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Gerstmann-gate: Wednesday update
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]
First HotSpot begins road to recovery post-Gerstmann gate
After nearly a week of stumbling, bumbling and just falling on their faces, Gamespot made an effort to get in front of the bullet train of negativity hurtling towards the company since last Friday when staffer of 11 years Jeff Gerstmann was let go under mysterious circumstances. Some longtime employees used company podcast The Hotspot to try to dampen rumors that the firing had something to do with pressure from Eidos after Gerstmann's negative review of Kane and Lynch: Dead Men. "I'd be one of the first people to set my hair on fire and run out the front door ... if that was the case," says executive producer Ryan MacDonald. "If that was the case that it was just that one game, and one company calling and some kind of advertorial pressure." MacDonald goes on to admit that he took down Gerstmann's video review of Kane and Lynch, not because of pressure from advertisers but because "the quality was not what [they] do."Even as they defended they company, the hosts made it clear that they didn't approve of the events surrounding the firing. "Everybody recognizes that this was handled insanely poorly. Nobody in this company feel like this went down the right way," says host Vincent Caravella. At the end of the half-hour or so devoted to the issue, we are (unsurprisingly) left without a clear answer as to why Gerstmann was let go. And Caravella makes it clear that we likely shouldn't expect one. "We're not staying quiet because we have to, mostly. We're staying quiet to show this company the respect it deserves. There's legal stuff, but it's more than that."
Comparison shows significant edits to Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Comparison_shows_significant_edits_to_Gerstmann_s_Kane_Lynch_review'; 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.
Readers pick best webcomic: The New Games Journalism
Even if we're a little late with giving you the results, this week's webcomic wrapup wasn't really a contest. Due to its timeliness and the controversy surrounding the situation, Penny Arcade's "The New Games Journalism" takes top honors this week. Timeliness is an understatement, here: we know a lot of people who first discovered Gerstmann-Gate from this comic.Second place goes to 2P Start while third is a virtual tie between Dueling Analogs and WoW Insider. Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
Gerstmann-gate: Tuesday update
Official statement or no, fan reaction to the firing of Jeff Gerstmann continues practically unabated: Gamespot readers have tagged the official Gamespot news story rather, er, harshly (see image above). Not everyone is on the anti-Gamespot bandwagon, though. Check out IGN's Hillary Goldstein, CrushedBefore.com and the possibly satirical KeepGirthmanFired.com. The story continues to drip slowly into the mainstream press. Check out Fishbowl LA, TheStreet.com and the Syracuse University Daily Orange. GameBump takes Eidos to task for misleading "review" quotes and a "five-star" rating image in the intro. for the official Kane & Lynch web site. GameSpy and Kotaku are confused as well. Pronet Advertising uses Gamespot as a case study in "How To Destroy Your Brand And Alienate People" GameSetWatch's Kevin Gifford: "Game publishers ... don't care what Jeff Gerstmann or any reviewer has to say about their games. They care about the score, the Metacritic average, and it's been that way ever since the Internet became the primary vehicle for game media." More from Gamespot freelancer Frank Provo: "Even if they don't get pressured to cut me loose because I've made a few posts here, I personally cannot write for a site that, for whatever reasons, wants to bring its review scores and tone more in line with the Metacritics/GameRankings medians, and is willing to pressure its writers to nudge in that direction."
The Joystiq Weekend: December 1 to 3, 2007
Remember this? You were supposed to be waiting up for this right now. At least you get to keep some extra money for the already-massive lineup of AAA titles this season. And there's always this, too. (Caution: link NSFW) Check out the (many) highlights for this (rather exhausting) weekend:Gerstmann-GateLatest developments in "Gerstmann-gate"Rumorang: Gerstmann-gate editionZiff Davis staff holds impromptu GameSpot rallyGerstmann-gate: Sunday morning updateExclusive: Gertsmann speaks about K&L review, futureBlackout Monday: virtual boycott targets GameSpot, CNET sitesGerstmann-gate: Blackout Monday updateCNET podcast hosts comment on Gerstmann controversyGameSpot posts official Gerstmann firing noticeActi-BlizzardActivision and Blizzard parent merge in $18 billion deal Blizzard wants you to know that merger won't affect their games GameSetWatch analyzes Activision/Vivendi mergerThe Activision Blizzard conference callActivision stock way up after merger newsJoystiq Podcast Roundtable - Blizzavision ... Actiblizzard?JoystiqueryJapanese hardware sales, Nov. 19 - Nov. 25: Informative puppeteer editionReminder: Last chance to win a $5K gaming PC from Falcon NorthwestToday's danciest video: Merry Xmas 2K7Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: charitable editionNewsGuitar Hero II gets DLC: Indie Label Pack IIRock Band team offers free EA game for guitar repair delays GameTap losing over 7% of games; EA, Interplay and other publishers gone Dec. 11DS gets downloadable content with official DSVision flash card peripheralNew games this week: Universe at War: Earth Assault editionVirtual Console gets Eternal Champions, Zanac, The Dynastic HeroKuju opens new Nik Nak studio aimed at kidsResident Evil: Outbreak and Monster Hunter online services cease for PS2Microsoft reveals XBLA games coming in December and JanuaryEidos trademarks 'Tomb Raider Underworld'Metallica in talks to debut new single as Rock Band DLCBig surprise: Guitar Hero 4, Call of Duty 5, and Tony Hawk 11 confirmedSega: No plans to release NiGHTS PS2 outside of JapanThis Tuesday: Arcade HitsTomb Raider engine to power Deus Ex 3Xbox 360 video playback FAQSmash Bros blog teaches us how to make friendsTurok clips show off multiplayerTingle's Rosy Rupeeland: meanest Nintendo game ever?Play as Ken and Chun Li in Korean MMO fighting gameAndy Serkis spearheading East England game industry networkTretton admits to 'missteps' in PS3's first yearRumors & SpeculationTake-Two CEO sees industry consolidation as 'inevitable'Culture & CommunitySleater-Kinney guitarist talks Rock BandGuitar Hero brings business to six-string tutorsSomething Awful pokes fun at Mass EffectMega64's VGA 2007 TV spot makes us laugh, feel guiltyAskMen's Top 10 Hottest Women in TechDIY: Weighted Companion Cube paperweightHenry Jenkins sounds off on Spencer Halpin's 'Moral Kombat'Roll your own ugly Wii Zapper using LEGOsThe 21 days of Wii from Circuit City
GameSpot posts official Gerstmann firing notice
It took nearly four long, controversy-filled days, but GameSpot has finally posted notice on their web site that editorial director Jeff Gerstmann has been fired. Or, as the notice itself puts it, "after over a decade in a variety of editorial roles, Jeff Gerstmann's tenure as editorial director has ended." Besides praising Gerstmann's work and offering him best wishes, the notice echoes the company's earlier statement by saying that "details of Gerstmann's departure cannot be disclosed publicly" because of "legal constraints and the company policy of GameSpot parent CNET Networks." The posting also firmly denies (yet again) that advertiser pressure had any role in the firing. "Neither CNET Networks nor GameSpot has ever allowed its advertising business to affect its editorial content," said Greg Brannan, CNET Networks Entertainment's vice president of programming. "The accusations in the media that it has done so are unsubstantiated and untrue. Jeff's departure stemmed from internal reasons unrelated to any buyer of advertising on GameSpot." Strong words, but ones that might come too late for many gamers who have already made up their minds about the controversy.Oddly enough, Gerstmann does still appear on the site's About Us page, nearly a week after his termination last Wednesday. The notice about the firing currently appears on the front page of the site as the top news story.Even with the posted statement, many questions remain surrounding the firing. Why was Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch video review removed from the site? Did Eidos (or any other company) bring pressure to bear on Gamespot, even if it was ignored? (Eidos continues to ignore repeated requests for comment from Joystiq). How does Gamespot plan on addressing the sizable outrage in the gaming community over the issue, justified or not? We'll keep looking for answers to these and other questions surrounding the controversy and will of course let you know what we find.
CNET podcast hosts comment on Gerstmann controversy
While today's episode of CNET's Buzz Out Loud podcast was delayed for a "mandatory meeting," (hmmm, we wonder what that might have been about ...) the wait was worth it, as hosts Molly Wood, John (Update: Typo fixed) Tom Merritt and Jason Howell were able to comment on Gamespot's firing of executive editor Jeff Gerstmann from a somewhat insider perspective. Their overall impression? As Merritt put it, "Wow does this whole situation suck."While Merritt did say up front that "there are things that we're not allowed to talk about because they're internal matters," the team said they weren't sitting on any super-secret information about the reasons behind Gerstmann's firing. "[Human resources is] not going to come and tell us why a dude got fired," Wood said. That said, the hosts could offer their commentary on the matter, and their thoughts on that score were somewhat of a mixed bag.
Gerstmann-gate: Blackout Monday update
Big wheel keep on turning. Gerstmann-gate keep on burning. If you missed it over the weekend, see our Saturday and Sunday updates, as well as coverage of surrounding rumors and Gerstmann's exclusive comments to Joystiq. Many members of the gaming community are participating in a loosely organized "Blackout Monday" boycott of Gamespot today. An unrelated, real-world protest is being planned for Dec. 8 - 10 in front of the CNET offices. GamePolitics: "If the highly detailed rumors surrounding Jeff Gerstmann's firing are true, then the people who run GameSpot have, by their own hand, utterly trashed a great media brand." The story hasn't made a big splash in mainstream print or broadcast outlets yet, but it is beginning to get a little play on mainstream web sites. See USA Today, BBC Tech (link at bottom right) the San Jose Mercury News, The Guardian, the Dallas Morning News and Norway's third-largest newspaper, Dagbladet (sketchy machine translation). GameFAQs briefly changed their front page poll over the weekend to ask users what would happen next in the controversy. Over 25% of respondents predicted that "Gamespot begins its slow decent [sic]." Virtual Fools has compiled an impressive list of links to comments from current and former Gamespot staffers. [Thanks to all the tipsters who sent in links.]
Blackout Monday: virtual boycott targets GameSpot, CNET sites
GameSpot user 'Subrosian' has called for a boycott of all CNET-operated sites today in response to the controversy surrounding the firing of GameSpot executive editor Jeff Gerstmann, GamePolitics.com reports. Dubbed "Black Monday," the virtual boycott is to last 24 hours and instructs participants to avoid viewing, Googling, or clicking external links to the sites, particularly GameSpot. "Rather than live in a world where the media is controlled entirely by those with the most money, I want to live in a world where gamers who are living for their hobby ... can say what they truly feel about a game. So let's do the right thing and show solidarity with Jeff Gerstmann -- if he can't go to work on Monday at GameSpot then neither will we," declares Subrosian's manifesto.Posted at 9:31pm ET last night, the call to action likely went unnoticed by many potential protesters before the blackout's midnight start time. Further discouraging any chance of effectiveness is the lack of a prominent external page for the boycott (try Googling "black monday gamespot" or other relevant search terms) -- um, the original post is a GameSpot.com link! If anything, Blackout Monday may serve as a seed for birthing a better-organized boycott before the Gerstmann story becomes "old news." Hardcore game forum posters-turned-activists need to appeal to the mainstream technology consumer to really stick it to the CNET network. But for anyone to get behind the issue, organizers must first wait for the swirl of rumors to settle and the truth to be made public. What's less legitimate than a rumor? The boycott of a rumor. (Reminder: the details of Gerstmann's firing are still unconfirmed.)[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Exclusive: Gertsmann speaks about K&L review, future
"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."
Gerstmann-gate: Sunday morning update
Developments have slowed down a little bit over the weekend, but there is still plenty of chatter around the web about Gamespot's controversial firing of Jeff Gerstmann. Among the juicier bits from around the intertubes: In response to a Gamespot forum thread, the new Gamespot Manager of Community Development said he is "eagerly anticipating the official word to be released on Tuesday." Gamespot has halted user reviews of Kane & Lynch after a flood of 1.0 ratings lowered the game's user score to a 2.6/10. Destructoid has registered cashwh0re.com and changed their front page banner in support of Gerstmann. GameSpot employee Aaron Thomas explains why more employees aren't speaking up on the matter: "This isn't GameSpot suddenly clamping down on me or any of us here--this is how it is for anyone with a job." Gamespot freelancer Frank Provo: "Personally, my respect for CNet is shot, and writing for GameSpot is going to feel like a chore for quite some time going forward." GameSpot users are reportedly canceling paid subscriptions left and right, and planning boycotts of Gamespot and its advertisers. Rumor has it that Gamespot forum moderator have been told to squelch any discussion of the controversy. This seems unlikely, though, as the main discussion of the topic on the site has reached 11,110 posts as of this writing. UPDATE: Numerous Gamespot moderators have written in saying discussion on their forums isn't being stopped, but redirected to one of these two threads to maintain order. One thing is clear: This story is not going away anytime soon.[Thanks to all the tipsters who sent items in]
Ziff Davis staff holds impromptu GameSpot rally
A number of Ziff Davis staffers (including a few writers for 1UP, arguably GameSpot's biggest competition) recently crafted an uplifting banner and marched to the GameSpot offices just two blocks away. The demonstration was a response to the recent unexplained firing of GameSpot contributor Jeff Gerstmann. After hearing the rumors that Gerstmann was fired due to pressure from advertisers following his lackluster review of Kane and Lynch, the ZD staff decided to show their support for their fellow gaming journalist.Patrick Klepek, news editor for 1UP, stressed to us that the rally was not intended to mock Gerstmann or the GameSpot staff. He said he recognizes that "even though 1UP and GameSpot are competition, what's happening over there includes industry-wide ramifications, when the dust finally settles." That is, assuming that the rumors of shady dealings surrounding Gerstmann's termination from the company prove to be true.While 1UP's status as GameSpot's lead competitor might raise concerns that they're just fueling the anti-CNET fires that have been popping up around GameSpot's forums, it's our opinion that this was a sincere showing of solidarity and good will among video game writers. We certainly hope that GameSpot's staff gets the message.
Rumorang: Gerstmann-gate edition
We're sure you'll agree our reporting on the continuing controversy surrounding Gamespot's firing of Jeff Gerstmann has been quite extensive. Still, there are a few angles that have come up that we still feel a little questionable reporting on as fact, or even credible rumor. Still, they are getting play elsewhere around the web, so we'll let you have a little peek behind the curtain and in to the sausage-making world of the news process. Here's what we know and why we're a bit skeptical: Some sites are reporting that Gamespot staffer Tim Tracy has also been fired and/or left the company, possibly for reasons related to Gerstmann's dismissal. The sole source for this rumor seems to be a cryptic post on Tracy's Gamespot blog where he appears behind a stack of shoeboxes with the footer, "It's been real." This could mean that he's no longer with the company ... but it could also means he just has a shoe fetish. We're working to get an official comment on the situation from Tracy or Gamespot and will let you know what we hear, but for the time being we don't want to speculate on what, if anything, this could mean. Some commenters around the web are suggesting that the firing was due to the influence of some recent hires at CNET, specifically Executive Vice President Stephen Colvin and Director of Games & Entertainment Josh Larson. These commenters will point to Colvin's previous involvement with bastions of journalistic integrity like Maxim, Blender, and Stuff magazine (read: sarcasm!) and Larson's heavy career focus on marketing to gamers. This circumstantial evidence doesn't do much for us, and while we've heard some rumblings of their involvement from somewhat credible sources, nothing has been better than second hand information. We'll keep digging, but right now it's too early to implicate anyone specific (or in general, for that matter). Finally, some commenters are claiming that Gerstmann wasn't fired because his Kane & Lynch review was negative in tone, but because he did not actually play the game sufficiently before reviewing it. The supposed evidence, as often happens with such allegations, is Jeff's Xbox Live Gamercard, which only has six achievements and 90 Gamerscore points for the game (some overstate this claim to say he only got one achievement. Fact check your rumors, people!) Reviewers often start reviews playing early code that might not have achievements unlocked. Gerstmann could have been playing on Microsoft's private PartnerNet system when reviewing the game, or simply been on a separate system/Gamertag when doing some of the playing. Furthermore, the content of both the text and video reviews seems to clearly indicate deep involvement with the game. We're waiting to hear back from Gerstmann on this issue directly, but until we do, it'll take more than a Gamercard to convince us Jeff was anything less than a professional in this matter.
Latest developments in "Gerstmann-gate"
More tidbits surrounding Jeff Gerstmann's controversial firing from Gamespot, from around the web and our own reporting: Gerstmann has confirmed to Joystiq that there are "legal reasons" why he can't comment on the controversy, in addition to questions of "respect for the product team still on board at GameSpot, who are some of the most amazing people I've ever met." He added that he is not under any sort of non-compete agreement regarding future work in the industry. Eidos issues a 'no comment' to 1UP: "Eidos is not able to comment on another company's policies and procedures." Valleywag says Eidos "insiders" are "freaking out" over being blamed for something they say they had nothing to do with. Still no response from Eidos to our requests for comment. Former Gamespot editor-in-chief Greg Kasavin, on his GameSpot blog: "As the longest-tenured GameSpot editor, Jeff Gerstmann deserved a respectful send-off." Current Gamespot editor-in-chief Alex Navarro compares the whole situation to hitting the disaster button in SimCity. Former Gamespot staffer Bob Colayco and Adam Buchen clarify that just because Gerstmann was fired doesn't mean Gamespot staffers routinely get paid off for good reviews. Buchen also cancels his Gamespot account and urges others to do the same. An anonymous Valleywag commenter going by the handle "gamespot" and claiming to be a company insider: "There has been an increasing amount of pressure to allow the advertising teams to have more of a say in the editorial process." More: "Also, despite the fact that this occured [sic] two weeks ago, there was no way they were going to fire him then; the last big games didn't come out until just before Thanksgiving, and there was no doubt that management knew that the rest of the reviewers would refuse to write any reviews after his termination, which is indeed what is happening. [emphasis added]" We'll continue to update as more information comes out. Thanks to Gamespot user subrosian and all the tipsters who sent in information. Keep it coming.
CNET: Gerstmann not fired over advertiser pressure
Our compatriots at Joystiq have uncovered some more information regarding the firing of Jeff Gerstmann, GameSpot's (now former) Editorial Director. The news that he was fired broke this morning, with certain sources citing that he was fired do to pressure from Eidos in the wake of Gerstmann's harsh text and video review of Kane & Lynch. Eidos publishes the game in question, and had purchased pervasive ads on GameSpot including a page skin that was removed soon after Gerstmann's firing.Joystiq has now secured new comments from CNET, which owns GameSpot. The comments come in the wake of a fairly ambiguous statement made by CNET earlier today. According to Joystiq, a CNET spokesperson by the name of Sarah Cain noted, "we do not terminate employees based on external pressure from advertisers." When asked whether or not such pressure had been exerted, Cain provided no comment. Joystiq also inquired about the video review, which has since been removed from GameSpot. Cain said that a note of "clarification" had been added to the text review -- which also applied to the video review -- and that it was CNET's decision to pull the video review.Make sense to you? Yeah, well we don't get it either. Check out Joystiq for more details.
GameSpot denies Eidos pressured firing of Gerstmann
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 issues short comment on Gerstmann firing
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.
Eidos and Gamespot forums exploding over Gerstmann incident
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.
Rumor: Gamespot's editorial director fired over Kane & Lynch review
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 GerstmannUpdate - 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)
