Editor's Note

For game previews:

Please refrain from using any form of the phrase, "But these problems are fixable for release." Every problem is conceivably fixable for release. Maybe even by release. I realise that often you get an exclusive and you want to be even-handed, but you end up sounding like a dink. Just don't use it. Mention your concerns and stay away from equivocating bullshit.

The real problem isn't that phrase. It's that you never bother to tell people whether a development team seems likely to fix the problems (what's their track record?). It's the fact that when the game in question gets released, you almost never mention whether the problems you had with the game were fixed. Maybe you don't even do the final review. It's that you almost never distinguish between bad overall design decisions and systems still being tweaked.

I know it's not completely your fault. Publishers and producers and developers tell a lot of lies. How many times have you had this conversation:

Previewer - "Is it always gonna play like a manatee in maple syrup?"
Producer - "Oh, that's totally fixable."
Dev Team - [eyes roll toward the heavens, general unvoiced groans/snickers]

In closing,

Try not to be such a sucker in the future.