Еditorial and Review Policy

Welcome to Mac360.com, your go-to source for comprehensive Mac-related content. We are dedicated to providing in-depth reporting, analysis, and critiques on everything related to Mac. In addition to articles on our website, we also share informative videos on our YouTube channel.

Editorial Policy

Our Editorial Policy outlines how we craft content for Mac360.com and its associated social media channels. We value your feedback, so please reach out to our editors if you believe we have not met these criteria in any of our published work.

Reporting

• Accuracy: We are committed to reporting information as accurately as possible. Our content is based on the information available to us at the time of publication.
• Seeking Comments: We make an effort to request comments when reporting on non-public or potentially negatively portraying subjects, ensuring a balanced perspective.
• Updates: If significant new information arises after a post is published, we either update the existing article or create a new one to reflect the latest developments.
• Fact-Checking: We thoroughly investigate claims of factual inaccuracies in our work and promptly issue corrections or clarifications if needed.
• Right to Respond: Individuals or organizations featured in our stories have the right to respond. Please contact our editors if you believe that content related to you or your company is inaccurate, or if you possess additional information that could benefit our readers.
• Source Verification: We do not publish information, whether from identified or anonymous sources, without attempting to corroborate it with additional sources. We take stringent measures to safeguard the identities of anonymous informants and do not compensate sources for information.
• Attribution: Proper credit and a link to the original work are always provided when we report on material discovered by another media outlet.
• Transparency: When covering games, individuals, events, or organizations that may require travel, we maintain transparency. We disclose if we have received complimentary lodging or transportation from third parties related to our reporting.

Partnerships

At Mac360.com, we uphold professional relationships with video game designers, publishers, and various companies, along with their PR and art departments, throughout our collaboration process.

We understand that in some cases, agreeing to embargoes that postpone information release until a specified date and time, or signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), is necessary to obtain materials and access. However, we approach such agreements with caution, ensuring they do not compromise the honesty and integrity of our work in any manner.

In the event that a business discontinues communication with us, a situation sometimes referred to as “blacklisting,” our commitment to delivering impartial reporting, analysis, transparency, and criticism remains unwavering. We refrain from publicly referencing these occurrences unless there is a compelling editorial necessity, such as safeguarding the publication’s credibility or addressing potential delays in releasing time-sensitive content like highly anticipated reviews.

Ethical Practices

1. Acceptance of Items: The editorial team at Mac360.com does not accept freebies or promotional items from developers, publishers, or organizations in exchange for favorable coverage. We solely accept games, review materials, and items essential for our work, such as consoles and peripherals. Items received in this manner are not for resale or exchange.
2. Donations for Charity: Unrequested promotional materials are forwarded to GamesAid, where they are auctioned or sold for charitable purposes.
3. Objective Reviews: Both our staff and contributors are prohibited from providing “mock reviews” or engaging in paid consulting services for game developers. Additionally, no current or former employee or contributor may publish negative content about their former employer within two years of leaving the organization in any capacity.

Advertising Transparency

At Mac360.com, we maintain a clear separation between our editorial and advertising departments to ensure that our website’s content and YouTube channel remain 100% editorial and uninfluenced by advertising.

When collaborating with advertisers, our advertising department is committed to upholding principles of transparency, honesty, and fairness.

Advertising Standards

1. Transparent Ads: We do not permit ads that lack transparency about their content, such as interstitials or overlays. We also do not allow ads with automatically playing audio or any content that is otherwise inappropriate. If you come across any advertising material on our site that you believe does not meet these standards, please bring it to our attention so that we can take appropriate action.
2. Retailer Links: We may earn a commission on purchases made after clicking on a link to a retailer’s website, such as Boosteroid.com, for example. It’s important to note that the inclusion of these links has no influence on our editorial decisions. They are exclusively featured in articles related to the specific product being discussed.

Reviewing Standards

Our reviews at Mac360.com are designed to provide you with valuable insights and guidance to determine whether a game or product is worth your consideration. Here’s how we approach reviews:

1. Objective Reviews: We aim to deliver objective reviews that convey whether we enjoyed a game or product and the reasons behind our assessment.
2. Selection Process: We consider various factors when selecting items for review, including quality, content, and user interest. Reviewers are chosen based on their familiarity with specific series, genres, or platforms, as well as their overall gaming expertise.
3. Editorial Review: Before publication, reviews undergo an editorial review process. While the reviewer sets the recommendations, editors may provide suggestions for improvements, always with the reviewer’s approval.
4. Thorough Evaluation: Our reviewers invest the necessary time to thoroughly assess and become familiar with the game or product. We recognize that the requirements for various items can vary widely.
5. Professional Expertise: Our reviewers are professionals in their respective fields, and we trust in their ability to provide fair and accurate reviews. Additionally, the availability of review resources plays a role in our review timeline; if we find them insufficient, we may postpone a review.

Review Policies at Mac360.com

At Mac360.com, our review policies are designed to ensure that our readers receive comprehensive and reliable information about various forms of gaming-related media. Here’s how we approach reviews:

Game Reviews

1. Retail Copies Only: We exclusively review games using retail copies or versions that are identical to retail copies. We do not base our reviews on “debug code,” alpha, or beta releases.
2. Independence in Reviews: We rarely cover games provided to us during review events hosted by publishers due to our strict policy of using retail copies. However, we may attend such events if there are other aspects worth covering.
3. Timely Updates: Whenever possible, we implement “day one” updates to ensure our in-game experience matches that of the majority of gamers.
4. Online Games: Games that require an internet connection are reviewed after their official release, once their player populations are fully representative. We may also review games with significant online features post-release, even if an internet connection is not required.
5. Review Timeliness: While we reserve the right to determine the timing of reviews in the mentioned instances, we always strive for completeness and representation. In cases where we need to delay a review, we publish initial impressions as soon as possible.
6. Early Access: We do not publish full reviews of games in early access, but we may write articles that offer appropriate levels of scrutiny. In some cases, we may review “Early Access” builds of commercially-available games.
7. Episodic Games: For games released as a series of episodes, we only post reviews of the entire series. However, we may occasionally provide impressions of specific episodes.
8. Review Updates: We aim to make our reviews as comprehensive and reliable as possible from the start to minimize the need for updates. On rare occasions when substantial changes occur in a game, we may update a review or modify our recommendation. We reserve the right to publish a comprehensive re-review if the conditions surrounding a game undergo widespread and substantial change.

Other Media Reviews

In addition to game reviews, we also cover other forms of gaming-related media, including books, board games, and movies. Our goal is to provide our readers with insightful and informative reviews across various gaming-related domains.