I guess it is why they are the only magazine still running.
Every exclusive they've gotten, they've given it a score close to 95. Getting a 90+ score from them 10 years ago was difficult. I remember they didn't give that score for a few months at one point.
But yea, something is definitely going on. Jeff Green of CGW/GFW mag has alluded to it many times.
Desslock, gave DA1 91% I think, and that was a 4 page exclusive review. I guess he wasn't willing to sell out here. I've noticed that they will often hand an important exclusive review to a nobody, if it means that a senior editor is likely to be unfavorable.
Case in point is Spore. I bought the whole pack on steam and the game is utter trash. The act after the cell stage is unplayably dull.
PCG should have let Dan Stapleton (the strategy guy) do that review, but instead gave it to Kristen Salvatore, who gave it a 93%! The review was a four page love letter to Will Wright, and ended with a paragraph from Dan Stapleton, giving his thoughts, and absolutely murdering the game.
Other odd things were the Hell Gate: London exclusive review, where PCG's review read like the game deserved 75% yet the game got 89%. Greg Vederman, who it later turned out reviewed the game, wouldn't allow his name to be put at the end of it.
Quite suspicious, I have to say.
I remember Jeff Green hinting at PCG's strange behavior, but then he said, "Well, we were very adamant when it came to exclusives, and look where we ended up. Our magazine is dead. Those guys are still going... so who's to say we were right."
Yea, PC GAMER used to mean something.
