These 'scheduling' conflicts excuses would wash if it was only one or two interviews being cancelled but this many, and the outlets involved, smells very fishy to me. And if there were scheduling issues, wouldn't they immediately contact these people and rearrange an alternative date and time for these interviews. This is bizarre behaviour tbh. Very odd.
MS Cancels 1 on 1 Interviews with GB, GI.biz, Tapezilla...MCV?: "Scheduling conflict"
- Thread starter Miles Quaritch
- Start date
Woo-Fu
Banned
Lately? Guess you weren't here for the previous round of the console war.
TheContact
Member
MS canceling a lot of things now...I'm just going to wait until e3. e3 is the deciding factor, maybe this is some sort of strategy they are doing like Eric Cartman's theme park no one could enter
Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. I am not in charge of booking or managing E3 appointments. It looks like I might be on an interview at Microsoft's software showcase on Monday night, but I don't know with who.
Regardless, I will be using every opportunity I can to get some clear answers from MS.
I've been here for a good long while and I don't think I've seen people take this stuff so personally. Call it bullshit, hell even say, "You know, he might towing the company line". Is that impossible?
We do the same in the offtopic forum to arrogant lying pieces of shit like politicians and CEOs. He's a public figure and he can take it, otherwise he chose the wrong job. The characterization btw is pretty accurate, like I said he's now blatantly lying to our faces.
I don't believe in slippery slopes...but if I did, I'd be expecting to wake up tomorrow to the news that Microsoft have cancelled their press conference outright.
Regardless, I'm going to buy a multipack of popcorn for my Monday night's GAFfing. Whether Microsoft have their best conference ever, or their worst, it'll be the perfect foodstuff to experience it with.
Regardless, I'm going to buy a multipack of popcorn for my Monday night's GAFfing. Whether Microsoft have their best conference ever, or their worst, it'll be the perfect foodstuff to experience it with.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
Gerstmann responds to 1-on-1 cancellations.
http://blog.jeffgerstmann.net/post/52324436702/still-think-microsoft-canceling-things-is-no-big-deal
He kinda has a point. People are jumping to conclusions. We don't actually know for a fact that Microsoft won't sit down and answer questions at E3. All we do know for certain is that they are canceling some clear opportunities to answer some questions, which should rightfully make people suspicious, but I suspect it's par for the course and Microsoft is simply trying to get organized and will indeed answer questions at E3. If they don't answer any meaningful questions or clarify with no ambiguities their answers on the questions that people want answered, then they will be torn apart for it.
I don't think Microsoft has the balls to think they can dodge any and all interviews of any kind at E3. I also don't think Microsoft has the balls to only take part in some safe, controlled interview that makes no attempt at all to get clear answers on all the things that still aren't entirely answered. Microsoft said that things weren't finalized, I (although not all) have given them the benefit of the doubt, but I do expect to hear the answers, because as someone that does plan on buying an Xbox One, I'd like to know exactly what I'm buying. I don't like surprises. I much rather get my potentially disturbing or bad news up front.
fallingdove
Member
An attempt to get what right, the spin within the message?
PistolGrip
sex vacation in Guam
WTF you havent been here long enough then.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
Exactly.
I haven't been posting that long, but I've been paying attention to GAF since before the Xbox 360 launch, and there does seem to be a bit more animosity than normal around these parts lately pertaining to Microsoft. I don't entirely blame GAF for this, because Microsoft has been sending all sorts of confusing and mixed messages about their plans. It's one thing to say GAF is overreacting this time, which I think some indeed are, but when so many slow balls are thrown directly over the plate by Microsoft, you can't blame people for taking a swing at some of them. A lot of pop flys, but no homeruns as of yet
All companies spin. It's the reality. Let's just hope their spin is a very clear, non convoluted answer on exactly what all their plans are.
What does it say about execs if they aren't able to stay on the same message?
What does it say about your message if more than one person talking about it bears the potential for disaster?
Incorrect. They want consistency, not clarity. The more they can get suits reading canned, scripted PR drivel from the one sheet the better. If they had any intent on being clear we would not have had this colossal clusterfuck in the first place.
Except the politician is lying about scandal and taxes. Or the CEO is ripping you off or lying to you about layoffs. This is a guy giving you company directed updates on E3 interview scheduling. Fuck him right?
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
Jeff replied again:
Thanks. I hope we have a clear picture of what this all means soon.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
It says there's a problem with both the messengers and the message, and Microsoft better do something to fix it, and fast.
GoofsterStud
Member
Does anyone really think Microsoft is fine at this point:
Revealing: Mixed Messages, PR spin, avoid questions
Rumors increase: Down-clocking (making ps4 even more powerful by comparison), bad yields (limited supply or delay), behind in development
Pre-E3 Interviews: All Cancelled
Post-E3 Roundabout: All Cancelled
The choices now are show the games and ignore all questions and receive more negative rumors and backlash, or answer all the questions at the expensive of showing games at the worlds largest game show.
Either way...the solution is at odds with itself.
Revealing: Mixed Messages, PR spin, avoid questions
Rumors increase: Down-clocking (making ps4 even more powerful by comparison), bad yields (limited supply or delay), behind in development
Pre-E3 Interviews: All Cancelled
Post-E3 Roundabout: All Cancelled
The choices now are show the games and ignore all questions and receive more negative rumors and backlash, or answer all the questions at the expensive of showing games at the worlds largest game show.
Either way...the solution is at odds with itself.
In fact, Microsoft is known to develop detailed profiles of journalists to strategize against them. It's possible they have decided which ones are likely to be kindest, or most likely to accept vague answers.
Bam Bam Baklava
Member
But they promised everything will be okay after E3.
Beermeister
Banned
Classy move Microsoft... classy.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
Jeff replied again:
Again, sounds pretty damn reasonable. We'll see what Microsoft does at E3. Anyway, I've had my fill of this subject.
Always Online leak happened
Adam Orth happened
Xbox One Reveal Show happened
Xbox One Reveal Show aftermath happened
Microsoft burned through a lot of goodwill built with gamers over years really fast...
edit: and just to be crystal clear - I'm not defending namecalling, I am merely trying to explain it
Silly.Mikey
Banned
Only open your mouth when you have to. Its what i said they should do, its what Sony is doing and its working marvelously for them.
Could these scheduling conflicts be because of more important meetings having to take place if MS has decided to change their DRM and used game policy?
If so, they need to renegotiate lots of deals with publishers and retailers as well as convince management of retailers and publishers to go along with these deals. They might use the E3 location where everyone is to have these business meetings.
Just an alternative guess on a reason for the scheduling conflicts.
If so, they need to renegotiate lots of deals with publishers and retailers as well as convince management of retailers and publishers to go along with these deals. They might use the E3 location where everyone is to have these business meetings.
Just an alternative guess on a reason for the scheduling conflicts.
All PR/marketing firms do this to varying degrees.
Oh wow, that's pretty impressive. I wonder if MS has a file on Evillore?
Captainsweatpants
Member
Xbox One - Cancelled.
Oh please, there are always excuses when you're trying to find one. The CEO for example is ripping people off because he has to answer to investors and he's afraid to lose his job if he doesn't. Poor guy
Major Nelson was always obnoxious, don't act as if he's a delicate flower that will take offense. If he did he wouldn't lie so much.
tfur
Member
When you are not lying, you do not have to worry about putting your executives on lockdown.
If your message is real, and not a bunch of deflection, you would not have any fear of letting your execs share the "Xbox story."
They have had all of this planned for a long time, and they know they have to conceal the truth.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
Look at how they handled the news release of 8.1 this week: They showed it to a couple of very selected press who they knew would not kick up a fuss.
Would not surprise me if the same is happening here.
Jeff replied again:
His whole argument is fair enough, but not really in MS's case this time around. They did have a PR disaster, so it's up to them to get their staff prepared and provide answers. And not just a bunch of "we're listening" "answers are coming!" while at the same time censoring comments, and cancelling a large part of their interaction with the press at the biggest VG show of the year.
PanicFreak
Member
I think they have come to the conclusion that they will wait for Sony's bad news to start rolling in. They are getting hammered for things that will probably be in both consoles and they know that the press are going to ask questions. It will look better from their perspective if it's Sony's executives stammering instead of their own.
This is a gamble they are taking. If Sony get's on stage and says "NO DRM!" then it will backfire.
When you are inevitably given a vague answer or a "not talking about that" line, don't just dutifully write it down, FOLLOW UP.
Say something like:
"Our readers are very upset about these issues and they will not be satisfied by these answers. Do you understand that failing to provide details lets people imagine the worst possible scenarios?"
Get them on the record about this stuff. Make them uncomfortable if you have to. Make them state, in the affirmative, that they understand the damage they are doing.
Say something like:
"Our readers are very upset about these issues and they will not be satisfied by these answers. Do you understand that failing to provide details lets people imagine the worst possible scenarios?"
Get them on the record about this stuff. Make them uncomfortable if you have to. Make them state, in the affirmative, that they understand the damage they are doing.
sometimes i game
Member
Yep. PR firms agree to aim for coverage in certain sites/magazines/shows, set up profiles and briefing books of what to expect from reports, etc. Standard fare.
PanicFreak
Member
Silly.Mikey
Banned
Why is it then that when Sony doesn't provide answers people don't imagine the worst possible scenario?
Start a new thread if you want to discuss a different issue.
Microsoft is in between a rock and a hard place. The execs are gonna get asked hard questions about the specifics of their DRM implementation, the power gap between PS4/Xbone, downclocking rumors, Kinect privacy issues, you name it.
From there the interview goes one of three ways:
1) They'll most likely spin their responses with stuff like "power of the cloud" or silly quotes like "if you're backwards compatible you're backwards!" and get shit on and laughed at.
2) On the slim chance that they do happen to answer honestly it'll backfire with headlines like "Microsoft exec admits PS4 more powerful".
3) And if they don't answer a question they'll get flack from the "details TBA lolol" crowd.
The only way to avoid the inevitable shitstorm is by either not saying anything at all or being more selective about which exec does the talking and who they talk to.
From there the interview goes one of three ways:
1) They'll most likely spin their responses with stuff like "power of the cloud" or silly quotes like "if you're backwards compatible you're backwards!" and get shit on and laughed at.
2) On the slim chance that they do happen to answer honestly it'll backfire with headlines like "Microsoft exec admits PS4 more powerful".
3) And if they don't answer a question they'll get flack from the "details TBA lolol" crowd.
The only way to avoid the inevitable shitstorm is by either not saying anything at all or being more selective about which exec does the talking and who they talk to.
Rogue_Ledr
Banned
They have provided answers.
They just haven't explicitly defined every aspect of those answers and this has led to Xbone fans imagining worst case scenarios for them.
Karak
Member
Me either but every single big tech company does that actually.
REMEMBER CITADEL
Banned
In a way, it's both amazing and sad that this is a 17 page thread. Something like this would be unimaginable just several years ago, since the general public wouldn't even be privy to this information. Gaming blogs, Twitter, Pastebin and other similar outlets, GAF included, changed the game entirely and made everything more transparent. That's certainly a good thing - in theory. On the other hand, Pachter, Jaffe, Gerstmann and others are completely right; most gamers don't really understand jack shit about this industry and how it functions, and this wealth of information that is suddenly available to us leads to misunderstanding, overreaction, bickering, fanboy warfare and formation of crackpot theories more often than not. I honestly can't tell if we're better or worse off in this brave new information-laden world.
Incredible the amount of "Bad Will" that MS made for itself with the Xbone. The slightest thing, even if seemingly trite will have people release the dogs of war upon them. This is some of the biggest backlash I've seen in, well forever against a console company. Much more brutal than the Sega group that conducted guerrilla tactics against Sony for "killing off Sega" even lol.
Silly.Mikey
Banned
Made by itself + a forum that is mostly pro-Sony = this is what you get. Yes some stuff does deserve backlash but the amount of MS hate and name calling on this forum is insane.
better.