Atari Sues Game Sites For Low Reviews
Ex-console and game developer Atari late last week decided to sue three online game review sites that posted less than favorable reviews of its latest console game, Alone in the Dark for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Norwegian review sites Gamereactor.no and Gamer.no as well German site 4gamers.de received letters from Atari to take down their reviews. Both Norwegian sites gave Atari’s latest game a ghastly 3 out of 10 rating and 4gamers.de slammed the game with a 68-percent conclusion.
Last we checked, our sister site Tom’s Games and other popular U.S. reviews sites did not have more than previews of the game, as Atari has yet to release Alone in the Dark for any console.
Atari’s lawyers demanded that the three sites remove their reviews of the its game due to the poor ratings and using a pre-release "press" copy of the game. The lawsuit also indicated that it was possible the three sites used illegally downloaded copies of the game. While we can understand the later point, using "press" copies of the game for reviews is a common practice.
The three sites also indicated that Atari pulled advertising due to the poorly rated game.
We took a look further into the situation and found that a "scene release" of Alone in the Dark was released for the Xbox 360 on June 17th, 2008 — two days prior to the release of the review on 4gamers.de and 3 days prior to the published review on gamer.no. While this isn’t conclusive evidence, it does align with what Atari indicated in its complaint.
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Slashdot covered this story a few days ago and it was noted that both companies have claimed that they received their copies of the game from stores that broke the street release date, not from piracy sources, which doesn't seem to be all that uncommon. I'm sure if the reviews were 90%+ Atari wouldn't care in the slightest, which just makes them yet another business that wants negative reviews removed (in this case with legal threats) in case they hurt sales.
If the reviews are based on the release version of the game then their kicking up a stink over it has just earned them the ire of the 'hardcore' gaming crowd, or at least the portion of it that reads reviews to justify game purchases
Brulath - true. but we are now talking about the game and Atari.
Rather annoyingly, I now want to play it to see for myself. If all press is good press then they are on to a winner.
I will not be buying the game right away as it will soon be in the bargin bin at the local game shop.
I saw this game in Tesco's stores UK last week!