Company News How to make friends and influence previews

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

From the whoreses mouth, so to speak.

Heh, also:

Some fans of Bethesda Softworks' last blockbuster, Oblivion, still stake out the company's front parking lot, hoping to chat up employees and score their autographs.

Those poor bastards. Can we deprogram them somehow?

I wonder what they would do if a group of us stood outside with RPG CODEX or I REALLY LOVE OBLIVION banners.

 

[kris]

How 'bout we convince them that if they make a free Bethesda Codex Party, we'll stop complaining?

I'd be in for that. Free trip, fire some AK47's and whatever the other shit they want to do is. Who cares. I'd come back and make a huge arse article about how awesome Fallout 3 is too.

Hell, I'm sure that in such a position, more than half of the Codexers who whine about magazine cocksuckery would do the same.

It had to be said. Final score will be determined by the performance of the whore.

Although I would still come here and whine. Under another name.

 

[vrok]

This isn't news, it's olds. That's why I never read whorespy and it's cousins, and also why I (p)review all interesting games myself before I buy (or trash) them.

If doing the right thing is what makes these fucks tick, I never want to be right again.

 

[Koby]

Nothing new here. Happens in all entertainment media, not only in games. Wake up, people.

Such as?

 

[Koby]

Uncle Pete knows what gaming journalists crave, and I don't mean that as a joke.

 

[Section8]

He's got electrolytes!

 

[Bradylama]

I wonder if Idiocracy is ever going to be a played out meme on this website.

 

[Zomg]

At least you guys still make the effort to rationalize, I guess.

 

[deadairis]

Honestly, don't any of you work or know anyone who works in an industry with travel? Traveling for work sucks. Your host usually buys you dinner -- regardless of the industry. If not, you expense it. It doesn't matter to you. The "afterparty" is exactly what the smarter of you have mentioned -- a bunch of gaming nerds. Maybe, if it's in a public place like a club, a bunch of gaming nerds and a bunch of miffed club patrons.

It's not exactly the most disagreeable thing to do on the job either, is it? Alcoholic drinks, going to dinner every few hours, a place to stay in central DC... I'm sure the 'events' do not last all day. You have time off and can go do whatever you want, visit friends, visit museums, go to a concert, if you're a foreigner do some tax-free shopping for yourself/family/acquaintances. You can probably skip the dinners/'party' if you want to and just go to the presentation and pick up the literature.

Ah, I hadn't even thought of that.
no, usually you don't have any extra time. Usually, you have time for the events. The after-event drinks are usually "optional;" they're great times to get to speak in person with other people in the industry you don't see in person very often, important for the same reasons they're important anywhere: relationships matter.
I would say travel isn't the most disagreeable thing to do on the job, having cut apricots to be dried, worked retail, and worked retail. There are worse jobs, with worse things, no question. But travel, with rare exceptions, sucks. You usually see the skyline, and that's about it.

Lots of people wouldn't mind that. If you really dislike paid holidays around the world I'm sure you could tell your boss and he'd send another journalist or even a trainee... it's not like you need uber-skills to sit through a Pete Hines lecture and copy/paste a press report.

Have you ever turned one of these invitations down?

I got out of going to the Fallout one. I think I've spent, thanks to pre-3, half, maybe a quarter, of the last 2 months at home. It stinks.
And, for an event like this -- our first look at a major (sorry guys, it is) title, you do actually want to send someone you can rely on. You're not going to have the dev to bother once you leave; you don't get to ask anymore questions; you don't get to bring a build home.
I mean, I appreciate the pot shot at game journalism, but you realize there's a difference between previews not being what you want from them and them being badly done, right?
Your arguement for sending a trainee could as easily apply to, say, a Presidential briefing.

Some junkets probably go too far, but this was a cross-country flight, a day in a theater, dinner, drinks, and a cramped flight home. Glad I got to stay home and see my dog and fiancee instead.

A cramped flight? Which airline, and what price was the ticket? Were you supposed to go?

Usually United, the prices are the lowest that GameSpy's travel agency can muster, and recently, let's see...cross country once, cross state about four times, and to Canada once recently. Going to LA for E3 soon, then Seattle for Blizzcon, maybe go to Gencon, Tokyo for TGS, Leipzeig for Games Convention, and probably a few trips in between those things for studio visits and events.
Economy is the way of work travel, and that's cramped. It was cramped when I was a teenager; it's not any better now.

 

[Bradylama]

I'm really finding it hard to feel sorry for you guys having to fly economy class, nor do I find it easy to believe that flying economy is going to affect your opinion all other things considered.

If you're trying to say that you'd be spiteful over an airplane seat, then I dunno what to say.

 

[deadairis]

I'm really finding it hard to feel sorry for you guys having to fly economy class, nor do I find it easy to believe that flying economy is going to affect your opinion all other things considered.

If you're trying to say that you'd be spiteful over an airplane seat, then I dunno what to say.

Yeah, I wouldn't say that, so we're good.
I will reiterate: work travel sucks.
I didn't ask to be felt sorry for. I didn't say that the class of flight used affects opinion.
My point is, the travel itself -- trip, food, socalizing -- doesn't usually affect opinion. It's work. You do it when you have to or when you're interested enough in a game that you step up to do it. If the publisher isn't paying your employer is, so who cares who provides the trip?
And if you write something scathing? A nasty preview or a 2 star review?
You still get invited. Sorry to dispell that apple/lash myth. Sure, EA grimaces when I cover Burnout now -- I reamed the last one from the previews to the review. But they still invite me to see all their stuff, and I'll probably be the EA pointman for GS console during E3.

 

[robur]

Honestly, don't any of you work or know anyone who works in an industry with travel? Traveling for work sucks. Your host usually buys you dinner -- regardless of the industry. If not, you expense it. It doesn't matter to you. The "afterparty" is exactly what the smarter of you have mentioned -- a bunch of gaming nerds. Maybe, if it's in a public place like a club, a bunch of gaming nerds and a bunch of miffed club patrons.

It's not exactly the most disagreeable thing to do on the job either, is it? Alcoholic drinks, going to dinner every few hours, a place to stay in central DC... I'm sure the 'events' do not last all day. You have time off and can go do whatever you want, visit friends, visit museums, go to a concert, if you're a foreigner do some tax-free shopping for yourself/family/acquaintances. You can probably skip the dinners/'party' if you want to and just go to the presentation and pick up the literature.

Allow me to answer for Patrick in saying: you, my friend, are clearly clueless. Take that Bethesda event - arrived at 11pm, no more dinner (one cookie left, check out Mike's description over at Kotaku), next morning to Bethesda straight away, been there until 5pm, back to the hotel, back out for dinner, bussing over to the party place where I most of the time listened to their not really bad 80s cover band, back at the hotel around 2am, trying to get a group going to walk to some sights - see, I took your advice -, wouldn't happen though, to be around 4am, up at 9am to catch flight back to the West Coast. Yeah. Museums my ass. EDIT: Tax free shopping? When's the last time you did fly? Tax free shopping only takes place if you go international. I'm usually happy to catch my flight with traffic and "airport security".

If you really dislike paid holidays around the world I'm sure you could tell your boss and he'd send another journalist or even a trainee... it's not like you need uber-skills to sit through a Pete Hines lecture and copy/paste a press report.

Part of me being the US correspondent of several German and English publishers means that I can't really do that - because that's why I'm here. I am entitled to my own opinion, however, that sometimes all the flying can get a bit too much. You're either envious or have no idea what you're talking about mocking that. Maybe both.

Have you ever turned one of these invitations down?

Many times, when I was still editor at PC Player and Video Games. The young writers always love those trips. After a few years, they would understand and cherish the fact of sleeping in one's own bed.

 

[robur]

Oh, and naivite, arrogance and fanatism combined don't fare well. They just isolate.

How arrogant not to think the world is a perfect big party and that these parties are not used to bribe journalists. It's really something we never heard of in newspapers.

Honest journalists would not put themselves in a situation like this because they have a reputation of impartiality to maintain. But we can't say that the group of degenerates who ran away from school and are now writing for game sites are journalists can we?

I'm not going to lower myself down to your level. I just have one question for you: I have a Master in Mechanical Engineering, Machine and Energy Technology, got an A for my final thesis. What can you show that allows you to make statements like the above?

So honest journalists sit at home and play Fallout 1 and 2 all day, moaning and bitching about the old times and refusing to go see new games that are amazingly enough still being made, forfeiting their chance of talking to developers and giving them input on what they're thinking about it?

Bitterness - you're wasting your life with it.

 

[robur]

I'm really finding it hard to feel sorry for you guys having to fly economy class, nor do I find it easy to believe that flying economy is going to affect your opinion all other things considered.

If you're trying to say that you'd be spiteful over an airplane seat, then I dunno what to say.

Nice to see how our words are twisted. You guys are all gushing and like "ohh, flying, it's so fucking great." We reply: well, maybe in the movies. You: "ohh, you're so jaded and spoilt." I'd love to see a thread where you guys all state your age and profession. That would be very enlightening, I guess.

 

[robur]

Nothing new here. Happens in all entertainment media, not only in games. Wake up, people.

Such as?

Movies. Media get carried to Beverly Hills hotels, have interviews with the stars by the pools. Get carried to movie sets. Get carried to exclusive screenings, The Rock @ Alcatraz comes to mind.

Cars. Media get carried to car shows, car premieres. Lexus flew US journalists to Germany so they could put the pedal to the metal on the Autobahn.

Travel. Media gets invited to new resorts, cruise ships, yadda yadda.

Come on. Your question was rhetoric, wasn't it? Leave that basement every now and then.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

I'm not going to lower myself down to your level.

Wait for it....

I just have one question for you: I have a Master in Mechanical Engineering, Machine and Energy Technology, got an A for my final thesis.

That's wonderful. I'm happy for you and realize those are some pretty nice achievements. Thing is....boasting about one's achievements to prove an argument is silly. Sure, you have a great background in Engineering and taechnology and probably are a very smart person. Thing is, just because you are smart doesn't mean you know shit about games, journalism, or have good taste at all.
And it also begs a question....why the bloody hell are you working in such a shitty industry? Last time I checked engineers get paid quite a hefty sum and probably wouldn't have the time, or the inclination, for a part time job.

What can you show that allows you to make statements like the above?

You've just opened up what is effectively Pandora's Box on the internet.

So honest journalists sit at home and play Fallout 1 and 2 all day, moaning and bitching about the old times and refusing to go see new games that are amazingly enough still being made, forfeiting their chance of talking to developers and giving them input on what they're thinking about it?

And now you've just made one hell of a straw man.

Bitterness - you're wasting your life with it.

People who were bitter and didn't like the direction things were going often made quite an impact in history. Granted, this is just video games....but still.

Nice to see how our words are twisted.

Sucks doesn't it? Welcome to the public spotlight where everything you say can and most certainly will be used against you. Hence why a lot of authority figures love "No comment" or other such lines to abstain from speaking and to remain as

You guys are all gushing and like "ohh, flying, it's so fucking great." We reply: well, maybe in the movies. You: "ohh, you're so jaded and spoilt."

I'm sure travelling around, going from place to place, covering videogames and getting some decent arrangements is pretty damn good. Chances are, you're are just as jaded about it as we are about the game industry. But make no mistake, a travelling correspondant has a much more comfy job than hundreds of thousands of other people who do uncomfortable jobs with jack shit for perks and jack shit for pay. So yeah...it is that fucking great.

I'd love to see a thread where you guys all state your age and profession. That would be very enlightening, I guess.

First off....this is a forum about RPG gaming, whether you be a brilliant doctor of economics, a neurosurgeon, a United States Supreme Court Justice, or the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, your "real-life" credentials hardly matter...it's how you argue your position and back it up with facts.

And second off....you never gain a thing from posting personal information on the internet....you only lose.

Come on. Your question was rhetoric, wasn't it? Leave that basement every now and then.

I thought you weren't going to " lower [your]self down to [his] level"?

 

[Grafo]

I'd love to see a thread where you guys all state your age and profession. That would be very enlightening, I guess.

Yeah because to have a valid point you need to be a "professional" game journalist who has a Master in Mechanical Engineering, Machine and Energy Technology and got an A for his final thesis.

Putting those assets to good use sucking developer cock.

 

[deadairis]

I'm sure travelling around, going from place to place, covering videogames and getting some decent arrangements is pretty damn good. Chances are, you're are just as jaded about it as we are about the game industry. But make no mistake, a travelling correspondant has a much more comfy job than hundreds of thousands of other people who do uncomfortable jobs with jack shit for perks and jack shit for pay. So yeah...it is that fucking great.

So...oh, hang on.
Okay, so, his points are invalidated because he's jaded?
As jaded as this community is?
So...your points are invalidated as well, right?
So, you're going to start being happy, like the hundreds of thousands of people who liked Oblivion?
No?
Ah, I guess being jaded doesn't mean your opinion doesn't count. Or maybe it just means other people's opinions don't count?

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

So...oh, hang on.
Okay, so, his points are invalidated because he's jaded?

No, but hypothetically speaking if he was jaded he might not realize how good he has got it. So his opinion of the job would be significantly altered.

As jaded as this community is?
So...your points are invalidated as well, right?

You sure love to deal in absolutes, don't you? Nowhere did I say that jaded equates to total loss of opinion validation.

Ah, I guess being jaded doesn't mean your opinion doesn't count. Or maybe it just means other people's opinions don't count?

No. It merely means that when someone is jaded they might not have the best picture of certain things, in certain circumstances. I think a reality check that being a journalistic correspondant is a pretty good job to somebody who thinks it isn't is far different from a bunch of people who are disappointed in the "mainstreaming" of the favorite genre.

Of course I don't take everything and extrapolate it onto every scenario and deal only in absolutes....so what do I know.....

 

[Araanor]

Oh, bitterness and cynicism is only the start of it. Though I'm glad to see some authentic game journos around to give your view of things. We see so much stupidity, shallowness and disingenuity from gaming sites/rags so it's easy to see any newsbit like this in the worst possible way. (Regardless, the publishers still hold the gaming media by the balls.)

 

[robur]

That's wonderful. I'm happy for you and realize those are some pretty nice achievements. Thing is....boasting about one's achievements to prove an argument is silly.

Beg your pardon? I didn't say that to prove an argument. I said it to this one:

But we can't say that the group of degenerates who ran away from school and are now writing for game sites are journalists can we?

In other words: duh, I didn't run away from school, I even finished it. If the "degenerate" sentence wasn't meant seriously, I wonder what is actually.

Thing is, just because you are smart doesn't mean you know shit about games, journalism, or have good taste at all.

Did I say that? Anywhere?

And it also begs a question....why the bloody hell are you working in such a shitty industry? Last time I checked engineers get paid quite a hefty sum and probably wouldn't have the time, or the inclination, for a part time job.

Good question. Maybe passion? Loving to write since I was a kid? Playing video games since the VCS days? Combing one passion (video games) with another one (writing)? If at all, it shows that I'm not in for money or perks. Engineers, like you said, do make more money after all.

What can you show that allows you to make statements like the above?

You've just opened up what is effectively Pandora's Box on the internet.

Not really. Being called a degenerate who is ran away from school is an insult. The least the poster could do is to show that he can call those names because he did not run away from school.

Bitterness - you're wasting your life with it.

People who were bitter and didn't like the direction things were going often made quite an impact in history. Granted, this is just video games....but still.

People who were optimistic that change could be done often made an impact in history. Bitter people, well, do bitter things.

Nice to see how our words are twisted.

Sucks doesn't it? Welcome to the public spotlight where everything you say can and most certainly will be used against you. Hence why a lot of authority figures love "No comment" or other such lines to abstain from speaking and to remain as

Well, my learning is: Retreat from the spotlight. Because there's no way that meaningful conversations can be done. And honesty, e.g. sharing personal info, never pays. Guess I've been to naive here.

But make no mistake, a travelling correspondant has a much more comfy job than hundreds of thousands of other people who do uncomfortable jobs with jack shit for perks and jack shit for pay. So yeah...it is that fucking great.

Well, working seven days a week and missing another BBQ/beach thingie with friends on 4th of July is a great perk. I agree.

First off....this is a forum about RPG gaming, whether you be a brilliant doctor of economics, a neurosurgeon, a United States Supreme Court Justice, or the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, your "real-life" credentials hardly matter...it's how you argue your position and back it up with facts.

Thank you. Then calling people "degenerates who ran away from school" is brillant argueing and facts backing?

 

[deadairis]

So...oh, hang on.
Okay, so, his points are invalidated because he's jaded?

No, but hypothetically speaking if he was jaded he might not realize how good he has got it. So his opinion of the job would be significantly altered.

As jaded as this community is?
So...your points are invalidated as well, right?

You sure love to deal in absolutes, don't you? Nowhere did I say that jaded equates to total loss of opinion validation.

No, but his opinion of the job would be "significantly altered." So, why aren't your opinions "significantly altered?"
Note you didn't say "Might be" significantly altered; you sould "would" be. 100%. Absolute.
So, who was it who loves absolutes again?
And explain to me how his being jaded would "significantly alter" his opinion, but your being jaded doesn't -- when it seems like your opinion is way outside the norm of the greater community?

Edit: And if you didn't mean would, but meant "might," well, let's add that to the long list of those darn technicalities. It's hard to write exactly what you mean, as opposed to write whatever you want and hope people get it, isn't it?

 

[Amasius]

Then calling people "degenerates who ran away from school" is brillant argueing and facts backing?

Hey robur, I can understand why you feel insulted and while I don't have a high opinion of gaming journalists in general your old Planescape review you linked to in the other thread was pretty good. One can't lump all gaming journos together but do you (or deadairis for the matter) wonder why some people here also feel insulted by Allen Rauschs Fallout fans are "loathsome human beings, who I hope really get a horrible disease and die." ?

 

[deadairis]

Then calling people "degenerates who ran away from school" is brillant argueing and facts backing?

Hey robur, I can understand why you feel insulted and while I don't have a high opinion of gaming journalists in general your old Planescape review you linked to in the other thread was pretty good. One can't lump all gaming journos together but do you (or deadairis for the matter) wonder why some people here also feel insulted by Allen Rauschs Fallout fans are "loathsome human beings, who I hope really get a horrible disease and die." ?

I don't think we wonder, since we're both part of the fallout fan community.
Hell, so is Allen.
But I think that we both took it with the grain of salt indicated.
I mean, he called the community bad. The community responded by, what did I see here and elsewhere:
Calling for his sodomization with a red hot poker;
Calling for his murder; and
Calling for his children's retro-active abortion -- ie, murder.
At what point is he name calling and at what point is he making an observation that the community is responding to?

 

[Vault Dweller]

I'd love to see a thread where you guys all state your age and profession. That would be very enlightening, I guess.

Vice President, Sales & Marketing in a 500-employee company. Will be 37 in September. Was it enlightening enough for you?