Shoe: Game company paid for 'lady companionship' for journalists

by Justin McElroy { Sep 30th 2008 at 9:25AM }

Dan "Shoe" Hsu has let loose another post delving into the nitty-gritty of games journalism, and if you thought the gift bags and free jet fighting school was extravagant, you're in for one eye-opening Tuesday morning. Among a litany of questionable activity from several companies, Shoe reports: "Tecmo in the past has treated their American journalist guests to evenings out at Japanese hostess bars, watering holes where women are paid to keep customers company (not necessarily in a 'me so horny!' way ... it's more of a 'let me keep filling your drinks and you are so funny and handsome and wonderful and let me hang on to your every word!' male-insecurities-nuking thing)."

Sure, it's not hooker-level scandalous, but it does clear up why so many reviews for Rygar included lines like "the most moving piece of interactive entertainment of this or any other time. There, Yuki, I said it! Now, will you please just ... love me for me?"

Tags: games-journalism, journalism, sore-thumbs, tecmo

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

theturtle363 @ Sep 30th 2008 9:29AM

there was an episode of Law and Order JUST LIKE THIS last night

The Artist formally known as Jesus @ Sep 30th 2008 9:32AM

So are we going to get a Joystiq visits Tecmo article?

With pictures?

OMGOMG @ Sep 30th 2008 9:37AM

Just threw up in my mouth a little.

theturtle363 @ Sep 30th 2008 9:52AM

IT'S GOTTA BE THE POWDER!!

Obie @ Sep 30th 2008 9:37AM

So wait, do hooker reviewers get free games?

Slaziman @ Sep 30th 2008 9:45AM

Isn't this kind of thing illegal?

Autopsy15 @ Sep 30th 2008 11:41AM

Ya...kinda. But hey it's Tecmo. It's expected of them.

BananaBoat @ Sep 30th 2008 6:31PM

Yeah, it should be mentioned that almost ALL business in Japan is done in hostess bars. I'm not even kidding. This is so benign that I'm sure tecmo is wondering what the hell they did to upset shoe at this point. Normally I'd look for any reason to bash Tecmo (me love you Itagaki! Long time!) but come on. This is just silly.

Maybe if Tecmo took them to soap land...or to a massage parlor...but hostess clubs? Meh

HHH @ Sep 30th 2008 9:51AM

No, that is a regular common business custom in Asia, where talks are held in hostess bars.

emagius @ Sep 30th 2008 9:52AM

This is surprising why? Gaming "journalists" have never had much in the way of professionalism.

Mighty Healthy @ Sep 30th 2008 10:10AM

So true...especially in this case here, where Dan Hsu proves all the EGM skeptics right.

Here we have a guy who spent many-an-editorial questioning the integrity of his competitors...and now that he's no longer with them, he can't help but spill the beans about all those "behind the scenes" perks.

baby sea tuna @ Sep 30th 2008 9:53AM

So, uh...these places are basically like American strip clubs, but without the nudity? Ooh, sign me up Tecmos! Throw in one of those Ayane love pillows and I'll give Ninja DOA X-Treme Beach Bowl 3 a 10/10 right now!

...effin Japanese, I swear.

Obie @ Sep 30th 2008 10:12AM

Don't underestimate the magical allure of Japanese women. ;)

BananaBoat @ Sep 30th 2008 6:37PM

Nothing like a strip club. You go in, sit down at a booth, and depending on how rich you are, either 1, 2, or any number of girls (fully clothed in dresses) come and sit beside you. At that point you basically get to buy them liquor and fruit until you are out of money and have to leave. While you are buying them crap, their end of the bargain is basically to act like you are interesting, while fending off your attempts at groping, and trying not to vomit. Imagine a really expensive dinner with your friends, and then imagine that there are beautiful women there. That's basically what a hostess club is.

Personally, I find it kinda sad. There is something a little more wholesome about a strip club, where there is no illusion of intimacy. Then again, I'd never go in a strip club unless it was a bachelor party or something.

R @ Sep 30th 2008 9:59AM

This is actually just how things work in Japan. Its actually considered unproffesional for people like businessmen to not be accompanied by a young, beautiful girl during important meetings/parties.

This doesnt surprise me.

Courtney @ Sep 30th 2008 2:00PM

The problem here is that these aren't regular business meetings. These are journalists (or industry writers if you prefer), whose job is not to tow the company line, but to deliver their honest opinion, or unbiased facts in some cases, to their readerships.

If Tecmo takes out a possible new business partner to show them a night on the town, perfectly normal and fine. It's not fine to show the same treatment to a journalist/writer/reviewer. Anyone covering the industry for a publication should refuse such perks to avoid the impropriety of it.

Readme @ Sep 30th 2008 10:21AM

These are the kind of articles one gets in our 24 hour "news" culture.

doom saber @ Sep 30th 2008 10:53AM

This is what real Geisha women do in Japan. Unlike how America protrays Geishas as simply whores who are paid just to have sex on television, in real life they are paid to be your friend when you are down. Sure, you can ask them to sleep with you, but they are more mainly there to cheer you up. They are seen as professionals where some wives would not mind if their husband hires one to drink with and make out with. It might sound bizarre, but not all cultures are the same.

Seen a documentary about Geisha a few years ago.

WRE @ Sep 30th 2008 11:30AM

Fess up dude, and admit that it wasn't a documentary and that you were watching "Memoirs of a Geisha".

doom saber @ Sep 30th 2008 4:21PM

LOL I had a feelin someone would say that, but yes, it was a documentary and not memoirs of a Geisha. I think I seen the doc two years before that Geisha film came out.

doom saber @ Sep 30th 2008 10:57AM

Not in Japan, though I do not think it's illegal in different parts of america as long sex isn't involved

notnato @ Sep 30th 2008 10:59AM

can't say I agree with R's comment on "how things work in Japan"... but taking a client out for drinks generally means going to a hostess club here. No big deal.

It's not common practice to ply your clients with "prostitutes", but most forms of the trade are legal in Japan.

As for the ego stroking, at least we don't need our fast food to tell us how manly we are in Japan. Have you watch american commercials lately?

theturtle363 @ Sep 30th 2008 11:22AM

uh, the McDonalds commercials i've seen have some people break dancing as soon as they taste their food. The Burger King one has the King being chased by the cops for putting money into peoples pockets, then being hit with a car.

Bass Masterson @ Sep 30th 2008 1:27PM

Yes, just take your lumps and stop trying to spin it back on the US.

notnato @ Sep 30th 2008 11:01AM

doom saber = way off the mark, like a Japanese person expecting that all americans hunt and kill their own dinner every night. but I'm sure it was a good documentary.

Morisato @ Sep 30th 2008 11:40AM

Hmmm... that's an odd image of Americans. I never thought of people viewing Americans as manly outdoors men. I always felt Americans were all outsourcers... like me... who pay people to hunt and kill my dinner for me every night.

doom saber @ Sep 30th 2008 4:53PM

It was some doctumary about a British guy getting Geishas in Japan and sayin how the americans have a misconception that they are prostitutes and that in real life, they are hired to make a person feel happy, whether it being to cheer him up with a song or whatever. He then interviewed a couple and the wife replied how she does not mind her husband having sex with one, but minds if he has sex with a prositute.

Mr Khan @ Sep 30th 2008 11:33AM

Cultural divides ftw

Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Sep 30th 2008 12:43PM

HEY. Rygar was okay!

Mr Khan @ Sep 30th 2008 2:34PM

You liked it, have a Wii?

Try Battle of Argus this December, the developers are building it as the "definitive version"

Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Oct 1st 2008 11:29AM

Nope, sold the Wii after I went months without even thinking about playing it.

Paul @ Sep 30th 2008 1:35PM

Honestly I don't see this as being all that bad and I'm a pretty conservative person. Maybe I don't fully understand what's going on in these clubs but a little companionship and cheering up by the hostess doesn't seem like a terrible thing to me. As for the "male-insecurities" comment, I find that to be a bit funny. So many people say that a guy just wants sex. Well that's not always the case. Sometimes you just want to be with someone who enjoys your company and you seem to be implying that this is a bad thing. Apparently that's what these clubs are trying to simulate but again I may just be a little naive about what's going on there.

FSK405K @ Sep 30th 2008 3:01PM

Next we'll he'll complain that American companies pay for Japanese executives to go to bars and Hooters with them.

will @ Sep 30th 2008 4:13PM

omg - "shoe" hsu needs to read up on japan - this is a common thing there and even in korea... they're basically an asian version of a pg-13 rated strip club... there are no nekkid ladies there... just some good looking chicks for you to talk to

of course - you can get more w/ the "right" woman at the "right" price, but it is in no way expected

squirrelbot @ Sep 30th 2008 4:41PM

Sorry, but that's just an "expensive dinner" in Japan. It's not really all that incredible or unusual.

This is the same place where girls go to "Princess Bars" where the waiters speak english, because it's hott.

I visited Japan recently and my japanese (female) friend said "All japanese girls want a man to speak english to them".

Half-joking I'm sure...but only half. At most.