inquiry could have any bearing on whether the action is right or wrong.

Also, I don't think it was the spelling and grammar strictly speaking; it was the language and tone of the comments, which screamed "marketing-speak". I see this kind of thing on the iOS and Mac App Stores all the time: a brand new game starts off with a handful of five-star "reviews", all of which have been obviously parroted from the publisher's promotional materials.

[Nathuram]

Originally Posted by coolsome

Then 0/10 reviews by people who are pissed are just as wrong then.

Not really because they are just expressing how upset they are with TTG while TTG actually forged the games meta score to make people think the game was better than it actually was to trick people into buying the game rather than let the game stand on its own merit. They where so afraid of real opinions on the game that they saw the need to fake opinions. That is ironically TTG giving their own game a bad review.

a 10/10 game does not need a forged meta score. The game stands up on its own from real reviews. The real reviews have however given the game a much less flattering image.

[RaventheBlack]

The fact was the telltall reviews were early on as to promote and boost game sales when in fact it was done by the people who work for or made the game itself,Thats like john hammond giving his park a 10/10 rating before the people look at the rating then go in the park there only to find out...they got eaten.Thats just bad business practice,and by all means i have to point out:

Were the Telltall people who reviewed these game even gamers?

When i say gamer im talking about someone who played games like final fantasy,or resident evil,games that are both punishing yet rewarding.
Something that comes both as an adventure yet a challange.

Well then since Jurassic park the game isnt a game and dubbed more an interactive movie,then i must rate as a movie.

And as a movie then im gonna admit,it was bad,Hey yeah before you start writing those negative comments below in responace to this i'm gonna tell you both as a game and or as a movie this Jurassic spin was not good.

There was no major surprises,most the game you were just pressing buttons to sneak around or run away from the dinosaurs,aside from only 2 dinosaurs everything is trying to murder you,there was very little suspence or magic feel to it compared to the other 3 movies,and the ending itself was a toned down version of the third movie,you escape the rex jump in a boat and drive off...im sorry but theres no epicness there at all.

The game was only 4 hours long,and again most of it your just running away or sneaking around dinosaurs,if again this game was an interactive movie i wouldnt consider it anything like the other 3 movies,the dinosaurs didnt even act like animals they acted like ravenous monsters.

I am a gamer i have played mario,sonic,megaman,metroid,and years of gaming
I have a right to say what Telltall did was offensive,and i have a right to say when i dont enjoy something,when people brought those ratings down on them,it wasnt because of what Telltall games did its because their gamers,they know videogames and i know videogames and when something doesnt feel right we make it known to the public,when aliens vs predator came out for the ps3 and 360 i let it known the game was bad because it was too scripted and even worst then the pc counterpart with shorter gameplay,same can be said of jurassic park.

I actually enjoyed this game up until after the whole Nedry/embryo scavenging part,but everything after that felt blant...and tasteless like a "B" Grade monster movie,and again i know my movies as mentioned earlier im familar with classics as early as star wars,alien,jaws,terminator,so if anyone wants to call me out on this im gonna think your a closet case,the simple truth is whether it was a a game or a movie,jurassic park the game was a short unthrilling experience nothing like the movies,its something you rent and return.


Now does Telltale games deserve the harsh backlash it got from people who actually went out,spent money and played this game?The answer is yes.

Does Telltall games deserve the harsh treatment it got from Metacritic and 1-up for their actions of voluntarily having people within their own company pose as gamers whom quote:"Should have never never played the game beforehand till recently and are having a review based on their gamer experience and whether or not the game was enjoyable along with its advantages and its downfalls?"
Then the answer is also yes,they failed to mention any of its flaws and their not true reviewers,they are there to boost the game popularity which in turn affects its sales.The recent big price drop on the game speaks for itself.

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by RAnthonyMahan

Rather Dashing (where is he, by the way? With how he freaked out about BttF you think he'd be having a field day now)

Oh hi, post from the past!

I'm here because I woke up at 3 AM with a sore throat, read that lovely(read: disgusting, deplorable, gag-inducing) press-skewing blog post(if you don't read the blog, read today's post! It's the worst piece of shit you'll ever read! Look up the scores of the reviews cited!), and got to wondering about the press goings-on in Jurassic Park land. Woah, this was a rather nasty thing to pop up!

I've not been posting here. After all, I have:

-Not bought or played Jurassic Park, nor do I plan to. With Back to the Future, I'd actually PAID for that garbage, I'd actually PLAYED it, and frankly I had thoughts on the matter that were based on very in-depth analysis of the gameplay and its lack of connection to the narrative elements occuring on screen. Not so here. I could only really bash a basic direction Telltale is going, bash their press, but without playing the game I can't levy anything concrete against it.
-Never been a Jurassic Park fan
-had classes and tests to take
-SKYRIM
-MORE SKYRIM
-OH MY GOD WHERE DID MY TIME GO, OH RIGHT, TO SKYRIM
-Honestly got sick of dealing with a realm in which "WHO GIVES FIVE FUCKS ABOUT GAMEPLAY?" is considered an actual, worthwhile point by the greatest defenders of a game.

A few points:

1. Gamespot definitely poorly worded what prompted the investigation. Proper spelling and grammar? They should have iterated more clearly that:

-These were 10/10 reviews for a game that has had a very negative press response.
-They praised the developer and the game in a way that felt "press-y"
-They did not read like user reviews

These are things that arouse suspicion, and when it was found that the Metacritic user IDs were ones known to be used by Telltale employees with some rather quick Google-fu, Telltale defended the reviewers. This WAS DONE BY TELLTALE, and we HAVE to establish that in order for any conversation of the matter to take place.

2. Having a public opinion of your work is fine, but it's NOT COOL to do so under the guise of a "user" without even placing a disclaimer on said review. People go to user reviews to see what people who've played the game think about it. Developers have plenty of avenues to express their thoughts, positively, without being the least bit deceptive. Don't tell me that this was about expression. This was about raising the average review score on a site that is known for its effect on sales, and frankly, that's deplorable no matter how good you think the game is. To put it in one simple sentence:

DECEPTION is bad and WILLFULLY SKEWING REVIEW NUMBERS in your favor is also bad.

3. Intentionally conflating people who have concrete complaints about a product with those who have absolutely stupid, or at least incidental, complaints about a product is willful misdirection of the conversation. If you are going to reply to a person who has made complaints, and you are wanting to nullify them, THEIR points have to be addressed, NOT the points made by some random individual somewhere else on the same matter, even if they share the same "side"(I for one would HATE, for example, to be confused with a fellow who hates Back to the Future: The Game for art style reasons, for not having free-roaming, for not being a GTA rip-off, for not having enough time periods, or for not having every single actor from the films playing their roles, as those are NOT my complaints and I don't want someone acting as if they are)

4. My opinion on this matter is that this practice is vile and disgusting. While I feel Gamespot's article is sadly somewhat poorly written, their core points are on the whole solid. Suspicious reviews popped up, they looked into it with some simple Googling, and found that Telltale employees were obscure enough to not be immediately recognizable as employees at a glance while not smart enough to cover their tracks when performing an action which was OBVIOUSLY illicit. They are right in saying that defending this action on those grounds shows incompetence more than anything.

The quality of the game doesn't matter. It could be a 10/10, this would still be wrong.
Whether or not the employee thought it was a 10/10 doesn't matter. Even if that's his or her opinion, reviewing your own work inherently creates a position of bias, especially on industry-affecting Metacritic, and it's extremely poor form to not even include a disclaimer.
Even with a disclaimer, it's poor form because it skews a user number that is NOT meant to be an average of the opinions of the users and the game's press department.
IF YOU SAY I CARE ABOUT THE JEEP I WILL GUT YOU.

[Bloody Eugene]

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

I'm here because I woke up at 3 AM with a sore throat, read that lovely(read: disgusting, deplorable, gag-inducing) press-skewing blog post(if you don't read the blog, read today's post! It's the worst piece of shit you'll ever read! Look up the scores of the reviews cited!), and got to wondering about the press goings-on in Jurassic Park land. Woah, this was a rather nasty thing to pop up!

I understand that blog post as a protest from TT team, to prove that there's something good in this game, and it's not all bad - and maybe they feel attacked by negative response & scandals.

It's the first post made by "Telltale Team", and not by Alan himself or Jake or some other specific TT member. And the QUANTITY of the picks is so big that it truely seems a protest.

To some extent I agree to the protest, because this game it's not as bad as almost anyone says - and it actually introduce some great things.
(One of the greatest things is that you don't need to walk around, such a useless heritage of old school games. I always say that most of the users use double click to travel trhoug locations, because walking is almost useless and really boring.)

BTW, any other company would have produced another game like Sam&Max, and would have stick to that formula forever to avoid financial risks in a field (the graphic adventures one) that's full of dangerous path. Just see what happened to Bill Tiller's Autumn Moon.

Instead of appreciating the risks of jumping into the void, anyone laughs at the fall of the body.
I'm not saying that JP is a masterpiece. But at least is far better than BTTF. JP tries to explore new territories, but detractors just enjoy old things - until they watch the final product and call it "derivative".
It's a pity that TT will not be able to explore anymore by the fear of another JP-case.

And about the reviews: everyone is entitled to their own opinion. What I have to point out instead is how you ended to trust such a loose user valuation method just to bash the actual TT directions.

Why now USERS review become so important? After all TT did not paid Metacritic to tell "the game is good".

[Yohmi]

Originally Posted by Bloody Eugene

To some extent I agree to the protest, because this game it's not as bad as almost anyone says - and it actually introduce some great things.
(One of the greatest things is that you don't need to walk around, such a useless heritage of old school games. I always say that most of the users use double click to travel trhoug locations, because walking is almost useless and really boring.)

BTW, any other company would have produced another game like Sam&Max, and would have stick to that formula forever to avoid financial risks in a field (the graphic adventures one) that's full of dangerous path. Just see what happened to Bill Tiller's Autumn Moon.

Instead of appreciating the risks of jumping into the void, anyone laughs at the fall of the body.
I'm not saying that JP is a masterpiece. But at least is far better than BTTF. JP tries to explore new territories, but detractors just enjoy old things - until they watch the final product and call it "derivative".
It's a pity that TT will not be able to explore anymore by the fear of another JP-case.

It is not true. Walking is not boring. Walking ten times in the same direction of the same location can be boring when you suddenly have an idea about a puzzle and it’s far from your actual location. Remember that adventure game is a contemplative pleasure, it’s about reading/listening stories, it’s about walking peacefully in a beautiful set, discovering it piece by piece, trying to figure out the personality of who you are playing, by listening to his comments, etc. Walking is not boring. That’s what many people who hated Heavy Rain pointed out and made fun of (hahaha you walk, you don’t run -_-)… and that’s exactly what the people who actually liked the game (and they’re a majority) liked in it : the old investigation process of a guy wandering until he finds a clue. That’s what many adventure gamers like, that’s why the first Sam&Max was so popular, that’s why the broken swords/beneath a steel sky are so popular (an even now, more than ten years after, still selling incredibly good on iOS without any marketing).
You tell me about Autumn Moon ? I tell you about Pendulo. Selling very good, right ? What was wrong about autumn moon it’s because it was obviously aimed for kids, but you know what the kids play now. They all think that reading is boring. While Pendulo’s titles are not that good (bad writing, very boring and vulgar dialogs, game design awkwardnesses), they sell good because they’re not trying to make something new while the genre is already under represented (especially when so many "object hunting" games are defining themselves as adventure games while it’s only a "Where’s Waldo : lost and found edition"). Why do you think Revolution Studio announced they will come back to the original schedule for all their upcoming productions ? Because that’s what the adventure gamers want. We agreed Telltale using 3D because we knew it was more convenient for a startup, they can easily tweak, reuse, and it costs way less than 2D art (mainly because of animation). But it doesn’t mean that’s what we wanted.

Taking risk is ok when you master your job. Telltale never reached that state. They haven’t yet. When just like a Nintendo game (for example) everybody will agree in a single voice that they’ve produced a work of art, then everything will be open (and Nintendo made Wii Music :P no one remember ^^). Right now, they’re still a long way until we see Telltale as a hall of fame candidate. But they can, if they slow down, maybe, the process, work way more in the writing, avoid all the cheap laugh elements they always try to add, be more subtle and more simple. There’s nothing better than simple things, really

[Johro]

Originally Posted by Yohmi

Taking risk is ok when you master your job. Telltale never reached that state. They haven’t yet. When just like a Nintendo game

If you're under 25, forgive me for this....

...but Nintendo did a whole bunch of garbage while experimenting. They had games that froze, crashed, just plain didn't work, sports games with wrong colors, tons of typos, broken dialog etc etc etc while they brought out novelty trash just to make money. Nintendo was actually a really bad example of your point for an up and coming company.

It took Nintendo about 10 years to get their quality down pat(and I mean a seamless game for the time...they still put out bad games), granted they were innovating(and stealing) technology and Telltale is kind of trying to play catch-up while doing their own thing, it's not the same scenario. However, yes, Nintendo DID release products knowing full well they weren't "quality". Sometimes you just have to do your best at what you want to try.

[generalcabdriver45]

Originally Posted by RaventheBlack

The fact was the telltall reviews were early on as to promote and boost game sales when in fact it was done by the people who work for or made the game itself,Thats like john hammond giving his park a 10/10 rating before the people look at the rating then go in the park there only to find out...they got eaten.Thats just bad business practice,and by all means i have to point out:

Were the Telltall people who reviewed these game even gamers?

When i say gamer im talking about someone who played games like final fantasy,or resident evil,games that are both punishing yet rewarding.
Something that comes both as an adventure yet a challange.

Well then since Jurassic park the game isnt a game and dubbed more an interactive movie,then i must rate as a movie.

And as a movie then im gonna admit,it was bad,Hey yeah before you start writing those negative comments below in responace to this i'm gonna tell you both as a game and or as a movie this Jurassic spin was not good.

There was no major surprises,most the game you were just pressing buttons to sneak around or run away from the dinosaurs,aside from only 2 dinosaurs everything is trying to murder you,there was very little suspence or magic feel to it compared to the other 3 movies,and the ending itself was a toned down version of the third movie,you escape the rex jump in a boat and drive off...im sorry but theres no epicness there at all.

The game was only 4 hours long,and again most of it your just running away or sneaking around dinosaurs,if again this game was an interactive movie i wouldnt consider it anything like the other 3 movies,the dinosaurs didnt even act like animals they acted like ravenous monsters.

I am a gamer i have played mario,sonic,megaman,metroid,and years of gaming
I have a right to say what Telltall did was offensive,and i have a right to say when i dont enjoy something,when people brought those ratings down on them,it wasnt because of what Telltall games did its because their gamers,they know videogames and i know videogames and when something doesnt feel right we make it known to the public,when aliens vs predator came out for the ps3 and 360 i let it known the game was bad because it was too scripted and even worst then the pc counterpart with shorter gameplay,same can be said of jurassic park.

I actually enjoyed this game up until after the whole Nedry/embryo scavenging part,but everything after that felt blant...and tasteless like a "B" Grade monster movie,and again i know my movies as mentioned earlier im familar with classics as early as star wars,alien,jaws,terminator,so if anyone wants to call me out on this im gonna think your a closet case,the simple truth is whether it was a a game or a movie,jurassic park the game was a short unthrilling experience nothing like the movies,its something you rent and return.


Now does Telltale games deserve the harsh backlash it got from people who actually went out,spent money and played this game?The answer is yes.

Does Telltall games deserve the harsh treatment it got from Metacritic and 1-up for their actions of voluntarily having people within their own company pose as gamers whom quote:"Should have never never played the game beforehand till recently and are having a review based on their gamer experience and whether or not the game was enjoyable along with its advantages and its downfalls?"
Then the answer is also yes,they failed to mention any of its flaws and their not true reviewers,they are there to boost the game popularity which in turn affects its sales.The recent big price drop on the game speaks for itself.

I agree telltale are a company full of fanboys who get in a piss if they face the facts im glad you put what you think and not something to make everyone agree with you.

Oh and the bttf game was just like this, it had no action and the graphics were shit.

[pmzanetti]

Reviewing your own pretty bad game in order to sell more copies is dishonest, lame, and worthy of fines.

[Shadowknight1]

Originally Posted by Johro

If you're under 25, forgive me for this....

...but Nintendo did a whole bunch of garbage while experimenting. They had games that froze, crashed, just plain didn't work, sports games with wrong colors, tons of typos, broken dialog etc etc etc while they brought out novelty trash just to make money. Nintendo was actually a really bad example of your point for an up and coming company.

It took Nintendo about 10 years to get their quality down pat(and I mean a seamless game for the time...they still put out bad games), granted they were innovating(and stealing) technology and Telltale is kind of trying to play catch-up while doing their own thing, it's not the same scenario. However, yes, Nintendo DID release products knowing full well they weren't "quality". Sometimes you just have to do your best at what you want to try.

Excuse me? Could you give an example of a Nintendo PRODUCED game that was broken? Nintendo themselves, not just a game on a Nintendo system?

Also, STOLEN technology? Since f-ing when? You want thieves, I suggest you redirect your eyes towards Sony.

Now, I am NOT going to say that everything Nintendo does is gold. They've made some odd choices over the years. Releasing the DSiXL a couple of months before the announcement of the 3DS was one. And surely I don't need to bring up R.O.B. or the Virtual Boy.

[Johro]

I said broken dialog. And as for glitches and bugs, pick any title released before SMB3. As for reputation, look it up, in the early days they had a habit of firing or not hiring people and keeping "ideas". Okay, not technology as a tangible object, but design, thoughts, artwork. Keep in mind this was before you signed your life away to a company. A lot of people were not paid for contributions...especially before games had credits. Fairly common practise at the time...but still, it wasn't moral.

...and no, Sony isn't any better... even today. Want to pick on a company with a real shady past, Samsung or Panasonic....not game developers I know... but... awful history...and I like Samsung products..sad sad.

I'm not a fanboy either. I'm not partial to either Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft. I have owned a Wii, PS3, and XBOX360. They got my money, I can pick on them :P

[Shadowknight1]

Originally Posted by Johro

I said broken dialog. And as for glitches and bugs, pick any title released before SMB3. As for reputation, look it up, in the early days they had a habit of firing or not hiring people and keeping "ideas". Okay, not technology as a tangible object, but design, thoughts, artwork. Keep in mind this was before you signed your life away to a company. A lot of people were not paid for contributions...especially before games had credits. Fairly common practise at the time...but still, it wasn't moral.

...and no, Sony isn't any better... even today. Want to pick on a company with a real shady past, Samsung or Panasonic....not game developers I know... but... awful history...and I like Samsung products..sad sad.

I'm not a fanboy either. I'm not partial to either Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft. I have owned a Wii, PS3, and XBOX360. They got my money, I can pick on them :P

Every game has glitches. No doubts about that. Sometimes graphical, sometimes game-breaking.

And at least Nintendo hasn't begun intentionally screwing over a good portion of their fans by cancelling two games with one of their biggest mascots and releasing what should've been DLC as a full-on retail release without giving a download option and rebooting a franchise that was in no need of a reboot. **** you Capcom. **** you.

[Yohmi]

Originally Posted by Johro

If you're under 25, forgive me for this....

...but Nintendo did a whole bunch of garbage while experimenting. They had games that froze, crashed, just plain didn't work, sports games with wrong colors, tons of typos, broken dialog etc etc etc while they brought out novelty trash just to make money. Nintendo was actually a really bad example of your point for an up and coming company.

It took Nintendo about 10 years to get their quality down pat(and I mean a seamless game for the time...they still put out bad games), granted they were innovating(and stealing) technology and Telltale is kind of trying to play catch-up while doing their own thing, it's not the same scenario. However, yes, Nintendo DID release products knowing full well they weren't "quality". Sometimes you just have to do your best at what you want to try.

I think this is a little bit off-topic, and I don’t see the point, except saying that 20 years ago, games were full of glitches, which is true (and obvious). And everything had to be invented back then. And I’m not 25 yet (24 ), but I’m aware of it. But it’s got nothing to do with what I’m talking about, in fact. I’m not talking about the "old" gaming industry, about Nintendo making gaming cards (or even Game&Watch). My point is simple : it’s ok to try to bend the rules once you master them. Telltale hasn’t made its "perfect" adventure game yet, mainly because of the structure, rush, and many flaws in the writing. Instead of flushing away elemental gameplay routines, they should first focus in their real flaws. Jurassic Park makes Telltale look like Fantasia’s "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" to me.

[yoman45135]

Originally Posted by generalcabdriver45

I agree telltale are a company full of fanboys who get in a piss if they face the facts im glad you put what you think and not something to make everyone agree with you.

Oh and the bttf game was just like this, it had no action and the graphics were shit.

I agree on the fanboys part and the graphics being shit but saying there was no action is not true, sure it was not as epic as the films but I loved the two deloreans chasing eachover and having to connect the satellite dish things!!!

(and im off topic... sorry)

[JediCass]

Originally Posted by Johro

I said broken dialog. And as for glitches and bugs, pick any title released before SMB3. As for reputation, look it up, in the early days they had a habit of firing or not hiring people and keeping "ideas". Okay, not technology as a tangible object, but design, thoughts, artwork. Keep in mind this was before you signed your life away to a company. A lot of people were not paid for contributions...especially before games had credits. Fairly common practise at the time...but still, it wasn't moral.

...and no, Sony isn't any better... even today. Want to pick on a company with a real shady past, Samsung or Panasonic....not game developers I know... but... awful history...and I like Samsung products..sad sad.

I'm not a fanboy either. I'm not partial to either Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft. I have owned a Wii, PS3, and XBOX360. They got my money, I can pick on them :P

Any game before SMB3? Huh? SMB3 had bugs but the ones before it were not unplayable due to bugs. SMB, Zelda, Metroid, all of these games were pretty good actually. No game ending glitches either.

[Johro]

The wholeeeeeeee point was that companies DO release games they don't feel are perfect. Okay? Whether it's Sony, Nintendo, Telltale. They do what they can with the time, resources, people allotted. Since we're talking JP, on PC with the controller(the primary intended method), I encountered zero problems with the game(aside from the 2 dialogue repetitions in episode 1). Music cued perfectly, dialogue matched, no button issues, no animation problems. Was the game great? No. Did it work great? Yes.

[Yohmi]

Absolutely. But remember that you’re the one who talked about bugs, while it was totally unrelated. I’m glad now you agree that it was, indeed, uncalled for.