Recent events have caused a number of people to begin doubting the credibility of GameSpot's editorial staff. You will not find me among them.

I'm going to miss Jeff. From my own perspective, his termination is a move that simply does not make sense. I'm no longer looking for answers. I've realized that no amount of information or intimate details, can change how I feel or take the sting out of Jeff's unexpected departure.

I'm a member of this community and here is where you will find me. Hanging out with my friends, talking about games, etc. And missing Jeff Gerstmann.

They are now offering a FREE Psychonauts Theme, as well as a FREE Picture Pack on Live. Download them now! If for some totally bizarre reason, you have yet to play Psychonauts, you should download the game as well. Do it. Do it now!

Victor Godinez: Fired up about a firing

Seeing red over pink-slipping of reviewer

10:46 AM CST on Saturday, December 1, 2007

vgodinez@dallasnews.com

A lot of people seem convinced that many game reviewers are corrupt shills or, at best, that their employers are corrupt shills for the companies that make games.

Events this week didn't do much to dispel that impression.

Thursday night and on into Friday this week, rumors and reports began to filter out that popular game news and reviews site Gamespot.com had fired one of its reviewers, Jeff Gerstmann, for an overly negative review of the Eidos-published game Kane & Lynch.

Reportedly, Eidos, which had already been paying for huge Kane & Lynch ads to be plastered all over Gamespot.com, threatened to withdraw future ad campaigns worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Gamespot, which is owned by the online conglomerate CNET Networks Inc., turned around and fired Mr. Gerstmann, allegedly not so much for the low-ish 6.0 score, but for the negative "tone" of the review.

Mr. Gerstmann did confirm publicly that he has been fired, but no one is talking on the record about what involvement Eidos had in the decision and why Gamespot ultimately cut its reviewer loose.

Plenty of anonymous commentary from insiders, none of it flattering to Eidos and Gamespot, is hitting the gaming blogs and Web sites, though.

On the other hand, Mr. Gerstmann's review is still up on Gamespot.com, so it's not like this thing is being flushed down the memory hole.

And frankly, the mediocre reviews the game has been getting on other sites and the scorchingly bad review score of 3.3 bestowed on the game by Gamespot readers make you wonder why Eidos would get so incensed by this one review.

I've always been a fan of Gamespot, and regard its reviews as some of the most thorough and intelligent on the Web.

But the deluge of anonymous commentary and the fact that Mr. Gerstmann was fired are substantial chunks of circumstantial evidence, and Gamespot has to offer a public account of what happened.

And it's not as if there isn't precedent for gaming companies retaliating against game reporters who get out of line.

A while back, popular gaming blog Kotaku earned hero status among the gamer crowd when it broke some news about Sony's online plans for the PS3 ahead of an official Sony press conference.

Sony then essentially blackballed Kotaku, claiming it would no longer grant interviews and other official access to the site.

Kotaku stood firm, and Sony quickly relented. But the damage to Sony's reputation was done, and the skirmish just fueled the popular theory that big game companies regularly exert this sort of pressure.

For the record, I've never been asked to change a review score or been criticized for a score after it ran.

But sites like Gamespot are exclusively dependent on that sort of advertising revenue, and so game publishers and hardware makers have vastly more leverage there.

Did they use that leverage unethically with Gamespot, and did Gamespot shamefully bow to that pressure?

I don't think there's enough evidence yet to render a verdict, but Gamespot and Eidos need to start making their case.

Victor Godinez covers technology for The Dallas Morning News. Read more of his video game coverage at punchbutton.beloblog.com.

The current situation here at GameSpot, along with the various rumors and speculations surrounding it, all seem to imply that money derived from advertisement can directly impact the reviews that GameSpot's editorial staff generate.

While they may be only rumors and speculation, rather than cold hard facts, they are quickly eroding GameSpot's credibility.

I love and respect the staff here at GameSpot but I'm currently loathing the members of management, both here at GameSpot and within it's parent company, CNET. On the net I've seen them described as Money-Hats and Bean Counters but I personally think Jackass is a more appropriate term.

Integrity

Pronunciation: \in-ˈte-grə-tē\

Function:noun

Etymology:Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire

Date:14th century

1 :firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values :incorruptibility

2 :an unimpaired condition :soundness

3 :the quality or state of being complete or undivided :completeness

synonyms see honesty

Before Halo 3's release, I was only interested in the single player experience. While seeking Skulls and various achievements, I've completed the campaign on five separate occasions.

Before Halo 3's release, I was absolutely certain that I had no interest in the game's multiplayer, outside of nabbing achievements. It's been 49 days since the game's launch and I'm still playing Halo 3 on Live. I've certainly gotten my money's worth out of the game.

Regardless of what some people may think about how my time on Live is spent, I'm really having fun. And that's why we do what we do, isn't it?

Best credits ever. Period. The game itself made me grin a number of times but it wasn't until the credits rolled that I genuinely laughed.

[video=d3dgnmes5b8EszTY]

Now that I have spent some quality time within City 17 on both my PC and my 360 I've concluded that the PC version is superior. Both versions offer an extremely worthwhile experience but the precision and speed that a keyboard and mouse offer, make the PC version, the better of the two.
I haven't yet delved into all that the Orange Box has to offer but I suspect that the above will ring true for all of the game's content.

This past Saturday I ordered some Chinese takeout. After consuming two bites of my Chicken Fried Rice, I went in for a third..... It was then that I noticed a dead roach in my rice. I was not pleased.


I'm enjoying Halo 3's multiplayer. More so, than I ever thought possible. I really can't see myself still playing the game six months from now but for the time being, I'm having a blast. I don't know why but I really enjoy taking people out with a beatdown.

While playing on Live, if you're having a conversation with someone within your residence, please mute your headset microphone. Using the mute button is especially important if said conversation contains copious amounts of profanity and racial slurs.