Some games journalists are total losers. This one guy wrote a preview about my game without even trying it! He made up a bunch of negative stuff just becuase he didn't like our publisher. His editor busted him but then when our game came out the same guy got to write the review. Guess what he gave it a bad review! What a sleeze ball. The site was 1up FYI.

Are my eyes deceiving me or has someone finally said something about the ultra shady, backdoor dealing industry of videogame "journalism". And yes I use that term loosely when publications routinely receive tons, yes tons, of free things - on top of free games - from the companies they are supposed to report on.

I know no one is going to give a shit. I've been exposing this on my blog and posting this truth in forums for a long itme and all gamers do is brush it off and continue to swoon over their favorite writers like some crazed little girl idolizing a pop star. Such is the nature of fanboyism.

The videogame "Journalism" industry has a long, long, long way to go before they achieve any sort of credibility, but they may not even care. Gamer will still love them and buy what they're selling and the "journalists" will continue to enjoy the free swag, secret previews and perks from the industry while touting some sort of laughable intregrity.

[...] An Inside Play To Sway Video Gamers [Washington Post via Game Politics] [...]

Ever since I saw a small website I worked for have roughly 8 different articles slamming Sony get turned "dark" because they "were getting noticed by Sony", I have had zero faith in whatever "journalists" in the game industry have to say. It's truly sad to see firsthand the dirty politics that go on behind the scenes for exclusives and scoops.

I always thought Journalists were supposed to be unbiased and come correct with their reviews, but that one experience has left a really sour taste in my mouth regarding game journalists.

You may run an ad for World of Warcraft over the top of an editorial bashing it to pieces.

Not if you want to continue to recieve advance review copies of a game from Blizzard. And without review copies of the game being sent to a magazine/website, that means they have to go purchase the game itself when it's available, and by the time the review comes out your a week or two behind the competition that did get review copies of a game.

Writers have no control over the advertising content of the magazine, but the game publishers/developer's PR department who aranged those ads have control over who gets review copies of a game.

I have always been sceptical of game journalists. They review the same things that advertise in their magazine/website. It just screams "Buy my opinion."

But it is nice to know that there are journalists out there who have some integrity and avoid being bought while still enjoying the benefits of being a popular journalist.

Finally something positive about game writers, it's about time.

Thanks for the mention, can we get the credit changed to the Columbus Dispatch... I know most people wouldn't care but I suspect the Columbia Dispatch mention is a typo anyway. Thank you:)