Gerstmann-gate: Wednesday update

by Kyle Orland { Dec 5th 2007 at 11:22AM }

Editor's note: This post has been edited to point out the latest updates from around the web on the controversial firing of Gamespot editorial director Jeff Gerstmann (Further note: the post hasn't really been edited -- we just thought that would make a funny intro.)

If you missed it, check out Joystiq's analysis of the edits to Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review.
Gamespot staffers have further addressed the controversy on the site's Hot Spot podcast.
After being taken down on Friday, Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch video review is back up on the Gamespot this morning. ~~The reasons behind this move and the initial removal are still unclear.~~ UPDATE: On the Hot Spot podcast mentioned above, Ryan MacDonald said that the review was taken down not because of pressure from advertisers but because "the quality was not what [they] do."
1UP digs up another potential wrinkle to the story: "Our sources indicated CNET management had been dealing with a series of advertising vs. editorial issues on GameSpot -- Sony Computer Entertainment America came down on the site for scoring Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction a 7.5 just a few weeks prior to the Kane & Lynch incident -- and the Eidos Interactive situation was where they finally drew the line.
Kotaku hears rumors that there may be "mass resignations" at Gamespot over the whole incident: "Our credibility is in ruins," says anonymous source.
Also from Kotaku, the misleading "five star" review graphic on the Kane & Lynch site has been removed.
MTV's Stephen Totilo talked to Gerstmann about editorial standards in the game press: "As for the future of game journalism, you asked if it's realistic for readers to expect a church and state separation between editorial and sales. Realistic or not, I think readers should demand that from a publication."
Newsweek's N'gai Croal uses the Gerstmann controversy as a jumping off point to talk about the symbiotic/parasitic relationship between game publishers and the game press: "One would have to be naïve or foolish not to understand that there has always been a mutually beneficial relationship between journalists who cover consumer products or entertainment and the manufacturers or publishers of the goods in question."
The controversy was mentioned briefly during Tuesday's edition of The Kojo Nnamdi Show on Washington D.C.'s NPR affiliate, WAMU (discussion begins around 44:50): "Apparently [there's] no firewall there between editorial and advertising. ... It certainly looks and smells fishy."
Gamespot Associate Editor Kevin VanOrd, on losing a colleague: "It is confusing, upsetting, and hurtful. In the blink of an eye, my mentor no longer sits 50 feet from me. When I need advice and encouragement and shielding, my greatest advocate is no longer there to offer that kind of support."
Sarcastic Gamer isn't feeling too sorry for Gerstmann: "Getting fired was the BEST thing to ever happen to the man. He has become an instant internet celeb, without the taking the sleazy amateur video route, and can basically cash his own ticket anywhere he chooses."
Organizer Drew Watson talks to Audiogame about the in-person protests being planned for the CNET offices this weekend.

[Thanks again to all the tipsters sending in links. Keep 'em coming]

Tags: CNET, controversy, fired, gamespot, gerstmann, jeff-gerstmann, journalism, kane-and-lynch

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

piestuff @ Dec 5th 2007 11:28AM

Is this still going on?

gonk @ Dec 5th 2007 11:29AM

oh, the eidos site finally dropped the lies about the 5 star reviews? about damn time

dragkhan @ Dec 5th 2007 11:36AM

Seriously, no one cares anymore.

This story has been beaten to death.

Can we start reporting on real gaming news now?

Todd @ Dec 5th 2007 11:57AM

I still care. I am someone.

copa @ Dec 5th 2007 12:11PM

"Can we start reporting on real gaming news now?"

You bet. Eidos just released a new game that is getting five-star reviews across the board. It does a good job of moving the action around, and you'll see a variety of different environments.

You may remember how well this same sort of stuff worked in the developer's previous squad-based game, Freedom Fighters. If you've been waiting patiently for a game to really dive into the whole "crew-based heist tale" concept, you may enjoy the unique nature of its story.

hvnlysoldr @ Dec 5th 2007 11:40AM

Today is Day of the Ninja: http://dayoftheninja.com/index2.html
I decree we all ninja stealth kill AHfhasd
SAHSD...

Mr.ESC @ Dec 5th 2007 11:47AM

Best day of the year after the Weasel Stomping Day.

Todd @ Dec 5th 2007 11:59AM

Mmm, Weasel Stomping Day... gotta get my big boots on for that!

ThornedVenom @ Dec 5th 2007 1:49PM

Can we really trust you after being a pirate after so long? You still have that parrot in your avatar. ;P

hvnlysoldr @ Dec 5th 2007 3:59PM

Quit it before your eye needs a patch.

Jerk Face @ Dec 5th 2007 11:43AM

Ugh. I am so fucking done with this.

Ocho @ Dec 5th 2007 12:11PM

Feel free not to read news that does not interest you. You don't need to read it, and you don't even need to comment on it.

For the rest of us, however, this represents an important inspection of the relationship between the gaming press and the gaming publishers. I hope you can find it in your heart to humor these silly distractions of ours.

Sihylm @ Dec 5th 2007 11:49AM

fgts liek omg shup

Diz iz vidiya gaym newz

Sam @ Dec 5th 2007 11:51AM

N'Gai Croal's Newsweek piece is fucking SPECTACULAR, and everyone should read it.

copa @ Dec 5th 2007 12:06PM

Agreed. He did not rush to post something as part of the 24-hour news cycle, and he does not speculate on things that he has no knowledge of.

He merely recounts some of his first-hand experiences, and does an analysis of the whole ecosystem. Don't know much about Gamespot Trax? Me neither, but N'Gai explains why it's important here.

elpmis @ Dec 5th 2007 11:51AM

Look at all the ADD posts! Come on people, it's the general public's lack of focus that lets big companies successfully screw over the little guy like this. You may not be interested anymore (only days after) but that doesn't change the fact that a good man is still out a job for unacceptable reasons. Give this the attention it deserves so that history doesn't repeat itself.

gonk @ Dec 5th 2007 12:18PM

ditto

Jake @ Dec 5th 2007 12:57PM

After personally viewing his written and video review, I think he was being unprofessional and deserved to be fired. He started the rumor as revenge for the company that kicked his no talent ass to the curb. This rumor will land him a job anywhere he wants to go.

I hate when inheritantly evil individuals try to screw over charitable and honorable corporations. I also hate people that always go into threads playing devil's advocate. Oh, and the Dutch.

Blazur @ Dec 5th 2007 11:51AM

Let it die. The man was fired under suspicious terms, Gamespot sucks, and Kain & Lynch is a craptacular game. I get it...

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 5th 2007 11:52AM

This was a weekend discussion. Can we move on, please?

Gavin @ Dec 5th 2007 11:57AM

I really didn't care about this story to begin with and now that it has been run into ground countless times, I care even less. Seriously, I'm into gaming for the games and not the fucking review scores. This has just gotten absurd at this point.

Todd @ Dec 5th 2007 11:58AM

Ugh. I am so fucking not done with this.

Princess Skittles @ Dec 5th 2007 12:02PM

Let. It. Die.

Nobody cares anymore except for the websites rabidly posting microbits of non-information on this issue on an hourly basis, desperate for hits. It's sensationalism at its best.

Brian B @ Dec 5th 2007 12:06PM

Being an "instant internet celeb" doesn't put food on the table, I hardly believe Gerstmann gets any consolation from the fact that this is a big story.

And I think it's incredibly stupid (Fernando) to want to ignore this story. Everyone on this site is incredibly invested in games (both with our time and money) and the credibility of games journalism is at stake here. If this ends up being true and GameSpot is really succumbing to advertiser's wishes I think it knocks down their and all of CNet's game and product coverage. It also makes you wonder about IGN & EGM/1UP and whether the same things could be going on there.

Princess Skittles @ Dec 5th 2007 12:12PM

You'd be a fool if you think this is the first time it's happened or even the last time it's happened or that this little internet whine-fest will deter it from ever happening again. The only reason this was even noticed this time is because Penny Arcade made a little comic about it.

gonk @ Dec 5th 2007 12:21PM

good thing i never visit those game sites anyway, i just rely on average user reviews

I do care about this issue though, because it still sucks, but it's not like gamspot's getting my money or ad-views anyway (and I never look at ads anyway)

Luka M. @ Dec 5th 2007 12:07PM

Stop bitching around. Simply don't look at Gerstmann posts and leave the comment section for people who care.

Rocketboy @ Dec 5th 2007 12:09PM

Ya, who cares. It happened like, what, earlier than yesterday? Screw that.

/jk/

ComicShaman @ Dec 5th 2007 12:35PM

I'm sure the ADD posts here are very comforting to Gamespot. "Fortunately, much of our audience has the attention span of a concussed hummingbird. They'll forget about it by next Thursday."

echo @ Dec 5th 2007 12:18PM

I still care. For those in the same boat, I'm going to throw up my opinion on the matter one final time. It's the second post on http://www.staticechoe.blogspot.com
Thanks to all who have checked it out already and those who intend to. You guys are why I write.

echo @ Dec 5th 2007 12:27PM

Sorry, that's http://www.staticechoes.blogspot.com
cheers!

Oreo @ Dec 5th 2007 12:19PM

I'm glad I'm not the only one who never gave a fuck about this "news". I think they guy, and 90% of the other "workers" there, should have been fired years and years ago.

And everyone already knew Gamespot was biased, so what's the shocking part of this news? That he didn't follow his biased for once? Wow!

Eddie @ Dec 5th 2007 12:22PM

I still don't buy it.

He probably got fired for a lack of professional attitude or appearance, and no one wants to (or can, legally) speak to that fact.

The whole situation, because everyone has to be professional and necessarily tight-lipped, is giving trigger happy conspiracy theorists free reign, basically.

Just hold your line, CNET. There's not a shred of evidence amounting to any more than he-said she-said, and in a week all these gossip-mongers will be feigning indignation about the next sensationalist contrived rumor.

All it takes is to ask someone who's ever been fired for good or even understandable reasons. No one wants to talk about it, it happened and we should all just let this guy get back to figuring out what his next step in life is and move on. If you are questioning GameSpot's "journalistic" (it's a game site, for Zod's sake) integrity, then stop going. Don't make this guy's firing any worse than it already is, at this point I can't see how any of this isn't just adding very public insult to injury.

gevenstaines @ Dec 5th 2007 12:35PM

"Sony Computer Entertainment America came down on the site for scoring Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction a 7.5..."

7.5 is well above average; what's wrong, Sony? did you pay for an 8??

"Sarcastic Gamer isn't feeling too sorry for Gerstmann..."

I believe the author IS feeling sorry. (i think they were being SARCASTIC)

spoo @ Dec 5th 2007 12:36PM

This sort of tight lip bullshit is why lawyers and corporate America sucks.

Halorin @ Dec 5th 2007 1:35PM

I was going to say something about people being dumb and needing more things to do with their life that make a comment just to say they don't want to read the topic, but then I realized that I had better things to do than to waste that kind of energy on something I didn't want to do. Oh wait.

Chris @ Dec 5th 2007 1:37PM

They say in the podcast not to blame gamespot and its a management issue but how else do you get the management's attention?

Lianne @ Dec 5th 2007 1:39PM

This reminds me, somewhat, of the Payola radio scandal.

Gavin @ Dec 5th 2007 1:48PM

Someone is voting down anyone who complains about this topic. That just provides more evidence for my theory that only basement dwelling retarded virgins care about this story.

ThornedVenom @ Dec 5th 2007 1:54PM

I'm secretly voting them up because I think that their point of views are valid as well. Don't let the zeitgeist catch you folks, emotions don't equate to rationalization.

Crap, my secret activities aren't so secret anymore.

eugene @ Dec 5th 2007 2:07PM

maybe they're being voted down because other people understand that stuff like that has far deeper implications for this industry than just a momentary diversion.

Ocho @ Dec 5th 2007 2:16PM

The nerve, those comments that don't actually have anything constructive to say are being voted down.

Don't get discouraged, we all secretly enjoy it when you whine.

Gavin @ Dec 5th 2007 2:14PM

If you really still care about what video game sites run buy big corporations who take money from the very same companies that they review then you deserve to be called a basement dwelling retarded virgin. Seriously... once you get some type of education under your belt and learn about the real world you will understand that some crap like this means nothing.

Many sites and periodicals are influenced by advertising. People rant and rave about Japanese game mags and pretend that they are impervious to this type of corruption but it happens there all the time.

Grow up and stop paying attention to reviews.

Eddie @ Dec 5th 2007 2:16PM

Maybe we're voting them down because they shouldn't be commenting if they don't care about the topic.

After all, we have all the time in the world now that the dog beat us over the fence to make them some siblings. Again.

Signed,

Basement Dwelling Retarded Virgins

Ocho @ Dec 5th 2007 2:25PM

@Gavin

And maybe you're right, but at least your last comment put forward an opinion the topic. Despite its holier-than-thou air, it's much more thought-provoking than "This topic sucks."

eugene @ Dec 5th 2007 4:47PM

Nice logic there, "it happens all the time..." so what? so we ignore it? So we send a message to publications, that some of us pay money to read, that their advertisers are more important than their customers? We send a message to game publishers that the marketing of the game is more important than the game itself?

How many of you people that are calling this non-news, are the same people who cry and moan that games like halo and mass effect are over-hyped? How many of you piss about better games not getting enough exposure to become popular. And now, when we have a shot at actually exposing and fixing the corporatization of the gaming industry with this very public fallout, you want to bitch and moan that it's not news?

wrecluse @ Dec 5th 2007 2:24PM

Movie Review - North - BY ROGER EBERT / July 22, 1994
I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.

rasgueado @ Dec 5th 2007 2:33PM

This is amazing to me. Demanding "church and state" division between editorial and advertising? I agree... that would be great. Though if the U.S. government can't pull a division between church and state, I don't see how game "journalists" are supposed to.