Gamespot Editorial Director Jeff Gerstmann fired over game review

[Dark Fact]

Source

UPDATE: Story now features quotes from an alleged insider at GameSpot, via Valleywag.

ORIGINAL STORY: By now, most have heard that Jeff Gerstmann, Editorial Director at GameSpot, is now the former Editorial Director at GameSpot. The short of it, confirmed through our own sources: Gerstmann was fired for his negative review of Eidos Interactive's Kane & Lynch. But there's more to the story in which Gerstmann -- one of the site's leading editors for over a decade -- was terminated this week.

The GameSpot staff is currently keeping publicly quiet, but CNET, the parent organization of GameSpot, issued a response today. "For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis," reads CNET's statement.

We're told Eidos had invested a sizable chunk of advertising dollars for Kane & Lynch -- check the before and after shots above of GameSpot's front page for proof -- and then allegedly threatened to pull the ads if the "tone" of Gerstmann's "6.0" review (just under the current Game Rankings average score of 70%) wasn't changed. Gerstmann did alter the tone of his critique ahead of publication, but it looks as if that wasn't enough for management. When asked about the situation, Eidos declined comment to 1UP. "Eidos is not able to comment on another company's policies and procedures," said a company representative.

But pressure from other advertisers may have contributed to the clash with editorial. Just a few weeks prior, GameSpot came under fire from Sony Computer Entertainment America for scoring Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction a 7.5. In his former position, Gerstmann was responsible for overseeing (and defending) all reviews.

1UP did contact Gerstmann, but he declined comment, likely due to signing a non-disclosure agreement upon his termination, common in situations such as these.

What's interesting is the timing of his termination, though. GameSpot has never been a stranger to review controversy or publisher backlash. Gerstmann himself had a long history of bucking the popular trend with certain review scores over the many years he critiqued games for the site, most recently scoring The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess an 8.8 on Wii.

With no transparency into the situation, no one knows if this is something that had possibly been brewing for a while now, but sources point to a recent change in GameSpot management as the real catalyst. Stephen Colvin, former President and CEO of Dennis Publishing -- the group responsible for publications like Maxim, Blender and Stuff -- became CNET's Executive Vice President at the end of October. One of Colvin's jobs would be to oversee the growth of CNET websites, including GameSpot.

On Valleywag, an alleged GameSpot insider has come forward to deliver an anonymous response to musings on the Internet the last few days. One of his comments supports our belief the recent changes in management could be trickling down to GameSpot editorial:

    "I was in the meeting where Josh Larson [Executive Editor replacement for now Electronic Arts employee Greg Kasavin] was trying to explain this firing and the guy had absolutely no response to any of the criticisms we were sending his way. He kept dodging the question, saying that there were "multiple instances of tone" in the reviews that he hadn't been happy about, but that wasn't Jeff's problem since we all vet every review. He also implied that "AAA" titles deserved more attention when they were being reviewed, which sounded to all of us that he was implying that they should get higher scores, especially since those titles are usually more highly advertised on our site."

The editorial in Maxim and Stuff, publications who routinely review games months ahead of their completion and where the line between marketing and editorial is a little less clear, is much different than GameSpot's. That was apparently reflected quickly when Colvin joined CNET. "New management has no idea how to deal with games editorial," said one source not long after Colvin came on board.

Indeed.

I don't know how many of you here had ever been to Gamespot, but this news is spreading like wildfire all over the net...and with good reason.

In terms of those who pay attention to all the professional game reviews from top review sites, Gerstmann is no stranger.  The man had been known for taking pretty popular games and given them lower scores based on his own personal preferences and prejudices.  While I personally never agreed with Gerstmann's reviews, to hear this news fly out of the chicken coop has left me positively in awe.

Gerstmann has been working on Gamespot for as long as the site's been in existence.  In fact, I could dare say that Gerstmann himself contributed to that site more than anyone else.  So, when you see a pioneer like Gerstmann getting thrown out on his ass just because he stated his own personal opinions on a video game made by a company who is investing major advertising dollars to the very site he helped build, you gotta ask yourself: is there any room for opinion when money is concerned?

I don't know about the rest of you but this is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever seen happen to the gaming industry since the Playstation 3 $599 pricing.  Reviews aren't something that should be regulated by corporate sponsors, they're supposed to represent the very feelings that us gamers have towards a particular game.  So to see a review site terminate one of its own pioneers over an "opinion" just so they don't piss off their advertisers makes me f*cking sick to my stomach.  As of this moment, Gamespot.com can go f*ck itself.

What are your thoughts?

[Kitsunexus]

So was he Kaned or Lynched?

[Dark Fact]

I'd say both.

As for the game itself, I wouldn't be surprised if people boycotted it to protest the firing of Jeff Gerstmann.  I know it's a slap in the face to the people who worked hard on making this game but you can't let a game and people's jobs be dictated by corporate politics.

[Kitsunexus]

I'd say both.

As for the game itself, I wouldn't be surprised if people boycotted it to protest the firing of Jeff Gerstmann.  I know it's a slap in the face to the people who worked hard on making this game but you can't let a game and people's jobs be dictated by corporate politics.

I'd boycott it because it's a stupid game according to the premise. As for the editor dude, I really don't care either way, I never read Gamespot.

Just don't start an e-petition, those never work.

[Hobo Xiphas]

This sort of thing has been going on forever

You think both the magazines and the developers would have learned their lessons by now

Also, game ranking systems that use numbers are retarded

[Joe Redifer]

Just don't start an e-petition, those never work.

How about an iPetition?

Also, game ranking systems that use numbers are retarded

Very true.  Faces with varying degrees of happiness are best.  If that's not possible, then letters are good.  Numbers are for a$$holes who can count.

[Dark Fact]

Just don't start an e-petition, those never work.

I don't intend to.  E-Petitions are such a waste of time you wonder why they're still being put up.

I sure hope Eidos and Gamespot get the message over this shit.  If you can't learn to take criticism from both sides of the fence, you don't deserve to be in the industry.

I'm going to bed now but I won't be back on till late evening tomorrow due to midterm preparations.  Night.

[Kitsunexus]

Just don't start an e-petition, those never work.

I don't intend to.  E-Petitions are such a waste of time you wonder why they're still being put up.

I sure hope Eidos and Gamespot get the message over this shit.  If you can't learn to take criticism from both sides of the fence, you don't deserve to be in the industry.

I'm going to bed now but I won't be back on till late evening tomorrow due to midterm preparations.  Night.

G'night! ^_^

[Hobo Xiphas]

Very true.  Faces with varying degrees of happiness are best.  If that's not possible, then letters are good.  Numbers are for a$$holes who can count.

[Necromancer]

This firing's a shame, but that's the risk of trying to make a living of reviewing games - they're trying to be a profitable business, so the advertisers can't be completely ignored.

[Kitsunexus]

I dunno, no offense to any professional critics or anything, but it's my opinion that they need to get a real job. Telling other people what to like and what to hate, and basically forcing your opinion on the world doesn't really count as a "job" to me, despite however you try to play the "I provide a valuable service to the consumer" card.

Also, they probably never programmed a game in their entire life. So when you hear one of these people paid to sit on their ass and criticize one of those things, it's a real sting. Online communities, not as much. They aren't getting paid for their honesty, they're just shooting the shit.

But when you tell me your job is "video game critic", all I hear is "I get fat cash to make fun of people's honest work, I don't care if they slaved over it, I don't care if they put their heart and soul in it, if I say it sucks, well goddamn, it sucks".

And for those who are saying "Well, video game criticism provides mature CONSTRUCTIVE advice and makes companies make better games", f*ck you as well. Video game critics have been around since the day of the early arcade, and they have not made ONE thing better. Shit games are still made today, and in increasing numbers. And when every issue of every video game magazine that you pick up today is overflowing with juvenile humor and just relentlessly bashes on shit games instead of saying "Look, this game is not good, here's why", well, there went your defense of the industry. Video game criticism will never be taken as serious journalism, because of this.

So one down, one million to go. Maybe one day it will be worth picking up a video game magazine to read it's helpful, insightful advice.

Maybe one day my dog will win the lottery.

(And yes, I realize the irony in criticizing criticism, but this had to be said.)

EDIT: Grammar, it is my bad.

[Kitsunexus]

Oh and WTF is up with your Source link? I click on it, I get a Firefox 404. I manually copy and paste, it takes me to the Wikipedia page for HTTP. 

[nodtveidt]

Kitsu, twenty years ago, what you said might hold some weight. But the fact is that today, there IS no heart and soul in commercial games. The people who work on them are paid to do a job. It's that simple. Long gone are the days of inspired games that come from actual gamers, nowadays the big studios are filled mostly with newly graduated college geeks looking to make money off of a hot industry; they could give two shits about the game itself as long as they get their paycheck. The games industry has turned into a conveyor-belt factory scheme where the only point is to make as much money as possible and get out before people find out you're a phony.

[termis]

This is probably why I put more faith in unpaid, well-written amateur reviews than commercial magazine reviews. i.e. For PCE/TG-16 games, I'd take the words of people on this board over anyone else out there.

[FM-77]

There is already an e-petition. It had 450 signatures yesterday.

Yesterday Eidos' forum was also spammed so much they had to take it down.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5660/63083895gt7.jpg

And Neo GAF did this:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212539

Haha.