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Gerstmann fired from Gamespot, internet asplode, fallout continues.
polaris314
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
First, I should preface this by saying that no official confirmation has been put out there by Gamespot yet. At least as far as I can tell (stupid Websense). But it appears as if tomorrow's comic is up today :
And then there's this thread on GAF :
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212394
Mods, feel free to lock this thread if it is considered inflammatory, or proven to be otherwise untrue.
I know Jeff has had his detractors in the past, but I feel like Gamespot is really losing a great asset if this is true.
UPDATE : Tim Tracy has left as well. Unconfirmed if this is related or not (my bet is on yes) :
http://www.gamespot.com/users/TimT/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-25233420
Updated again : Gamespot has posted an "official" acknowledgement of Jeff's departure (quoted to save the hits) :
Also : other Gamespot crew members have interesting things to say on this week's Hotspot :
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/features/hotspot/index.php?id=661
Haven't gotten around to listening to it myself yet, but reports are that it is pretty sincere.
N'Gai Croal also has a fascinating article on his blog :
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/12/05/reflections-on-videogame-publisher-and-employer-contempt-towards-the-enthusiast-press.aspx
Update 12/18/07 : Jeff has re-surfaced with his own blog at www.jeffgerstmann.net
Update 2/28/07 : More editors, including Alex Navarro, Ryan Davis, and Jason Ocampo have also left or announced their leaving in recent weeks. Jeff and Ryan have started an informal podcast, called Arrow Pointing Down, availabe on iTunes and Ryan's website : www.arrowpointingdown.com
And then there's this thread on GAF :
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212394
Mods, feel free to lock this thread if it is considered inflammatory, or proven to be otherwise untrue.
I know Jeff has had his detractors in the past, but I feel like Gamespot is really losing a great asset if this is true.
UPDATE : Tim Tracy has left as well. Unconfirmed if this is related or not (my bet is on yes) :
http://www.gamespot.com/users/TimT/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-25233420
Updated again : Gamespot has posted an "official" acknowledgement of Jeff's departure (quoted to save the hits) :
Gamespot wrote:Gerstmann, GameSpot part ways
After nearly 11 years of news, reviews, and previews, editorial director's tenure ends; GameSpot editors address controversy surrounding his departure.
By Staff, GameSpot
Posted Dec 3, 2007 5:06 pm PT
The past week marked the end of an era at GameSpot. After over a decade in a variety of editorial roles, Jeff Gerstmann's tenure as editorial director has ended.
"Jeff was a central figure in the creation and evolution of GameSpot, having written hundreds of previews and reviews, and anchoring much of our multimedia content," said Ricardo Torres, editorial director of previews and events. "The award-winning editorial team he leaves behind wish him nothing but good luck in his future endeavors."
Due to legal constraints and the company policy of GameSpot parent CNET Networks, details of Gerstmann's departure cannot be disclosed publicly. However, contrary to widespread and unproven reports, his exit was not a result of pressure from an advertiser.
"Neither CNET Networks nor GameSpot has ever allowed its advertising business to affect its editorial content," said Greg Brannan, CNET Networks Entertainment's vice president of programming. "The accusations in the media that it has done so are unsubstantiated and untrue. Jeff's departure stemmed from internal reasons unrelated to any buyer of advertising on GameSpot."
"Though he will be missed by his colleagues, Jeff's leaving does not affect GameSpot's core mission of delivering the most timely news, video content, in-depth previews, and unbiased reviews in games journalism," said Ryan MacDonald, executive producer of GameSpot Live. "GameSpot is an institution, and its code of ethics and duty to its users remains unchanged."
Also : other Gamespot crew members have interesting things to say on this week's Hotspot :
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/features/hotspot/index.php?id=661
Haven't gotten around to listening to it myself yet, but reports are that it is pretty sincere.
N'Gai Croal also has a fascinating article on his blog :
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/12/05/reflections-on-videogame-publisher-and-employer-contempt-towards-the-enthusiast-press.aspx
Update 12/18/07 : Jeff has re-surfaced with his own blog at www.jeffgerstmann.net
Update 2/28/07 : More editors, including Alex Navarro, Ryan Davis, and Jason Ocampo have also left or announced their leaving in recent weeks. Jeff and Ryan have started an informal podcast, called Arrow Pointing Down, availabe on iTunes and Ryan's website : www.arrowpointingdown.com
polaris314 on
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Posts
Jeff Gerstmann.
Hes the most prominent reviewer at...
oh I see what you were getting at.
Shogun Streams Vidya
I've always found them to be one of the best review sites out there.
He is to Gamespot what, say, Jeff green is to GFW.
Actually that might not help things..
For instance, in the class descriptions of their Mass Effect guide. Where the character class descriptions alone contain about 3 or 4 flat-out untrue assertions (e.g. the player needs to tap the button per-shot when using a pistol).
I know, it's not a review, but I still think it's pretty typical of GameSpot. A beacon of excellent - or even competent - journalism they are not.
the implication is that ideally reviewers would not be pressured into giving good/bad reviews of games
Greg Kasavin left for EA (wooo Command & Conquer 3), Rich Gallup left for personal reasons, and now Jeff?
Times they are a-changin'.
I mean, if review websites are willing to fire a person whom they pay specifically to inform their readership of a game's true merits, flaws and overall presentation because his review rated a game they were heavily advertising as 'fair' (6/10) and not 'better than fair" (6.01+/10) then what is to say what truly governs the reviews being posted? Advertising dollars are an important part of website funding, but at what point do you let the people renting your ad-space decide who stays and who goes?
O_o
You don't see the problem with advertising getting editorial people fired? No conflict of interest at all? And what does "solid career choices" have to do with anything? It doesn't matter this guy got fired because he was working for a hobby site?
... I don't even know what I'm trying to say here.
XBL/PSN-Polaris314/Twitter/DJ P0LARI5
That's exactly why I'll miss him, he was one of the people that took Gamespot from middle-ground to a "household name" in gaming news.
Well, another nail in the coffin.
PSN ID : Xander51 Steam ID : Xander51
I remember back in the late 90s, when Gamespot started registering planet<everything>.com. Then came the ads, and the crappy content that was primarily just copy and pasted from other sites. Even today, try looking at Gamespot with Noscript installed; they're running scripts off seven different domains, most of them advertising-related. They've got interstitial ads and banner ads and paid subscriptions. They got into the business of reviewing games at a good time, and got a head start on everyone else, which gave them the access to pre-release games (read: earlier reviews).
Maybe I'm a touch cynical, but it seems to me that the only reason GameSpot is any more notorious than the rest of the review sites out there is their money. They're an advertising company that reviews games.
EDIT: Nevermind, now I'm getting Gamespy (IGN) and Gamespot mixed up. Ugh. They're all in the same boat, as far as I can see, though.
I could be wrong, but I thought planetwhatever.com was a Gamespy/IGN thing.
XBL/PSN-Polaris314/Twitter/DJ P0LARI5
I miss PlanetQuake, during my mapping days.
I mean, when TP came out, it was getting glowing reviews left and right and Gerstmann was one of the only people to look past the hype and criticize it accurately. He gave the game the review it earned, not the one it hyped.
And before I'm accused of being partisan or whatnot, I'm saying this with a Triforce tattooed on my arm.
Loser.
Bingo. Jeff was the man keeping that site credible for solid opinions on games. He is also freaking hilarious and knowledgeable. This is a punch in the gut for me.
PSN ID : Xander51 Steam ID : Xander51
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/video_player/popup.php?sid=6182850&pid=934403
Opening line -
I don't frequent the website, but I do listen to the podcast religiously, and I liked the hell out of him. Very funny, insightful guy who seemed to really love games and gaming.
If he really was fired for giving a mediocre review to a game for which a ton of advertising money was spent, well, fark the powers that be, because that's way unethical and tells me plenty about the priorities over there. It also tells me that reviewers there will be trembling in their boots from this point forward.
Having a triforce tattoo does not give ones opinions more weight.
As for Gamespot, I hold them in the same regard as IGN (ad/money whores). Except where IGN is known for a 7 to 10 review scale, Gamespot is known for 6 to 8.9)
It's not really a scary precedent. Maybe the fact that a recognizable name is getting fired for it is a precedent, but it isn't really anything new to cater to advertisers. Negative reviews have been known to magically turn into positive reviews overnight without much explanation.
(Yes, I know, different site, but just illustrating the point)
I WILL NOT BE DOING 3DS FOR NWC THREAD. SOMEONE ELSE WILL HAVE TO TAKE OVER.
Spoiler contains Friend Codes. Won't you be my friend?
More Friend Codes!
Mario Kart Wii: 3136-6982-0286 Tetris Party: 2364 1569 4310
Guitar Hero: Metallica: 1032 7229 7191
TATSUNOKO VS CAPCOM: 1935-2070-9123
Nintendo DS:
Worms: Open Warfare 2: 1418-7870-1606 Space Bust-a-Move: 017398 403043
Scribblenauts: 1290-7509-5558
Nor should it. You misread me. I meant to imply that I did not admire him for knocking down a hyped game, as was the cause of this incident. Nor did I mean to say that I thought he took sides. I meant to imply that he gave incredibly accurate reviews. I was just glib about it.
Also this.
Since I made the only K&L thread around here and seem to be the only one that really cared all that much about it I supose I might have a biased opinion but I agree with everything he said in that video. I still think its a very fun game though.
:thumbsup:
edit: galenblade: what I'm trying to say is you calling Zelda an 8.8 is just as wrong as me calling it 3.0. Different strokes and all that
Ahhh, the wonderful corporate practice of buck passing. It does the heart good to see old traditions carried out in today's businesses.
Thankfully, we have an owner with integrity, else I would have been out of there long ago.