630°

Ubisoft Plaintiff Gets Amazon Review Bombed

Gamers fight back against John Beiswenger, who is suing Ubisoft for allegedly stealing ideas from his book, by flooding his Amazon listing with a series of 1-star reviews.

psyxon4803d ago

Whiny ass cry baby gamers? Nothing new.

nveenio4803d ago

Sorry, but if gamers are really doing this out of spite, they're wrong. Hopefully Amazon removes the reviews.

Saladfax4803d ago

Amazon is *usually* pretty good about removing fake reviews. I say usually because there have been a few individuals I'm acquainted with who have unfortunately had digital stalkers.

These fellows would basically troll around everything related to the author and his/her books, posting bad reviews, negative comments. From what I recall, Amazon didn't do anything there except maybe remove ones involving personal insults, profanity and the like.

I suppose it depends upon the validity of the reviews themselves, which in the case of poor (stupid) Mr. Beiswenger, most are fake. A whole lot of hate came pouring in starting 4/18, so even the ones trying to sound real pretty obviously aren't.

Best guess is Amazon will remove anything from that timeframe, but you never know.

nveenio4803d ago

Judging from the book description, it probably deserves a one-star review, but it should be legitimate.

rjdofu4803d ago (Edited 4803d ago )

Not that I agree with the plaintiff, he's indeed greedy and stupid, but what is worst? Those "reviewers", extremely immature whiny AC fanboy.

The only valid "review" in there is the one in July 29, 2007 (i.e. the first review). The rest of the so called "review" are just from raging fanboy nerd.
Notice how all the negative review start from 18 April 2012, and all of them mention AC. There's 1% chance that those "reviewers" actually go buy the book or even read it somewhere. Those can't be called review, just immature nerd raging, period.

Megaton4803d ago

Whiny ass cry babies whining about gamers? Nothing new.

justpassinggas4803d ago

The "cry baby gamers" have a point, though.

This guy waits until Assassin's Creed is a cultural phenomenon (yes, it is) to file a lawsuit so that he can hit maximum paydirt. Why did he not do so when the first game came out 5 years ago?

And his "original" idea was already in book form in the early 80s. Does that not sound hypocritical that he built on (if not outright copied) the idea of genetic memory from another author and then has the balls to sue Ubisoft? It's like me making a fake iPhone and some Chinese iPhone-copier suing me for patent rights violation!

jadenkorri4803d ago

its possible that he didn't know his idea was being used. Not everyone plays games and he probably never knew until recently. Just looking at reviews/descriptions:
http://tinyurl.com/86h9rnw , http://tinyurl.com/87ftvma. No way someone could tell from that anything about animus or reliving past lives unless they physically play the game. If he did wait until AC became a hit, that will hurt him more in court than anything else cause he should of taken action then and not now.

VideoGameJimmy4803d ago

I wouldn't say Assassin's Creed is a "cultural phenomenon" because quite frankly it hasn't impacted our culture in any way... maybe AC3 will change my mind.

I will probably get so much flack for this but Call of Duty, despite who likes it and who doesn't, IS a cultural phenomenon. They have conventions for it, tournaments, apparel, brand recognition, the games sell gangbusters, and literally everyone has played a seventh generation Call of Duty (4 and onwards). Don't get me wrong Assassin's Creed series is good but it doesn't have the same impact as something like Call of Duty or Mario or even Pokemon.

Nimblest-Assassin4803d ago (Edited 4803d ago )

Dude.. if this guy wins, AC3 will not be released, and he will receive millions in "damages".

He waited 5 years, and is now suing them... and has anyone even heard of his book till yesterday? I didn't.

Apparently there are some honest reviews of people who read the book and called it terrible,he is trying to cash in because his book failed.

He is charging them 5 million for plagarising an idea, and he has no proof. Only one idea they have in common and thats the idea of a machine that lets you relive your ancestors lives.

Hes trying to even say they copied the concept of good vs evil, and religion from him.

I don't know... but back in time religion was really f***ing big. Unless he is trying to trademark history now.

Sure I hate review bombing, but I hope he gets his a** beat in court.

This lawsuit is ridiculous.. he waited in order to cash in.

DeadlyFire4803d ago

I don't see the big deal. Even if ideas were stolen they could just pay sum of $1 million bucks and walk away or they could run it all the way through court system and see if it goes through. Its not like Ubisoft are going to kill Assassin's creed all of a sudden.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4803d ago
Lucreto4803d ago

What took him so long to sue Ubi anyway. There are 8 Assassin's Creed games out but it looked like he waited until the series got to its most successful period to maximise his payout.

SilentNegotiator4803d ago

It's most successful period? Eh....you mean from multi-million seller to multi-million seller? Or am I missing the part where Assassin's creed "spiked"?

It didn't "suddenly" become a huge thing.

SneeringImperialist4803d ago

I think after AC2 was released it "spiked" the first one was dull and relatively unpopular.

ziggurcat4803d ago

it certainly got more popular after ACII.

Nimblest-Assassin4803d ago

AC3 has the series highest record of pre orders... its safe to say the popualrity spiked up, also Ubi keeps calling it the companies most ambitious project, and they are going to spend a lot on marketing.

Fez4803d ago (Edited 4803d ago )

These review bombs are pretty good actually... well, the thought out reviews - pointing out that there have been numerous other books with very similar ideas who should be suing this guy.

Does make gamers look pretty whiney though.

Fez4803d ago

Really lame review bombing actually... it's just some obscure book no ones read. Especially not the people giving the 1 star reviews - they won't even know if it's a legit complaint since they haven't read it.

Would be funny if he won the case.

TekoIie4803d ago

wait so ancestral memories is "owned" by this guy???

This review bombing is ridiculous but so is thinking your the first person to come up with an idea. I bet that if AC wasn't popular he wouldn't be suing.

Also want to point out how Review bombing this is unacceptable but doing the exact same to COD on metarcritic is absolutely fine? Where all these commenter's above me when those articles were around???

TopDudeMan4803d ago

lol, his novel is called "Link" and was written in 2003. Can nintendo sue him?

Yodagamer4803d ago

Wait can nintendo sue people on the internet as well?

Show all comments (35)
60°

Report: Inside Ubisoft's Project Renaissance, a Cancelled Minecraft-Like Voxel Game

In recent years, Ubisoft has canceled several games, one of them being a project code-named Renaissance.

100°

16 Ubisoft Titles Can Now Be Purchased on The Xbox PC Store

In a very intriguing and interesting move, 16 Ubisoft titles can now be purchased on the Xbox PC Store. Of course, this is a first as Ubisoft PC titles have never been purchasable on the Xbox PC Store previously.

Read Full Story >>
clouddosage.com
jznrpg30d ago

Servers are going to be bogged down by that 1 guy who will use this.

SimpleDad30d ago

Ahhh, the good old... Xbox PC store?
Who tf uses that?

Tacoboto30d ago

Kind of weird without them being updated to Xbox Play Anywhere purchases

MrDead29d ago

I uninstalled it as I was sick of the ads popping up on my login screen.

180°

Ubisoft Announces Weak Financial Results, Delays Games, but Assassin's Creed Shadows is Going Strong

Ubisoft announced its financial results for the fiscal year 2024-2025, and they're not good, but Assassin's Creed Shadows is doing well.

Read Full Story >>
simulationdaily.com
neutralgamer199230d ago

Three companies keep showing their true faces and telling us who they are but for some weird reason we refuse to believe them. Even when everything they show just makes their greediness even stands out more

Keep messing with the consumers and keep being greedy. Keep telling your consumers to get comfortable now owning your games and we will. You only have few IP's that gamers care about anyways so

"soon enough tencent will buy you out. They already own 49%. Keep deleting games from gamers libraries and getting sued over it instead of making offline play possible for the crew" it's sad that I believe in 10 cents more than UBI because atleast tencent knows how to run a proper business

These executives can taking millions and bonuses and stock options yet they fire those actually making the games without thinking twice. Gaming has become so greedy that their own greed will be their downfall. Companies like Capcom have realized making good quality games and treat gamers with respect

AC series started with a soul but now it's just a soulless empty option world with icons filling the game map. They make their own games so grindy so that they can see the XP boosters to even the odds. As a gamer in my 40's all I want to know is when did gaming just stop being about Fun and all about greed. Double XP weekends selling cosmetics and dances. I use to be a big sports game guy when I was in my 20's the other day I wanted to play NBA 2k and after doing some deep research I realized the best NBA game was 2k17 and NBA 2k25 at $9.79 I couldn't pull the trigger on that 2k25 for how egregious the micro transactions were. So much of the fun is behind a pay wall

dveio30d ago

True words, buddy.

Q: "So how many units did Shadows sell?"

Ubisoft: "Well, look, we ... it's been a busy week."

neutralgamer199230d ago

For over a decade, the price of video games remained steady. We paid $50, then $60 for full, content-rich experiences. Developers found creative ways to deliver incredible games without charging more. From the PS2 era through the PS4/Xbox One, pricing consistency gave players a sense of value and trust.

But then came the jump to $70 during the PS5 and Xbox Series X launches—justified by "rising development costs." And now, barely four years later, we’re seeing $80 price tags becoming more common for standard editions. At this pace, by the time the next generation of consoles launches around 2027, $90 games could be the norm. And with a behemoth like GTA 6 on the horizon, a $99.99 base price wouldn’t be shocking at all.

Yet we’ve also seen proof that this kind of pricing isn’t necessary for success. Look at the recent launches of Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Both released at $49.99 and have been met with strong sales and positive reception. These games show that there’s still plenty of room for high-quality, mid-budget (AA) titles that offer great value—and gamers are more than willing to support them at fair prices.

But here’s the problem: the big publishers don’t care. If we as consumers keep paying for deluxe editions, early access, and overpriced base games, they’ll keep pushing the limits. They’re not going to back down unless we speak with our wallets—because that’s the only language they listen to. If they see record sales, they’ll take it as validation.

It’s frustrating when these same companies report record-breaking revenue and profits—yet still complain about tariffs, still find excuses to raise prices, and still hand out bigger bonuses to their CEOs. If they’re doing so well financially, why are they passing more of the burden onto players?

It’s because gaming has become the second biggest entertainment market in the world. And with that comes attention from hedge funds, investors, and boardrooms focused on short-term profit, not long-term player trust. To them, your passion is just a revenue stream. They care about quarterly numbers, not the health of the industry or the joy of the experience.

And unless we—as players—take a stand, the greed won’t stop. The monetization will grow, the price hikes will continue, and the soul of gaming will keep slipping away. The choice is ours. We can either keep paying more for less, or we can push back. One purchase—or one refusal to purchase—at a time

dveio30d ago

"And unless we—as players—take a stand, the greed won’t stop."

And that's the tough part about it.

Look at those annual figures showing billions and billions of money being spent on the most ridiculous add-ons, DLCs, pre-release accesses, even pre-orders, digital deluxe crap, etc.

I mean - we've stood together at times. I don't say it didn't happen before.

But within all of our communities there's so much passive aggressive defensiveness.

Look at the debates regarding physical vs digital.

Publishers can't keep a straight face reading our discussions in which many people abandon physical.

Playing straight into the cards of publishers out there.

neutralgamer199229d ago (Edited 29d ago )

Like I said gamers are the biggest issue with gaming. We may united on a issue but as soon as our favorite gaming franchise gets a release we will support it. If there any doubt Mario kart will be one of the best selling games on switch 2?

Things we use to unlock by simply playing a game has not be sold to us as extra content

Rainbowcookie29d ago

I think people arebgetting tired of the formula. We see it in sales. People just want fun again.

neutralgamer199229d ago

I just want games to be fun and not geindy and full of micro transactions

anast29d ago

Even the $130 ultimate editions of UBI games are only a bit less grindy and they still beg people to buy helix coins throughout the whole experience.

It's a travesty what 2K did to NBA 2K.

neutralgamer199229d ago

It really is because NBA 2K is simply unplayable without spending money and you can't even respec for a new my player you are required to spend again

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 29d ago
SimpleDad30d ago

When you don't disclose units sold... and your stock goes down... how is this doing well?

CantThinkOfAUsername30d ago

"According to the company, Assassin’s Creed Shadows achieved the second-highest Day 1 sales revenue in franchise history, following Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It actually had the best Day 1 performance of Ubisoft’s history on the PlayStation Store."

S2Killinit29d ago

AC Shadows is doing good yes.

gigoran830d ago

but but 2,000,000 players...

Chocoburger29d ago

Ubishit burned so many bridges with fans, releasing filler dreck that was purposefully designed to push you towards micro-trash-actions. It didn't have to be this way, they could have respected us players more, instead of making players waste countless hours of their life just to see stupid "experience points and resources numbers go up" and attempt to profit off us in such a disrespectful way. I stopped supporting them a long time ago. Keep burning bridges, and keep burning your company from within.

S2Killinit29d ago

Which UBI games did that? Im legit asking.

Chocoburger28d ago (Edited 28d ago )

Any game (be it Ubisoft or any other company) with an unnecessary shoe-horned in experience points system, endless resources collection, and a micro-trash-action store that sells you boosters that alleviate the grind.

They do it on purpose to nudge players towards spending more money, and its something I refuse to support. Nearly all modern Ubisoft games have experience points and skill trees these days, not because it makes the games better, but because it can potentially make them more money by exhausting people into giving in and buying boosters.

Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon and more series are offenders of this game design blight.

S2Killinit28d ago

I see. And I agree. I dont like these trends either. Although I dont remember AC having paid upgrades (given that my last one was black flag)

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