In my many years of gaming there is one thing I know for sure and that is that game players are tough and brutally critical. If the baby you have worked on for years falls flat on the sites and forums who is to blame? Movies have their critics. Games have a society of critics. They are hard to please and when you do you are golden. If you don't, well, your name is mud for a while. So my questions to you guys are:

Should they anticipate the risk? I say yes.

What should their response to this risk be? Any kind they want. The internet is free. I don't care what they think. Its the money in my pocket they want. Let them work for it.

Should the gaming community standard derive what we get in the future? Absolutely.

Is it really a bad thing that companies spend money at review sites as a meager type of insurance or are they just trying to sell the product they worked hard at? Sure! Get my boys/Girls payed. If you are trying to pass a floater in the pool then get ready for the consequences.

How many 6+ rating games have you bought and still loved and how many 9+ have you gotten to say "WTF I should have my head examined"? Many

I have been following this site since before C-net bought it and made it what it is today. I wonder if Jeff was with it back then. Reading the article posted about his not being around I couldn't shake the feeling like it was corporate frosting. The shutting down of threads on the topic just confirms it. How do you justify canceling threads by paying members? Jeff is one of my favorites. I hope he decides to stay in the biz and will follow him wherever he pops up. I was suspect when C-net first bought the site and now after all of these years I see my first instinct about it was right. To the other editors I have to say pick up your game. Step it up. Some of us like charisma on top of our info. You who have flat affect droning reviews need to take a look at Jeff's stuff. I'll miss you man. Good luck wherever you go.