Jeff Gerstmann fired over review...

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Dr. Doom

I dunno if I'd agree with that entirely. It was a review by Gerstmann, after all. I'm done with it, either way.

Then it just shows how short-sighted you are. If you think that Jeff, or his reviews, are the big picture here, then you don't understand this at all.

[Aelia]

Originally Posted by Peanut

EDIT: Edios forums get hosed. ROFL again!

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...olgamefaqs.jpg

Wow, that's a lot of 'sucking.'

[Dr. Doom]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Then it just shows how short-sighted you are. If you think that Jeff, or his reviews, are the big picture here, then you don't understand this at all.

I understand the inevitable repercussions of the whole thing for video game journalism, but in the end it's still coming from Gerstmann and a review he did. That made what I said plenty relevant. Now shaddap and let us digress and move on.

[Peanut]

In case no one has been keeping up with the recent community rumblings, there have been a couple very active GS community members organizing some stuff, one of which was a mass spam attack on companies that hold ad space on Gamespot. The point would be to get across that all of these potential consumers would refuse to purchase any product advertised on the site, and continued on to tell them how bad Gamespot and Cnet's rep had become with the community. This began sometime last night, and if anyone bothered to visit Gamespot, they would have noticed the site was covered in ads for Mountain Dew. And not just the main page, but every page without any breaks.

Because of this, Pepsi was the first company to get bombarded by a cross community spam blitz. Everyone from people in the GS community, to NeoGAF and 1up banded together on this one. As of this morning, every single Mountain Dew ad had been pulled. Including ads on Gamespot's sister sites, such as MP3.com and GameFAQs.

An interesting development to say the least.

[Dr. Doom]

Very interesting indeed. I suppose it's a good sign.

[Janus Prospero]

Originally Posted by Peanut

In case no one has been keeping up with the recent community rumblings, there have been a couple very active GS community members organizing some stuff, one of which was a mass spam attack on companies that hold ad space on Gamespot. The point would be to get across that all of these potential consumers would refuse to purchase any product advertised on the site, and continued on to tell them how bad Gamespot and Cnet's rep had become with the community. This began sometime last night, and if anyone bothered to visit Gamespot, they would have noticed the site was covered in ads for Mountain Dew. And not just the main page, but every page without any breaks.

Because of this, Pepsi was the first company to get bombarded by a cross community spam blitz. Everyone from people in the GS community, to NeoGAF and 1up banded together on this one. As of this morning, every single Mountain Dew ad had been pulled. Including ads on Gamespot's sister sites, such as MP3.com and GameFAQs.

An interesting development to say the least.

Wow, that is interesting. I'm hoping this pans out and Gamespot loses more from this than what they otherwise would have lost from the K&L deal. IMHO this is what they deserve.

Thanks for keeping us posted.

[Kendamu]

"You Know You Have a Fanbase When..."
A book by Jeff Gerstmann


Would that be cool or what?

[Aelia]

Originally Posted by Goongasnootch

"You Know You Have a Fanbase When..."
A book by Jeff Gerstmann


Would that be cool or what?

I smell a NY Times #1 bestseller!

[Peanut]

Unfortunately, a lot of Jeff's supporters aren't actually fans of his work. A good amount of them are actually people who are completely against what happened to him, and completely against the ethics of Josh Larson and CNet as a whole.

[Kendamu]

Okay, then. An alternate title:

IF I REVIEWED IT

[Peanut]

GameSpot, or more like the CNet higher-ups, have finally released some damage control for this whole thing. I got this from the GAF, because today is the blackout for all the people protesting CNet, and I refuse to visit their websites.

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.


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."

Tune in later in the week to hear editors' tributes to Gerstmann on the HotSpot podcast and GameSpot's weekly Webcast, On the Spot.

I don't even know what to say. I'm just completely f*cking disgusted. That quote from Ryan Mac reads like the biggest piece of insane PR bullsh*t I've heard since Kaz tried to tell us the PS3 wasn't overpriced. We all know CNet will never admit what happened, but the blogs posted by the various Gamespot crew during the weekend clearly point to anything BUT "internal reasons unrelated to any buyer of advertising on GameSpot." I really can't wait for the HotSpot this week.

Edit: And now that I really think about it, it's not surprising that the two old guys, the only long-time members of GameSpot to not comment on all of this, MacDonald and Torres, are the ones towing the company line. Way to be f*cking shills, assholes. I always liked Ryan, too. I know they're probably really comfortable where they are, and Ryan has a family, but at least have a LITTLE integrity.

[ThirdMarioBro]

*sits in office chair and spins around in circles*

See, I can do it too. This is truly pathetic. I honestly don't see how anybody could be bothered to trust anything that comes from Gamespot again after this blatant cover-up.

[ThirdMarioBro]

More subtle proof that Eidos is full of sh*t.

[Peanut]

Yeah, I saw that earlier today. What a crock of sh*t. They actually took a Kotaku quote from July of last year and used it as a "review quote", even adding a 5-star rating along side it. What a bunch of f*cking idiots.

Anyways, GameSpot could very well be on the verge of collapse...

GameSpot May See "Mass Resignations" Over Dismissal

Also...lulz

[ThirdMarioBro]

I was just about to post that. What a bunch of c***s

[Dr. Doom]

Gamespot has made another news post about the incident, addressing it more directly and answering some of the questions on everyone's minds.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6183666...newstop;more;1

Originally Posted by Gamespot

For the past week, controversy has rocked the game news media--a controversy that originated here at GameSpot. The affair began last Wednesday when near-11-year veteran reviewer Jeff Gerstmann's tenure as editorial director ended. In keeping with the human-resources procedures of GameSpot parent company CNET Networks and in accordance with California State Law, no public comment was initially made about his departure.

In the void of information that followed, numerous conspiracy theories sprang up. First and foremost was that, as a result of pressure from publisher Eidos Interactive, GameSpot terminated Gerstmann because of his review of the multiplatform game Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. The game was released on November 13, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (The PC version of the game was released on November 20, but has not yet been reviewed.)

Hundreds of reports pointed to the fact that the Kane & Lynch video review was pulled and the text review's copy was altered as evidence substantiating this hypothesis. In many readers' eyes, the fact that the entire GameSpot site was "skinned" with advertisements promoting Kane & Lynch all but confirmed the theory behind his firing. In the gaming press, the subsequent furor has been dubbed "Gerstmanngate."

Due to legal restrictions and corporate HR policy, GameSpot could not initially comment on Gerstmann's departure. Though the site officially addressed the issue on Monday, the full story behind his exit could not be told--until now.

In the spirit of full disclosure to our readership, GameSpot News has been provided the following answers by management to the questions below regarding the circumstances surrounding Gerstmann's exit. Further questions can be submitted to [email protected] for review; those questions that merit posting will be addressed. (Please, no hate e-mail.)

Q: Was Jeff fired?

A: Jeff was terminated on November 28, 2007, following an internal review process by the managerial team to which he reported.

Q: Why was Jeff fired?

A: Legally, the exact reasons behind his dismissal cannot be revealed. However, they stemmed from issues unrelated to any publisher or advertiser; his departure was due purely for internal reasons.

Q: Why was the Kane & Lynch review text altered?

A: Jeff's supervisors and select members of the edit team felt the review's negativity did not match its "fair" 6.0 rating. The copy was adjusted several days after its publication so that it better meshed with its score, which remained unchanged. The achievements and demerits it received were also left unaltered. Additionally, clarifications were made concerning the game's multiplayer mode and to include differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game.

Q: Why was the Kane & Lynch video review taken down?

A: Both the text and video reviews of Kane & Lynch went up on Tuesday, November 13. The morning of Wednesday, November 14, the video was taken down due to concerns of quality. Specifically, its audio was deemed inferior due to a faulty microphone. There were also concerns about the limited amount of footage, which was unrepresentative of the game in the review.

Q: Why wasn't the video immediately reposted?

A: Due to the crush of high-profile games being released the following week, there were insufficient resources to reshoot and re-edit the video review.

Q: Why hasn't the video review been reposted since the "Gerstmanngate" controversy broke?

A: A determination was made by GameSpot Live, GameSpot's multimedia division, that reposting it would seem reactive and might exacerbate an inflamed situation. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, it has since been reposted, and is viewable on the site in its original form (See above). For those who want to be sure that it has not been altered after the fact, the video review is also available on YouTube for comparison purposes.

Q: Was Eidos Interactive upset by the game's review?

A: It has been confirmed that Eidos representatives expressed their displeasure to their appropriate contacts at GameSpot, but not to editorial directly. It was not the first time a publisher has voiced disappointment with a game review, and it won't be the last. However, it is strict GameSpot policy never to let any such feelings result in a review score to be altered or a video review to be pulled.

Q: Did Eidos' disappointment cause Jeff to be terminated?

A: Absolutely not.

Q: Did Eidos' disappointment cause the alteration of the review text?

A: Absolutely not.

Q: Did Eidos' disappointment lead to the video review being pulled down?

A: Absolutely not.

Q: Why was GameSpot "skinned" with Kane & Lynch ads when Jeff was terminated?

A: Due to design and development considerations, media buys on GameSpot are made weeks in advance. The timing of said ads was extremely unfortunate but was purely coincidental and determined solely by the game's release date of November 13, 2007.

Q: Why did the Kane & Lynch ads disappear from GameSpot right as the "Gerstmanngate" controversy began to heat up?

A: Advertising sales on GameSpot are sold by the day. The end of the Kane & Lynch "skin" promotion had been predetermined long beforehand. Internal documentation filed before the review appeared shows that the site skin was scheduled to run from November 17 to 29, 2007. Site-wide ad campaigns automatically change at midnight, hence the "skin" being removed after hours.

Q: Was Jeff's termination somehow tied to the departure of former GameSpot Live managing producer Tim Tracy?

A: No. Tim and Jeff are childhood friends and had been colleagues until Tim transferred over to other CNET Networks Entertainment properties. His exit was completely unrelated.

Q: Why didn't GameSpot write about Jeff's departure sooner?

A: Due to HR procedures and legal considerations, unauthorized CNET Networks and GameSpot employees are forbidden from commenting on the employment status of current and former employees. This practice has been in effect for years, and the CNET public-relations department stuck to that in the days following Jeff's termination. However, the company is now making an exception due to the widespread misinformation that has spread since Jeff's departure.

Q: When will the PC version of Kane & Lynch be reviewed?

A: We haven't decided when that will happen.

Q: GameSpot's credibility has been called into question as a result of this incident. What is being done to repair and rebuild it?

A: This article is one of the first steps toward restoring users' faith in GameSpot, and an internal review of the incident and controversy is under way. However, at no point in its history has GameSpot ever deviated from its review guidelines, which are publicly listed on the site. Great pains are taken to keep sales and editorial separated to prevent any impression of impropriety.

For years, GameSpot has been known for maintaining the highest ethical standards and having the most reliable and informative game reviews, previews, and news on the Web. The colleagues and friends that Jeff leaves behind here at GameSpot intend to keep it that way.

[Peanut]

So, Gamespot did their live show last night, On the Spot, and started it off with a pretty heart breaking speech by Ryan MacDonald. As someone who's followed Gamespot as far back as '97, when they were Videogames.com, watching Ryan talk and get so torn up over this was pretty moving.

I suggest everyone takes a look at it, although you should all be watching On The Spot every week, anyways; since it's the best show about games on the net or otherwise.

[R-iZZy]

To be honest, I never really did like Gamespot in general. They were okay when it came to bringing exclusive trailers and whatnot, but as far as reviews go, I could never really agree with them. Gamespot had me under the impression that they were ran by Microsoft anyway, so I just quit paying attention to them. But this is a pretty low blow to their credibility. What little respect I had for Gamespot has just cleared out. Not to say I liked Gerstmann to begin with, I mainly hated a lot of his reviews, but the guy was doing his job. Can't see why he should get fired for that.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by R-iZZy

Gamespot had me under the impression that they were ran by Microsoft anyway

Which is what all Sony/Nintendo fans say against all three of the big videogame sites. People can't seem to realize the reason the 360 is talked about so much is because the thing actually has good games to play. You didn't hear the Sony whiners complaining when the PS2 was the hot sh*t and no one did anything but talk about that.

[R-iZZy]

I have no problem with a site big-upping most all exclusive games on a platform, but when they give their competitors' exclusive games lower scores and reach harder than Mr. Fantastic to find flaws, while turning their heads to flaws of the games they praise, I just get annoyed. So I don't even pay attention to Gamespot reviews unless I actually want to forcefully go bald from ripping my hair out.

And I'm not really a platform supporter, just a good game supporter. There's definitely strength coming from all three platforms, in my opinion. The fact that Gamespot gives me the impression that they are a platform loyalist just irks me.