It's probably not hurting their business as much as it is with the other 2 (well, maybe only Ubi, but Bethesda's management is notoriously shitty). I'd imagine if it was they'd change their tune, but it is hard to know.
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Kotaku has been blacklisted by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
It's probably not hurting their business as much as it is with the other 2 (well, maybe only Ubi, but Bethesda's management is notoriously shitty). I'd imagine if it was they'd change their tune, but it is hard to know.
TheLostBigBoss
Banned
Questions
Do you ever wake up and regret being a press sneak fuck?
Don't you think about the poor publishers and their families?
How can you be so heartless?
Kotaku does actual journalism (and goofy stuff and some clickbait, sure, but what pro game site in 2015 doesn't?) so of course they catch shit for not going along to get along.
Any game site that spends more time on talking about games that are actually out and playable than helping hype up future sales for unreleased games is doing us all a service. Keep up the good work.
Any game site that spends more time on talking about games that are actually out and playable than helping hype up future sales for unreleased games is doing us all a service. Keep up the good work.
He states in the piece how it's to inform readers who have been asking questions regarding their Ubi and Bethesda coverage, not necessarily build bridges.
Lys Skygge
Member
It's sad this is happening. I hope it doesn't force Kotaku to change because their journalism is some of the best in the industry.
Meh, I don't really sympathize with Kotaku. They've published some very, very good pieces, but are also responsible for some fo the straight up dumbest content in games media. And the whole "we only work to serve readers" argument doesn't ring true to me. I as a reader, don't necessarily operate under the assumption that I should have access to all the goings on in a company. Why would I? It's my job to look at what they produce, and decide form there if i want to buy it. If there's a studio that's secretly working on Prey 2, there's probably a lot of good reasons it's a secret (main reason being; the game might not get made). So why do i feel like I "deserve" to know that? It's really none of my business.
Games media is full of dumb shit, form both sides. Review embargoes are dumb. Pre-order incentives are dumb. Season passes are dumb. But if I was a publisher and I have media going out of their way to leak images, videos, and even company emails in effort to prove a rumor for something so early in development that it may not even come to fruition, then yeah, I'd probably say fuck them too. Doesn't hurt the publisher any, people will still buy a game when it's released, if that game is attractive.
Games media is full of dumb shit, form both sides. Review embargoes are dumb. Pre-order incentives are dumb. Season passes are dumb. But if I was a publisher and I have media going out of their way to leak images, videos, and even company emails in effort to prove a rumor for something so early in development that it may not even come to fruition, then yeah, I'd probably say fuck them too. Doesn't hurt the publisher any, people will still buy a game when it's released, if that game is attractive.
Tiger Mask
Member
AAA companies don't owe you anything. This is how legitimate journalism works. There is nothing that dictates you are entitled to press events or early copies. How could you, Kotaku, say in the same sentence that you "refuse to act as publishers' marketing arms" but complain that you don't have privileged access?
Games will release regardless, let your writing/reporting stand on it's own and not use privileged access as a crutch.
Games will release regardless, let your writing/reporting stand on it's own and not use privileged access as a crutch.
Bullshit. Publishers already have games journalists over a barrel as it is in terms of information and access, and now you want them to have even more control over their message? Why not have EA and Ubi write previews themselves at that point.
Games are not some special medium deserving of more privacy than music or movie production, or even tech products in general, where leaks are accepted as a fact of operating in an entertainment industry with anticipated product releases.
That's kind of gross; I know these are the guys that once did an article on a guy having sex on a Sonic bedspread, but this definitely seems like they were blacklisted for just doing their jobs, rather than writing up prolonged ads. This also has me annoyed because it shows how many other sites had to have caved for there to not be a black-out on Bethesda/EA.
Either way, I respect them for standing strong here. If it's actually about them leaking information, then I guess the whole "respect for standing by their work" thing gets a little less meaningful, but they are journalists. That's not entirely unexpected.
Either way, I respect them for standing strong here. If it's actually about them leaking information, then I guess the whole "respect for standing by their work" thing gets a little less meaningful, but they are journalists. That's not entirely unexpected.
You know 'real journalists' often get information from the source. Interviews, etc. Ie a political journalist would get an interview with certain political people.
And being blacklisted actually makes it harder to be a real journalist, getting facts and/or info/comments from the sources.
SliceSabre
Banned
I don't need evidence. It is my opinion that Kotaku is basically 'tabloid game journalism' and don't view this blacklisting as all that big of a deal. Have they had a few good pieces? Yeah sure I admit that.
But things like National Enquirer and the like have had good pieces but we still consider them tabloids at the end of the day.
AcademicSaucer
Member
So some of those development hell stories were at Ubisoft and Bethesda ?
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Not to mention, they didn't even burn the bridge, Ubisoft and Bethesda did. It should be them trying to repair it.
Haha, damn straight.
This.
LOL. An opinion without evidence to back it up is called an "uninformed opinion".
Dictator93
Member
2 shit-tier publishers.
OK!
GJ though kotaku for mentioning it and describing it so well.
OK!
GJ though kotaku for mentioning it and describing it so well.
And thus I ignore you.
Your definitions means the entire game media industry is either PR or tabloids
Are there any signs it's hurting Bethesda's business?
Kotaku had the vast majority of the Fallout 4 leaks, yet that game seems to be doing fine.
ROUGE_BLOCK
Member
I enjoyed the article, it raised very good points and I'm glad they are affirming their position on the matter.
Not surprised at the Ubisoft blacklist but the Bethesda one was quite a bit more insubstantial of a leak. Everyone knew they were making Fallout 4 it was no surprise that it was in development, only to confirm the development of something everyone knew was already being developed. That is a mouthful.
Not surprised at the Ubisoft blacklist but the Bethesda one was quite a bit more insubstantial of a leak. Everyone knew they were making Fallout 4 it was no surprise that it was in development, only to confirm the development of something everyone knew was already being developed. That is a mouthful.
Jeff Vader
Member
It's always been backwards when it comes to gaming. Never been sure why that is but hey thems the breaks.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
This is why I like this guy.
The majority of game "journalism" is nothing more than extra PR for these corporations. Much like mainstream media now for politics and corporations.
Keep up the good work ladies and gents.
I think it is time for Kotaku to do an article now on Bethesda and their poor performing jankfest games they keep releasing to their fans. Then openly claiming it is in our heads and only one person experienced it. Title it, "The Cost of Hype..." or something along those lines.
Screw free passes on technical quality in almost 2016 on dated as shit engines. Regardless on how subjectively fun it is. Performance has always been my pet peave in gaming. Especially when a company has or should have the resources to address this.
I still remember the "spouse-gate" stuff.
What really pisses me off is how game companies will show off new games and projects to the press, then PREVENT them from even talking about it.
That isn't how journalists are supposed to work. All these sites are under the boot-heel of games companies and their NDAs.
Embargoes of embargoes of embargos. Its fucking stupid.
Journalists aren't supposed to play nicey nice with big business. They are supposed to report to the public, all the good and all the bad, whether the big business likes it or not.
That isn't how journalists are supposed to work. All these sites are under the boot-heel of games companies and their NDAs.
Embargoes of embargoes of embargos. Its fucking stupid.
Journalists aren't supposed to play nicey nice with big business. They are supposed to report to the public, all the good and all the bad, whether the big business likes it or not.
Lol I didn't know this.
10 bucks says the comments section was filled with 'gotta go fast'
I don't think you understand how reporting works. Now obviously I don't speak for Schreier or any other Kotaku folks reading this thread; that said, getting cut off from any organization hurts everyone. It's not about free games (at least I'm hoping that's what Totilo is saying), it's about being able to get both sides of a story, to clarify something with words straight from the source.
I work in an NPR affiliate newsroom. We've gotten the silent treatment as well, and it affects our work and more importantly, it affects how our listeners hear about the news. Not having that perspective and information from someone other than the writer hurts the story.
Mushroomer25
Member
It's disappointing to see publishers decide that the best way to handle controversy is through coercion. This feels like a scare tactic, done to discourage just about anyone from moving forward with information that those companies don't want revealed. Rather than manage leaks internally, Ubisoft & Bethesda feel it'd be easier to control the story from the outside.
Kotaku isn't perfect, but they've only worked in the interest of the consumer. Hopefully this pisses enough people off.
Kotaku isn't perfect, but they've only worked in the interest of the consumer. Hopefully this pisses enough people off.
Yeah, you can see it a lot in the reactions to this piece, too. Which is fine! Nobody has to read or love Kotaku. If you prefer websites that stick to the script and don't do what we do, that's A-OK.
Pagusas
Elden Member
Game "journalism" would be far better if all outlets were blacklisted and had to actually dig in and not just be mouth pieces for marketing departments. Game publishers and developers should be WANTING to work with news outlets to get their stories ran, their product updates pushed, interviews done with the dev staff, all of that. The news outlets should have some power and clout there, using there readship as leverage for reasons to work together.
Instead the publishers have ALL of the power thanks to advertising bucks.
But at the end of the day it doesnt really matter, its reporting on entertainment products and toys, probably the lowest of all things to worry about regarding information flow.
Instead the publishers have ALL of the power thanks to advertising bucks.
But at the end of the day it doesnt really matter, its reporting on entertainment products and toys, probably the lowest of all things to worry about regarding information flow.
'Actual journalism'? As in 'broadsheet' journalism?
I think you'd be hard pressed to find any gaming publication which does 'actual journalism'. I can think of perhaps two. 'Gaming press' falls under 'enthusiast press', so it abides by slightly different rules (as in, few/no rules at all. Not like a newspaper).
Tom from EvolvePR wrote about it 6 years ago. You can blame corporate more than the PR team for blacklistings in many situations. Pretty good read.
http://www.evolve-pr.com/2009/08/13/blacklisting-it-happens-and-its-dumb/
http://www.evolve-pr.com/2009/08/13/blacklisting-it-happens-and-its-dumb/
gamechanger87
Member
EA and Ubi pretty much do. IGN likely gets first access on stuff with an understanding that they will write hype articles on it and not shit on it even if its bad. If they crap on it, they lose the access.
EatinOlives
Member
I always laugh uncontrollably when I remember that leaked email.
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
Blacklisting has to be the goddamn stupidest practice.
You go from relatively unbiased* criticism to heavily biased criticism. It's not like they're no longer going to talk about you, now whenever they do it's going to be 100% be stacked against you.
It'd be better if blacklisting wasn't a thing but it would be best if everyone just remained neutral.
*i recognize that unbasied criticism is essentially impossible
You go from relatively unbiased* criticism to heavily biased criticism. It's not like they're no longer going to talk about you, now whenever they do it's going to be 100% be stacked against you.
It'd be better if blacklisting wasn't a thing but it would be best if everyone just remained neutral.
*i recognize that unbasied criticism is essentially impossible
Fantastapotamus
Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
So is this just about leaking stuff? Seems pretty petty if that's the case.
Everytime you see an "EXCLUSIVE RE/PREVIEW" you might just want to ask the publishers themselves if you should buy their games
Everytime you see an "EXCLUSIVE RE/PREVIEW" you might just want to ask the publishers themselves if you should buy their games
Couchaddict
Member
I use to work for Ubisoft.
I will never buy a Ubisoft pc game.
I will never buy a Ubisoft pc game.
It really seems like cutting off the nose to spite the face. I can't imagine you are engendering any more respect for your secrets by giving them the silent treatment. Without a relationship worth protecting to some degree, what stops Kotaku from getting a massive info drop and publishing everything on a project you haven't announced?
Triggerhappytel
Member
EDIT - wait, is this really because Kotaku have leaked games before publishers have announced them? Is that really the reason for the blacklisting?
Their NDA's, their call
All businesses have NDA's for assorted reasons. Dont want to comply, fine. Want to not sign the NDA and complain about the NDA practice? Equally fine.
Why is this a surprise after the "Scrolls" incident?
