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Eidos and NewsCorp slam false buyout reports

“Absolutely no truth” in spite of alleged confirmation

25th Feb 2005

You may be aware that there has been escalating speculation on some news sites that Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp was poised to buy Eidos. The news stemmed from self-styled games industry oracle GamesIndustry.biz, which claimed that “Although the exact progress of the negotiations over Eidos' future are shrouded in secrecy, multiple UK industry sources have this morning told [us] that they believe a deal is imminent - and that Murdoch's media empire is the buyer.”

The site then went on record with a piece entitled, “Eidos insiders confirm News Corp deal is imminent.” It must be stressed that both pieces were heavily edited after going to press. The piece had insider quotes reading, "We're just really glad the News Corp thing is out in the open now. Keep an eye on it over the next week. It could happen on Thursday, it could happen on Monday - we're not sure, but there's light at the end of the tunnel now."

The site when on, “"Everyone within Eidos knows that when it gets sold, it's going to be sold as a group with a new flag on it," our source confirmed this morning. "It's not going to be broken up in the same way Criterion was."”

Amazingly, if predictably, the whole story is completely bogus. Not only that, but the author of the stories never even bothered to contact Eidos or NewsCorp. As an Eidos executive put it to SPOnG today, “We read this and were astounded. We had no contact from the journalist who wrote the story and we are still laughing about what we read.” It would seem that Eidos especially liked the section in which the site claimed, “…tell-tale signs at the firm's offices - specifically a hiring freeze across the company, and reports that development studios have been told to prepare presentations on each of their projects for the new owners.”

Speaking exclusively to SPOnG this afternoon, NewsCorp’s New York office sought to slam the false buyout rumours. “Okay, so whoever it was who ran this piece never called us to ask about it. Not once. I thought that’s what journalists are supposed to do. Isn’t it? Furthermore, he didn’t even call us after the event. To this day we have never had any contact. So to put a piece to press confirming such a deal amazed me and my colleagues. I’d be interested to know if the so called source for any such ‘news’ had been trading Eidos shares,” a dark and cynical shadow to cast across games news reporting.

“It’s total horseshit. We’ve been laughing about it internally for the past few days," our NewsCorp contact continued. "In fact, the funniest thing is, we’ve never held any kind of talks with Eidos. It’s so far off the mark as to be the kind of piece that leads us to believe that something is wrong in games reporting.”

Indeed, taking a cue from the self-agrandising domain name the site goes under, many other sites took its word as gospel and perpetuated the rumour without sparing a moment to consider the story's authenticity.

 

[JackFrost2012]

When UK media fights, the readers lose.

 

[john tv]

Heh. Sheesh.

Where is this story from, BTW? Link/credit/etc please!

 

[Folder]

When UK media fights, the readers lose.

When readers take as gospel the word of a site becuase it has a convincing-sounding URL, the readers lose.

 

[ferricide]

When readers take as gospel the word of a site becuase it has a convincing-sounding URL, the readers lose.

this is indeed a good point. sadly, it came from spong.

i particularly like the snipe at "self-aggrandizing" given the typical "REMEMBER WHERE YOU READ IT FIRST!" taglines on spong pieces (that often turn out to be total bullshit.)

POT KETTLE BLACK, in other words. but good job in this case, it seems.

 

[Vomiaouaf]

As an Eidos executive put it to SPOnG today [...] Speaking exclusively to SPOnG this afternoon [...]

[...]self-styled games industry oracle GamesIndustry.biz[...] It must be stressed that both pieces were heavily edited after going to press[...] Amazingly, if predictably, the whole story is completely bogus [...] a dark and cynical shadow to cast across games news reporting [...] Indeed, taking a cue from the self-agrandising domain name the site goes under, many other sites took its word as gospel and perpetuated the rumour without sparing a moment to consider the story's authenticity.

And please do not try to endorse the role of the white and pure knight battling against misinformation, because the whole aura surrounding your website is enough to negate any credible effort in this direction.

EDIT : not saying GI.biz is not crap by the way... That's not my point.

 

[IgeL]

GI.biz now has a denial story too.

 

[Folder]

i particularly like the snipe at "self-aggrandizing" given the typical "REMEMBER WHERE YOU READ IT FIRST!" taglines on spong pieces (that often turn out to be total bullshit.).

You have a recent example?
Be interested to see.

I am missing something here?
This site claims the news is true.
It then follows up with confirmation of the news.
Then it's derided, hammered in fact, by the companies involved, both of which go on record to question its credibility in the stongest terms.

And you want to talk about SPOnG?

Um, okay, works for me.

 

[Funky Papa]

You know, I've trolled spong in the past and I've enjoyed every second of it, but then Folder came here and asked people for another chance, saying that he had improved the whole stance. Guess what? Nobody gave a shit, yet he managed to pull some important exclusives (stained by their lack of professionalism, but that's another thing) that people ignored. It is good to see the haters getting some boiled crow.

Now, if we could only get a RE4 for Xbox announcement... that would be beautiful

 

[Ghost]

i'd give up if i was you folder, multiple people (including myself) have been pointing out GI.biz is a steaming pile of embellishment and lies for months/years, it wont stick.

 

[Folder]

i'd give up if i was you folder, multiple people (including myself) have been pointing out GI.biz is a steaming pile of embellishment and lies for months/years, it wont stick.

I know! It just really bothers me.
We're called gamesindustry.biz and we write a bit like The Times.
Instant credibility. Glad you and others have noticed.
It's a shame as one of the guys who works there is avallued friend of mine and I feel bad slating them. Sometimes...

 

[Mr Mike]

gamesindustry.biz is a heap of shit, agreed. From my experience they're the laziest bunch of 'games jounalists' around.

 

[Rhindle]

i'd give up if i was you folder, multiple people (including myself) have been pointing out GI.biz is a steaming pile of embellishment and lies for months/years, it wont stick.

Yeah, I've tried that as well. But everytime one poster around here finally realizes they're making an ass out of themselves by posting gi.biz "stories", three more ninnies jump in and start posting that crap.

 

[Folder]

Yeah, I've tried that as well. But everytime one poster around here finally realizes they're making an ass out of themselves by posting gi.biz "stories", three more ninnies jump in and start posting that crap.

LOL @ 'ninnies'

Reminds me of my grandmother!

 

[ferricide]

You have a recent example?
Be interested to see.

well, i stopped reading spong. it has a bad personality. including this story. so smarmy.

I am missing something here?
This site claims the news is true.
It then follows up with confirmation of the news.
Then it's derided, hammered in fact, by the companies involved, both of which go on record to question its credibility in the stongest terms.

i said -- good work in pointing it out. i appreciate the effort, and the service to readers, to point out the real lack of validity to a story like this. but what more do you want, a fucking cookie?

 

[gofreak]

Gloating at the missteps of a rival is classless. Moreover, it's just hiliarious coming from a site with a history such as Spong's :lol

edit - also some of those quotes are so firmly supportive of Spong's agenda as to be suspicious...someone should double check these quotes with NewsCorp Why are all these "sources" nameless?

 

[Folder]

I do want a cookie!
Perhaps also a more original, less tiresome forum community too.
SPOnG blah, blah...
SPOnG is a website.
I am me.
The two things are different.

 

[Folder]

Why are all these "sources" nameless?

NewsCorp was Andrew Butcher, head of comms in the New York office.
Eidos spokesperson under anonymity given current situation of firm.
You really are tedious, nobody, know-nothing clown.

 

[Mike Works]

I do want a cookie!
Perhaps also a more original, less tiresome forum community too.
SPOnG blah, blah...
SPOnG is a website.
I am me.
The two things are different.

If you're going to continually complain about people bringing up Spong whenever you post in a thread regarding the credibility of a videogame website's news reporting, I'll just do us both a favor and get rid of your account now, because it's not going to stop.

 

[Folder]

If you're going to continually complain about people bringing up Spong whenever you post in a thread regarding the credibility of a videogame website's news reporting, I'll just do us both a favor and get rid of your account now, because it's not going to stop.

The ever-constructive mob culture of GAF at it's finest Mike...

 

[ferricide]

SPOnG is a website.
I am me.
The two things are different.

true, but you are both quickly tiresome.

heeeeeere we go, from the VF thread:

Wow.
You could write press releases for Sega Sammy Holdings.
As official a line as you could get.
Eighty thousand miles East of the truth though!

it's posts like this that prove what an annoying twat you are. maybe you don't realize how you come off, but your smug, know-it-all smarminess is why i dislike you. not your affiliation with spong.

 

[Folder]

You come into this thread and say.

this is indeed a good point. sadly, it came from spong.

i particularly like the snipe at "self-aggrandizing" given the typical "REMEMBER WHERE YOU READ IT FIRST!" taglines on spong pieces (that often turn out to be total bullshit.)

POT KETTLE BLACK, in other words. but good job in this case, it seems.

Then you say

well, i stopped reading spong. it has a bad personality. including this story. so smarmy.


i said -- good work in pointing it out. i appreciate the effort, and the service to readers, to point out the real lack of validity to a story like this. but what more do you want, a fucking cookie?

Then you say

true, but you are both quickly tiresome.

heeeeeere we go, from the VF thread:

it's posts like this that prove what an annoying twat you are. maybe you don't realize how you come off, but your smug, know-it-all smarminess is why i dislike you. not your affiliation with spong.

So you had nothing at all to say about the topic. You came in to attack me.
Um, who wins by you doing this? Certainly not constructive gaming debate.

You seem to be a bitter little boy with very little to actually say.

 

[gofreak]

You really are tedious, nobody, know-nothing clown.

Like I said: classless. You have no idea who I am

 

[Odnetnin]

true, but you are both quickly tiresome.
.

IAWTP. I don't think you realise it but Folder your posting style is smug and annoying. What's the word for it? Excuse me if I use something you/spong used "self-agrandising"

self-agrandising domain name the site goes under, many other sites took its word as gospel and perpetuated the rumour without sparing a moment to consider the story's authenticity

I personally don't care if Murdoch buys Ubisoft or not. They have not that many games I care for.

 

[lexi]

Like I said: classless. You have no idea who I am

Batman?!

 

[gofreak]

Batman?!

Ding ding ding!

 

[Jotaro]

Folder, I have a british buddy, and he seems to write and act the same way you do. Funny thing is, I help him translating french into english, and with his grammar. And he has a translation major.

Silly cocky brits, drinking too much booze.

 

[Folder]

I personally don't care if Murdoch buys Ubisoft or not. They have not that many games I care for.

So your reason for posting in a thread about exactly that is...?

I love this place.
I'm off for a wank which I intend to dedicate to all of you.
Night!

 

[ironichaos]

Eidos? Maybe, but they really want Activision.

 

[DarienA]

IAWTP. I don't think you realise it but Folder your posting style is smug and annoying. What's the word for it? Excuse me if I use something you/spong used "self-agrandising"

Winnah!