So ... you're familiar with that GameSpot versus Gertsmann versus the gaming world war that has been going on for the past week. You know, this Gertsmann-gate. Well, GameSpot has finally (what, like a week later?) come out and made an official response regarding Gerstmann's firing, what it doesn't involve and why they want you to forgive and accept them into your hearts once again. We'll let you read their expertly worded response on your own, because frankly you really need to read it for yourself. With our opinion withheld, what do YOU think about GameSpot's "honest" clarification of events?[Thanks Daren, Image Via Laram77]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-04-2007 @ 10:09AM
grigdog said...
Sounds like a bunch of legalese junk to me. While the official word would be that they didn't fire him due to advertising, I wouldn't be surprised if the advertiser somehow influenced the decision.
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12-04-2007 @ 10:09AM
DjDATZ said...
Wheres my BS emoticon when I need it?
There it is:
http://www.rhrides.com/images/smiles/test/bs.gif
I call huge bullshit on them saying "oh we can't disclose the reason as to why we fired him...duuh." I don't think Gerstmann would mind just to have this whole controversy resolved.
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12-04-2007 @ 10:29AM
Jon said...
That is an awesome emoticon. I need it on a t-shirt for the rally out front of GameSpot's offices.
12-04-2007 @ 10:12AM
xenocidic said...
"Everyone in jail will say he is an innocent man"
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12-04-2007 @ 10:34AM
DjDATZ said...
He was...and it's gotta suck for him that he's wrapped up in this controversy...although, it'll really only be GameSpot that'll really suffer...and Eidos and Kane and Lynch...
12-04-2007 @ 11:03AM
xenocidic said...
no, what I meant is that GameSpot is claiming innocence... when they've got the stink of guilt all over them...
not gertsmann.. sorry - my analogy was vague.
12-04-2007 @ 10:17AM
Boff said...
Sorry for going OT but Video Marketplace is coming to us outsiders (you know who we are!) 11th Dec.
Prices seem reasonable too, and a few good titles to boot.
I've sent the tip in.
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12-04-2007 @ 10:18AM
Fox318 said...
Gotta love how they lock a man out of his office when he worked there ten years and then four days later dedicate their podcasts to him.
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12-04-2007 @ 10:23AM
MrMuggs said...
Quite honestly, I don't care about Gamespot's response. Anyone who thinks that videogame journalism, or any journalism at all, isn't influenced by its advertisers and sponors is naieve. When I read reviews I take them with a grain of salt. Just like film reviews or any other review there is bias and there is influence. I don't put a lot of value in them but only use them as a gauge.
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12-04-2007 @ 10:28AM
Frank said...
meh, feel bad for the guy, but he should look at it this way... most of us already thought the website sucked.
go find yourself a job at a nice lil review site Gertsmann
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12-04-2007 @ 10:30AM
Boff said...
Why the change of pic on the news post?
Was 'Bullshit' too rude??
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12-04-2007 @ 10:33AM
DjDATZ said...
It's common courtesy...plus...I doubt AOL would write "bullshit" anywhere...so I don't think the boys are allowed to...let alone post an image of the word...but an image of actual bullshit...that's fine. lol
12-04-2007 @ 10:46AM
Richard Mitchell said...
The image wasn't work safe. Wouldn't want anyone getting in a tizzy over a harmless little picture, now would we?
Besides, I think the new one is funnier :)
12-04-2007 @ 10:46AM
Boff said...
Bet one of the advertisers took offence to the pic and asked for it to be pulled or else no more money ;o)
12-04-2007 @ 10:46AM
Dustin Burg said...
This new image is more Web 2.0 friendly and has a much, much improved aperture. Oh, and the contrast of the pic is spot on.
12-04-2007 @ 6:44PM
Fox318 said...
You should have seen if you could have just taken out the text and left Penn and Teller.
12-04-2007 @ 10:31AM
Jon said...
Haha, I love the new picture.
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12-04-2007 @ 10:32AM
Josh said...
That's fine. I can accept that it wasn't pressure from an advertiser. I still believe that ripping on a major advertiser had to do with the firing, however. Maybe the advertiser hadn't complained, but I'm sure one of the higher ups raised an eyebrow at the review after looking at the money they were raking in from ads..
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12-04-2007 @ 10:38AM
akatsuki said...
Gamespot is pretty much dead to me. There is no way they could ever recover their brand equity because the appearance of dishonesty is too much. We will probably never get the full story, but the circumstances are just too much to not believe that Eidos managed to call the shots.
Literally at this point it would take mass firings of every top person at Gamespot, an admission that they were paid off, and a new open review system on a bell curve to really make me think that they weren't selling out their readers. Yes, they have to go further than other sites to recover.
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12-04-2007 @ 10:39AM
Van Faulk said...
To be brutally honest i don't care WHY they fired him. I always hated gerstmann for his lazy and overly subjective reviews. Who the hell complains that a game controls 'too well'? I'm just glad he's gone.
While it may be popular internet bandwagonry to call gamespot 'teh biased' I've always fdound their reviews to be quite good. And I really doubt that they would buckle to pressure fomr such a pissant company as eidos pover review scores and not to someone like sony or nintendo, both of whom they've surely crosse for rating thier games lower than expected.
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