Believe it or not, I read a lot of game reviews. I don't use them as a means to purchase a game but it helps to know what a game in general is about, particularly when the game comes up in conversations and I haven't played it yet. It's also good to see what other people like and don't like about a videogame, especially if it's one I just played. Sometimes I read these reviews and agree with them and others I want to cry out "They're wrong!" or "Why did they not mention this feature/part of the game in the review!?" or whatever thought I am thinking that contradicts their opinion.
Regardless of what their opinion is and how I feel about it, I certainly want to believe that their thoughts on the games they review are sincere and honest. I want to believe what they are saying about the game is what they truly think of it.
So imagine my surprise when I saw rumors regarding one of my favorite websites for reading game reviews, Gamespot, had let go one of their senior reviewers over a review of a game he had made that rubbed its publisher the wrong way.
Now these circumstances are just rumors, but Jeff Gerstmann has been fired by Gamespot. Niether Gerstmann, nor Gamespot's parent company CNET will offer any reason as to why. Recently, Gamespot has released a statement saying external pressure from advertisers was not a factor in Jeff's termination as editorial director. The advertisements on Gamespot for Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, as depicted in the top image, have been removed within the last 24 hours. The video review of the game in question has been removed from Gamespot's website but can be found on YouTube.
Eidos has reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising for Kane & Lynch on Gamespot's website alone, and according to Penny Arcade, "Eidos (we are told) pulled hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of future advertising from the site."
Well with that it appears that Jeff Gerstman's review of Kane & Lynch was his honest opinion. In the past, advertisers have been known to pull advertisements when unfavorable reviews occur; however, reviewers would never be fired over such matters. Jeff had over ten years of experience review games and contributing to Gamespot, so why fire him all of a sudden?
It would be unthinkable that pressure from Eidos led to this decision. In addition, it would be very unfortunate because I've found Jeff's reviews to be rather fair and informative. He's not trying to sell you the game, nor does he put it down based on trifling prejudices that other reviews tend to have; he gives you an honest opinion of what he thinks of the game he's reviewing. Reviewers with experience such as his are hard to come by, and Gamespot has made a mistake by letting him go. With Jeff gone and the controversy surrounding his firing, Gamespot will certainly have a less credible reputation with readers.
