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Rumor: Gamespot Editor Fired Over Negative Kane & Lynch Review

kotaku.com — "A visit to Gamespot shows that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game has taken over the site very prominently, with backgrounds and multiple banner ads all featuring Kane & Lynch."

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  • friend18, on 11/30/2007, -2/+328If this is true I'll probably stop listening to the gamespot hotspot. He was the last bit of personality left. First Rich Gallup now Jeff. Gamespot is going downhill. This shows the integrity of Gamespot and their reviews in the future.
    • ekin09, on 11/30/2007, -2/+131Agreed, but I really want to hear Gamespot's side of the story. If this infact true, I will not be be using Gamespot again.
      • PISTOLcm, on 11/30/2007, -1/+33I am in awe. He has always been my favorite.
        • RpgActioN, on 11/30/2007, -18/+4Have any of you actually watched the review? It was garbage. I would've fired the idiot who handed that in to me. He sounds like a conservative Christian trying to protect his precious moral values while still being "edgy." It was one of the worst reviews I've ever watched.

          That said, I'm not defending Gamespot. Most of their reviews are almost this bad. Given the K&L plasterings all over their site, I wouldn't put it pas them to do something like this.
          • Septimus, on 11/30/2007, -3/+3No the game is garbage. Did you buy it? Oops.
          • RpgActioN, on 11/30/2007, -4/+3Read my post again, or learn to read. I never said the game wasn't garbage, and I never would without playing it. What I said was that the review was crap. The majority of the points he introduced either made no sense (criminalistic characters unlikable? That must be why the Hitman series never took off...oh wait. That, and calling the superfluous use of "*****" lazy - that's simply an accurate portrayal of a cross-section of the lower-class, violent criminal demographic) or were insubstantially backed-up with examples to prove (he seemed to love his phrase of the good parts being "too hard to find" without actually elaborating one bit except to rephrase basically the same sentence later).

            The review was bad. It doesn't take a genius to see that.
      • LeeSoong, on 11/30/2007, -5/+13WORST GAME EVAR
      • SignorDildo, on 11/30/2007, -0/+8You're expecting to hear the truth from a commercial organisation? Don't hold your breath. The truth is certainly out there, but it's not going to be handed to you on a plate.
      • p0tent1al, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3Just to give you guys a little information on what's currently happening. I used TinyURL links because Digg likes to break long links.

        http://tinyurl.com/2aj5hw

        That is the page of all the reviews this game has received so far. The rating is at 2.6, and people are hitting the page HARD, with 0's and negative reviews.

        http://tinyurl.com/yrx2z5

        This is the thread on gamespot, currently has about 230 pages, people are extremely pissed

        http://tinyurl.com/yteob6

        Tim T has left Gamespot out of protest

        http://forums.eidosgames.com/

        The forums are pretty much on lockdown, and any discussion about the Jeff Gerstmann situation isn't being allowed, in true ***** fashion.

    • OhFrak, on 11/30/2007, -49/+5LOL! At the people babbling about Gamespot 'suddenly going downhill' as if sites like 1Up, EGM, and Gamespot had any credibility ever.

      It's like watching people see their favorite wrestler unfairly lose a match and suddenly they start screaming about how 'Pro Wrestling is fixed and *****' LOL!

      Gaming media is nothing but a cesspool of talentless little punks doing self promotion and playing platform agenda games.

      Buh bye Gerstmann you embarrassment to gamers everywhere.

      • PISTOLcm, on 11/30/2007, -3/+29He was not an embarrassment to me. Many people in this thread are not embarrassed. I, for one, am pissed off.
      • Inverno, on 11/30/2007, -2/+6When you make a list insulting various companies credibility, try not to list the same company twice.
      • JackiJinx, on 12/02/2007, -0/+1Unlike most of the companies mentioned, GameSpot has (or rather had) a rather outstanding reputation when it comes to unbiased reviews. If it didn't, I don't think Jeff would've been working there for 11+ years.
    • JFetch, on 11/30/2007, -2/+13Do you really think they are going to say what happened?

      Sorry this was supposed to be to ekin09

    • EmailAddress, on 11/30/2007, -5/+15Woah... wtf.. Rich Gallup left?? holy *****. I just went over there to check out some "on the spot" shows... wow... where did he go?

    • BassCadet, on 11/30/2007, -2/+23Gamespot used to be the place to go to get well-written, critical coverage of games. Now it's turned into another IGN/1up/cheap clone. You would think that by now people like Cnet would understand that video game criticism is a dime a dozen and just having people RECOGNIZE a critic's name is way, way beyond what most other sites can claim. I go to a lot of gaming websites and Gamespot's critics are the only ones I know by name. First Kasavin and now Gertsmann? Why should I go there any longer?
      • Po0py, on 11/30/2007, -6/+6I take issue with calling 1up a cheap clone. They have some excellent reviewers on their staff. People who know their stuff.
        • BassCadet, on 11/30/2007, -1/+21up was once pretty promising. Then I started to see how they review their games over there: 10 after 10 after 10. Chronicles of Riddick, Bully, Ninja Gaiden Black...all "perfect" games? No. Gamespot, as far as I know, have never given a game a perfect score. They were very tough on very good games like Twilight Princess (which isn't a perfect game, just amazingly good). The point is this: the most revered critics in other media, book and film and stage critics, are those that are the most discriminating. When 1up gives games like the ones above a 10, it means that those editors cannot conceive of any improvements upon the game. To me, that is amateurish.
        • AquaAdult, on 11/30/2007, -1/+1Gamespot actually has given a few games perfect scores. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is one of them. There are a few others. 1up gives tens not because they think the game is absolutely perfect, but because they think it is incredibly fun to play, and more fun than other games that can be compared similarly.
        • gwolf, on 12/01/2007, -0/+2Must disagree, Cnet have become the most biased bunch of shills in the business.
      • Spuy767, on 11/30/2007, -3/+5Digg users are fickle as *****. I remember two months ago, 1UP gave bioshock a 10 or something and everyone was ***** kittens cause, "1UP never gives out 10's ZOMG!" Now, everyone is saying something else.
        • joelmole, on 11/30/2007, -0/+7by everyone, do you mean 1 person? You act as if digg users all have the same opinion.
        • insllvn, on 11/30/2007, -0/+8Join the Digg collective! Your internet personality and profiles will be added to our own! Resistance is futile.
    • daridave, on 11/30/2007, -2/+15If this is true, I'm stopping my paying subscription in favor of IGN. Lately Gamespot's been sucking bad (first started when Kasavin left, then when Gallup left it went down BAD, now him!?) and if they actually fire a SENIOR editor for stupid advertising pressure, I don't really think they deserve my [user] money. I'm praying it's not true though, because this is f'ing disgusting.
      • Septimus, on 11/30/2007, -0/+12I made that mistake, but don't go to IGN, it's just as *****. Don't pay for IGN or Gamespot, I'm cancelling my GS one and not renewing my IGN.

        • BearinG, on 12/04/2007, -0/+1I didnt renew and waited awhile.. and then they sent me an e-mail about a cheaper "we want you back" deal.. so i got it again just for the HD videos.

          I just hate how i STILL get a crap load of ads.. fine you have ads on your pages but i am paying you so dont freaking give me "Ad Breaks" when i click on something.
      • lowmagnet, on 11/30/2007, -2/+4gamesradar, eurogamer, rock paper shotgun, the escapist are all better anyway. I've long given up on IGN and GS
    • reduxien, on 11/30/2007, -10/+4GameSpot has sucked mega balls ever since they changed their ratings system to 0.5pt increments. ***** GameSpot
      • Gir53457, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1XPlay gives 0.5/10 incremental rating scales 1 Golden Mullet, out of 5.
        • jgtg32a, on 11/30/2007, -2/+9I find throwing 2 dice is more credible than XPlay
          • Tippis, on 11/30/2007, -1/+3At least with 2 dice, you're starting to approximate a standard bell curve...
          • DarkSamus, on 11/30/2007, -0/+6but xplay has better curves
    • nooreazy, on 11/30/2007, -10/+4" According to our tipster, it wasn't necessarily the score that was reason for Gerstmann's rumored axing, but the "tone" of the review"
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FuJ81sDR2o
      ^Video of the review and yes i agree 100% with edios, jeff makes it sound like it deserves a 0.1
      Gamespot reviews FTL
      • Septimus, on 11/30/2007, -1/+5It does deserve 0.1.
        • spudnic, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3That's exactly what is wrong with review scoring systems. Games seem to either get 9.X or ridiculously low scores.
          Kane and Lynch isn't an awful game, it's just not a great one. It's average, and it deserved the 6.0 he gave it.
    • Flakor, on 11/30/2007, -1/+4I don't think its true...Spider-Man 3 was given a bad review and no one got flak (that I know of)
      • allisonaxe, on 11/30/2007, -2/+7spiderman 3 wasn't a major holiday release being pushed with full-page advertising, it was a movie tie-in.
        • ICSU, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1which are usually the best selling games and with highest profit margin.
          • OAKsider, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1...without heavy advertising (like K&L), because only eleven-year-old's moms would pick it up.
            K&L seems like a mature release that targets actual gamers (not Moms) on sites like GS.

            I will never subscribe to a site like IGN/GS again now that there's no live E3 coverage. No point!

            This is effing crazy, seems like the best of times at GS are gone. But I won't forget E3 '05 with all of 'em!
    • dsmx, on 11/30/2007, -5/+8I think all review sites are in trouble personally. Good scores are handed out far too easily, bioshock is a good game but it doesn't deserve AAA and nor does halo 3 as there is nothing new in and what it does do has been done better elsewhere. Gamespots reviews have become a farce recently they've been knock points off for arbitrary things that have no bearing on the game.
      • HBNDonut, on 11/30/2007, -6/+8"there is nothing new in and what it does do has been done better elsewhere"

        Just had to throw that one in there, didn't ya?

        I'd love to know what kind of super awesome FPS's you guys play which are better than Halo... because Ive been playing FPS since I can remember and I've yet to play a better FPS game.
        • brufleth, on 11/30/2007, -5/+6I hate the FPS genre but just about any reasonably good PC FPS will beat out a console FPS.
          That said, the Halo games are anything but ground breaking.
        • arcticblue, on 11/30/2007, -2/+14Forge? Movie theater? Bubble shields? Sticky grenades? Portable turrets and elevators? Dual wielding? The way enemies just don't teleport in to kick your ass? The multiplayer modes? I'd say Halo definitely raised the bar for the FPS genre and pioneered (or at least greatly improved upon) several things. Whether or not you think the game is ground breaking or not is purely opinion, but it is hard to disagree that it is a very good game.
          • dsmx, on 11/30/2007, -7/+4Your not helping you point, all of those things have been in other games and done better, try again.
          • Tippis, on 11/30/2007, -3/+4Sounds like the feature list from Duke3d, imo...
          • betterth, on 11/30/2007, -4/+5You all are missing the point. Halo is the most popular online fps of all time, period. There are more people playing it RIGHT NOW than probably all PC FPS games combined.
          • zeromous, on 11/30/2007, -1/+1Halo has met the bar. If it pioneered anything it was the pervasiveness of vehicles in multiplayer combat. And even then.....
        • zeromous, on 11/30/2007, -4/+3Well personally I find call of duty and UT3 to be superior games to Halo, each for different reasons (and general weaknesses of halo). Call of Duty has better story and realism, while UT3 has better combat.
          • zeromous, on 11/30/2007, -2/+2Oh yes the "Gay"lo bury brigade in full force. All 1 of you.

            Can't have an opinion that Halo is not the end all be all of FPS. Of course none of you appreciate that I've beaten the first two on the hardest of skilllevels. The game is so repetitive it can't possibly be construed as game of the century- and its definately not better than UT, TF2 or Quake.
        • BearinG, on 12/04/2007, -0/+1The only thing Halo did better was matchmaking and partys. Now COD4 has taken the throne.
      • staticneuron, on 11/30/2007, -3/+1Thank you! I am glad more and more people are taking notice.
    • NSMike, on 11/30/2007, -0/+7Tim Tracy is quitting:

      http://www.gamespot.com/users/TimT/show_blog_entry ...

      No explanation, but props if it's in solidarity with Gerstmann.
    • mike17032, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3Wow this sucks. I was bummed when Rich left the show, but Jeff was really the star. Time to unsubscribe from that podcast.
  • m0nk3y80y88, on 11/30/2007, -7/+23I've drifted off from On The Spot, but i still like the Hotspot (although 1up's podcast are better) and it would suck if Jeff was kicked off. Not that Gamespot doesn't have some other good talent, but a good reviewer and a great podcast guy.
    • MagicXB, on 11/30/2007, -30/+2YES!

      Jeff deserved this after giving Zelda: Twilight Princess the INHUMANE score of an 8.8. Justice is served...
      • Arramol, on 11/30/2007, -0/+15"Inhumane?" An 8.8? That's 0.2 below a 9.0, which Gamespot reserves for the best of the best (keep in mind this site's given out only four 10s in its long history). Melodramatic much?
      • jggr, on 11/30/2007, -1/+13So, a guy has an opinion which you disagree with, and you want his livelihood threatened? Nice guy.
        /BTW: In case you missed the point... He's a reviewer. It's his job to give his opinion of the game. Not *your* opinion.
        //And if this is true, good-bye Gamespot. You're either a advertising site for games, or you're a game news site. Can't have it both ways, and if you really think we need more advertising, well, you won't get my eyes on your page again.
      • Orcmors, on 11/30/2007, -0/+9You need to understand. This is not about the firing of the guy that gave Twilight Princess an 8.8. This is about game makers being able to influence the employability of the people that review their games.
      • ErrorS, on 11/30/2007, -4/+7I don't think I've ever played a 10 game in my life.. 10 would be perfect, something I wouldn't change if I had the oppurtunity.. even my favorite games have enough flaws to not warrant a perfect score.
      • staticneuron, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2Perfection is an abstract concept. So the scale from 1- 10 is based off of relative enjoyment. If no game could ever hit 10 why have a scale from 1-10. Sill mentality going on nowadays.

        And Magic.... I though Zelda was horible and expected much more.
        • ErrorS, on 12/01/2007, -0/+1I reserve my 10 for that great game that I haven't played yet, the one I will not be able to put alongside the other 9s in my list.. If something is a 10 to me, it means it's an amazing game that probably wont ever be topped. His 10.0 for THPS? THPS was an awesome game but that poor bastard rated it in such a way that it looks like that's his favorite game of all time.. His 8.8 for Zelda vs. the 10 for THPS is one reason for why people are pissed..
          why is that so difficult for some people to understand?

          Even if that wasn't the case, no game in the past 5 years has been worth a 10 for me.. Based on a scale that only consider games I've played, there are many classics that would rate much higher than anything new being released.
    • Daiken, on 11/30/2007, -6/+2What the hell are you guys talkin about? Jeff was a terrible reviewer. He would dock points from games just because they were popular, and he acted like a pompous prick. Plus this is just a rumor so stop freakin out.
      • skynow, on 11/30/2007, -2/+0Alex Navarro acts like a prick... watch the latest button smashing (AND his recent reviews). I mean, watch that Super Mario Galaxy marathon with Jeff and see who acts like a prick.
  • mrfreeziexp, on 11/30/2007, -2/+188"As writers of what is supposed to be objective content, this is our worst nightmare coming to life."

    This really sums up nicely my thoughts. This a disgusting form of making money over quality/integrity , and it's terrifying to see what lengths Gamespot will go to make more cash. Not only did they risk this story getting out(makes me wonder if this has happened before), but they were willing to axe their top reviewer/writer, and he IS their top reviewer, both in ability and community respect. Jeff was respectable because he always told his real opinion(apparently, even till the end), and even if you are still mad at him about Zelda Twilight Princess, admit it. You respected him for having the balls to express his true opinion rather than give in to the hype and go "with the flow," so to speak.

    Gamespot, and infact the entire CNet network, should no longer be trusted. We see now what's really behind the score. Not how good the game/product is, but how much they were paid. I urge all of you to boycott CNet networks. I know I will.
    • mrfreeziexp, on 11/30/2007, -0/+58The video review for Kane and Lynch has been taken down. Also, a lot of the topics about this in the Gamespot forum have been deleted. ALSO Gabe from Penny Arcade posted this in the PA forums(discussing the comic regarding Jeff being fired) : "The comic is true. You should see the news breaking soon." I'd say it's time to change this from a rumor to, sadly, confirmed.
      • PISTOLcm, on 11/30/2007, -1/+12Damn it! I was hoping it was just a pissed K&L fan...but now it;s not looking so good for my favorite guy on Gamespot.
    • ShogunWarPig, on 11/30/2007, -9/+2CNet has very good netcasts, especially Buzz out loud. But no one should base their purchases just buy looking at one review on one website. Do some research and you'll get the big picture on an item most of the time.
      • Bokista, on 11/30/2007, -0/+17A lot of people have specific reviewers they trust because they know they have similar tastes in games. I could pretty much guarantee that neither Greg Kasavin or Jeff Gerstmann would steer me wrong, so I went to GameSpot for their specific tastes.
      • brufleth, on 11/30/2007, -2/+1CNet reviews are some of the worst reviews I've seen. I avoid the entire family of CNet sites when making purchases because their reviews are usually just press releases with poorly written comments tucked in here and there. As for Gamespot specifically, they have sucked for years.
    • teqonix, on 11/30/2007, -7/+4I don't really read Gamespot, but boycotting all of Cnet just seems knee-jerk to me. Have a listen to Buzz Out Loud a few times and you'll see the hosts are cool, smart, and very pro-consumer - I listen every day and still love it.
    • nnagflar, on 11/30/2007, -6/+2In fact, let's boycott the Internet!
    • tektalk, on 11/30/2007, -0/+6Well if you want to boycott all the CNET networks then here is a complete list :
      BNET; CHOW; Cnet.com; Cnetchannel; gameFAQS; gamespot; internationalmedia ; MP3.com; mySimon; search.com; TechRepublic; TV.com; Urban Baby; Webshots; ZDNet.
      If you feel the need to correct me, then I suggest you look here. http://www.cnetnetworks.com/aboutus/brands.html But that would defeat the purpose of your boycott. :P
      • NSMike, on 11/30/2007, -0/+13Hell, I guess I've been boycotting CNet for a while now, then.
    • avenger55, on 11/30/2007, -0/+6I couldn't have said it better myself
      CNET has gone to ***** recently
    • Banelos, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3Hmm when I come to think about it wouldn't the Mac advertisement on the Vista site on CNET also be an example of how they do anything for the right amount of money? Although the ad was cool as hell as I hate Vista as much as the next guy it does tell you something about their integrity.
  • rib13, on 11/30/2007, -3/+129Oh for gods sake! He was the only one left on the team who's reviews I watched! Everyone else always says things like "this is a good game if you liked", "this game is great if your a fan of", "This game is worth getting if you dont mind.." He was the only one who actually said "this isn't as good as its hyped up to be, this is not worth the price, this is really great and worth buying (and it usually actually was)". Idiots. He should start his own review site. I would visit it. religiously. his and the no punctuation reviews are the two I actually consider when spending money
    • Deputydon, on 11/30/2007, -21/+6How can you be serious? He gave Tony Hawk Proving Grounds a 10 according to this article..... Tony Hawk is a "decent" game, but a better score than Zelda? ***** that....
      • PISTOLcm, on 11/30/2007, -6/+1Haha, his TP review made since to me.
      • grumbel, on 11/30/2007, -0/+12He gave Proving ground a 6.5, must have been an earlier Tony Hawk that got the 10.
        • Bokista, on 11/30/2007, -0/+14Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 received a 10. The other three 10s have been Chrono Cross, LoZ: Ocarina of Time, and Soul Calibur (DC).
          • Kaosu, on 11/30/2007, -0/+8A ten is a bit much, but come on. Who didn't play the ***** out of Tony Hawks 3? It was awesome.
          • graeh, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1God damn - I agree - I never would have thought I'd spend weeks and weeks playing a skateboarding game - but I sure as hell did with THPS3.
            I clocked and unlocked every single last bit of content in that game - and was introduced to some pretty awesome music in the process. Definitely one of the stand out experiences I've had gaming - and most certainly worth a 10.
    • PISTOLcm, on 11/30/2007, -2/+1Yes, I am calling for a Gerstmann.com! I would absolutely love that, BUT he is no longer employed by CNET (allegedly) so reviews would no longer be his main focus.
    • p0tent1al, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3he should join Gametrailers or another respectable site
  • YouKnowWho, on 11/30/2007, -5/+59As many of you, I listened to the Hotspot mainly for Jeff's take on games and his randomness of hip hop knowledge..

    Having said that, it sucks to see somebody getting fired for just doing their job, wtf man. I guess this shows that the whole video game industry has taken a turn for the worse mainly driven by the cash..

    I miss the SNES days..
    • Grommy, on 11/30/2007, -1/+7I still say that Earthbound was the greatest game ever released.
      • Gir53457, on 11/30/2007, -1/+8Bible Adventures for the NES... Played with the Power Glove. It's so bad.
    • tektalk, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2The game industry is in dire need of a revolution for sanity, but alas, the shroud of the darkside has fallen. Begun the dishonest reviews has.
      • insllvn, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2Have. Begun the dishonest reviews have. Yoda had poor syntax, not bad grammar. Still I dugg you up. 8-P
  • InnerBlueAbyss, on 11/30/2007, -7/+53This is utter ***** *****. I guess ill stick to Gametrailers and Kotaku
    • v0yeur, on 11/30/2007, -1/+10Gametrailers is skewed also - and terribly inconsistent.
      Reviewers are bowing to corporate pressure more and more - if you want to see a games more accurate rating, look at the average user score on gametrailers - its far more telling.
      • wastedlife, on 11/30/2007, -1/+3I'm a big fan of Gametrailers, but have to agree with you there. I cringe everytime they have a piece "Brought to you by McDonalds!" or some crap. They also bow to hype, 9.8 for Halo 3? Be realistic.
    • Banelos, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2Watch the Kane & Lynch review on Gametrailers.. Seems pretty biased to me, and not deserving of a 8.0 score.
    • DontGameDigg, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3I'm sorry, the GameTrailers review of NBA 2k8 was very troubling. They complained about 90% of the way, and then gave it a very high score of 8.0/10. I'm not sure if they were trying to appease children or advertisers, but they lost all of their integrity with that horribly inconsistent review. If you HATE a game, give it a LOW score!

      http://www.gametrailers.com/player/26211.html

      I seriously only trust AMATEURS now, because I can relate to them better. Sadly, there's nobody that reviews new games yet, except for Zero Punctuation.

      Amateurs that are FAR more trustworthy than Gamespot, Gametrailers, IGN, etc.

      The Game Room - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvtoW1wvY48
      Still Gaming - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amIw9t5yWRk
      Zero Punctuation - http://www.escapistmagazine.com

      Funny story about The Game Room. In 2000, they had a partnership with Nintendo where they'd play Perfect Dark commericals before every review. Once Mark and Dave got to reviewing it, they bashed the ***** out of the game, the 64 itself, and even the damn expansion pack. They kept their integrity.. ...of course, they were ***** broke a month later and got canceled, but at least they had my respect. Gamespot can ***** off and die.
    • DarkDays, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2If you ignore the actual scores form GameTrailers, it's always a great review.
  • Mooky555, on 11/30/2007, -10/+52***** Eidos
    • UtopiaInTheSky, on 11/30/2007, -3/+28Technically it's "***** GameSpot" since they chose to fire him.
      • DirtySnachez, on 11/30/2007, -0/+9... after being threatened by Eidos
        • Gerz1219, on 11/30/2007, -1/+2That's *****. People read reviews to get an honest, unbiased opinion. If you want to be a reputable publisher of reviews, and an advertiser threatens to pull the cash if you review them poorly, you tell the advertiser to ***** off. It's Gamespot, it's not like they're going to go under because Eidos storms off in a hissy fit. And it's not like there's a shortage of game publishers willing to buy full-page ads on one of most popular gaming websites during the Christmas season. In the short run, they may have pocketed some extra cash that could easily have been replaced by a different advertiser. But they've done it the cost of their reputation.
      • MacSuxWindozSux, on 11/30/2007, -1/+2Who's pulling the strings...
    • EmailAddress, on 11/30/2007, -0/+9I remember seeing the video review. I wonder if anyone has it to upload it.

      The game looked as if it did suck by watching the videos. The AI looked clunky even from the video. A friendly goes in front of you firing and stuff like that... it was a sub-par game.

      I remember Jeff picked an issue with the lack of a button to edge up against a wall, you had to move against it somehow and it didn't feel good. He made nitpicks and I think gave a heads up to consumers.

      Come on now... the target audience is experienced gamers. I think Jeff just cut straight down to the issues, using knowledge gained from other games to guide the person. No fluff and kiss ass crap. The fact that he scored Zelda 8.8 should be a sign that he doesn't give a *****. He says it how he sees it and people get pissed. Maybe people want to hear "aww good boy, yes it's perfect" and bla bla bla. Counter thoughts are needed too, for discussion.




    • Mooky555, on 11/30/2007, -0/+25http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FuJ81sDR2o

      There's the youtube of the video review.
      • iamaelephant, on 11/30/2007, -2/+2Thanks for that. The multiplayer mode actually sounds really cool, hopefully a better company can pick it up and run with the idea in maybe an FPS (on the PC!) and make it work.
    • ByteGuerilla, on 11/30/2007, -0/+4***** CNet, more like. They're the ones who had him fired. Eidos are like every other publisher; you write something they don't like while they're paying you for something else, they'll get on the blower and shout at you. CNet giving in and having Jeff fired -- that's the despicable part.
  • jlaudio7, on 11/30/2007, -13/+20I registered to simply say that this is some *****
    • UtopiaInTheSky, on 11/30/2007, -6/+9You didn't have to tell us. It's on the Digg frontpage now because the majority of people are thinking the same thing.
      • ErrorS, on 11/30/2007, -0/+5How are you gonna digg this guy down when the two posts above this one basically say the same exact thing and got 10+ diggs? Be honest, "I registered to say" pisses you off and that's why you dugg him down.. because the same ***** that dugg this guy down are probably the same ones that dugg up the thoughtful post above "***** Eidos" and the one above that "This is utter ***** *****".
      • hollismb, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3Yeah, why you diggin' him down, man? Check his profile, and you can clearly see that he really did register to say that, which means he's probably pretty serious about it.
      • saltinekracka20, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3In short...Welcome to Digg.
    • Thing2, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1It's a sad day in Journalism when the advertisers expect good reviews simply for supporting the site.....this is indeed BS.
  • gsadamb, on 11/30/2007, -2/+88This is a complete travesty. I had always been a fan of GameSpot because they're not afraid to give their honest opinions of stuff, even if their honest opinion is quite unpopular (Doom 3 got a score in the 8s, Zelda: Twilight Princess got an 8.8)

    While you may not have agreed with the reviewers in either case, there is little doubt that they were honest opinions given by gamers, to gamers. I actually know some of the reviewers, and I can tell you that for a long time, GameSpot valued nothing more than integrity and credibility. In this industry, the mere APPEARANCE of impropriety is enough to bring you down.

    GameSpot's leadership, or lack thereof, has made a terrible mistake. Josh L. in management should issue an apology and welcome Jeff back. This is inexcusable. Completely.
    • Konrad9, on 11/30/2007, -0/+21Man... I completely agree.
      I'm a moderator at gamespot's forum, and as such I get free access to all the pay content.
      But if this is true... I'm done.
    • thebellmaster1x, on 11/30/2007, -1/+4Huh. An eloquent and well-reasoned response.
      I congratulate you, sir.
    • XBSHX, on 11/30/2007, -0/+7"Josh L. in management should issue an apology and welcome Jeff back. This is inexcusable. Completely."
      Yes he should but if I were Jeff I wouldn't come back, they would just end up doing it again a few months later with another review.
    • Po0py, on 11/30/2007, -1/+7I still can't get over all the fuss about the 8.8 score he gave Zelda TP. That is a good ***** score. Many games devs would kill for that kind of score. It is only 1.2 away from perfect, for christ sake.

      And just the other week Shawn Elliott from 1up/Games for Windows caused a bit of a fuss over giving Crysis an all round low score of ... wait for it....8/10.
    • NSMike, on 11/30/2007, -0/+4I think a score in the 8's for Doom 3 is a bit generous, actually...
  • TyKGodLike, on 11/30/2007, -5/+51This is *****. ***** you Cnet and Eidos
    • ericrous, on 11/30/2007, -1/+1Whatever douche that fired him, I hope his kids get cancer.

      There, I said it. And I would say it again.
  • Bahimiron, on 11/30/2007, -5/+16I don't have much respect for Gamespot anyway. If this is true, though, it's completely shot. ***** 'em.
  • 3rnesto, on 11/30/2007, -6/+10Gamespot shall die a peasants death
  • tsigo, on 11/30/2007, -4/+58This is complete *****. I won't be renewing my GameSpot subscription. Not as a "show of solidarity", but what the ***** is the point of a reviews site where the editors can't post honest reviews without being fired?
    • ekin09, on 11/30/2007, -11/+5Dude, chill, it is still only a rumor.
    • bobguyman, on 11/30/2007, -2/+1You can cancel your subscription and get a partial refund for the time you have left. But as ekin said, its only a rumor and probably is just going to blow over with what really happened... my guess indecent exposure. :p
  • EvanVolm, on 11/30/2007, -0/+45I can't say I'm too surprised. A site I'm at reviewed Nyko's 'Dual Charger AC' for the PS3 sometime back in February. The reviewer didn't like it, so he gave it a negative review. A day goes by and we get a nasty email from Nyko demanding we re-review it with a more positive attitude.
    • davewashere, on 11/30/2007, -5/+8You should have emailed them back and told them to remake the game with less suckitude
      • VelvetHammer, on 11/30/2007, -1/+9And they would think he's smoking crack. Considering it's not a game, but an accessory. I give your reply a score of 5.5.
  • Razoso, on 11/30/2007, -14/+6This is actually a good thing, everyone can now see Gamespot for what it is. Just like high school sports, rich daddy "donates" to the the school and his son is all of a sudden starting Quarterback.
    • demonsnake69, on 11/30/2007, -1/+13Yep, only gamespot does this -- no other video game publication participates in this practice.
      • Razoso, on 11/30/2007, -3/+4Wow you are SO RIGHT. The fact that I forgot to list every review site OBVIOUSLY means that I think they are innocent. I will make sure that never happens again. I BEG YOUR FORGIVENESS!!! Oh please forgive me for such a mistake.
        • demonsnake69, on 11/30/2007, -4/+3I can't forgive you because you overdid your sarcasm -- may your worthless soul rot in hell.
  • jmdajr, on 11/30/2007, -9/+7JUST WOW

    spread the word and let people know
  • NativeAlien, on 11/30/2007, -2/+80For shame, Gamespot. Just ruined their reputation with this move.
    • zizzy, on 11/30/2007, -8/+4They had a reputation to ruin?
    • ericrous, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1Every time I see someone cite a positive Gamespot review from now on, I'll always have to bring up this firing and point out that a positive Gamespot review no longer means jack *****. Sad.
  • LemonDefragger, on 11/30/2007, -7/+20Hell, this ***** happens in government, why not Gamespot?
    • Nossie, on 11/30/2007, -1/+4sad thing is... they care more about gamespot than they do their government.
    • hankydysplasia, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2The issue is that if government pulls this crap, we're still stuck with them. If Gamespot (the site I used to primarily use for my reviews) does this, I'm not going to be returning. If all the people that dugg this article that frequented Gamespot stop going as well, that could create a serious dent.
    • F1R3DUP, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1anywhere big corporations can get there dirty hands in they can do this...this is our United States today.
  • totorototoro, on 11/30/2007, -10/+4"It's now possible that many bitter fanboys may have had their wishes for his firing granted"
    Or maybe Gamespot got tired of him giving controversial scores just to be controversial and contrary, and didn't think he was doing his duty as an impartial reviewer.
    • kappuru, on 11/30/2007, -3/+9Hmm. I really don't think he's trying to be controversial. For what it's worth, an 8.8 is still a pretty good score. Just because Zelda had been previewed for YEARS didn't mean that it was revolutionary. It was still a Zelda title, and what would have been a 9 or 10 in 2004 (when I believe it was originally slated to release) wasn't in 2006.
    • mike17032, on 11/30/2007, -1/+1I almost always agreed with his reviews, and often used them to decide on my Gamefly que. Zelda was good, but I didnt find it super mega awsome. 8.8 is better than most games get, and that seems about right for Zelda to me.
  • notzak, on 11/30/2007, -7/+18It's okay. He probably needed the fresh air anyways.
  • elvenseven, on 11/30/2007, -14/+5What about that other article that declared Windows Vista the worst product in history beating Windows ME? Cnet has totally lost credibility.
  • demonsnake69, on 11/30/2007, -3/+7I liked Jeff's reviews and have always liked gamespot because they pretty much tell it like it is without being assholes about it. If this story is true then gamespot clearly failed.
  • peterberry, on 11/30/2007, -1/+169http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/11/29
    • DarkSamus, on 11/30/2007, -1/+6yahtzee should do kane and lynch next week
  • neoian, on 11/30/2007, -3/+44I am a Gamespot paid subscriber and have been for about four years. I love the game guides and HD game reviews.But first Carrie then Rich and now Jeff. If this is true I will be canceling my Gamespot account and looking elsewhere for video game news.
    • EvilDr.X, on 11/30/2007, -4/+3Same here. I like Gametrailers.
    • Hoov, on 11/30/2007, -1/+2Same, although I've only been a paying member for 2 years. I know a lot of people consider subscribing to these sites as a waste, but I enjoyed what Gamespot offered in terms of downloads. Is there anywhere else worth moving? I was a subscriber with IGN and it was a waste of money. Even the message boards got stale.
  • DGRP, on 11/30/2007, -21/+2His reviews sucked ass anyways.
  • Zephkiel, on 11/30/2007, -10/+18Blame-shifting mod post in a GameSpot topic says that CNET fired him. So attack CNET, not GameSpot.

    http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php ...
    • zeromous, on 11/30/2007, -0/+8CNET is gamespot and gamespot is CNET.
  • kappuru, on 11/30/2007, -10/+2As usual, Penny Arcade is quick on the uptake... I hope it's not true, but if it is this is a PR ***** brewing for Gamestop.
    http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/11/29
    • kappuru, on 11/30/2007, -2/+3I am an idiot. Gamestop? Also someone posted this a few minutes before me, lame.
  • Mist0r_Wiggles, on 11/30/2007, -4/+8THERE WILL BE BLOOD!
    • LargeTrout, on 11/30/2007, -1/+1It's a tragedy but no reason to kill yourself.
  • pronouncable, on 11/30/2007, -2/+74Bye GameSpot.
  • timjim31, on 11/30/2007, -18/+3hmm why don't we wait till it isn't just a rumor before we get our collective panties in a twist.
    • pronouncable, on 11/30/2007, -2/+2Regardless, there isn't much left in GameSpot personality wise.
    • logicalnoise, on 11/30/2007, -1/+4it's already been confirmed by other sources.
      • fotbr, on 11/30/2007, -2/+3confirmed, or the rumor has been repeated?
        • logicalnoise, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1tim another reviewer quit in protest and gamespot mods have blamed it all on CNET marketing guys.
          • fotbr, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1fair enough, everything i'd seen was just the same rumor being repeated
    • ErrorS, on 11/30/2007, -0/+4Yes, you're right.. we should all wait until Gamespot confirms they fired someone for giving a low review to a game.. I'm sure they're in the process of writing a press release explaining how important it is to keep sponsors happy, why reviewers shouldn't give low scores to certain games and why you should listen to their reviews anyways.
  • ZenMojo, on 11/30/2007, -11/+25His score of 8.8 for Twilight Princess gave me faith in the future of game reviews. I have no idea what to think anymore.
    • zeromous, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1Rely on mature gamer blogs, and user ratings if you really want to know how good a game is.
  • Beylan, on 11/30/2007, -1/+39Heh, no point reading Gamespot now. Without integrity in their reviews a site like Gamespot isnt worth the bandwidth and just becomes a full page popup ad.
  • PISTOLcm, on 11/30/2007, -3/+11Oh noes! Not my Jeff! He was my favorite reviewer, he shared many of my opinions. Not to mention he had the best video-review personality AND was funny on Tournament TV. I'm gonna miss his 'knife' jokes. ;(
  • ShadowMarth, on 11/30/2007, -13/+4I hate the bastard, I think he makes some of his review scores JUST to be purposefully contrary, but if they fired him for this reason, it's some serious *****.
  • JFetch, on 11/30/2007, -1/+12It's been confirmed in at least 3 different places that he was fired. Only Penny Arcade is confirming the K&L review was the reason.
  • SaladCactusKing, on 11/30/2007, -0/+32The entire game "journalism" industry is crooked as hell. This just further proves it.
    • spate, on 11/30/2007, -1/+1I disagree. The fact that the *****-teases over at GFW still have a magazine proves it. Ziff-Davis ftw. (Seriously, you should listen to their podcast sometime; they routinely tear Microsoft's advertising department a new one. Just, uh, ... NSFW.)
  • stockjones, on 11/30/2007, -0/+14So I guess we have Payola in Gaming now. Go figure.
  • whatthefu, on 11/30/2007, -4/+30God ***** dammit why couldn't Kane & Lynch just be an awesome game? Then none of this would have happened.
    • p0tent1al, on 11/30/2007, -0/+3but then Gamespot would have not been exposed for the non-integrity ***** ups who can be bought by any game company that they are. Jeff could easily move to another game review site, or make his own site, with this kind of exposure.
  • Crimsoneer, on 11/30/2007, -13/+2People, its only a rumour. Put the torches and pitchforks down until we know.
  • BigBallistix, on 11/30/2007, -12/+0As if we needed any more anti-microsoft news to convince us of their toxicity. Kane and Lynch is buggy anyhoo, great developers, but buggy.
    • DavidGX, on 11/30/2007, -0/+10Microsoft didn't make this game. Try harder.
  • JickBahTech, on 11/30/2007, -0/+10I just think it's funny that there's a big "we're hiring" banner ad right in the middle of the gamespot forum...
  • missingnoh4x, on 11/30/2007, -5/+8Gamespot's reviews have always been proportional to how much money the company gave them for ad placement. Hardly news to hear they fired a guy for disregarding their policy.
    • anamanaman, on 11/30/2007, -0/+4That's pretty much all around BS. I even find it comical sometimes when I'm reading a review of a horrible game while their full page background advertisements of that same game are surrounding it. They regularly trash games that advertise with them.
  • DefaultGen, on 11/30/2007, -0/+17I miss Greg Kasavin more than i'd miss Jeff honestly, but firing someone for flopping a BAD game... Jesus.
    • holybins, on 12/01/2007, -0/+1Yeah, Kasavin was def the best reviewer - but Jeff was 2nd.
  • orange14, on 11/30/2007, -3/+15Jeff was the only thing left for GS... if this really is true, then GS will be in the ***** forever.
  • sw0rdfish, on 11/30/2007, -3/+11I have it on pretty good authority that this is in fact true. Many of my contacts online work for or are close friends with editors at Gamespot... and from the ones I've heard from. It's true. I have no reason not to believe them.
  • Hooner, on 11/30/2007, -2/+35Reviews on GameSpot do have an immense influence on my purchasing decisions. Like movie reviews, you accept that a reviewer has a certain perspective. Although one might not agree with Jeff's reviews all of the time, I felt that I could trust his reviews. Moreover, he added much to the podcasts, which I enjoyed. The pattern of people leaving GameSpot over the last year signaled that something was perhaps terribly wrong (corrupt?) with the company. I need honest reviews to inform my purchasing decisions, and CNET can not longer be trusted. If anyone can suggest other sites or blogs to find honest reviews, please post here. On the HotSpot podcast on Tuesday, Jeff was conspicuously absent, and the others made no mention of him at all. I suspect that something was up already at that time. I feel bad for the others that are working there like Ryan, Alex, Brian, and Brad. I imagine that we will see more voluntary departures from GameSpot in the months ahead.
    • slicecom, on 11/30/2007, -1/+3Best site for reviews is gamerankings.com
      • BugMeNot2, on 11/30/2007, -2/+2Owned by CNET.
        • slicecom, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2Yes, but they offer a totally transparent means of gathering the scores and show their criteria and how they arrive at it (multiple reviews, the vast majority from non CNET sites).
      • mrhahn, on 11/30/2007, -1/+1Metacritic.com is pretty good too, although since gamerankings is setup for games maybe it does a better job!
      • Acqua206, on 12/01/2007, -0/+0I almost never use professional reviews. I browse the user reviews to get a general sense of what the game is about and how much they seemed to have enjoyed it. I will take the average of 100's of user reviews over 1 persons any day. Believe it or not, the amount of stars it gets in Amazon is also a big factor on my decision. What has happened here has only reaffirmed my mistrust in the reviewing industry. Pretty hard to maintain objectiveness and integrity when advertising pays your salary.
    • TheRealDj, on 11/30/2007, -4/+1I suggest IGN. They're pretty balanced and have some good podcasts. That or 1up
    • Rafcio, on 11/30/2007, -0/+0Actiontrip.com
  • jaredog, on 11/30/2007, -2/+44Gamespot Total Access Subscription /cancel
  • Broadband, on 11/30/2007, -0/+43Wow the EIDOS forums are just being pwned. Hopefully all the facts are straight.

    http://forums.eidosgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=72
    • slaystench, on 11/30/2007, -0/+22Holy *****. lol They're getting spammed to death, awesome.
    • Lynxplus, on 11/30/2007, -2/+3LMAO, they deserve it... every post.... frap frap frap.....
    • mace2, on 11/30/2007, -0/+4Yikes, don't open that "kittens" thread...
    • unrealalexk, on 11/30/2007, -2/+1do not view the topics there, 2 cups 1 girl material everywhere.
    • theshizzler, on 11/30/2007, -0/+8"We are currently making a change to the forums. They will be up shortly. Please check back later."
      Yeah, I bet.
      • phoenixp3k, on 11/30/2007, -0/+5LOL - It should read: "We are making changes to the content of the forums at this time. Please check back later."
  • tsigo, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2For what I believe is the first week in over a year, he wasn't on their weekly podcast this past Tuesday. And then tonight they were supposed to do their live weekly show, On the Spot, which he generally hosts, and it was cancelled at the last minute. If this is just a rumor, those are quite the coincidences.
    • dcdevelop, on 11/30/2007, -0/+1I just wanna know if he was fired over this review or if it was something else. It seems obvious now he was fired but the why is still the rumor to me.
  • slicecom, on 11/30/2007, -11/+2You people are very naive if you think a site or magazine that features advertising of the product they review can provide unbiased reviews. Having worked in the marketing department of a corporation, a major part of my job was pressuring magazines we advertised in to not only write about our products as much as possible, but always reflect them in a good light. If they ever published anything negative about our product, we would threaten to pull advertising. It would not happen again after we would make that threat.
    • stockjones, on 11/30/2007, -0/+4The problem is that the game industry is young and hyped full of money and thus corrupt. They make rash mistakes by hyping product and then mis- allocating it purposely so hundreds of customers are left with backordered product. You'd never see that in other industries. Thats considered bad business but not with game publishers.
    • zealeus, on 11/30/2007, -0/+0I don't think we're naive about it. There's always been rumblings and rumors that this is true. But to actually see somebody fired over a not-the-greatest-rating? It's not he even gave it a totally craptastic rating. Asinine.

      However, What's especially stands out is your rationalization of this. You don't come out and say it, but your tone is certainly of, "Hey, EVERYONE does it you n00bs, so it's OK!"
      • slicecom, on 11/30/2007, -0/+0I don't think its ok at all, but our only options are to live with it or ignore reviews from review sources that advertise anything from game companies. It's not illegal, and publications need the ad revenue and game companies need the publicity. IMO the best option is to go to a site that gathers review scores from many sources and averages them out.
    • Hooner, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2I know that these practices are endemic to the entertainment industry. I just don't buy the magazines or read the reviews of critics that I know are being bought off. These reviewers soon establish a reputation as being corporate whores. The great critics in any profession are those that fly in the face of their advertisers. I hope Jeff finds a position somewhere where he can still review games.
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