Slashdot Mirror
Game Site Space For $$
Wagner James Au writes "Thought y'all would be interested in part two of my 'Preview Ho' series for Kotaku -- in it, a media buyer tells me how Gamespot and Gamespy sells editorial space on their sites to big publishers for thousands of dollars. In other words, the games you see on the front pages of those sites are often there because publishers paid for that privilege. In their defense, Gamespy's Vice President of Content Publishing tells me the practice is 'pretty common both in print and online'." Nothing surprising here, but it's interesting to see it laid out like this.
If you can't turn to the 'Gamestop Times' for unbiased game reporting who can you trust? I mean, do yehrjkafl;sndfkldsn v
fg'dafgd;lsgkfjdgklfdsgfdbvf
Thought y'all would be interested in part two of my 'Preview Ho' series for Kotaku
No, I'm not.
Trolling is a art,
I've heard that you can even buy editorial space on a website called slashdot. Pot, meet kettle.
This guy's the limit!
Just because it's standard practice doesn't make it a good thing. I think it takes away credibility from the site when things like this happen. Just like the lovely AMD vendor section here.
Apparently, if everyone else jumped off a bridge, Gamespy's Vice President of Content Publishing would too.
I read a rant by someone who works as a game reviewer that said that they have a hard time evaluating games fairly. Since a) they don't pay for their own games and b) they play so many games (2 or 3 full games per week if I remember right) it gets tough. That's why small innovations are weighted far more heavily than the acutal "Fun Factor" of a game. I review games at my own site, SkorchedEarth, it's small and personal. Sites like these are the reviews I trust, because it's more of a recommendation from a friend than a review from someone who shares a bunk with game publishers. The biggest problem with them, though, is that there aren't many games reviewed (because I'm super-broke), especially not obscure ones, and it takes a while to publish them (since I don't get the games early, and I have to beat them on my own time). But, this gives the lesser-known reviewers a much better perspective on whether or not the game is worth your scarce time and hard-earned cash.
Obvious disclaimer: I run the site. There are no ads though, so I don't stand to gain from hits, except the joy of watching my server get slammed.
Just because whoring out editorial space is 'pretty common both in print and online' doesn't excerpt the editors from being ethically corrupt as journalists. When you sell a publication's editorial space, be it online, magazine or whatever, it's no longer editorial. It's advertorial and as such, should be clearly marked, much like those "special advertising sections" you see in Time and other mags. There's no real recourse or anything other than consumers and journalistic peers calling other publications out and holding them responsible, but really...journalism, whether you're covering world affairs or the mating habits of squirrels is a profession and as such, has ideals, ethics and rules off conduct. It's just depressing.
Road and Track gives great reviews to "Select" autos because the auto makers buy tons of add space.
:(
Hardware review sites and prints give great reviews to hardware because they get lots of free hardware and lots of cash for *other things* *cough*addspace*cough*.
I will tell you how great NewEgg.com has been because they send me all kinds of *Good Stuff*.. but damnit I have to pay for it..
the bloody games industry pays worse than the entertainment industry, and yet, makes more money on its titles than movies do link HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
Those sites don't have any reviews on them anymore anyways, prettymuch screenshots an movies of upcoming games.
I remember when those sites used to be useful!
Does anyone know of a site that still reviews games and accessories? It seems like Amazon is your best bet these days.
It most likely is because there are so many games out there these days that it would require a huge staff to review.
Nothing new here. Does anyone who's not a dumb kid, actually think that a precious magazine cover is and always was "free" to the person or product being featured on the cover? No way man. That kind of exposure is way too valuable.
G-pinions and other similar non-commercial (not yet at least) game review sites tend to provide quality info on games with less fat.
http://www.g-pinions.com/
...I get all my game reviews from trustworthy and unbiased sources like Official PlayStation Magazine and Nintendo Power.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
"games you see on the front pages of those sites are often there because publishers paid for that privilege"
OH PSHAW! The next thing you'll tell me is that reviewers write positive slanting reviews of games to keep the ad dollars flowing in from major publishers!
To some extent marketing costs plays a role in the visibility of a game but really good games, and I mean really really good games such as World of Warcraft just sell themselves....Right? I know good "indie" movies sell themselves that way see "the blair witch project". Or are there just to many titles out there that we can't see the forest for the trees?
...what matters is what you like, not what you are like...
Google Adspace for $$$
Newpaper Adspace for $$$
Billboard Adspace for $$$
But seriously, it's just common business practice. Is it that 'suprising'?
Guess that makes it just that much harder for the Independant and small studios, what few are left
Its all part of the IGN monopoly. Even beta testing games now requires a FilePlanet or 3dGamers account. Very frustrating. It is difficult to tell what games are good, but its easy to tell which games have publishers with deep pockets. Nick D http://www.filenuts.com/
Like Ebaums World? You'll love Shizzville
"Now is the time for the blogs, the fervent fan sites and news aggregators to step up. The game blogs and alternate videogame news sources should do everything possible to keep this story alive while maintaining their own integrity. If these compromise stories are distasteful to their core alternative videogame readership, then they should become a focal point for change. These guys should do everything possible to keep this story rolling, because they provide alternatives that aren't wholly supported by the game makers themselves."
RichM
Data Center Knowledge