Former Australian Official PlayStation Mag editor and Xbox PR man Richie Young has some stuff he'd like to get off his chest. Stuff to do with how certain elements of the Australian gaming press operates. Granted, most of it isn't exactly outside the realms of a lot of your suspicions, but it's still juicy reading nonetheless:

1)Fact: games reviewers have been offered either sex or money to change a review score. To quote the PR person I am referring to: "I will do ANYTHING if you can change the score. Just tell me what it will take..."

2)Fact: be careful when you read an "exclusive" review. You probably already know this, but they are much-more-often-than-not tied to agreements about coverage or minimum scores.

3)Fact: PR companies identify journalists they want to impress... and go about in unashamedly. This includes campaigning them for better coverage by using elaborate gifts like dinners, overseas trips...

4)Fact: small media operators hold and use the power of balance over their editorial staff. When all is said and done, it means that advertising agreements do help sway final game review scores.

5)Fact: most game reviewers get paid little, which increases the likelihood that they will fall into the trap of temptation. This is not their fault, but a reality of the industry.

Keep in mind he's talking about the local press, but I doubt it's a decidedly antipodean occurrence. I know, most people presume this is how it works anyway, but a good tale of whistle-blowing and review-score prostitution is always a great read. So titillating. Luke Plunkett

The Word from The Inside [Gamearena, via Screen Play]