tsk tsk

Definitely wouldn't affect my decision to buy the game but IF its true, thats crappy. I expect Ubisoft to have more integrity than that.

This game will be wunderbar

Hell no. I want Assassin's Creed 2 too much to allow one bad publicity moment to deter me away from it.

no not really but thats not right forcing a reviewers hand like that, or trying 2, u suck ubisoft

Well for one are we sure that the German publication is telling the truth.  Two if they are telling the truth that's pretty shady and underhanded by Ubisoft but i believe regardless of what the German magazine says its going to be a great game so really it shouldn't change anyone's mind about purchasing it.

Honestly, I don't think it would affect my decision to buy the game in any significant way.  The game looks to be shaping up to be something awesome.  Plenty of other game-rating publications are giving it the thumbs-up so far.

And, we don't know the whole story, either.  It may be that this German magazine has a history of giving really good games low scores just to be jerk-faces, putting Ubisoft in the right to say, "If you're not going to give it a fair (high) score, we're straight up not going to let you review it in advance of its release."

In reality, though, the only publication I go to for my reviews is GameInformer.  You guys are the most fair-and-balanced publication I've ever read, and I have found that 95% of the time, I tend to agree with your reviews after playing the games myself.

Although, if this did happen, you can't deny that it's a bit shady.  Telling a publication that they have to give you a good rating?  Sketchy!

Seriously? Does Ubisoft feel that unsure about their game's quality?

That's kinda stupid if you ask me. I mean if the game doesn't get an A rating who cares? That doesn't make it bad. That is just what someones opinion is.

But no it doesn't affect my purchase, I'll still be buying it because it is a huge leap from the original.

why does ubisoft care if one magazine doesn't give it a good score?and why did they try to threaten them?a bad score just would have made that magazine look stupid,ubisoft should know that it will sell great no matter what.

Not surprised- the first game was a critics darling but I don't know anybody that felt it was a good complete game. I thought it was very repetitive and boring. Didn't understand the hype for the first one and probably just more of the same in the second.

Everyone needs to stop acting as if this actually happened.  We have no proof (yet) that Ubisoft has done anything wrong.  Until we get proof, people need to stop criticizing Ubisoft and/or Assassin's Creed II -- we simply don't know for sure if we have any reason to be upset.  As they say on the internet, "Pics or it didn't happen."

Will not prevent me from buying the game but this is interesting. You tell us GI, has this been known to happen, especially from a major company? Has it ever happened to you? Furthermore, have companies been known to reward certain publications for god reviews that may have been undeserving?

@ hawkmannix -- Actually, the team at Ubisoft has done a lot to improve upon what was good in AC, while leaving behind the stuff gamers and reviewers didn't like.  The repetitive mission structure is being abandoned in favor of more mission types and a more fluid transition between mission styles.  Also, you can get missions from just about anywhere.  Also, you cannot rely on the block-counter attack-kill method of combat anymore, because there are new fighting styles for your enemies and new weapons for Ezio.  Seriously, read a preview now and then.  That's what they're there for.

nope, i care TOO much about the franchise to give up a game i know will be great! besides, i preordered the Master Assassin's Edition and i don't wanna pass up that "larger than any other Collector's Edition statue" Ezio statue. and on a side note, this may have been the publisher's doing and i don't want the developer's efforts to go to waste for their supposed foolishness.

Its true... this really dose happen in the gaming world....boooooo

The blackmail approach aside (which, if true, is indeed a poor move by Ubisoft) , 'Computer Bild Spiele' is the videogame spin-off of German tabloid 'Bild Zeitung'. They tend to the mass-market crowd and certainly don't have the best reputation when it comes to gaming journalism. Other magazines seemingly had no problem to get the review copies and I doubt that Ubisoft coerced them.

All we have is some guys word against Ubisoft with no proof. Excuse me if I don't care.

I doesn't really matter, I have come to expect something amazing each time from ubisoft... other than their previously released prince of persia (which was still very creative) I have never played something from them that I didn't absolutely love

Unfortunatly, I'd still buy the game. But is Ubisoft really that desperate? I don't think so.