Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
That's not entirely true. Gertsmann was fired largely for being an insubordinate and not simply for the Kane and Lynch review. It's very seldom people in business always agree with company upper management and if you choose to go against their wishes you always get fired. It was known that as the industry grew and more money was at stake that advertising would want more of a say in the editorial process. It's simply not escapable when business grows and becomes money oriented. Jeff was against that and while you can't fault a guy for sticking to his guns you have to remain politically savvy rather than outright defiant if you want to remain employed. It wasn't just the low score that that angered management but how he went out of his way to trash the game to the point he was doing it on purpose.
Gamespot is still today considered the most professional of all game sites but I could never discount that as with other sites that reviewers are encouraged not to trash big budget games. That said it's inescapable unless you are joe blow in your basement reviewing games with no sponsors to satisfy.
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Hmmm, I don't recall much about him being insubordinate - do you have information about that? Unless you mean him giving the honest negative review in the face of management/marketing opposing desires . . . which is pretty much what people would want, no?
To the bolded part (just because it is easier) - isn't that why most site explicitly state that the editorial and marketing departments are separate and that there is a "chinese wall" between them. I can't imagine a decent site that allows it otherwise, especially with any attempt at being professional or reliable.
I don't really hit Gamepot at all to say if they are good or not, professional or not but isn't
having marketing "having more of say" in the editorial process as you say pretty darn horrible? But then it again, maybe it speaks to the rise of independent voices on things like youtube. Exactly as you say, people in their basement reviewing games getting way more hits than many "mainstream" websites. Interesting times for sure.