Does anyone recall the review for Headhunter Redemption in the UK version of Official Xbox Magazine? Issue 34, from october 2004?
It's the one where the reviewer complained about the bike sections, despite RR having no bike sections. It prompted this open letter from the developer Amuze:
I've been trawling for hours online and can find no trace of this review, no scans, no archives of the magazine itself. the Wayback Archive (archive.org) only has copies of the US magazine, which obviously does not have this review.
This feels like a serious piece of games history, a travesty of journalism, and yet it's never been archived, it's not available, and the reviewer (who would have been named) never interviewed about how and why this happened. I have my own horror stories of fiascos working on games mags, but this feels like one of the biggest (just before my time sadly).
Does anyone have the mag? Can I buy it? Can you scan the mag or review?
I was thinking of writing a feature on the Headhunter games, and now I've become mildly obsessed with this cornerstone of their history. What happened here?!
EDIT:
Some context:
It's the one where the reviewer complained about the bike sections, despite RR having no bike sections. It prompted this open letter from the developer Amuze:
Dear Official Xbox Magazine (UK),
As a fiercely independent games developer, we totally respect the right of
reviewers to make harsh but heartfelt criticism of games released to the
public. But like all rights, this comes with responsibilities.
Foremost of these must surely be factual accuracy. In your review of
Headhunter Redemption (Issue 34, October 2004), you claim that cut scenes
"can't be skipped... Grrr!" This is incorrect: all cut scenes in the game
are skippable. Grrr, indeed.
More mysteriously, you conclude your review by stating that "the odd bike
chase succeeds in breaking up the on-foot action." There are no biking
sequences in Headhunter Redemption: a fact that would be apparent to anyone
who had actually played the game.
Naturally we would prefer everyone to appreciate our game as much as many
other reviewers have done, but we will always try to learn from
well-informed criticism. It is far harder to accept ill-informed,
unprofessional journalism.
Perhaps in future you could show us, other developers and your readers this
simple courtesy: if you can't be bothered to play a game, don't bother to
review it.
John Kroknes
Philip Lawrence
Amuze.
As a fiercely independent games developer, we totally respect the right of
reviewers to make harsh but heartfelt criticism of games released to the
public. But like all rights, this comes with responsibilities.
Foremost of these must surely be factual accuracy. In your review of
Headhunter Redemption (Issue 34, October 2004), you claim that cut scenes
"can't be skipped... Grrr!" This is incorrect: all cut scenes in the game
are skippable. Grrr, indeed.
More mysteriously, you conclude your review by stating that "the odd bike
chase succeeds in breaking up the on-foot action." There are no biking
sequences in Headhunter Redemption: a fact that would be apparent to anyone
who had actually played the game.
Naturally we would prefer everyone to appreciate our game as much as many
other reviewers have done, but we will always try to learn from
well-informed criticism. It is far harder to accept ill-informed,
unprofessional journalism.
Perhaps in future you could show us, other developers and your readers this
simple courtesy: if you can't be bothered to play a game, don't bother to
review it.
John Kroknes
Philip Lawrence
Amuze.
This feels like a serious piece of games history, a travesty of journalism, and yet it's never been archived, it's not available, and the reviewer (who would have been named) never interviewed about how and why this happened. I have my own horror stories of fiascos working on games mags, but this feels like one of the biggest (just before my time sadly).
Does anyone have the mag? Can I buy it? Can you scan the mag or review?
I was thinking of writing a feature on the Headhunter games, and now I've become mildly obsessed with this cornerstone of their history. What happened here?!
EDIT:
Some context:
Compare and contrast to how Official Xbox Magazine handled the Headhunter Redemption review. Their reviewer didn't have enough time to play it properly so made up a few bits & pieces about a vehicle section that didn't exist, and when they were called out on it (by readers and the developers), the reviewer claimed he was talking about a cut scene. Except he wasn't. So they then just deleted the thread on their message board and started banning anyone who mentioned it again.
How great it is to see a magazine not steadfastly stick to the whole 'we stand by our review' nonsense and just go 'yep, it was rubbish'...and so soon after reviewing it as well.
How great it is to see a magazine not steadfastly stick to the whole 'we stand by our review' nonsense and just go 'yep, it was rubbish'...and so soon after reviewing it as well.
Since I've now roped you in to expending hard cash, I feel I should pick up the slack a little.
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