Why are downloads suddenly so slow from Gamespot? I am a complete member and should have access to high speed downloads. Until just recently that was true, I could get speeds of over 1Mbps. The last couple of days have been horrendous, averaging only 50kbps. It would only seem to be GameSpot that I have problems with, I can still get good speeds with other sites.

Are you having bandwidth problems? When will I see an improvement?

What's going on with "On the Spot" these days? To start with the live stream didn't work, I've created a seperate topic about this but it's not been answered. As a result I watched it in the Flash player but it has terrible audio. It's so quiet I had to turn the volume way up so I could hear it, then it was their voices competing with the hiss of the speakers. Never had that before.....

Second issue is with the horrific lighting, do you actually have any studio lighting? If so can you turn it on? The image is so dark and the presenters faces are in shadow most of the time. Again, it never used to be like this, so why have you made it so bad?

I really can't understand what's going on, I watched the programme go from strength to strength for the first year or so. It was great to see things improve each week, now it's the opposite. It seems like On The Spot is regressing and becoming less profesional and more amatuerish at an alarming rate. It would seem you have forgotten everything you've learnt over the last few years and that makes me sad!

Oh, and this is the location URL in the Properties:

http://uk.gamespot.com/live/stream_asx.html?speed=300&path=mms://a1979.l1165462455.c11654.n.lm.akamaistream.net/D/1979/11654/v0001/reflector:62455?auth=cbEazbVa1dAdWd1a9dxdod5c4aCavbGbDdH-bg6CAw-jy-vga-uCJnEF&aifp=jsd&push=&prestream=&onthespot=1&poststream=

Couldn't get On The Spot to play tonight. Just kept getting a blank player load up, the Error details stated:

Windows Media Player cannot play the file because the specified protocol is not supported. If you typed a URL in the Open URL dialog box, try using a different transport protocol (for example, "http:" or "rtsp:").

What have you broken this time GameSpot?

Right there in a nutshell is one of the main problems with regards to the way users of the website are viewed by GameSpot. They offer the Web 2.0 features / capabilities, where the community contributes and it become a group experience, but they don't believe in freedom of speech, in particularly when it relates to their employees (I speak from personal experience here, heh). I mean, my goodness, a union was going to hurt the website? That's ridiculous.

valdarez

Of course it is, the attitude of GameSpot over this entire fiasco has been appalling, yet they try and shift the blame onto the users simply because they wield ultimate power. The fact they felt threatened by a Union is a strong indication they must know they are having problems. They have constantly denied they are silencing any criticism and yet continue to do the exact opposite, as demonstrated by this latest move.

If you want to have a community based web site like this, you have to listen to the community, whether you like what they have to say or not. Sticking your virtual fingers in your ears and pretending we don't exist only escalates any ill feeling which is turn spreads.

When you say it wasn't meaningful? To who? I'm sure the member's felt that it was meaningful, and if you felt the need to delete it, then it obviously had meaning to GameSpot as well.

valdarez

They mean it wasn't a Union that benefited GameSpot so they don't want it on the site. It's a tragic state of affairs that GameSpot feel they have to respond in this way. What ever happened to reasoned debate? I haven't seen a single member of GameSpot attempt to enter into any sort of discussion with us over this.

Out of curiosity, without giving specifics, what was said about the employees that was so bad to warrant the deletion of a community led Union?

valdarez

They can't because it didn't happen, it's just a nice little excuse they can use to justify their actions. Nothing on the Union was in any way an attack on any specific employees and all points were well argued.

On a slightly different topic, I still haven't succeeded in obtaining a refund for my remaining subscription. I'm tempted to seek legal advise simply out of principle, I don't see why they should be able to charge me for this treatment.