Joystiq

Ubisoft fired another THQ Montreal veteran yesterday, Desilets says

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:00:00 EST

Ubisoft fired original Assassin's Creed creative director Patrice Desilets yesterday, after his rocky transition from Ubisoft, to THQ Montreal and back to Ubisoft. One of his colleagues, Jean-François Boivin, was also fired yesterday, Desilets tweeted. Boivin traveled from Ubisoft to THQ Montreal, before being pulled back in at Ubisoft, just as Desilets did.

"Thinking of my good friend and producer @JFBoivin who also got fired yesterday," Desilets wrote. "I'm sharing your support with him."

Boivin's LinkedIn profile says he joined Ubisoft in 2005 and held a variety of production roles - including production manager for Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed 2 with Desilets - until 2011, when he joined THQ Montreal to work on a new IP. Desilets left Ubisoft in 2010 and began work at THQ Montreal after a one-year non-compete agreement. When the agreement was up in 2011, THQ brought over three people from Ubisoft, whom Desilets said he needed.

During the THQ bankruptcy auction in January, Ubisoft bought THQ Montreal, effectively rehiring Boivin and Desilets. There's no word if Boivin's firing was as dramatic as Desilets'.

Ubisoft fired another THQ Montreal veteran yesterday, Desilets says originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Valve fires dozens of hardware, Android staff [Update 2]

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:20:00 EST

Valve let go "several" employees on Tuesday, Gamasutra reported, following a tweet from hardware designer Jeri Ellsworth that read, "Yup. Got fired today. Time for new exciting projects."

Initial reports from employees included the phrases "great cleansing" and "large decisions," and a few claimed as many as 25 people were affected, though this number is unconfirmed, Gamasutra reported. The layoffs hit more than one department, including Android and hardware staff.

Ellsworth, at least, confirmed her own firing. She began working on next-gen gaming hardware at Valve, specifically living room PC controllers, in 2012. Ellsworth was concerned with transforming keyboard and mouse controls to a gamepad in a way that wouldn't interfere with current Steam game designs, or turn off those more comfortable with a traditional controller.

Valve's recent focus has been on the Steam Box, a hardware system that allows PC streaming and gaming on living room TVs. Ellsworth worked on controller prototypes alongside the launch of Big Picture Mode, a Steam interface designed for controller navigation.

We've contacted Valve for more information about the layoffs.

Update: Develop reports that Valve's Director of Business Development, Jason Holtman, left the company. Valve has yet to respond to requests for comment.

Update 2: Valve's employee page changed significantly sometime in the past month, as demonstrated by this comparison from Garry's Mod creator Garry Newman. There are eight names gone in the latest version: TF2 art lead Moby Francke, former Weta man Keith Huggins, Half-Life 2 programmer Tom Leonard, Portal team member Realm Lovejoy, Half-Life man Marc Nagel, ex-Lord of the Rings animator Bay Raitt, engine programmer Elan Ruskin, and Jason Holtman, mentioned above.

Report: Valve fires dozens of hardware, Android staff [Update 2] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ formally drops Farrell, Rubin, executive staff

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST

THQ's storybook is down to the final pages, following the rising action of its dropping stock, and the climax of its bankruptcy at the end of 2012 and asset sale in January. Now for the falling action: THQ formally terminated CEO Brian Farrell, President Jason Rubin and Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kay on January 30, made public in an 8-K form filed today.

Earlier in February, Rubin said that THQ's failure was its own fault, and it boiled down to missteps with franchises such as uDraw, the Warhammer 40K MMO and Homefront. "THQ had every chance to survive, had it not made massive mistakes," he said.

THQ's epilogue is up next, wherein we find out what all these new companies will do with its former properties.

THQ formally drops Farrell, Rubin, executive staff originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard cuts 600 employees, most not in game development

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:52:00 EST

Blizzard has laid off 600 employees, 90 percent of whom are not involved in game development, a statement from Activision Blizzard reads. The cuts do not impact the World of Warcraft development team, the publisher was quick to assure, and its development and publishing schedules will not be affected.

"As Blizzard and the industry have evolved we've also had to make some difficult decisions in order to address the changing needs of our company," Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard Entertainment, said. "Knowing that, it still does not make letting go of some of our team members any easier."

In the same statement, Blizzard announced that it is "recruiting and looking to hire qualified developers for a number of open positions."

Blizzard cuts 600 employees, most not in game development originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

The business world, like the rest of the world, is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. Following the "weaker than expected" sales figures achieved by THQ's uDraw tablet during the third quarter of the 2012 fiscal year, THQ has let go 30 members of its Play THQ team; the Agoura Hills unit responsible for uDraw.

"We are taking a difficult but important step to reduce the number of employees that supported this brand," a THQ representative said in a statement to Game Informer. "30 people will be leaving the company and business unit leader Martin Good will also be leaving to pursue new opportunities outside the company."

THQ is still hopeful that the success of Saints Row: The Third and WWE '12 will pull out a fourth quarter turnaround before the end of fiscal 2012.

THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft creates NC West, confirms UK layoffs

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Business

NCsoft is doing some massive consolidation and bringing NC Interactive, NC Europe, NC Austin and ArenaNet under one umbrella: NC West. The publisher will focus on becoming the "world's premier western publisher of MMOs" ... we're sure Blizzard is shaking. By year's end, NC West's headquarters will be established in Seattle.

The company also confirmed rumors that 58 positions at the company's UK office, most of which were in product development, are "potentially redundant." Joystiq's Corp-speak Translator(R): They is fired.

NCsoft creates NC West, confirms UK layoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Departing Midway CEO bullish on company outlook

Kyle Orland — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Business

Having to fire a CEO is never a good sign for a company, especially when that company has recently seen massive losses and a board restructuring. But there's still one person willing to defend Midway's business strategy, and that person is, surprisingly enough, departing CEO David Zucker.

To be fair, Zucker was interviewed before his replacement by an interim CEO yesterday, but if he saw the writing on the wall he didn't let it show. "We expect to significantly grow our revenues in 2008," Zucker told GamesIndustry.biz last week, adding that naysayers have been predicting the company's demise for "for five years or so." Zucker emphasized that a combination of investment in new technology and established franchises like Mortal Kombat and NFL Blitz will provide the company's saving grace. That might well be true, but any turnaround will unfortunately come too late to be the saving grace for Mr. Zucker.

Departing Midway CEO bullish on company outlook originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gerstmann talks firing on X-Play tonight

Kyle Orland — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

In his first television appearance since his controversial firing, Jeff Gerstmann will appear at 8 p.m. tonight on G4's recently redesigned news show X-Play. According to a G4 press notice, Gerstmann will be discussing innovation (or the lack thereof) in Japanese gaming and will also "field questions regarding his previous position with Gamespot, as well as his current and future endeavors."

For those who've missed Gerstmann's calming presence on On The Spot, this will provide a great opportunity to see the big guy back in action. For everyone else, er ... there's another story right below this one!

Gerstmann talks firing on X-Play tonight originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamespot staffer Alex Navarro quits in wake of Gerstmann-gate

Kyle Orland — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

Joystiq has confirmed with longtime Gamespot staffer Alex Navarro that he will be resigning his position at the CNET gaming site in response to the controversial firing of editorial director Jeff Gerstmann.

"I felt like it was just time for me to go," Navarro told Joystiq in an exclusive interview. " Certainly [the decision to leave] had a lot to do with the whole Jeff [Gerstmann] situation. ... I wouldn't have left if this situation hadn't gone down the way it did. ... Sometimes you just realize a place isn't for you anymore, you know?"

Navarro has been a mainstay on the site since early 2003, writing hundreds of reviews and appearing regularly on video podcast The Hotspot. His last day at the site will be Jan. 24.

Continue reading Gamespot staffer Alex Navarro quits in wake of Gerstmann-gate

Gamespot staffer Alex Navarro quits in wake of Gerstmann-gate originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Life CTO resigns to seek third life

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Business

Second Life's Chief Technology Officer Cory Ondrejka is leaving the company to "pursue new professional challenges." The New York Times reports that Ondrejka, who basically oversaw the code which makes Second Life, will leave his No. 4 position at developer Linden Labs by the end of the year.

Linden Labs CEO Philip Rosedale says the needs of the company are changing and Ondrejka doesn't seem to be part of those needs. Second Life, according to the NYT, is suffering from hackers and other intertube related issues. Ondrejka was the man behind SL users retaining intellectual property rights to their virtual creations, which created the thriving e-commerce developer Linden Labs currently enjoys with the virtual world.

Second Life CTO resigns to seek third life originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gerstmann-gate: Wednesday update

Kyle Orland — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:22:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

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]

Gerstmann-gate: Wednesday update originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comparison shows significant edits to Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review

Kyle Orland — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:50:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

The editor's note at the bottom of Jeff Gerstmann's controversial review of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men notes that "this review has been updated to include differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions and a clarification on the game's multiplayer mode." While this is true, a comparison between the original and edited versions of the review shows that the edits went significantly further than that.

An archived version of the review found in a Google cache of an EBGames page shows that, while the review's overall determination remained the same, significant changes were made to its tone and focus. Nowhere is this more apparent than the very first paragraph, which was changed whole cloth to remove references calling the game "ugly" and the artificial intelligence "clunky." While the new introduction still says the game "squanders much of its potential and just doesn't come together as well as it probably should have," the new version is unquestionably less harsh than the original.

Some edits to the text seem shoehorned in to point out potential positives for the game. Consider a post-edit addition that specifically notes the game "does a good job of moving the action around, and you'll see a variety of different environments ..." and another that suggests, "if you've been waiting patiently for a game to really dive into the whole 'crew-based heist tale' concept, you might be able to look past some of the story flaws."

Then again, there are other additions that specifically point out negatives, such as one that says the multiplayer mode "doesn't translate into a great or long-lasting experience," and another that calls the disappointing multiplayer a "bummer." But there are further edits that circumstantially seem designed specifically to placate Eidos, such as one clause that points out "how well this same sort of stuff worked in the developer's previous squad-based game, Freedom Fighters," and another that asks readers to consider "the somewhat unique nature of its story."

While the edits are interesting in and of themselves, it should be noted that they are not proof of any wrongdoing on either CNET or Eidos' parts. Many questions remain, such as whether or not Gerstmann himself was involved with the edits, whether Eidos specifically requested any of the edits, and whether or not CNET executives intervened in the editing process. Neither Gerstmann, nor CNET or Eidos representatives were immediately available to respond to requests for comment on this matter, but we will let you know if and when they do (A CNET spokesperson made an oblique reference to the edits in a previous public comment).

A full accounting of the differences between the original review and the edited version appears after the break. Read it over and decide for yourself whether the changes were justified and suitably covered by the editor's note that appears at the end.

Continue reading Comparison shows significant edits to Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review

Comparison shows significant edits to Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: Gertsmann speaks about K&L review, future

Kyle Orland — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

"Losing a job you've held for over 11 years in an abrupt manner is shocking, yes."

While the above quote should perhaps win Jeff Gerstmann the 'understatement of the year' award, the former Gamespot editorial director is still staying silent about the specifics surrounding his recent firing (citing the previously mentioned "legal reasons," among others). He has, however, told Joystiq that he still stands behind his controversial review of Kane & Lynch.

"I stand behind my work, regardless of where I do it," Gerstmann told Joystiq in an e-mail. "If there was content that I felt I couldn't support, it wouldn't see the light of day." Gerstmann did not comment specifically on the edits made to his text review of Kane & Lynch, or the site's removal of the video review, but he did support the editing process in general. "If factual errors are made, I have no problem owning up to that error, correcting it, noting that a correction has been made, and feeling like an idiot for making the mistake in the first place," he said.

Gerstmann also directly addressed the somewhat pernicious rumor that he did not complete Kane & Lynch before he finished his review. "A reviewer's Xbox Live Gamercard is rarely a good place to look for answers about how much that reviewer has (or hasn't) played a game," he said. "For the record, I saw both endings in Kane & Lynch before writing about it."

As for his future plans, Gerstmann seems to be keeping his options open. "I'm not really sure what I want to do next," he said. "This whole situation has left me with a lot to think about. While this sort of clean break would be an acceptable time to think about trying game development, I feel like I still have more to say and do on the editorial side of the fence, too."

Surprisingly, the experience doesn't seem to have soured Gerstmann on video game journalism as a whole. "Despite the number of people who are taking these rumors ... to mean that game writing is ethically bankrupt, I don't feel that's the case," he said. "Either way, I'm currently keeping my options open and have been in contact with interesting people on both sides."

Exclusive: Gertsmann speaks about K&L review, future originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameSpot denies Eidos pressured firing of Gerstmann

Kyle Orland — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

We just got off the phone with Sarah Cain, a CNET spokesperson who wanted to amend CNET's previous statement to Joystiq on the recent firing of executive editor Jeff Gerstmann. While reiterating that CNET does not discuss personal employee matters with the press, Cain said directly that "we do not terminate employees based on external pressure from advertisers." When asked specifically about whether any such pressure was even attempted on Eidos' part, Cain had no comment. We're still waiting for a response to multiple e-mail requests for comment by Eidos PR.

While we had Cain on the line, we also asked her about the odd disappearance of Gerstmann's video review of the game from the GameSpot site. She responded by pointing out a note at the bottom of the still-running text review for the game, which states that "this review has been updated to include differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions and a clarification on the game's multiplayer mode."

When pressed for clarification, Cain said that this note applied to the video review as well. "At the bottom of the post of the [text] review we made a note that we have updated the review, and we made those decisions based on our own editorial standards," she said. "It was our decision to take down the [video] review." Given this justification, we can't help but wonder why GameSpot couldn't just edit the video review, as they did the text version. Why remove the entire thing if the problem was really just a "clarification?" When asked just that question, Cain reiterated her initial statement.

GameSpot denies Eidos pressured firing of Gerstmann originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameSpot issues short comment on Gerstmann firing

Kyle Orland — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

In the wake of the rumors surrounding Jeff Gerstmann's suspicious removal as editorial director of Gamespot, Gamespot owner CNET has issued a short, official comment on the situation. "GameSpot takes its editorial integrity extremely seriously," the statement reads. "For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis."

As for Gerstmann specifically, CNET repeated their assertion that "it is CNET Networks' policy not to comment on the status of its employees, current of former."

While it's nice to see CNET taking the accusations seriously, the statement doesn't confirm or deny the facts behind the controversy, or add any significant information to the story. With the rumor still generating significant discussion throughout the online gaming community, such a short, pat statement seems unlikely to stop the gathering storm of attention.

GameSpot issues short comment on Gerstmann firing originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eidos and Gamespot forums exploding over Gerstmann incident

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

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.

Eidos and Gamespot forums exploding over Gerstmann incident originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Gamespot's editorial director fired over Kane & Lynch review

Kyle Orland — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Hacks

Update 2:45 PM EST: Gamespot has issued a massive Q&A addressing many outstanding issues surrounding the firing.

Update: 11:50 AM EST Dec. 5, 2007: Check out Joystiq's analysis of the edits to Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review. GameSpot editors comment on their Hot Spot podcast. Also: Tuesday and Wednesday updates from around the web.

Update 10:00 PM EST: Gamespot has posted official notice of the firing on their website. Meanwhile, some editors at CNET have commented on the controversy in a podcast.

Update - 11:20 AM EST Dec. 3, 2007: Further updates, and Gerstmann's exclusive comments to Joystiq.

Update - 11:00AM EST Dec. 2, 2007: More updates from around the web.

Update - 3:45PM EST: Ziff Davis employees rally for Gerstmann

Update - 9:00AM EST Dec. 1, 2007: The latest developments on the story.

Update - 5:45PM EST: CNET has amended their earlier statement with Joystiq.

Update - 3:20PM EST: We just noticed that Gerstmann's video review, previously accessible only through a direct link, has been removed from the site. Here's an alternate YouTube link.

Update - 2:20PM EST: We got a response from CNET, GameSpot's parent company, that totally explains the whole thing away ... you see. Actually, they don't say much.

Update - 12:52 AM EST: Penny Arcade, which helped popularize this story with their comic last night, has posted an accompanying commentary piece on the issue. The story they were told (by whom, we do not know) has Gamespot management angry at Gerstmann for long-standing problems with his reviewing "tone." The Kane & Lynch review, which allegedly caused Eidos to withdraw "hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of future advertising from the site," served as the straw that broke the camel's back. There's no named source for this information, but the piece does say that "the firm belief internally [is] that Jeff was sacrificed."

Update - 11:00 AM EST: The anonymous source/speculation train rolls on. Rock Paper Shotgun has posted a story citing an unnamed "very reliable source" as saying that "while Gerstmann wasn't the most popular man with the CNET owners, it was his Kane & Lynch review alone that saw him lose his job." Meanwhile, a poster at Forumopolis who claims to be directly involved with the Kane & Lynch ad campaign says that the whole thing is just a matter of bad timing. "I sincerely doubt that Eidos made Gamespot fire him," the poster writes. "CNET doesn't kowtow to its advertisers, and I've more than once seen the higher-ups turn away big advertising dollars for the sake of the company's integrity." Make of this what you will.

Update - 10:44 AM EST: Gamespot PR representative Leslie Van Every has responded to Joystiq's request for comment with ... a predictable 'no comment.' "It is CNET Networks' policy to never comment on individual employees--current or former--regarding their job status," Van Every told Joystiq. "This policy is in place out of respect for the individuals' privacy."

Update - 7:12 AM EST: Jeff has confirmed his firing to us via e-mail, but says he's "not really able to comment on the specifics of my termination." He added that he's "looking forward to getting back out there and figuring out what's next." We're still digging.

Update - 1:35 AM EST: The Kane and Lynch ads that blanketed Gamespot's front page are no longer being shown. Check out the picture above to see what the site looked at just an hour ago.

Original Post:
So before we get going, we should make it clear that this post is still just a rumor and many of the facts behind it are still up in the air. That being said, word around game journalism's virtual water cooler is that Gamespot Editorial Director Jeff Gerstmann has been fired because publisher Eidos was unhappy about his negative review of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men.

What seems in little dispute, going by forum chatter as well as multiple published sources (referencing conversations with multiple CNet employees), is that Gerstmann has indeed been fired after over ten years working at the site. We were not immediately able to confirm the firing with Gamespot or Gerstmann directly, but an e-mail sent to his Gamespot address did get returned with a "permanent failure" error. Seems pretty serious to us ... (see 7:12 AM update above)

Continue reading Rumor: Gamespot's editorial director fired over Kane & Lynch review

Rumor: Gamespot's editorial director fired over Kane & Lynch review originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo Power shutting down?

Jason Wishnov — Tue, 15 May 2007 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: News

We attempted to think of something witty and clever to start the post off with a bang, but in the end, it would just be inappropriate. For at least one of us here on staff, Nintendo Power delivered the very first experience to the concept of gaming journalism.

Recent reports, however, have indicated that massive layoffs have been implemented at the publication. This is by no means an official announcement, but certainly either a massive downsizing or outright cancellation. NP has been putting out their pages for nineteen whole years, and it would be a great loss to the gaming community to see such a mainstay eliminated.

That said, our brilliant coverage of all things Wii and DS have probably helped in some small way to facilitate this grim news. Oops. Also, will this affect the tentative plans to bring legacy NP content to the Virtual Console? If they have to die, let their memory at least by memorialized in style.

Nintendo Power shutting down? originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May 2007 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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