• 22Sep 08

  Heroes is on tonight

  Check it out.
  • Posted Sep 22, 2008 5:20 pm PT
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• 13Mar 08

  Jeff Gerstmann/Ryan Davis Review Site!

  For those of you who miss Ryan and Jeff's excellent contributions to Gamespot, weep no more! They have banded together and launched a gaming site of their own, titled giantbomb.com. Jeff described the detail's of the site's purpose in this exclusive interview with X-Play. I for one am excited to see how the site will develop. Who knows? It may become a better site than Gamespot.

  Just thought I'd share that little tidbit. This new site is basically a shout out to all the users of Gamespot who lost interest feel like moving on to another site. What are your thoughts?

  • Posted Mar 13, 2008 3:52 pm PT
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• 30Nov 07

  "Freedom of Speech"-A Tribute to Jeff Gerstmann

  For those of you that don't yet know, Jeff Gerstmann has been fired. On what grounds, find out in the below link.

  Click herefor thearticle

  (credit to Sidburn19):

  Updated: 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.

  AaronThomas wrote:

  It is CNET Networks company policy to never comment on individual employees current or former regarding their job status. This policy is in place out of respect for the individuals privacy.

  * * * *

  When I read this, I was shocked. Jeff Gerstmann was a longtime member of the Gamespot crew, and a dedicated reviewer who always did his job from the most objective perspective as possible. America is supposed to be a land of the free--a placewhere people have freedom of speech. This should apply especially to reviewers, people who get PAID to express their opinion on any given thing. So why should Jeff, a man simply doing what he's supposed to do, get fired for a negative review? It seems perverse.

  Taken from Gamespot's review FAQ:

  "I've seen a lot of advertisements on your site from specific game companies. Does advertising affect your editorial mission in any way, shape, or form?"
  Absolutely, positively not. Never in GameSpot's history has money changed hands with regard to a review, nor have we ever altered our verdict about any game due to advertiser pressure. We accept advertising from game publishers so that we can continue to provide you with free, high-quality services. However, GameSpot's business model is founded on the concept that if we provide our users with consistently trustworthy content, then they will visit us often and in great numbers. It is this large, dedicated audience that advertisers wish to speak to. We have operated on these principles for years and will continue to do so.

  * * * *

  It seems damn obvious that Jeff's firing was under the influence of advertising pressure. Jeffgot the boot because heDID NOT let the ads influence his review of Kane and Lynch.So in essence, Gamespot and Cnet are encouraging reviewersto inflate the scores of games advertised on their site, with the penalty of termination to be applied if they don't. Reviewers will give good ratings to games that don't deserve a commendation in fear of losing their jobs.People willthen buy the game, and becomedissapointed.In the end, ratings will lose all meaning, andCnet will lose a lot moreof its credibility in general. And that's a step in the wrong direction. Not only is that severly hypocritical, but it's a major violation of theFirst Amendment! So technically, letting Jeff go is a crime. And you know better than to commit a crime, don't you Cnet? Don't you?

  This blog is for you Jeff. You helped me make decisions on games that had an impact on my life, and the lives of millions. If you're reading this, thank you. We'll all miss you greatly, and good luck for the future.

  • Posted Nov 30, 2007 12:00 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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