This isn't the PR machine. This is basic journalism ethics and sourcing.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Giant Bomb Thread #4: A thread of perceived slights
- Thread starter randomlyrossy
- Start date
- Status
ThreePiMatt
Member
I can't believe people think that getting short term traffic by leaking info is a better idea than maintaining long-term relationships with developers. Seriously? You'd betray someone's trust so you could get the fat exclusive on Ducktails?
Hot Coldman
Banned
It was more the Orth thing that got me, why they couldn't report on that.
I think I probably wouldn't have posted if Patrick hadn't wrote "I've been waiting for someone to write about [this]". That wording is awkward and automatically makes me think "well why don't you write about it", even if the reason why is clear.
Just... I dunno. If one is gonna choose to keep quiet about so much I'd appreciate the silence to persist, if you have nothing new to add to the conversation at least anyway.
Snark aside, I appreciate the Mega Man story if only because I wanted to know what the hell Armature have been doing for all these years.
I think you're misunderstanding what the PR machine is... The PR machine is exclusive previews, screenshots, swag (the assasin's creed US flag promotion type stuff), and rewriting press releases. GB pretty much skips all that and instead deals as close to directly with the developers as possible. They don't push the PR message, they expose to the audience directly to people who make games.
What does upsetting the apple cart even mean? Do you just want them to be talking shit about people? How is that productive? If you're talking about all the "on the down low" information they probably come across just from being in the industry, then I think you're overestimating the importance of what they over hear. They get to hear things like troubled development (which they often DO talk about), some gameplay feature that may or not make it into release or is under embargo, super specific techy type stuff that developers don't want their competition hearing or probably doesn't mean anything to the average reader anyway.
Maybe you're just saying they should break embargo all the time? But how is that any more beneficial then them saying "That game looks frickin awesome!". Maybe you would gain like a bit of extra hype for fans of that game, but then you'd loose everything else... Not to mention if it was something totally awesome then it's just a giant spoiler anyway.
What I think would be cool (and maybe this is the kind of thing you're talking about) is more post mortems on older games, sit down with developers that they have a relationship with and ask them some hard questions: "What is it really like developing for the kinect?", "Looking back on it it, do you think making Skulls of the Shogun windows 8 exclusive was the right choice?" , "What really happened between Macho Man and Stephanie McMahon?". Recording interviews that can then be edited to make sure no-one is going to loose their job or get sued could be really cool. Maybe the interview dump truck might lead to something like this, or at least hopefully something more then the same guy dilivering the same "message" to answer the same questions that every other website has already asked.
This is a good point. I didn't consider things like this (and I didn't see that comment by Patrick either). However, I do feel like Patrick has written stories on more controversial things that typical games coverage just skips... The two examples I can think of is FIFA issues for Xbox live and getting banned from EA/Origin (or bioware? I forget).
RobotRocker
Member
The problem with the Orth story (and I think a lot of people forget this when it comes to the games media) is that there is a person, no matter how much of a D-Bag they seem on twitter, at the centre of the story and you need to approach that in an ethical matter. Orth became news overnight and reporting in big headlines "Man gets fired over comments on twitter" is somewhat kicking the guy when he's down. There's not much ethics on NeoGAF, Reddit, /v/ etc. so of course people are going to mock him relentlessly (Not a stab, but just pointing it out that people do get more vicious in a more anonymous environment. And he was a fool for being so public.) but when you are a media site representing everyone, you have to look into the ethics of the situation. Yes, he was an idiot. Yes, he tried representing the company. But is it newsworthy enough to report that a man got shitcanned over something that hasn't been confirmed or denied? Again, as much as douche Orth seemed on twitter, only his twitter comments would have been newsworthy (And on the bare minimum of newsworthy of that as people handily played Jump to Conclusions over his comments). Reporting on his firing is starting to intrude into his private life and press intrusion could be putting distress on him and his family. We lose "Public Interest" and start descending into gossip. It's not need to know info that the guy got fired and it doesn't really pass a public interest test . All that was newsworthy was his comments and even then, they should have been taken with a lot of rumour and speculation.
It's not something you can just throw up and say "Guy was an idiot and he got fired, mang" (And a lot of websites did that) when arguably the only "Public interest" in reporting his firing was really just to attract the unwashed masses wanting another go around to fling shit at him while he was in the stocks. And as a journalist, you have to decide if it's worth engaging in that sort of tabloid-style coverage to get hits or say "He's had enough humiliation. Leave it". And I'm thinking that GB left it because there's not an awful lot of point navel gazing on the guy any more. He's been humiliated and lost his job. There's a point where you're just shovelling on salt to the wound. And I don't mind it. I'd prefer GB stayed away from sensationalist articles.
And I think there's a lesson about how the games press has yet to learn about how to report ethically on personal situations in this as well. Damned if they would act on it, though.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
Jeff on Bonus Round this week: http://www.gametrailers.com/full-episodes/8q4vcl/bonus-round-pachter-on-next-gen-pricing-
In the last few minutes he's dropping some info then pulling back. Sounds familiar.
In the last few minutes he's dropping some info then pulling back. Sounds familiar.
That sounded like hate to you? It sounded like banter to me.
razgriz417
Member
I see no hate in his comments, definitely banter, also helps that GAF helps keep his name floating around
I don't think he really 'gains' anything for the gametrailers stuff he does, at least in comparison to what he must get paid for his day job. I think he just does it for fun, if GAF and people who read his stuff with provocative titles on random websites start ignoring him I doubt he'll particularly care.
Sure, but those GAF threads don't necessarily represent you. To me it just sounds like he's taking the piss out of those he's mentioning and everyone else is in on the joke, whether you're on GAF or not.
He's basically said as much. All that stuff raises his profile and keeps him relevant, which makes him more valuable to Wedbush.
It's funny watching GAF react to his opinions, like somehow analysts should be right all the time. That's not how the financial services industry works. Hell, if it did, SEC would raise an eyebrow very quickly.
Does it matter to Wedbush and their clients that gamers listen to him though? How many investors use the channels that Pachter would appear in?
It definitely doesn't matter if gamers 'listen' to him, but just being out there raises his profile, which leads to more quotes in publications like NYT and WSJ. Those are the channels their clients do notice.
It's funny seeing you say that with Brad as your avatar. I went to check, and Brad and Drew are totally getting their dota 2 right now.
razgriz417
Member
What's Drew's steam name? Didn't catch it on stream
Empty Space
Member
You're aren't the only one. I've played something like 15 matches this weekend.
It's funkify, I want to say he's mentioned it previous to this stream as well, maybe on some TNT stuff.
So....let me get this straight.
No one goes to giantbomb for news, so thusly they should risk burning every bridge they have to report hot stories that other people in the industry know about but haven't reported on?
Makes literally 0 sense.
SteveWinwood
Member
Oh man I wanna play dota with Drew that sounds like the most fun thing ever.
funkystudent
Member
Just finished Mass Effect 3.
I..... I understand now.
To think most people experienced that without the extended cut and levitation... what was Bioware thinking.
I..... I understand now.
To think most people experienced that without the extended cut and levitation... what was Bioware thinking.
awesome avatar, dood.
Original recipe, or with all the DLC that tried to un-fuck it?
They were thinking "let's charge them for the complete story."
funkystudent
Member
With Leviathan and extended cut.
I cant imagine how you poor guys must have felt with just the base game.... With the add ons the ending isnt exactly good but at least it explains it self I guess.
But on the plus side Assassins Creed 3 left a worst taste in my mouth.
Really wonder what they do for the next game. If they do a once of Mass Effect story or go for the epic trilogy again.
Yeah probably. The fact Leviathan isnt a important part of the main game just shows people made some poor choices when planning the game out.
After finishing Leviathan I was taking back by how important it feels in the greater ME fiction and then after seeing the ending it basically ties up a bunch of louse ends even though its completely disconnected to the rest of the story.
EmCeeGramr
Member
you should also remember that a bunch of people didn't get to play with javik or any of that backstory sooooo
funkystudent
Member
Oh. Completely forgot about Javik and his story and Thessia.
I think I will finally listen to last years GOTY podcasts just to see there views on it.
I remember "DLC that should be in the main game" won the worst trend award and rightfully so.
I think I need a ME break.
I replayed 1 + 2 and all its DLC and 3 and most of its DLC bit by bit since December.
Citadel can wait for a sale. I hear its pretty dumb in a really good way.
Beelzeboss
Member
I still can't believe they sold Javik as Day 1 DLC.
They even changed the damn story they originally wrote so he could be sold separately
They even changed the damn story they originally wrote so he could be sold separately
LMAO...wtf?
funkystudent
Member
Oh god @ the indoctrination theory.
This is all too much. I have so much internet stupidity to get through now.
Jesus.
Thats GREAT.
This is all too much. I have so much internet stupidity to get through now.
Jesus.
Thats GREAT.
How have I never seen this, holy shit
Rabbit Lord
Member
That basically sums up ME3.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Shepherd looks like Alex.
sings 3 minutes of out of tune corniest song ever
"you're so cute"
ROFL
good thing I fucked thane
funkystudent
Member
Ok finale ME3 ending question before I go to bed.
When you pop out on the citadel and are surrounded by human corpses. Whats up with that? At first I was thinking you where in a keeper tunnel and they where harvesting people for something. The illusive man didnt mention anything about it and nether did The Patriot AI.... I mean the catalyst. Was that explained somewhere?
I should be doing hw
Member
Jeff on Bonus Round this week: http://www.gametrailers.com/full-episodes/8q4vcl/bonus-round-pachter-on-next-gen-pricing-
In the last few minutes he's dropping some info then pulling back. Sounds familiar.
God, what a joke of a site GameTrailers is having ad breaks within 13 minutes of piddly video content. That's after forcing you to watch ads before the content even starts no less.
funkystudent
Member
RIGHT... they where probably harvesting for a human reaper. That was probably mentioned and I forgot it during the info dump. And the Catalyst reveal just remind me of MGS4's "lol the patriots are just AI" twist and I cant help to compare. I am sure if Levitation was a core part of the story they could have done more with it but it just seemed half assed
- Status