GameSpot has finally addressed the firing of Jeff Gerstmann in public, and anybody who expected the site to admit to cloak-and-dagger shenanigans is going to be disappointed. Citing “legal constraints” for not telling the real story behind the controversy, the once-trusted site has nevertheless denied any and all accusations.
“… Contrary to widespread and unproven reports, his exit was not a result of pressure from an advertiser,” GameSpot claimed in its post. CNET’s Greg Brannan added that neither CNET nor GameSpot has ever allowed advertising to affect editorial content.
The whole address is very carefully worded. Terms such as “part ways,” “departure” and “tenure has ended” are used and not once is there any direct clue that CNET/GameSpot had fired the man. In fact, the uninitiated may even be led to believe that Jeff’s “departure” was amicable and that Gerstmann had happily skipped away to pastures green rather than discovered he was locked out of his office, as the “unproven rumors” claim.
What do we think? Is GameSpot pulling out the spin and serving us a steaming plate of PR bulls*it, or does truth tickle the tainted tongue of GameSpot’s words? Just looking at the comments that follow ‘Spot’s post indicates that it’ll take more than a sugarcoated denial to convince the site’s readers. As for we here at Cashwh0re, formerly Destructoid, we’d just like to support GameSpot in what must be a very difficult time. We all know how hard it is to type a farewell post with all the gold chains and silken garments from the finest tailors of Savile Row weighing you down.
[Thanks, Timepants]
