Are review embargoes anti-consumer?
This is a question that, in light of some devastatingly broken releases, has been brought to the forefront of video game fans’ minds. There are a number of reasons for arguing that the answer to the aforementioned question is a resounding yes; game publishers virtually begging consumers to pre-order their product and the perceived secrecy of withholding reviews.
However, when a review embargo is handled well, it is actually more pro-consumer than having no embargo at all. There is no arguing the pure anti-consumer effects of a post-release embargo like Assassin’s Creed Unity had (expiring at noon the day of release), but there are a number of reasons that benefit both the consumer and the publisher when it comes to embargoes. Here are three reasons that a well-done embargo isn’t such a bad thing.
