The following may or may not be true. Nobody really knows what's going on with Jeff or what the reasons were exactly for his termination. But you don't have to piss outside to see which way the wind blows (or something), and enough credible folks have stood up with sources claiming to be from the inside.
Something fucked up is going on.
But listen, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to commend all of you for being stand-up over this whole issue, to congratulate you for sticking up for honesty and integrity in those you trust to talk to you about games and such. The community backlash has been brutal, and if any of this actually ends up being true, it's certainly deserved.
The latest news from the front, while by no means confirmed as real, certainly has the scent of legitimacy. But the closing paragraph is of particular interest:
"When companies make games as downright contemptible as Kane and Lynch, they deserve to be called on it. I guess you'll have to go to Onion or a smaller site for objective reviews now, because everyone at GS now thinks that if they give a low score to a high-profile game, they'll be shitcanned. Everyone's fucking scared and we're all hoping to get Josh Larson removed from his position because no one trusts him anymore. If that doesn't happen then look for every game to be Game of the Year material at GameSpot."
Since I started working the reviews beat here at Destructoid, this has been my mantra, one that I've pointed out in the flamewars that erupt within our reviews and even on our li'l
reviews guide. The only thing that sucks more than wasted money is wasted time. If I have to pound through 10-15+ hours of a busted game to write a review, you damn well can bet that I'm going to tell you how excruciating those hours were.
It's no secret that we've pissed off some publishers with our work, but that's part and parcel to the gig. Rest assured that when you see a Destructoid review, regardless of how the score rubs you, it's as brutally honest as we can muster. So, those of you rooting for us, thanks. Keep demanding honesty and integrity from the publications you frequent, keep demanding that the expensive software you purchase is up to par, and keep supporting the lads that brave fire and brimstone to bring you the real deal.
Y'know, provided this all turns out to be true.
Aaron Linde's blog
Follow
RSS
Contact
Also, this cblog gets a 3.0 rating from me.
wardrox has been banned
Reviews are supposed to inform the consumer on whether or not they should buy the particular game. They can also be said that they show the publisher what is wrong with their game and what they could've improved on (as well as what's good about it). To be honest, for Gertsmann, a 6.0 is a high score for such a dry game that is Kane and Lynch.
I honestly don't even understand how these situations happen. How can people not feel totally guilty when they flat out lie to so many people?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't everyone hating on this guy last winter for giving an 8.8 to LoZ:TP? Now that he gave a 6.0 to Kane and Lynch and gets fired for it everyone cares? I don't understand this.
Forget what anyone has to say about any game out there. People should make their own decisions. If you seriously rely on reviews for your purchasing decisions, I think you are a giant tool.
STFUAJPG?
Thank God for Destructoid. It's good to know that there are still sites out there that have integrity. If Gamespot truly fired this guy for the low score, they need their collective asses kicked.
The difference there was that it was primarily Nintendo fans who were appalled that such a massive launch title in the Zelda series could get less than a perfect score. Zelda is really popular, and being honest with it without angering people can be difficult. Furthermore, I'm sure Wii fans were apprehensive that people may look at the Wii with disdain if its biggest launch title was of Herculean proportions. The key thing here is that many gamers either hadn't played it or were still basking in the glow of Wii launch hype. I certainly was when I got annoyed with a review of less than nine, despite my disdain for overrating. Once I played it, I could safely say that while it was a 9 in my book, objectively, I'd have to give it a score around 8-ish.
I just realized that I'm always the guy who responds to questions or debates about Twilight Princess and I have no idea why. Also cocks.
At least you know SOMEone has the balls to say that shit.
You bring up very valid points. I'm just saying is all. You enjoyed LoZ:TP, I didn't. That's what's great about gaming, everyone has different opinions that they can form on their own dispite the opinions of others.
I enjoy Dynasty Warriors, as does Jim Sterling and my closest buddy. Do the negative scores mean it sucks to me? No. That is my point. I hate Mass Effect, but many others enjoy it. Everyone needs to make their own opinions when it comes to gaming.
I think I speak for everyone when I say that when we whine about your reviews, its whining with LOVE. And I'm still not totally convinced you have balls yet, but you're making slowly making progress.
@VWGTI
I know personally that I read reviews to help solidify my decision. Most of the time I'll already know if a title is for me or not, but there will be doubts that I can't confirm for myself, so I go see if its mentioned in some reviews.
JK. Keep rocking that integrity. It gives me a boner.
@Jim: It's good that we have people who disagree. I'd be a bit creeped out if we all got along.