It's completely shady that this article still exists at all, given there is a video of Gamespot management admitting that he was let go due to the review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GagFPnSG0j4
Spot On: GameSpot on Gerstmann
SPECIAL REPORT: Following days of controversy and the first post-Jeff podcast, GameSpot answers burning questions about the most controversial staff change in its history.
For the past week, controversy has rocked the game news media--a controversy that originated here at GameSpot. The affair began last Wednesday when near-11-year veteran reviewer Jeff Gerstmann's tenure as editorial director ended. In keeping with the human-resources procedures of GameSpot parent company CNET Networks and in accordance with California State Law, no public comment was initially made about his departure.
HotSpot on Gerstmann
GameSpot editors speak candidly about their take on Jeff Gerstmann's departure.
In the void of information that followed, numerous conspiracy theories sprang up. First and foremost was that, as a result of pressure from publisher Eidos Interactive, GameSpot terminated Gerstmann because of his review of the multiplatform game Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. The game was released on November 13, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (The PC version of the game was released on November 20, but has not yet been reviewed.)
Hundreds of reports pointed to the fact that the Kane & Lynch video review was pulled and the text review's copy was altered as evidence substantiating this hypothesis. In many readers' eyes, the fact that the entire GameSpot site was "skinned" with advertisements promoting Kane & Lynch all but confirmed the theory behind his firing. In the gaming press, the subsequent furor has been dubbed "Gerstmanngate."
Due to legal restrictions and corporate HR policy, GameSpot could not initially comment on Gerstmann's departure. Though the site officially addressed the issue on Monday, the full story behind his exit could not be told--until now.
In the spirit of full disclosure to our readership, GameSpot News has been provided the following answers by management to the questions below regarding the circumstances surrounding Gerstmann's exit.
Q: Was Jeff fired?
A: Jeff was terminated on November 28, 2007, following an internal review process by the managerial team to which he reported.
Q: Why was Jeff fired?
A: Legally, the exact reasons behind his dismissal cannot be revealed. However, they stemmed from issues unrelated to any publisher or advertiser; his departure was due purely for internal reasons.
Q: Why was the Kane & Lynch review text altered?
A: Jeff's supervisors and select members of the edit team felt the review's negativity did not match its "fair" 6.0 rating. The copy was adjusted several days after its publication so that it better meshed with its score, which remained unchanged. The achievements and demerits it received were also left unaltered. Additionally, clarifications were made concerning the game's multiplayer mode and to include differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game.
Q: Why was the Kane & Lynch video review taken down?
A: Both the text and video reviews of Kane & Lynch went up on Tuesday, November 13. The morning of Wednesday, November 14, the video was taken down due to concerns of quality. Specifically, its audio was deemed inferior due to a faulty microphone. There were also concerns about the limited amount of footage, which was unrepresentative of the game in the review.
Q: Why wasn't the video immediately reposted?
A: Due to the crush of high-profile games being released the following week, there were insufficient resources to reshoot and re-edit the video review.
Q: Why hasn't the video review been reposted since the "Gerstmanngate" controversy broke?
A: A determination was made by GameSpot Live, GameSpot's multimedia division, that reposting it would seem reactive and might exacerbate an inflamed situation. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, it has since been reposted, and is viewable on the site in its original form (See above). For those who want to be sure that it has not been altered after the fact, the video review is also available on YouTube for comparison purposes.
Q: Was Eidos Interactive upset by the game's review?
A: It has been confirmed that Eidos representatives expressed their displeasure to their appropriate contacts at GameSpot, but not to editorial directly. It was not the first time a publisher has voiced disappointment with a game review, and it won't be the last. However, it is strict GameSpot policy never to let any such feelings result in a review score to be altered or a video review to be pulled.
Q: Did Eidos' disappointment cause Jeff to be terminated?
A: Absolutely not.
Q: Did Eidos' disappointment cause the alteration of the review text?
A: Absolutely not.
Q: Did Eidos' disappointment lead to the video review being pulled down?
A: Absolutely not.
Q: Why was GameSpot "skinned" with Kane & Lynch ads when Jeff was terminated?
A: Due to design and development considerations, media buys on GameSpot are made weeks in advance. The timing of said ads was extremely unfortunate but was purely coincidental and determined solely by the game's release date of November 13, 2007.
Q: Why did the Kane & Lynch ads disappear from GameSpot right as the "Gerstmanngate" controversy began to heat up?
A: Advertising sales on GameSpot are sold by the day. The end of the Kane & Lynch "skin" promotion had been predetermined long beforehand. Internal documentation filed before the review appeared shows that the site skin was scheduled to run from November 17 to 29, 2007. Site-wide ad campaigns automatically change at midnight, hence the "skin" being removed after hours.
Q: Was Jeff's termination somehow tied to the departure of former GameSpot Live managing producer Tim Tracy?
A: No. Tim and Jeff are childhood friends and had been colleagues until Tim transferred over to other CNET Networks Entertainment properties. His exit was completely unrelated.
Q: Why didn't GameSpot write about Jeff's departure sooner?
A: Due to HR procedures and legal considerations, unauthorized CNET Networks and GameSpot employees are forbidden from commenting on the employment status of current and former employees. This practice has been in effect for years, and the CNET public-relations department stuck to that in the days following Jeff's termination. However, the company is now making an exception due to the widespread misinformation that has spread since Jeff's departure.
Q: When will the PC version of Kane & Lynch be reviewed?
A: We haven't decided when that will happen.
Q: GameSpot's credibility has been called into question as a result of this incident. What is being done to repair and rebuild it?
A: This article is one of the first steps toward restoring users' faith in GameSpot, and an internal review of the incident and controversy is under way. However, at no point in its history has GameSpot ever deviated from its review guidelines, which are publicly listed on the site. Great pains are taken to keep sales and editorial separated to prevent any impression of impropriety.
For years, GameSpot has been known for maintaining the highest ethical standards and having the most reliable and informative game reviews, previews, and news on the Web. The colleagues and friends that Jeff leaves behind here at GameSpot intend to keep it that way.
For a special report on Jeff Gerstmann's dismissal and a tribute to his legacy, tune in tomorrow to GameSpot's weekly live webcast, On the Spot. For a personal look at Gerstmann's exit, listen to the latest HotSpot podcast in which host Vincent Caravella discusses the controversial event with longtime Gerstmann colleagues Ricardo Torres, Ryan MacDonald, Alex Navarro, and Ryan Davis.
3002 comments
this is why you cant trust gamespot reviews. if a reviewer goes against the ads in a review, they are terminated. pretty much any ad u see up here the game will get a 7 or higher no matter how bad the game is.
I would still like to know why he got fired. It must have been differences of opinion between CNET and Jeff. His reviews were actually quite harsh on some games but were true.
It's a shame, i once loved this site and kinda trusted their reviews but ever since this site died, GameTrailers is where its at. Just about every review has a video review with it, unlike this 'site' less than 10% of the games on here dont have video reviews. People can believe whatever they want but in the end 99% of the old and good gamespot staff is gone. That should say what really happened in this jeff gerstmann situation. I only use gamefaqs.... never again will i use gamespot, its a joke. RIP Gamespot
1 Like long live giant bomb...this site used to be a gold mine and now its just a flaming turd....I only come here for the forums now...not the corporate teet suckling reviews
I would venture a guess that he either had a drug problem or that Gamespot had doen him wrong at some point before this review. He is acting way different than normal in this interview and seems to have a complete disregard for his job and this interview
GameSpot will never be the same. I have never seen one new episode of On the Spot seens Jeff left. Recently I have tried too see this years new On the Spot but after 10 minuttes I decided too stop watching. It was a horrorble bad show. I only use Gamespot too read and watch old reviews.
:( sad day I wonder if jeff has read this and I wonder if hes shaking his head or what... dont you think its weird how a bunch of guys left after jeff... if you think he was wrong and did somthing bad you think they would have followed him?
It seems Eidos is becoming the Mafia of gaming. I'm just so glad for the release of Giantbomb.com. See you in hell, Gamespot. You're dead now. (Hit me up on Giantbomb. Nosferatu2894)
Wow, they managed to write an entire FAQ without answering trhe only question people cared about. You can't imagine that kind of talent.
I've finally found out what happened to Jeff, after I saw comments on him I just wondered what happened. Now I know.
Whatever the technicality of why Jeff's video review, or even text review, of Kane & Lynch may be, your journalism in the gaming industry is despicable and you, Gamespot, will forever be hated by the former fans, and former employers, of your site.
@The_Luigi You're right, not every game has to have a "goody two-shoes character" but what Jeff was trying to say was the character's personalities were so bad that the player would not like them. Take the GTA series for example, the characters in the game are not all "good two-shoes" but most of the time they have such a great personality that you actually care about what happens to them.
@SidV101 His review for this game was pretty bad. ie Whining about how the characters were unlikeable? That's just laughable, not every game must have a good two-shoes character all gamer neckbeards can relate with.
excuse me? you say you're credible but you don't say why he was fired except that it was for "internal reasons" yeah, real specific. Maybe it wasn't because of the review but we still have a right to know what the reason is then.
@ The_Luigi How the hell could you call Jeff mediocre? He was one of the coolest and most interesting guys on this site! He always wrote fair reviews and he never should have been fired over a stupid advertising problem. And for anyone thinking that his being fired didn't have anything to do with Eidos and CNet. . . you're an ignorant douche.
I love how the comments here boil down to "Waaaah waaaah we are a bunch of pre-prepubescent butthurt nerds, I have never played X game but I'm gonna bash it anyway because a mediocre reviewer got fired!" Classic.
i dont know gertsmann that much but i truly support that guy. I also think that his review has nothing wrong with it. Its gamespot's job to review games, and criticize it if necessary. Gamespot has the right to hold games at a high standard and no company could change or try to change that standard. Developers should be thankful for that kind of sites cause it gives them more insight on how to improve their games.
[quote] Q: Why was the Kane & Lynch review text altered? A: Jeff's supervisors and select members of the edit team felt the review's negativity did not match its "fair" 6.0 rating. The copy was adjusted several days after its publication so that it better meshed with its score, which remained unchanged.[/quote] -- Can I just say this seems stupid... I mean does that mean that they pick a #, then write a review around it? WTF - you know? Shouldn't the # be based on the review? not the other way around? my buddy pointed me to their site (it's been stated enough times here that it doesn't need my bump. I'm going there for my .info)
Honestly I think the Kane and Lynch has nothing to do with it. I honestly think it was another reason that either violates some conduct thing or something like fooling around Really bad or something.
That what happen when business comes over, shame on Eidos really the game sucks totally and Jeff Gerstmann were right . now gamespot loses their credibility I'll watch my futur review on 1up.com .btw stop covering up this scandal .
Wow, that article was total bull **** I don't see how they think it's going to help rebuild their credibility, it's destroyed it for most of us. I'm serious, they sound like a politician who's just barely able to cover up the huge scandal they just caused. X_X
The On the Spot explained nothing! Neither did the article. It's all a cover-up. C-Net is a group of idiots
Terrible Game. Terrible attitude from Gamespot. Shame on you and Eidos. End of discussion.
I'm glad I canceled my subscription. I saw the signs last year when they started to change everything and you could catch glimpses of the 'corporate machine' running this show. F*** gamespot, I don't give a d@mn if they ban this account. They aren't worth a s*** anymore anyways. First Kasavin, then Gallup, and most recently Navarro and Gerstmann. It's never a good sign when the people who are the heart and soul of something start jumping ship. Haha, maybe all the articles from now on will be written by "Staff". How's that for connecting with your clients? See you in the life rafts folks, the Titanic is goin' down.
The game SUCKS ! What gamespot did, fiering jeff gerstmann was PURE TRASH !! They did that because they are slaves to money. Its totaly true i see no ther reason except the publisher threat them . Shame on you gamespot.. he was with you guys for soooo manny years and he was good. SHAME ON GAMESPOT ! this is the last time i enter this site.
This is all **** all my favorite guys on on the spot are now all quit or fired. Been coming to this site for a decade. I hope Gerstmann does start up a new site... I know I'll be there.
At least Gamespot have tired to answer some questions here about why Jeff left but the fact remains that Gamespot's reviews system looks in doubt. Who is next to leave I wonder? Gamespot is one place to see game reviews but it's not the only place. To get a balanced view look around.
anyone guess that maybe he was fired because he was a crappy reviewer? i'm playing k&l right now and frankly, the game is amazing! i have no idea what people are complaining about.
Conversation powered by Livefyre
Content you might like…
-
The HotSpot 12/4/07
GameSpot speaks out about current events in its audio podcast.
- Dec 4, 2007
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Hot Stories
Newsmakers
-
Xbox One has preowned fee - Report
Microsoft confirms all discs must be installed to HDD to play; secondhand owners required to pay an unspecified fee. Full Story
- Posted May 21, 2013 11:44 am PT
-
Xbox One will launch this year
Microsoft formally announces Xbox 360 successor during media event; will support live TV and Skype; features 500GB hard drive, 8GB RAM, Blu-ray drive; 64-bit architecture. Full Story
- Posted May 21, 2013 10:09 am PT
Featured Stories
-
The Simpsons writer signs on for Angry Birds movie
Emmy-winning writer Jon Vitti, who penned "Mr. Plow" episode of The Simpsons, working on 2016 film based on Rovio's game. Full Story
- Posted May 20, 2013 12:23 pm PT
-
Grand Theft Auto V premium bundles revealed
$150 Collector's Edition includes money bag, snapback hat, blueprint map, artwork, and various in-game items and bonuses; all preorders receive access to pilot atomic blimp vehicle. Full Story
- Posted May 23, 2013 5:44 am PT
-
Atari to sell RollerCoaster Tycoon, Test Drive franchises at auction
Bankrupt publisher hoping to bring in at least $22 million from upcoming asset auctions. Full Story
- Posted May 23, 2013 9:43 am PT
-
38 Studios court case begins
Arguments in legal battle between defunct Amalur developer and Rhode Island presented in court today; state claims it has "avalanche" of evidence against 38 Studios. Full Story
- Posted May 22, 2013 1:51 pm PT
-
Katie Couric acknowledges one-sided violent video games report
Network journalist acknowledges one-sided violent video game report; invitations to Bungie and the Entertainment Software Association were declined. Full Story
- Posted May 20, 2013 10:45 pm PT
Submit News
Related Game
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
- Publisher(s): Eidos Interactive
- Developer(s): Io Interactive
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: M
Recent News
-
GameStop shares slide on Xbox One preowned rumors
[UPDATE] Share value down more 13 percent today amid new reports claiming GameStop's business could be hurt by Microsoft's rumored used game policy for...
