Support NeoGAF

[Darkmakaimura]

Sandy Petersen is the creator of the original 1981 Call of Cthulhu TTRPG and worked on DOOM and Quake among many other things.

Here he reveals there were bribes. This was back in 1990.

I know a cloudless day is blue but I still feel like it should be known but this was always kind of a corrupt industry.

 

[rofif]

Sandy peterson is legit. Some of best doom levels

 

[Arachnid]

Water is wet.

Also, video game journos aren't real journos. Never have been, never will be.

 

[Fake]

Impossible.

 

[MagusMajul]

Sandy is responsible for Episode 4 in quake some hate him for that and curse his very existence. I found the levels in that episode to be the most creative and open ended if not hideous. He's a real vet and I believe him.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Water is wet.

Also, video game journos aren't real journos. Never have been, never will be.

It's probably the same when it comes to a lot of other entertainment journalists. It wouldn't surprise me that studios do actually bribe some big name reviewers to give good reviews.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Sandy is responsible for Episode 4 in quake some hate him for that and curse his very existence. I found the levels in that episode to be the most creative and open ended if not hideous. He's a real vet and I believe him.

For me, I know him best as the creator of the Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game. He's pretty much responsible for putting the Mythos out there in the public aware of it.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Sandy peterson is legit. Some of best doom levels

Also some of the worst. That fucking Chasm level...

 

[rofif]

Also some of the worst. That fucking Chasm level...

the OG troll

 

[Darchaos]

Water is wet.

Also, video game journos aren't real journos. Never have been, never will be.

Yep, same waste of air as Influencers and streamers.

 

[Rush2112]

Kotaku has more ads than a free porn site now.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

dunno how you managed to botch the thread title like that.

 

[Zacfoldor]

 

[LordBritish]

Kotaku has more ads than a free porn site now.

IGN is basically a deal site now, driven by affiliate links...

 

[Darkmakaimura]

dunno how you managed to botch the thread title like that.

Yeah I didn't add the word "been" to it.

Kind of wish you had a 5 minute time limit to edit titles. Not my first time screwing that up.

 

[Wastelander92]

>Cites that outlet that plagiarized multiple times is good. OK.

 

[Killer8]

"Hello again, Sandy. This post isn't accurate."

 

[MiguelItUp]

Water is wet.

Also, video game journos aren't real journos. Never have been, never will be.

Basically. Hell, on that note, journalism of all forms is almost always ass. Bribes, personal bias, etc. It's all there. I mean, a lot of journalists just want all the attention, traffic, etc.

You'd be much better just checking things out on your own, or watching raw gameplay, or someone that seems to have the closest to "not biased" opinions as possible. Majority of the outlets out there just want them clicks.

 

[Midway-AGNC-]

No secret why I stopped reading reviews a long time ago.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

No secret why I stopped reading reviews a long time ago.

If I want to know about a game, I'll just watch a YouTube playthrough. That's usually enough for me to determine whether I want the game. I don't need reviews from outlets.

 

[Midway-AGNC-]

If I want to know about a game, I'll just watch a YouTube playthrough. That's usually enough for me to determine whether I want the game. I don't need reviews from outlets.

Not to mention reviews are usually very biased, for better or worse.

 

[Wildebeest]

Sandy must have a thick skin to want to kick that sanctimonious termite mound when he doesn't have to.

 

[TransTrender]

"Gaming Journalists Have Mostly Always Scum"

Those particular words in the title meant 'save scumming' to me, which I guess makes sense for a journalist that needs to burn through a game.
Was there a translation issue here?

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Sandy must have a thick skin to want to kick that sanctimonious termite mound when he doesn't have to.

He's been outspoken a few times especially with social or political opinions.

 

[Wildebeest]

He's been outspoken a few times especially with social or political opinions.

He's a designer of Call of Cthulhu. He must know what eventually happens when you voluntarily keep rolling dice to test yourself against the cosmic insanity of the internet.

 

[laynelane]

It's always good to see affirmation of what most of us already know. I stopped reading reviews from gaming sites ages ago. Also stopped calling them 'journalists' too - bloggers and/or activists is more accurate in most cases.

 

[DKehoe]

"Hello again, Sandy. This post isn't accurate."

Jon Romero's "Hi Sandy," recurring bit is so good

For those who haven't seen it, here are a few examples

 

[Hollywood Hitman]

When you really sit down and see what these pieces of shit like that mercunt girl, they are awful people... Like truly terrible people all of them

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Jon Romero's "Hi Sandy," recurring bit is so good

For those who haven't seen it, here are a few examples

Wow that's annoying.

 

[Three]

Title makes no sense and isn't the correct quote.

 

[Loomy]

I'm going to wait for John Romero for the real story here.

In all seriousness, games journalism has always been about access. A way to get into the industry instead of just writing about the hobby from the outside.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Title makes no sense and isn't the correct quote.

Yes I forgot the word "been" in it. Maybe I'll ask a mod if he can add it in.

 

[Durin]

I do think games journalism was better back in the day, because you could have a small business with friends who just liked to play stuff, and it wasn't just a pipeline of access or to get into the industry.

As it evolved though you got people with backgrounds in journalism that would rather be writing about other stuff, that access poisoned any idea they were going to be any voice for the consumer/fan, and now they attack you for not liking AAA slop.

 

[//DEVIL//]

Impossible.

How is this site not burnt down and those people never found another job outside of McDonald is beyond me.

 

[semiconscious]

how game 'journalists' see themselves:

 

[Topher]

Jon Romero's "Hi Sandy," recurring bit is so good

For those who haven't seen it, here are a few examples

How many different ways can one man say "you are full of shit, Sandy"?

 

[Nocty]

I remember the revolution software guys getting into a very public arguement with (PC gamer? I think? long time ago...) about them not wanting to pay for review scores.

It has always and will always be a thing I'm afraid.

 

[mopspear]

Also some of the worst. That fucking Chasm level...

I like Chasm but the walkways needed to be thicker.

 

[MiguelItUp]

How many different ways can one man say "you are full of shit, Sandy"?

Sounds like Sandy is a journalist himself.

 

[DeadCowCult]

Look into Sandy Petersen's Kickstarter board games.

Numerous deep runs and no games shipped.

Anything that comes from that direction I question.

 

[Puscifer]

Water is wet.

Also, video game journos aren't real journos. Never have been, never will be.

Said it before and I'll say it again, Adam Sessler said they're not journalist and are pundits and should be treated as such.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Said it before and I'll say it again, Alan Sessler said they're not journalist and are pundits and should be treated as such.

Adam Sessler I think you meant but yeah.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

 

[mathello]

Guys, I met John Carmack in 1985 at a cafe in paris, there was a programming conference happening and he asked me for how to code a 3d engine, and I mentioned it and wrote it on a napkin for him. We talked and I mentioned how a game called Wolfenstein would work well in video games because you kill nazi's. And Demons would be good enemies game "Like a Martian doom hunter game with maps like this" And I drew all the level design for doom.

He totally got all his glory from me and owes me money.

Anyway now I am selling a Board Game, from the creator of Doom.

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

Sandy Petersen is the creator of the original 1981 Call of Cthulhu TTRPG and worked on DOOM and Quake among many other things.

Here he reveals there were bribes. This was back in 1990.

I know a cloudless day is blue but I still feel like it should be known but this was always kind of a corrupt industry.

Guy ain't wrong. I hate most the ones who thought they were Reddit Comedians (tm), decades before Reddit was a thing. Everything was some stupid, snide "joke" at a game's expense.

I did enjoy reading GamePro, though.

 

[Hudo]

Jon Romero's "Hi Sandy," recurring bit is so good

For those who haven't seen it, here are a few examples

This is hilarious, lmao.

 

[calistan]

Sandy Petersen is the creator of the original 1981 Call of Cthulhu TTRPG and worked on DOOM and Quake among many other things.

Here he reveals there were bribes. This was back in 1990.

I know a cloudless day is blue but I still feel like it should be known but this was always kind of a corrupt industry.

I know it's fun to dunk on game journalists, but this sounds like complete bullshit. No journalist would call a publisher to demand bribes, nor would they be likely to speak to a level designer other than for the purposes of an interview.

I was a games journalist in the pre-woke era. I never encountered any bribery but there was plenty of influencing happening on the part of the publishers. Press trips, exclusive access for your magazine only, meals, drinks, whatever they could do to help you produce favourable coverage. Much like they do now for all these super trustworthy Youtubers and streamers who grew from 'fandom'.

Incidentally, go look up the person this senile dickhead recommends.

 

[MMaRsu]

Why would I take the word of a lying scumbag? See Romero's posts above.

Dude is trying to claim honors for somebody else's work.

What a fucking clown.

 

[San Dan Glokta]

I know it's fun to dunk on game journalists, but this sounds like complete bullshit. No journalist would call a publisher to demand bribes, nor would they be likely to speak to a level designer other than for the purposes of an interview.

I was a games journalist in the pre-woke era. I never encountered any bribery but there was plenty of influencing happening on the part of the publishers. Press trips, exclusive access for your magazine only, meals, drinks, whatever they could do to help you produce favourable coverage. Much like they do now for all these super trustworthy Youtubers and streamers who grew from 'fandom'.

Incidentally, go look up the person this senile dickhead recommends.

So who would you recommend to us now to follow for honest journalism since you have insight?

 

[calistan]

So who would you recommend to us now to follow for honest journalism since you have insight?

It's a very different market now, and I don't really follow it. If anyone has a shitload of viewers/subscribers, and that's how they make a living, you can bet that people are actively influencing them. If they have sponsors, if they're accepting free products, early access, free travel, etc, they're doing the exact same thing that games mags used to.

Of course, that doesn't make them corrupt, but then we weren't corrupt back in the day. Everyone who ever worked on a games magazine when they were relevant came from fandom. It was an awesome job if you were into games and could write.