Everyone does some form of whoring out to get good buzz. I especially can't see how some of you who are editors or former editors believe this is totally false, when you know how competitive the industry has become. Word of mouth is by far the best form of advertising in any industry, no marketer would hesitate if they had a chance to control how it works.
It's as subtle as site visits or press room sponsorships at gaming conferences. You may think that it's really not a big deal to you, but it plants that seed in your head and puts one company over the rest during a show. And if someone is getting kickbacks, and enjoying it, how likely is that person willing to spoil a good thing and be a whistleblower?
I would not, however, put all the blame on Microsoft. As popular as it may be, it could very well be AEG's own idea to "generate leads" via forums. I'm sure MS is aware of it, as they share this information in a weekly or bi-monthly reports. And to be honest, if I was in Microsoft's shoes, I wouldn't ask them to cease operations.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like this at all. It's ridiculous and done in poor taste, but that's how I feel about 75% of the PR agencies out there anyway. Oh, and BTW, we're doing exactly what they want, giving them free pub.
