Ars Technica - Fear, loathing- embargoes control game reveals, exclusivity. Thanks Mike Martinez.
We spoke to Chris Grant, the Editor in Chief of Joystiq, and he confirmed it's a common practice to give some outlets videos, images or even stories ahead of everyone else—he named IGN as an example—but giving someone an exclusive on an event is less common, but more annoying. "Less common, and less acceptable, is the event exclusive where dozens of outlets attend the same event, often on their own dime, agree upon the same embargo, but one outlet is granted that exclusive, usually in exchange for the promise of special placement," he told Ars.