Did Gamespot shoot themselves in the foot?

[Peench]

By now we've all heard the story about Gamespot editor Gerstmann who was allegedly fired over a low score that he gave to a high profile game (and well advertising paying client). So what has that done to the "journalistic integrity" of gamespot and larger sites such as GS? Did they have integrity in your opinion before? Have they wiped whatever integrity they may have had off the map with this latest issue? Will gamers have to go to independent sites (*cough* like PreGameLobby *cough*), for reviews of games that remain independent?

What do you think? Has Gamespot shot themselves and perhaps the entire mainstream reviewing industry in the foot with this latest firing?

[laxgod]

I voted no because in the end this will blow over. People won't remember and in a few months no one will care.

[grife]

i havnt trusted gamespot in a couple of years, ign is no better really, they are all taking cash money to review and editors will always side with the money.

[Epyon MX]

Without details it's hard to say that they shot themselves in the foot over the firing. They have however shot themselves in the foot with how they've handled the firing.

[Quo]

Originally Posted by Epyon MX

They have however shot themselves in the foot with how they've handled the firing.

Yep, excellent-ly put.

[Thornes70]

I never trust sites that are pasted with advertisements for games when it comes to game reviews, but instead prefer to wait & see what friends say about it or see what other forum's members say & kind of go that route.

People may forget all about this firing, but the stigma just adds to the pile. Mags like OXM and sites like GS that claim they can give honest reviews really only seem to do so for games that are so bad they have no other choice - which are also USUALLY the ones that give very little for advertising in the first place.

[D_Litch]

Gerstmann was a long-time editor at GS, and given that he was fired over this stupid of a cause, really hits them hard in the credibility area.

I don't trust any of the big sites(with the exception of TXB), so this doesn't affect me at all. But I know the internet will not let them live this down, ever.

[lovekeiiy]

I don't think it really doesn't anything for credibility. I don't think most gamers take their reviews as absolute. I read the reviews of multiple sites for any game I'm interested in getting. What I read for is gameplay, graphics, sound, and misc items on the game. From the facts they give, I figure out if it'll be a game for me. If there are a lot of sites with very high reviews, I'm talking 9.0 and above, I figure I'm pretty safe it'll be good game. I don't think game makers can buy 9.0 and higher reviews. Mediocer and good reviews I think are purchasable. I just don't see them buying those reviews from all the critics.

The firing is a bit suspicious to me. There is probably a lot more to the story than just a few less than favorable reviews, and just the excuse they wanted or needed to get rid of him. A lot will depend on the type of employment he had with gamespot--under contract or employment at will. I'm thinking he was probably under contract, which there has to be very specific reason to terminate.

[Nolimit4show]

was this so called high profile game Assassins Creed? cause you do have to be so secretive about that if it is.


Well they this doesn't affect me much because, if it wasn't for this pole, i wouldn't have known about someone getting fired for a review. What i would like to know was that his personal review and did the game suck? maybe he was paid to sabotage the review and give it a low score...who knows. By the looks of it They are getting paid to be bias and give it a nice rating. I dont trust these sites...and have a very hard time deciding which sites dont lie...and it doesnt help when people like Blitch have a good site in mind but refers to it as TXB... WTF is TXB?! Im not super l337 like you please tell me what that stands for!!!

[D_Litch]

Alpha, TXB is Teamxbox. Look it up playa!

[A SpecialFriend]

One word, Yes.

[Prophet0ne]

Alpha...quit taking grammar lessons from Pickle. Reading that post was the most difficult thing I’ve done all week. I think the game he reviewed was Kayne and Lynch.

Oh and I think....no. No one cares when someone gets fired...have you seen the unemployment rate here?! Anybody need a job?

[Peench]

Yeah, prophet, you are correct, it was Kane & Lynch. They have issued a response as well citing "internal reasons" and not ad pressure. Thanks for the follow up mang!