GameSpot issues official Gerstmann statement

by Dustin Burg { Dec 4th 2007 at 10:00AM }

So ... you're familiar with that GameSpot versus Gertsmann versus the gaming world war that has been going on for the past week. You know, this Gertsmann-gate. Well, GameSpot has finally (what, like a week later?) come out and made an official response regarding Gerstmann's firing, what it doesn't involve and why they want you to forgive and accept them into your hearts once again. We'll let you read their expertly worded response on your own, because frankly you really need to read it for yourself. With our opinion withheld, what do YOU think about GameSpot's "honest" clarification of events?

[Thanks Daren, Image Via Laram77]

Tags: gamespot, gertsmann

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

grigdog @ Dec 4th 2007 10:09AM

Sounds like a bunch of legalese junk to me. While the official word would be that they didn't fire him due to advertising, I wouldn't be surprised if the advertiser somehow influenced the decision.

DjDATZ @ Dec 4th 2007 10:09AM

Wheres my BS emoticon when I need it?

There it is:
http://www.rhrides.com/images/smiles/test/bs.gif

I call huge bullshit on them saying "oh we can't disclose the reason as to why we fired him...duuh." I don't think Gerstmann would mind just to have this whole controversy resolved.

Jon @ Dec 4th 2007 10:29AM

That is an awesome emoticon. I need it on a t-shirt for the rally out front of GameSpot's offices.

xenocidic @ Dec 4th 2007 10:12AM

"Everyone in jail will say he is an innocent man"

DjDATZ @ Dec 4th 2007 10:34AM

He was...and it's gotta suck for him that he's wrapped up in this controversy...although, it'll really only be GameSpot that'll really suffer...and Eidos and Kane and Lynch...

xenocidic @ Dec 4th 2007 11:03AM

no, what I meant is that GameSpot is claiming innocence... when they've got the stink of guilt all over them...

not gertsmann.. sorry - my analogy was vague.

Boff @ Dec 4th 2007 10:17AM

Sorry for going OT but Video Marketplace is coming to us outsiders (you know who we are!) 11th Dec.

Prices seem reasonable too, and a few good titles to boot.
I've sent the tip in.

Fox318 @ Dec 4th 2007 10:18AM

Gotta love how they lock a man out of his office when he worked there ten years and then four days later dedicate their podcasts to him.

MrMuggs @ Dec 4th 2007 10:23AM

Quite honestly, I don't care about Gamespot's response. Anyone who thinks that videogame journalism, or any journalism at all, isn't influenced by its advertisers and sponors is naieve. When I read reviews I take them with a grain of salt. Just like film reviews or any other review there is bias and there is influence. I don't put a lot of value in them but only use them as a gauge.

Frank @ Dec 4th 2007 10:28AM

meh, feel bad for the guy, but he should look at it this way... most of us already thought the website sucked.

go find yourself a job at a nice lil review site Gertsmann

Boff @ Dec 4th 2007 10:30AM

Why the change of pic on the news post?
Was 'Bullshit' too rude??

DjDATZ @ Dec 4th 2007 10:33AM

It's common courtesy...plus...I doubt AOL would write "bullshit" anywhere...so I don't think the boys are allowed to...let alone post an image of the word...but an image of actual bullshit...that's fine. lol

Richard Mitchell @ Dec 4th 2007 10:46AM

The image wasn't work safe. Wouldn't want anyone getting in a tizzy over a harmless little picture, now would we?

Besides, I think the new one is funnier :)

Boff @ Dec 4th 2007 10:46AM

Bet one of the advertisers took offence to the pic and asked for it to be pulled or else no more money ;o)

Dustin Burg @ Dec 4th 2007 10:46AM

This new image is more Web 2.0 friendly and has a much, much improved aperture. Oh, and the contrast of the pic is spot on.

Fox318 @ Dec 4th 2007 6:44PM

You should have seen if you could have just taken out the text and left Penn and Teller.

Jon @ Dec 4th 2007 10:31AM

Haha, I love the new picture.

Josh @ Dec 4th 2007 10:32AM

That's fine. I can accept that it wasn't pressure from an advertiser. I still believe that ripping on a major advertiser had to do with the firing, however. Maybe the advertiser hadn't complained, but I'm sure one of the higher ups raised an eyebrow at the review after looking at the money they were raking in from ads..

akatsuki @ Dec 4th 2007 10:38AM

Gamespot is pretty much dead to me. There is no way they could ever recover their brand equity because the appearance of dishonesty is too much. We will probably never get the full story, but the circumstances are just too much to not believe that Eidos managed to call the shots.

Literally at this point it would take mass firings of every top person at Gamespot, an admission that they were paid off, and a new open review system on a bell curve to really make me think that they weren't selling out their readers. Yes, they have to go further than other sites to recover.

Van Faulk @ Dec 4th 2007 10:39AM

To be brutally honest i don't care WHY they fired him. I always hated gerstmann for his lazy and overly subjective reviews. Who the hell complains that a game controls 'too well'? I'm just glad he's gone.

While it may be popular internet bandwagonry to call gamespot 'teh biased' I've always fdound their reviews to be quite good. And I really doubt that they would buckle to pressure fomr such a pissant company as eidos pover review scores and not to someone like sony or nintendo, both of whom they've surely crosse for rating thier games lower than expected.

andyg8180 @ Dec 4th 2007 10:55AM

just because they may not have had pressure to fire him, it doesnt mean that they didnt grease their fingers!!

Evan @ Dec 4th 2007 11:02AM

I've got to agree with some of the above posters.. even the official statement itself sounds like it is catering to advertisers by essentially exonerating Eidos. Their timing was bad regardless, but their actions have just been stupid and I can only infer that they don't understand their readers. Their readers don't care about corporate culture or policy. I'm done with gamespot too, their interface and advertising was getting annoying anyways just like IGNs. They both should take a lesson from Google and clean it up/simplify. My eyeballs explode every time I visit those pages.

Hockle @ Dec 4th 2007 11:13AM

I think this is being blown out of proportion and there probably are plenty of reasons - legal and otherwise - that they can't give the real story. I happen to like gamespot's reviews purely for the reason that 9 times out of 10 they fall pretty much down the same lines as my own. Do you know which sites aren't influenced by advertisers? None.

And actually, I'm curious - what do people on here consider to be "the best" review site? I'm not biased only to gamespot by any stretch of the imagination, I just feel that their reviews are in the same boathouse as my own.

Larry not allowed to say cheevo @ Dec 4th 2007 11:21AM

Umm... I get all my reviews from OXM. I thought it would be all one-sided reviews, but they actually call games out that suck and are in line with my opinions.

I do find it very disturbing that there is a possibility that someone was fired for voicing their opinion about a game. Especially when that is there sole purpose.

Oh well, I guess it's try before you buy. Blockbuster wins again!

Ejab @ Dec 4th 2007 11:47AM

Gamespot lost what little cred they had left with me, first Greg leaves, then they change to the .5 system now they fire Jeff for not sucking up to advertisers. There are no good review sites anymore.

Anticrawl @ Dec 4th 2007 11:55AM

Honestly Jeff was a terrible reviewer but that's not the point.

The point is if you want a decent and honest review of a game check out Tim's website, you know they cad-comics guy.

refinedsugar @ Dec 4th 2007 11:54AM

I don't think it's 'game over' for Gamespot like many people are trolling for, but it's definitely a downer of a day. You knew there wasn't going to be a satisfactory end to this escapade and this 'annoucement' confirms it. With all of the talk that has built up over the past few days - only by doing mind altering drugs could you have thought GS would come away from this unharmed.

People have their tastes and opinions. Some favor print mags, other gaming sites, but I personally think Gamespot WERE the bastion of formal straight-down-the-line video game reviews and editorial policy. They had their own style, and yeah, you didn't always have to agree with them, but while others were off buying tickets to the review hype train, Gamespot always maintained their own distinct ebb and flow. Now that day looks to be over. Will this effect the industry on a deep level? Not really, but it just became a page out of the book of how to fuck up royally.