High Voltage sabotages author's book based on bad Conduit review

This has got to be the most unprofessional thing I've ever seen. The author states:

"I am also a fantasy novelist. After the review was published, the creative director of High Voltage sent out an inter-office email, telling his people to go to my book on Amazon.com and write reviews of it, since I had written a bad review of their game. The email was leaked to the gaming press."

[Shok]

Sounds fake.

Conduit 2 got PLENTY of low reviews, so why would they target one person like this? The first game got low scores too and High Voltage didn't do a thing.

But if this is true, shame on them. Highly unprofessional.

[HolyOrangeCows]

Look at the source that starts with "UPDATED"
Definitely not fake.

Joystiq's review was right on the money, "unprofessional" or not.
Asinine story, awful generic gameplay, bad graphics and animation, ear piercing voice acting for half the characters, poor controls for both regular and classic, you must play through the awful single player to unlock things for the generic multiplayer....
Great review, really. He at least covered all of the bases (of awfulness).

This is even more pathetic than Topware Interactive blacklisting sites for giving TW2 "middling scores" (Despite TW2 being crap and being lucky to get the 70-ish that it did on Meta).

[tunaks1]

before anyone cries "unprofessional" read joysticks Conduit 2 review. It puts everything into context.

"Heck, break out your N64 instead and replay Perfect Dark. Even that story makes more sense, and, to be honest ... the graphics are a little better." - T. Michael Murdoc

[Brasi82]

Yea and tbh Joystiq is garbage. I rate them just above EDGE and below Gameinformer...

Joystiq reviews 2/10
EDGE review 1/10
Gameinformer review 2.25/10 (lol c wut i did there?)

[ChickeyCantor]

I don't think any of these reviewers got all the story elements from the first game, then looked for all the story pieces in the second game.

If you don't do this, NON of it will make sense.
I think thats why people are bashing it so much.

"and, to be honest ... the graphics are a little better"

eh no... LOL people have really forgotten how N64 looks like.

[tunaks1]

I think the reviewer made up his mind on the game before he even popped the disc in.

[TruthbeTold]

Yeah, Joystiq was out of line with the crap they put in that review, it was an irrational and unfair hate fest. Tit for tat is kind of petty, but I don't blame them.

[Pedobear Rocks]

Joystiq. Owned by AOL whose manifesto now states that you can blog whatever erroneous bullshit you'd like as long as it generates hits for advertisers...so I'm sure the Conduit review was over the top harsh to garner those hits.

As for HVS...he did nothing but suggest to his employees to read the book and write a review...didn't force them too nor did he say to write a negative review.

Props to HVS

[r21]

it feels right to say this: u mad bro?

[pcz]

dont expect anything else from a company renowned for making shit games.

[tunaks1]

thats opened minded, I guess you would rather have shit like Imagine Babyz instead right?

[pcz]

i am being opened minded. imagine babyz is shit but it doesnt pretended to be something its not. all these high voltage games are just hyped up shovelwear. i would never buy any of their rubbish pretentious garbage trashy games.

i guess you did lol

[tunaks1]

You are trolling a company who actually tries to deliver a game with some honest attempt at a quality product. Is Conduit 2 a master piece? No but its a welcome change from the garbage bigger devs give wii owners.

I am guessing you are a single console owner this gen, and if you are, you should support HVS or else you will be left with Wii Dare and Imagine Babyz flooding the system.

[Rifle-Man]

At least he played the game. Over at Amazon there were at least four reviews by people who obviously hadn't even read the book.

You should be able to write an honest, opinionated review without fear of retaliation.

[AEtherbane]

How would a non HVS employee get a hold of this, and why would they take a picture of the computer screen??!

Edit: I reread the email again, and on a second thought, i highly doubt it was animus. I've talked to Matt before and he's a really nice guy and i dont think he would do something like this. I think he's genuinely asking for fellow employees to read the book and review it because the person, regardless of how shitty the review was, was nice enough to do a review of their game.

[Soldierone]

Treat others the way you want to be treated....a very old saying that people should abide by. To give the heat, if you cant take it yourself.

When you write a harsh review you honestly think the creators are going to be happy about it? So what the game sucked, we know that, if your books good people will see that these amazon reviews are stupid and pointless and read it anyways.

[Tony P]

Looks like someone should have paid more attention in their ethics course.

[nikola987]

the same joystiq who gave infinity blade score 5/5 and EA sports active 4/5? -.-

[ChickeyCantor]

"The game is, [in my professional opinion], terrible."

I dunno, no matter who says it, this always cracks the integrity of a person for me.

But opinions are opinions.