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Ethics and disclosures

An outline of Doublejump's ethical values.

Advertising:

As much as we dislike advertising, we do have advertisements on our website which serve as our primary source of revenue. We have attempted to minimise the ads’ impact on the overall viewing experience.

Since all of our advertising is provided by Google AdSense, we have no direct interaction with the advertisers who appear on our site. As such, the presence of a related advertisement does not imply that we have accepted any incentives to provide coverage. Additionally, it means that all screening is performed by Google AdSense itself — if an advertisement does come through that you find offensive, please take a screenshot and email it to contact[at]doublejump.co, with the subject line “Advertising Issue”, and we will do what we can to ensure that the advertisement does not appear on our site in the future.

Finally, absolutely none of Doublejump’s content should be taken as an advertisement unless otherwise stated.

Affiliate links:

Doublejump’s content may occasionally feature affiliate links, which entitle us to a commission on any purchases made via those links. These links are added to the content in post-production, after it has been subjected to our editorial process; as such, they do not influence or otherwise affect the tone or nature of the content itself.

Corrections to published content:

Our contributors and editors take great care to ensure that our content is completely accurate upon publication. With that being said, we are committed to updating — rather than removing — inaccurate content as soon as we are made aware that it is inaccurate.

Giveaways:

Doublejump will occasionally run giveaways through certain channels, which will all come with a set of rules. These giveaways are not to be considered as endorsements of the products on offer.

Additionally, Doublejump commits to taking all necessary measures to ensure that nobody has an unfair advantage in the decision process, regardless of their membership status or relationships to Doublejump and its team. Staff members are not allowed to partake in Doublejump’s giveaways.

Image credit:

Doublejump credits any and all images posted on the site to the developer of the game they’re taken from, which will typically be named within the content itself. If this is not immediately obvious, we will provide credit in the caption.

Memberships:

Partnerships:

Sponsorships:

review policies

An outline of Doublejump's rules and responsibilities regarding game criticism.


Codes and product samples:

Doublejump will always disclose how its writers have acquired codes or product samples used to produce coverage, whether they have purchased the game or product themselves or had it provided to them by the publisher or manufacturer.

In the event that we do receive a code or product sample, it is important to note that we acquire these through general press mailing lists or cold emails, and so our receipt of a code or sample does not indicate a pre-existing relationship between Doublejump and the provider. It also does not serve as any form of incentive to provide positive coverage — instead, it is an exchange: we provide coverage in exchange for the code.

Conflicts of interest:

Doublejump Management makes all possible efforts to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest between a contributor and their content. Members of the Doublejump team are asked not to cover products from companies that employ them, a friend or a family member, or companies in which they have a financial interest.

It should also be noted that our staff members are not permitted to accept any gifts in exchange for positive coverage.

How we score our reviews:

In order to encourage our contributors to be firm in their decisions and avoid getting caught up deciding between small increments, Doublejump scores its reviews on a five-star scale, with no half-stars. Here is how the scale works:

Five stars: Outstanding. Perfection is entirely subjective, but a five-star game is one that comes mighty close.

Four stars: A good, or even great, video game. Although a four-star game does have some issues holding it back from perfection, those issues don't detract from the overall experience too much — if at all.

Three stars: Not amazing but not bad either, a three-star game provides an experience that's worth your time and/or money.

Two stars: A two-star game is not very good, but those interested or invested in the series, genre or property will likely find it enjoyable. It's not worth everyone's time and/or money, but it's not completely irredeemable.

One star: One-star games, on the other hand, are almost entirely unredeemable. Their flaws entirely outweigh any positive aspects, and they are absolutely not worth your time and/or money.

Patreon/Kickstarter support:

Doublejump's Contributors are more than welcome to back Kickstarter campaigns for upcoming video games, and any companies or personalities who run Patreon campaigns and the like.

If that writer is the one reviewing the game, their involvement will be disclosed at the end of the review; if they are providing other coverage, their position will only be disclosed if they have contributed more than the game's retail value. Otherwise, it is considered a pre-order like any other.

Review timing:

Doublejump aims to produce its review coverage within two weeks of the game's Australian release date, however we do understand that our Contributors' real-life commitments come first and will always allow for some flexibility with this deadline.