Report Alleges Two Worlds Publisher Pressurised Sites for Positive Review Scores

Destructoid has published a great report with accusations that Topware, publisher of Two Worlds II, has been pressuring publications into posting favorable reviews, among other nefarious actions.

The allegations (and it’s important to note that that’s all they are) include selling ads based on good reviews, attempting to influence IGN‘s GameStats service, Topware employees writing fake Amazon reviews and even the unauthorised threat of legal action against a reviewer.

Jim Sterling writes that the accusations comes from multiple (yet mostly nameless) sources. The allegations go as far as saying Topware Managing Director James Seaman said in an email: “The review is down, get the review pulled from Metacritic. However it is being reviewed again. Contact this guy [a reviewer] and give anything he needs to get our score up.”

There’s also an account from a former Topware employee, Jake DiGennaro. He says that he “felt uncomfortable doing some of the things I was asked to do, and that is part of the reason I left.” Seaman, however, portrayed him as a bitter employee, saying: “he wanted to take Topware down and that this was his chance.”

It’s all very shady, and right now this is simply allegation, but it’s a very interesting read, so make up your own mind up.