GameSpot Editor Fired Over Review?

Primotech reports the firing of Jeff Gerstmann, long-time GameSpot editor, saying sources close to the situation indicate this due to his tepid review of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men for Xbox 360, pointing out Eidos had invested in a prominent advertising campaign on the site. The article points out this Penny Arcade comic offering a typically searing take on the situation, along with another indication this unconfirmed story is making the rounds. A later update on DESTRUCTOID reports the departure of GameSpot editor Tim Tracy though it's not clear if or how this may relate to the situation described above.
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56.
 
lukewarm
Nov 30, 2007, 14:41
Kxmode
 
56.
lukewarm Nov 30, 2007, 14:41
Nov 30, 2007, 14:41
 Kxmode
 
pointing out Eidos had invested in a prominent advertising campaign on the site

Reviewers must be objective! They CANNOT allow payola-tactics to cloud their judgment. If GameSpot fired Jeff because he was too honest then SHAME on them! This makes me trust GameSpot less.

-----
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"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
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55.
 
No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 14:37
Dev
55.
No subject Nov 30, 2007, 14:37
Nov 30, 2007, 14:37
Dev
 
Overon: You mean you didn't notice this whole time ads on game review sites that advertise for the game you are reading the review for?

LOL!

Of course its a conflict of interest and nearly everyone does it anyway.

54.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 14:33
54.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 14:33
Nov 30, 2007, 14:33
 
Aero - Good points, and toss PC GAMER in that category.

Christ PC Gamer gives almost all big publisher games high scores, followed by adverts from the same company right afterwards.

In their last issue there was something like a 24 page AT&T add, complete with black guy with white girl and white guy with asian girl stereotypes.

Crysis got a 98%? Chuck Osborne must be easily amused, or find women like Paris Hilton smart and engaging.


Computer Gaming world, errr, Games for Windows, is far more cynical even attacking Microsoft directly for killing the gaming industry.

You can count the days as to how long it will be before the entire current GFW staff will be removed, one by one, and replaced with "yes Men!" and "yes women".

I give 2008 the year GFW gets their asses kicked and replaced.

53.
 
Re: Summary...
Nov 30, 2007, 14:24
53.
Re: Summary... Nov 30, 2007, 14:24
Nov 30, 2007, 14:24
 
I fully agree with m00zilla. So many "hopefulls" out there for everything, just like people who vote for a president thinking their vote matters? Or someone going to Vegas thinking that they can actually win something.

Right on m00zilla. I left the game industry Eons ago when i was at EA, Eidos and Konami. It was shit then, shit now internally and externally.

52.
 
No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 14:16
52.
No subject Nov 30, 2007, 14:16
Nov 30, 2007, 14:16
 
I suspect Jeff pissed some folks off internal to Gamespot and we're arent getting the whole story.

51.
 
Re: Summary...
Nov 30, 2007, 14:15
51.
Re: Summary... Nov 30, 2007, 14:15
Nov 30, 2007, 14:15
 
You can call me whatever you want honeypoos

50.
 
Re: Summary...
Nov 30, 2007, 14:15
50.
Re: Summary... Nov 30, 2007, 14:15
Nov 30, 2007, 14:15
 
mOOzilla or should I call you Machiaveli?

49.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 14:11
49.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 14:11
Nov 30, 2007, 14:11
 
Gamespot has been irrelevant to anyone who knows shit about gaming for many, many years now. Maybe you could point to a time 7 years ago when gamespot was a decent review site but not in ages. Actually it was being fed up with crap corporate game news that led me to blues many many years ago.

This comment was edited on Nov 30, 14:13.
48.
 
Summary...
Nov 30, 2007, 14:03
48.
Summary... Nov 30, 2007, 14:03
Nov 30, 2007, 14:03
 
Money talks, you walk.


You are not a Citizen, you are a CONSUMER. Know your place drone.

What this guy should have done, fuck the industry, tell them waht they want to hear and take their money at the end of the month and run to the bank.

Who gives a shit. That's how the rat race works.

This guy is fucking stupid for having only ONE income stream and then tries to take on the industry and loses that income stream. If he had more than one income stream we could look past this but no.

He is a cog in the shitty machine just like the rest of us.

Let the industry screw itself rather then it screwing you.

Use it as it uses you.

Know your place.

This comment was edited on Nov 30, 14:06.
47.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:55
47.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:55
Nov 30, 2007, 13:55
 
According to the wired article:
http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/11/gamespot-inside.html

"Furthermore, I'd heard a few people tell that he'd already been skating on thin ice for 'unprofessional reviews and review practices.'"
Didn't this guy work for years at gamespot? It took so long for them to see unprofessional reviews and review practices? It does not make sense. Also why did they remove this guy's video review from the gamespot website so that it's only available on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FuJ81sDR2o

It's fishy.


46.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:55
46.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:55
Nov 30, 2007, 13:55
 
MrBone: hay maybe if i tell them to grow up enough they'll stfu cuz everyone should listen to me

45.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:49
45.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:49
Nov 30, 2007, 13:49
 
Listen, at this time I have no opinion on this matter, as I research more and hear from Overon then I will develop it.
I got 2 members in the Cult of Overon. Me (of course) and KiltrathiAce. Who else?

44.
 
No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:48
44.
No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:48
Nov 30, 2007, 13:48
 
The only info I get from gaming sites is what features the game has such as co-op. Their reviews don't mean much to me.

As for K&L, I liked the game. (shrug) It had a few issues, but then again it had some really cool parts in it too. It was like playing an action movie. Shooting at cops from the back of a moving van and tossing grenades at them was great fun. The nightclub was really fun too. I think its well worth a rental at least.

43.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:43
43.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:43
Nov 30, 2007, 13:43
42.
 
No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:37
42.
No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:37
Nov 30, 2007, 13:37
 
Listen, at this time I have no opinion on this matter, as I research more and hear from Overon then I will develop it.

"On 2646.215 I myself attacked & destroyed TCS Tiger's Claw in my Jalthi heavy fighter"
Bakhtosh Redclaw Nar Kiranka
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41.
 
Re: F* Gamespot
Nov 30, 2007, 13:36
41.
Re: F* Gamespot Nov 30, 2007, 13:36
Nov 30, 2007, 13:36
 
Pretty sad to fire a guy for just telling it as he sees it, which I could swear is a reviewers job.

Except when the publisher's product you're reviewing generates advertising revenue for your corporation. All this suggests that if you're looking for an honest and impartial review of a game, GameSpot is not a place where you're going to receive it.

This comment was edited on Nov 30, 13:37.
40.
 
No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:03
40.
No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:03
Nov 30, 2007, 13:03
 
Well...

I don't know why he was fired, but all the big gaming sites are more or less worthless for reviews. Certainly don't count on any numerical score. If you go through the entire review, it's usually possible to read between the lines so they're not wholly worthless- just not to be trusted.

Here's a good rule of thumb: If you see an advertisement for the game being reviewed on the same page as the review, subtract 20 points from the score.

If you see an advertisement for the game on the site that's hosting the review, subtract 10 points if it's a pop-up, or an obviously featured ad. Subtract 5 if it's just a normal banner ad.

Then, take all those numbers and ignore them. Don't bother with the big sites, look for the niche sites that don't review many games. Look in the forums.

For instance, I've read a lot of 'pretty good' reviews of Hellgate. 'Pretty good' is code for 'crap but they pay our bills' in those sort of situations.

If the review mentions something will 'be fixed in a patch' rather than, at best, 'hopefully fixed in a patch': don't trust them.

In fact, screw all this. Don't trust anybody. Ask your friends.

This comment was edited on Nov 30, 13:04.
39.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
39.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
 
Grow up dude.

38.
 
Re: Why is anyone surprised?
Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
38.
Re: Why is anyone surprised? Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
 
w00t! To arms! To arms! Boycoot GameSpot! Oh wait, I already ignore gamespot, other than their small part in the gamerankings.com ratings.

Even if you give K&L some slack because it's only a console type game, it got just as sucky XBox 360 and PS3 game reviews as well. Face it, for the hype it was given, K&L is a disappointment and we all know it. I especially disliked their idiotic idea that split screen coop is acceptable these days with current online capabilities for consoles.

37.
 
Re: No subject
Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
37.
Re: No subject Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
Nov 30, 2007, 13:02
 
I agree fully. Overon let me know as you research this issue, I always trust your findings.

just thought id give you the heads up ill be pushing overon off of a cliff later, so so you can be ready to jump after him.

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