Eidos and Gamespot forums exploding over Gerstmann incident

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 30th 2007 at 9:30AM }

Although Gamespot and publisher Eidos have not yet made public statements over what led to the firing of Gamespot's Editorial Director Jeff Gerstmann, the accusation of publisher pressure is exploding all over the companies' forums. Gamespot currently has numerous threads on the incident, with one thread in particular having thousands of posts. Eidos has taken a different approach, locking down all threads on their site after apparently purging derogatory posts from thousands of angry gamers reacting to the rumor yesterday night.

More sources are now confirming that Gerstmann's firing was indeed over his Kane & Lynch review. The situation will likely continue to escalate among the gaming community until somebody either tells the truth or gives some reasonable spin to what's going on. At this point the reputations of Eidos, Gamespot and Gerstmann actually do hang in the balance within the industry. In the wake of Sony's stumbles attacking Kotaku, we just can't imagine that the Gamespot executives didn't expect this to explode as it has. Are they so out of touch? The simple fact of the matter is until someone talks, this isn't going away.

Tags: advertiser, controversy, Eidos, fired, Gamespot, Gerstmann, influence, jeff-gerstmann, journalism, kane-and-lynch

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Fernando Rocker @ Nov 30th 2007 9:37AM

I hope Jeff Gertsmann finds a better place to work. a place where he can defend his freedom of speech.

Snipermonky @ Nov 30th 2007 9:40AM

Amazing what money will do these days...

danny. @ Nov 30th 2007 9:42AM

A site that hires him despite the controversy gets bonus points for sure.

Zertoss @ Nov 30th 2007 9:42AM

I don't think the first amendment protects you from losing your job.

Stevo @ Nov 30th 2007 9:45AM

This has been a long time coming. Since Greg K left Gamespot, it hasn't been the same. Jeff G was the most suitable replacement, but obviously not a good one. I think that the site needed some motivation to finally get someone new in there to run it.

J.Goodwin @ Nov 30th 2007 10:10AM

There are no first amendment rights at work, it's a private place of business.

However, IMHO, any place that fires the guy who wrote the article rather than the editor who approved it isn't worth working for.

I would find it very hard to believe that anyone at a professional media company would be able to write AND approve for publication their own articles.

Well, maybe at Joystiq towers.

borland502 (SDF - Macross Ring) @ Nov 30th 2007 10:25AM

As much as I destest the behavior of Gamespot, there is nothing wrong with firing an editor because of statements they make. The same goes true for a Pepsi truck driver getting photographed with a coke in hand.

Your speech is protected; your job is not.

However, before you get out of joint think about how this corporate power is limited. There is already a reaction to Gamespot. If that reaction is harmful enough to their business, they will think twice in the future despite their right to fire anyone they choose.

Likewise, if Gertsmann chooses, he can take it to court and contest the injustice that way. I don't think Gamespot wishes how the business really works to air in public.

JS Beckerist @ Nov 30th 2007 10:30AM

The review, for those of you that want to read it:

http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-360-games/kane-lynch-dead-men/4505-11457_7-31979858.html?tag=return

rv @ Nov 30th 2007 10:36AM

What is not cool is that it is all Eido's fault, basically. He was allowed to publish the faulty review in the first place, so it was probably dude to backlash from eidos that got this whole thing started.

Noshino @ Nov 30th 2007 10:36AM

lmao, Im not surprised they closed the forums, this is what they looked like before they shut them down...

http://home.comcast.net/~olsen31/Images/eidos.jpg

also, like many other sources are stating, it wasn't his actual written review that did this, but his video one

Mike @ Nov 30th 2007 10:54AM

borland502,

You're right, from a strictly business standpoint there's nothing inherently "wrong" with the firing. However, journalistic outlets run a little different than most businesses. Mr Gertsmann was fired for doing his job. He was tasked with writing an objective review of Kane and Lynch. When the opinions in that review angered the almighty sponsors, he was dealt with (assuming the rumors are true). This shows a complete lack of journalistic integrity on the part of gamespot. While they were within their legal rights, they acted very unprofessionally by firing him.

I find it especially upsetting given the fact that gamespot is owned by cnet - one of the oldest and most trusted tech sites on the internet. I'd hate to hear that this "good reviews to the highest bidder" sort of journalism was practiced there as well.

Noshino @ Nov 30th 2007 11:10AM

Here is the video review that supposedly got him fired...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBD0cUeeEQc

gonk @ Nov 30th 2007 11:22AM

haha good video, no wonder eidos didn't like it

Delgado @ Nov 30th 2007 11:28AM

@Noshino
Thank you SO MUCH for that link.
The picture of the Eidos forums before they shut them down is PRICELESS. IMO it is awesome how a group of like-minded individuals can create such a message of strong discontent (and hilarity).

Jake @ Nov 30th 2007 12:13PM

Eidos was paying for a K&L ad on Gamespot. Gerty went off the handle how bad their game was. I think they felt it was a big slap in the face and made some threats to Gamespot.

There is a lesson to be learned. You can maintain journalistic integrity and rate a game 60. But you better chill back just a tad if the publisher of that game company is helping your company pay bills.

It's just business.

merf1350 @ Nov 30th 2007 12:45PM

GERSTMANN FOR PRESIDENT!!!!

Nealok @ Nov 30th 2007 3:58PM

I don't mean to be a douche. I'm not defending this. I think it's atrocious, and I cancelled my Gamespot Total Access over it. But this has NOTHING to do with freedom of speech. Zero. Zip. Nada.

The first amendment says "Congress shall make no law."

You live in a capitalist society where corporations have run amok. It is certainly the corporation's right to, well, do whatever they want without breaking the law. It's your right as a consumer to never, ever go to Gamespot or buy another Eidos product again if you think they did not act with integrity here; that's my plan, at any rate.

But don't go spouting off about freedom of speech. I know this will make you defensive, but you sound ignorant. He was fired, not arrested, and his employer was perfectly within their legal rights to do so. It's despicable, but it's not unconstitutional.

why not the LS2LS7? @ Nov 30th 2007 4:45PM

His editor who approved it bears more blame than him.

He just wrote the review, his editor approved it as being suitable for posting by the company.

Jeremy White @ Nov 30th 2007 5:20PM

After watching the video review, I feel even more confused. I could see if he was being fired for being a sarcastic twit and just nailing the game on little minor details, but he points out the major flaws, and does it in an honest way. Isn't that what the whole point of a review is supposed to be?

Sokkratez @ Nov 30th 2007 9:38AM

I love Jeff. I'm cancelling my GameSpot subscription if he's gone.

stuka @ Nov 30th 2007 9:40AM

How is Gerstmann's reputation in danger here?

Intentless @ Nov 30th 2007 9:42AM

If he is lying about being fired because of his review that wouldn't exactly look good.

Either way if a company that treats their sponsors games with special care won't be hiring him due to his good character.

J.Goodwin @ Nov 30th 2007 10:13AM

Intentless, he's specifically not commenting on why he was fired. It's everyone else who is promulgating the story that it was based on that review, based on the accompanying circumstancial evidence.

ssuk @ Nov 30th 2007 10:13AM

Gerstmann said nothing on the issue, so he cannot have lied. I think his current danger is that GameSpot opens their mouth and tells a terrible tale of professional misconduct towards Gerstmann... That would be damaging to his reputation and would make a large amount of people and employers dislike him, that's not good when trying to sell something.

However, if this Gamespot firing is over this review, then Gerstmann will quickly be snapped up by another big media outlet just to stick their fingers up at the competition and will quickly become a 'hero' as he's seen 'fighting the power'.

Zertoss @ Nov 30th 2007 9:40AM

IMO, Gamespot started to suck as soon as Greg Kasavin left. I stopped reading Jeff's crap long before that, since his reviews never mirrored my own experience.

PaulM @ Nov 30th 2007 10:59AM

I don't necessarily like Jeff's reviews either, but that's really not the point.

The point is, they fired a dude because he was honest about a shitty game that was contributing to the size of their wallets. It completely destroys any chance of me ever respecting a review from Gamespot again. I'll be canceling my Total Access subscription if this turns out to be true.

DantE @ Nov 30th 2007 11:24AM

i don't get why eidos made such a big deal out of it, a 6 at gamespot is still a good game. if they want great or excelent scores they should put more work into their products instead of bitching about an above average score. if they were just pissed about his comments in the video review, it is even more pathetic. this is one major upfuck for eidos now.

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Nov 30th 2007 12:28PM

6 is not an above average score. Every other artistic review form, for things like film and music, would say 6 is above average, but in gaming people don't even think about getting a game that's below 7 anymore. 7 is the average, i would say, and anything below that usually gets a bad reputation. Having said that, people have a right to know when i a shitty game is coming out, and i hope we can see wide-spread condemnation from our gaming pundits.

Zertoss @ Nov 30th 2007 2:14PM

Supposedly it's the video review they had the problem with, not the score or the written review.

While I'm not sad to see Jeff go, I do not like the circumstances surrounding his departure at all.

Andy @ Nov 30th 2007 9:41AM

If this ends up being true (and it is appearing to be going that way), what a disaster. I for one will pledge to never read another note on the Cnet Networks or buy a single product from Edios, and hopefully others will as well.

evilkoala @ Nov 30th 2007 10:38AM

Given Eido's recent games, it won't be too hard abstaining from their products :)

Mike @ Nov 30th 2007 11:02AM

I'm not normally one of those "boycott the sons of bitches!!!11!1!!11!one!!eleven!!" people, however, in this case, I'm with you. As a writer, the total lack of journalistic integrity displayed by gamespot hurts my soul.

Sam406 @ Nov 30th 2007 11:33AM

to evilkoala:

ZING!

PaulM @ Nov 30th 2007 11:44AM

I don't blame Eidos as much as I do Gamespot. Sure, Eidos is being a dick about this, but you can hardly blame them for not wanting a site to diss their game when they are paying them lots of money to advertise for that same game...

But clearly, the only thing Eidos could have done is pull their ads from GS, and GS at that point needs to protect their integrity by saying, "sorry, we can't do that, we'll just find another sponsor".

nealbailey @ Nov 30th 2007 12:06PM

"I don't blame Eidos as much as I do Gamespot. Sure, Eidos is being a dick about this, but you can hardly blame them for not wanting a site to diss their game when they are paying them lots of money to advertise for that same game"

Wow, you're an idiot. Have you heard of conflict of interest or journalistic integrity? Do you want a doctor to prescribe drugs to you just because the drug company pays him to do so?

stewis @ Nov 30th 2007 9:41AM

I dont really look at Gamespot but i do buy games and if this is true i will not be buying any Eidos games in the future. All the man was doing it seems was giving a fair review.

stewis @ Nov 30th 2007 9:43AM

by fair review i mean a fair review in his opinion.

Fernando Rocker @ Nov 30th 2007 10:02AM

A fair review in almost every reviewer.

A bad game is a bad game.

How would you feel if they sell to you Superman 64 game, at full price, if the reviewers were paid to put a 9 to the game?

FidliousWong @ Nov 30th 2007 10:35AM

As much as I want to agree, the review system is broken. Period. The cravings for a numerical value only legitimizes the review for people whereas you gleem nothing of value from a number. All opinions are subjective according to the person writing the review. And then there are tragedies like a reviewer who despises JRPGs getting stuck reviewing something like Blue Dragon and rather than talking about Blue Dragon, he talks about how JRPGs suck and by association, Blue Dragon sucks.

Now, if you eliminate the numerical value, you'd force people to read the review and discover the things that are good or bad about the game. Likewise, aspects which the reviewer may find annoying may actually be staples to the genre and as such, would not offend a little group called the "target market." Essentially, we'd not only have good and informative reviews, but we'd also lose a lot of fuel the fanboys use.

Shagittarius @ Nov 30th 2007 11:25AM

Fidilius don't try to talk sense to Fernando.

Mr Slavio @ Nov 30th 2007 11:49AM

Reviewers should use a 0-60 scale where they score it based on the price they'd actually be willing to pay for the game.

gonk @ Nov 30th 2007 12:01PM

same thing i was thinking slavio

GRANTED @ Nov 30th 2007 12:10PM

then we would know when to buy the game: release, used copy, "greatest hits" price, bargain bin.

FOXHOUND @ Nov 30th 2007 9:43AM

Eidos has no one to blame really but themselves. And they deserve every bit of backlash over this, especially since it cost a man his job over it for *doing his job* by giving his earnest opinionated review of what has been universally reviewed as a mediocre-at-best title. Even worse, as JOYSTIQ's crew even mentioned, Eidos *could have* just had the review "silently removed"(wouldn't be the first time)or re-reviewed(for example, GameInformer does it with their "second opinion" of major titles)and see if another game revier thought differently. This was handled pretty piss-poorly, any damned way you slice it... expect a big public relations sweep to clean up this muck.

It's sad, because KANE AND LYNCH was a highly anticipated game not just by many gamers, but myself included that came up short in many facets. Rather than jump down the throat of a editorial review(which everyone should realize that "editorial=author's opinion"); Eidos needs to sling hash at its development staff that dropped the ball.

And yes... despite it all, hopefully Mr Gerstmann finds work soon. With the holidays upon us, the economy still quite horrid, and employment limited; it's the best this random well-wishing replier could offer him.

Coincidentally... "Baby's Got a Temper"(dub remix) by the PRODIGY came up just as I saw this article posted.

Respen @ Nov 30th 2007 3:23PM

Eidos did nothing wrong. Jeff (an AWEFUL reviewer in the first place) gave them a bad review and tore the game to shreds in the video review. They pulled their adds.

What kind of moron would keep adds on a website trashing their game? Eidos did ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING WRONG.

If I were gamespot, I'd have fired Jeff G. a long time ago.