Editorial RPG Codex Editorial: Games Journalism Scandal

[Machocruz]

A glimpse into Master Chief's struggles in war. edit:nsfw

Spoiler

 

[skuphundaku]

A glimpse into Master Chief's struggles in war. edit:nsfw

Spoiler

Those two marines are crossing swords right there... just sayin', if the HALO fan fiction hasn't creeped you up before that.

 

[felipepepe]

Those two marines are crossing swords right there... just sayin', if the HALO fan fiction hasn't creeped you up before that.

It's pure gay sex, but they are pretending there's a woman there, so it's ok?

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

"People made homeless by Hurricane Sandy with at least a toddler's understanding of integrity send their condolences to all those affected by this latest, terrible, heart-rending games scandal glimpse into the great empty void in the heart of their own souls."

Fixed it.

 

[Murk]

I uhh... People are flat out saying they deserve bribes, and that the bribes do not influence them.

I feel... I feel like I'm talking to a woman who has been beaten to near death, is missing teeth, is covered in bruises turning purple and yellow, and with one eye that can't open; she is pregnant with a stillborn child from the physical trauma, that she is still unaware of, and she tells me, "No! You do not understand! He just loves me too much! He is very passionate, so when he thinks I am not faithful, he loses control! But you see, he only does it because he cares about me!"

Yes... truly, the people who were already apologist fanboys that are now being given free items, services, and god knows what else while simultaneously elevated to a new alpha-nerd like level to their peers... they are incorruptible.

 

[Jaesun]

http://updates.kotaku.com/post/34775753950/how-it-feels-to-review-halo-4-on-microsofts-turf

 

[Brother None]

http://updates.kotaku.com/post/34775753950/how-it-feels-to-review-halo-4-on-microsofts-turf

Well, I'm glad to see she herself sees no problem with it. After all, it's her opinion on whether she's being influence or not that matters, she's the most reliable source, after all!

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

http://updates.kotaku.com/post/34775753950/how-it-feels-to-review-halo-4-on-microsofts-turf

Well, I'm glad to see she herself sees no problem with it. After all, it's her opinion on whether she's being influence or not that matters, she's the most reliable source, after all!

Yes, I'm glad that game journalists will take the lessons of this fiasco to heart and make sure that in every review they very clearly tell us they weren't influenced by stuff.

 

[Murk]

Worked for Nixon, didn't it?

 

[Brother None]

http://updates.kotaku.com/post/34775753950/how-it-feels-to-review-halo-4-on-microsofts-turf

Well, I'm glad to see she herself sees no problem with it. After all, it's her opinion on whether she's being influence or not that matters, she's the most reliable source, after all!

Yes, I'm glad that game journalists will take the lessons of this fiasco to heart and make sure that in every review they very clearly tell us they weren't influenced by stuff.

Exactly.

I should mail Bethesda and ask them if they're interested in sending me swag so I can do a series of editorials for NMA to explain why all this swag doesn't influence me.

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

Also, from that article (http://updates.kotaku.com/post/34775753950/how-it-feels-to-review-halo-4-on-microsofts-turf ):

So we played multiplayer mainly with a bunch of 343’s developers, so you can imagine the difficulty curve was a bit weighted. The next day, however, was an all-day War Games day with a balance of both developers and writers.

We hooted and howled at each other as we killed or were killed. LAN parties are the best multiplayer experiences, because you can see and feel people’s enthusiasm and emotions while playing side-by-side with them. I giggled and shouted taunts and cursed more than my parents would tolerate. I have yet to sit down with the multiplayer since then, but I imagine it will be an experience my other rounds of multiplayer will have difficulty living up to.

No way a super-fun LAN party with the developers could possibly influence her.

 

[Jaesun]

The entire environment is designed to sway you. Imagine if they wrote their review, at home while having never visited there.

 

[Gondolin]

It's amusing that journalists who call gamers "entitled" also feel entitled to their free drinks, free food and free entertainment.

 

[Jaesun]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/1/3587268/did-intent-media-square-enix-use-hitman-to-bury-a-secret

Additionally, earlier this year Square Enix and Intent Media forged a partnership to promote Hitman: Absolution in MCV, (the aforementioned magazine for the videogame industry.)The Hitman Sniper Challenge is a monthly competition started in July 2012 and will run until December 2012. Industry professionals are invited to download a Hitman minigame to see who will be "The UK games industry’s top assassin." It has featured every week in the magazine. The first winner in July was David Scammell who is Lauren Wainwright’s partner and whose tweets are regularly quoted in MCV . A version of the Hitman Sniper Challenge has also been made available to the public who pre-ordered the game.​

When Michael French was asked on Twitter "can you comment on what sort of work Wainwright does for Square Enix? They're listed as one of her clients." He didn’t reply. He has been curiously quiet in answering any further questions on the past week’s events. However this week’s MCV features does feature three page feature on Hitman: Absolution - written by Lauren Wainwright where she comments "It’s a triumphant return for a much-loved series with impressive visuals and cinematic story."​

 

[Grunker]

i dont understand she said she never reviewed their products she couldnt possibly be lying could she

 

[Metro]

Those two marines are crossing swords right there... just sayin', if the HALO fan fiction hasn't creeped you up before that.

It's pure gay sex, but they are pretending there's a woman there, so it's ok?

Two girls and a guy = congratulations you had a menage a trois. Two guys and a girl = you just had gay sex.

 

[Machocruz]

"It’s a triumphant return for a much-loved series with impressive visuals and cinematic story."

Fucking industry has such an inferiority complex. Get over it bitches, your popamole trash will never be Kurosawa or Star Wars. Your lucky if you achieve sub-Bay story quality on a good day..

 

[Infinitron]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/1/3587268/did-intent-media-square-enix-use-hitman-to-bury-a-secret

Additionally, earlier this year Square Enix and Intent Media forged a partnership to promote Hitman: Absolution in MCV, (the aforementioned magazine for the videogame industry.)The Hitman Sniper Challenge is a monthly competition started in July 2012 and will run until December 2012. Industry professionals are invited to download a Hitman minigame to see who will be "The UK games industry’s top assassin." It has featured every week in the magazine. The first winner in July was David Scammell who is Lauren Wainwright’s partner and whose tweets are regularly quoted in MCV . A version of the Hitman Sniper Challenge has also been made available to the public who pre-ordered the game.​

When Michael French was asked on Twitter "can you comment on what sort of work Wainwright does for Square Enix? They're listed as one of her clients." He didn’t reply. He has been curiously quiet in answering any further questions on the past week’s events. However this week’s MCV features does feature three page feature on Hitman: Absolution - written by Lauren Wainwright where she comments "It’s a triumphant return for a much-loved series with impressive visuals and cinematic story."​

You didn't quote the critical bit:

For a minute let’s take a step back. Early this year the marketing team for Square Enix had meetings in which they discussed new avenues for promoting their upcoming products. They discussed many different ideas most which were rejected. One of the ideas was to make a Square Enix news app for iOS and Android platforms. More notably discussion turned to who to promote their games to. One idea mooted was instead of promoting directly to the game-buying public they would promote their products to the people who would influence the public’s buying decisions –videogame journalists.​

Another proposed idea was sponsored evangelists / PR staff. Games writers and journalists in the industry who would be able to speak passionately about their products, speak as fans so editors would select them for reviewing Square Enix games. The outcome of these meetings has not been made public. What is known is that Square Enix hired MCV journalist Lauren Wainwright as a PR consultant. She has written a glowing review of Lara Croft Light on Incgamers.com She has written features about Square Enix games in The Sun newspaper including Hitman: Absolution. And on her personal blog she has showcased an animated fan film about Hitman: Absolution.​

It's funny. Robert Florence didn't even think Lauren Wainwright was corrupt and he ended up stumbling into something that's an even bigger deal than "DoritosGate", completely by accident.

The industry is that corrupt, that you can run into corruption without even trying.

 

[felipepepe]

One idea mooted was instead of promoting directly to the game-buying public they would promote their products to the people who would influence the public’s buying decisions –videogame journalists.

You know, at marketing school I was taught about satan how pampering "opinion leaders" is vital to word of mouth marketing; obviously just bloggers, artists, youtube celebrities and the likes are considered, because no way in hell a decent journalist would override its ethic code and risk being fired just because you gave him some gifts...

 

[Infinitron]

Obviously.

 

[almondblight]

Robert Florence ‏@robertflorence
Not surprising to see editors and deputy editors of "Official" magazines thinking "Doritosgate" is paranoia and nonsense.

Yeah, but you think he's gonna be a man and name name?

His bro John Walker:

Sorry to spoil all your conspiratorial fun, but the reason RPS hasn’t written about it is because we’re a site about games and the games industry. We’re not a site about games journalism and the journalism industry.

But I think in all the anger and conspiracy being expressed here, it’s important to note that a) if we had a problem with the subject, we’d not all be making it clear in comments that we fully support Rab; b) I wouldn’t have written about 5,000 words on the subject on my own site which I think is the more appropriate space for the discussion; and c) think about who we are – do we seem like the sorts who’d want to “hush the story up”? That just seems ludicrous.

Walker then goes on to explain why posting about a dating site for gamers is about games, but not this.

 

[Infinitron]

But they have posted about it since.

 

[DwarvenFood]

Those two marines are crossing swords right there... just sayin', if the HALO fan fiction hasn't creeped you up before that.

It's pure gay sex, but they are pretending there's a woman there, so it's ok?

Two girls and a guy = congratulations you had a menage a trois. Two guys and a girl = you just had gay sex.

What about three guys and a transparant girl ?

protip: check the picture

bonus: it's impossible to totally avoid corruption in gaming journalism

 

[felipepepe]

Those two marines are crossing swords right there... just sayin', if the HALO fan fiction hasn't creeped you up before that.

It's pure gay sex, but they are pretending there's a woman there, so it's ok?

Two girls and a guy = congratulations you had a menage a trois. Two guys and a girl = you just had gay sex.

What about three guys and a transparant girl ?

Triple gay sex while watching porn.

 

[almondblight]

"People made homeless by Hurricane Sandy send their condolences to all those affected by this latest, terrible, heart-rending games scandal."

This is the new version of that whole "entitled gamers" shit, a new retarded line of thought to discourage people thinking on their own. A gamer should not feel entitled to a game just because he payed to it... A gamer should not worry about games game journalism while people die.

Great logic there.

"How can you care so much about gaming when people are dying?"
"You're right, maybe I should donate some money to that hurricane relief fund..."
"What? No! You should go out and buy Halo 4!"