Sony recruits journalists for "semi official" blog [update 1]
If you can't beat the blogosphere, then you might as well join it, secretly, and pick up a few established writers along the way. That's what Sony is doing with website ThreeSpeech.com. The website states: "Three Speech isn't part of PlayStation, but it does get to speak to PlayStation. You could say we're 'semi official.'" Yeah, you could say you're a semiofficial advertisement.
Respected games journalist Simon Carless points out that something is rotten in the state of ThreeSpeech, citing an exclusive interview with Sony's Phil Harrison that first appeared on ThreeSpeech and then on GamesIndustry.biz. The technical quote from GI.biz, "Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz' Rob Fahey as part of an interview being serialised on semi-official Sony blog Three Speech." To boil this down to its simplest form: When you're good to mama, mama's good to you.
Yes, Major Nelson is the Microsoft equivalent to ThreeSpeech, but typically "journalists" aren't involved in his glorified press releases. Everyone involved knows what Major Nelson is and who he represents. Sony is sneaking into the blogosphere and pocketing some writers with promises of "exclusives" to promote their agenda -- and their bottom line.
[Update 1: Apparently there is confusion regarding Major Nelson -- added link]
