If they are guilty of anything it's maybe feeding into a 24/7 news cycle with rabid ADHD-laced authoring (same writer hates this game they loved yesterday), regurgitating content to pad the page, and I suspect some articles probably being written under the influence of booze since they can read about like my own drunken logic. They're human and they're trying to generate revenue - it's all good.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Kotaku has been blacklisted by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
If they are guilty of anything it's maybe feeding into a 24/7 news cycle with rabid ADHD-laced authoring (same writer hates this game they loved yesterday), regurgitating content to pad the page, and I suspect some articles probably being written under the influence of booze since they can read about like my own drunken logic. They're human and they're trying to generate revenue - it's all good.
We put out this article for two reasons. One is that it's a news story -- "major video game companies blacklist press outlet" is something Kotaku would likely cover no matter who the parties in question are. The other reason is that readers have been wondering why our Fallout 4 review landed so far after release, among other things.
Review copies and press junkets are irrelevant. What's more annoying is that these companies won't even respond to basic news inquiries. But we've managed just fine and will continue managing.
It's amazing reading this thread.
WickedLaharl
Member
Pennywise83
Banned
Sad, but expected. After all, the vast majority of gaming outlets is basically run by gaming companies themselves - because they have bargaining power and therefore can dictate how to run stories, previews and so on. This was pretty evident during the past generation - nowadays it less stressed but still happening. IGN, for example, seems run by a bunch of teenagers after having received Christmas presents.
By the way, I don't see how Kotaku should be guilty in reporting news. It's not Kotaku who's leaking information: it's people inside gaming companies - the problem is, therefore, in them not being able to enforce contracts to prevent leaks. When a journalist has a story to be told, he or she must be able to tell readers about that - this is true in media entertainment, because in other fields is more delicate.
By the way, I don't see how Kotaku should be guilty in reporting news. It's not Kotaku who's leaking information: it's people inside gaming companies - the problem is, therefore, in them not being able to enforce contracts to prevent leaks. When a journalist has a story to be told, he or she must be able to tell readers about that - this is true in media entertainment, because in other fields is more delicate.
Gotdatmoney
Member
There should be very little symbiotic relationship between publishers and media. The way it exists now is just to pump up hype. It why I dont take any games press seriously.
BronsonLee
Member
Jason, stop ruining things by doing your job, dammit
Kralamoonard
Member
How did you know about it? Do you work in the industry or just have sources inside of there?
That's not the point of this. Who's saying it is? The point is that if Kotaku is writing a story and they reach out for a comment, they get silence back.
Again, I ask, what is it with gamers and Publishers with game announcement secrecy? Based on lots of responses in this thread, it seems many gamers actually believe it to be a right for a publisher to announce a game when their PR deems it best like this isn't just some weird thing?
Maybe it's a holdover from the tech industry where tech products are more secret, but in the Entertainment industry games stand alone in this.
It just seems so juvenile and unnecessary for both Publishers and gamers to be concerned with us knowing a game is in development. Are we really so invested in PR Hype Culture?
Maybe it's a holdover from the tech industry where tech products are more secret, but in the Entertainment industry games stand alone in this.
It just seems so juvenile and unnecessary for both Publishers and gamers to be concerned with us knowing a game is in development. Are we really so invested in PR Hype Culture?
Gentleman Jack
Member
Nice stealth edit. 'respect.'
The fact that people keep bring up the former and focusing on that and ignoring the latter, shows the priorities of the general gaming public.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
I think this is my issue with them sometimes. What really rubbed me the wrong way is when they leaked Rare Replay like 2 hours before Microsofts E3 conference. That pretty much just screams "hey I'm a dick and need clicks", but is hidden behind the "I'm just doing my job" excuse.
80s Bad Guy
Banned
I like Kotaku a little bit more today.
All sites should be blacklisted. Let's make it equal and see who actually does the work and who cashes checks for free games.
All sites should be blacklisted. Let's make it equal and see who actually does the work and who cashes checks for free games.
I don't understand why me breaking my NDA to leak information to a writer at Kotaku is Kotaku's problem. It's my problem because I broke an NDA that I signed; Kotaku signed no such agreement with my employer.
My employer is well within their rights to "cut off" Kotaku over this, but it takes two sides to play ball in the world of entertainment media. Just as publications rely on a friendly relationship with publishers for access to information, publishers rely on friendly relationships with publications to market their products.
Felix Lighter
Member
They don't have to. The publication should then make it known that the publisher refuses to send them review copies so as reader we know who and why publications get review copies and who and why others do not. It's valuable information for consumers to know. It adds context to the reviews.
If this is about leaks, and if those leaks cost that publisher a great deal of money (lets say the debut of the game was tied in with another company, sponsor, etc and your leak fucked that up), then no one should be surprised when said publisher finally says "fuck it" and cuts off access.
It's always about the money.
In the end, the people making the products hold all the power. Hold all the keys. They could all cut off press access to anything prior to release and make their own damn streams and shows and the gaming public would move on because all they truly care about is the product while the press could only write reaction stories like Youtubers. I'm not saying its right but I'm not surprised either. If publishers were interesting in controlling everything, this what they would do. But they don't. So this tells me thia blacklisting is about money.
It's always about the money.
In the end, the people making the products hold all the power. Hold all the keys. They could all cut off press access to anything prior to release and make their own damn streams and shows and the gaming public would move on because all they truly care about is the product while the press could only write reaction stories like Youtubers. I'm not saying its right but I'm not surprised either. If publishers were interesting in controlling everything, this what they would do. But they don't. So this tells me thia blacklisting is about money.
Well, boycott NeoGAF because shit gets leaked here all the time.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
I find if oh so hilariously ironic that people are actally NOT siding with Kotaku, on NEO FUCKING GAF, of all places.
This site is a haven for truthfacts and inside leaking. It is one of the main draws, and those leaker threads bring this place to it's knees sometimes.
I swear, people are conditioned to reject things and argue just for the sake of arguing. Devils advocate syndrome is hardwired.
This site is a haven for truthfacts and inside leaking. It is one of the main draws, and those leaker threads bring this place to it's knees sometimes.
I swear, people are conditioned to reject things and argue just for the sake of arguing. Devils advocate syndrome is hardwired.
In mobile, it's a bit different. You get people who are not quite as trained as traditional publishers, so they ask if they can have a look at your stories before you publish them. We've even had one person rewrite one of our stories and ask us to publish it in replace of our version because he didn't think we captured him correctly.
This stuff is usually good for a laugh.
This stuff is usually good for a laugh.
I do some freelance work.
That is flat out false. The movie industry is ten times worse and nobody gives a shit.
And people clamor for them like ravenous animals.
Great article, really like the second-to-last paragraph as it succinctly sums up the state of the enthusiast press and why there are so few people who can actually call themselves journalists:
Kotaku definitely has its hits and misses, but when they hit they are in their own league as reporters. What's happening here is they are being punished for acting like a traditional, critical press that exists everywhere else.
Stephen Totilo said:
Kotaku definitely has its hits and misses, but when they hit they are in their own league as reporters. What's happening here is they are being punished for acting like a traditional, critical press that exists everywhere else.
Gaming blogs aren't on the same level of an entertainment weekly. Even the bigger sites aren't self sufficent enough to bite the hand that feeds them non stop and still get fed.
FrontalMonk
Banned
I was going to put in a joke here about kotaku having too many Press Sneak Fucks but my job was already done when I came in. Glad to hear that kotaku is still pushing forward despite the silent treatment from the megacorps. It's gotta make things difficult, though, and I sympathize.
Thanks for calling me an idiot, guy.
If they're not partners then why would they give Kotaku ANYTHING? Press kits? Comments on stories? Flying them out to play a game early? Free early games? They're not partners, they don't own them anything.
CAPS YELLING INSULTING PEOPLE I AM NOW RIGHT AND YOU ARE WRONG
By the way, maybe read the thread because I've made a few posts in here now. I'm not 'shit posting'.
BronsonLee
Member
Obliterator
Member
No kidding. More stuff leaks here than literally anywhere on the Internet for gaming.
If you don't like leaks your probably in the wrong place
Is it really a secret for some of this though? I think everyone expected an Assassin's Creed sequel. "Leaking" that isn't some company secret.
DrROBschiz
Member
You just described the entirety of the Internet right here
Because thats how journalism works in every other industry besides the gaming industry which i guess is somehow extra special.
It is super weird to conflate the opportunity to give their side of the story to all-expense paid trips.
StarStabbedMoon
Member
On this issue, it's hard to be against Kotaku. That's not saying Kotaku is good, that this is ground-breaking journalism, or that Kotaku isn't even guilty themselves for unfairly blacklisting certain blogs for use as sources (good blogs for that matter)... but they're right on this. All we're saying is transparency is good. Why wait for another Kane & Lynch debacle? Just because this isn't on the same scale doesn't make it irrelevant or insignificant.
That the announcements were not surprising makes the publishers' response that much more absurd. This deserves attention.
Woof.
Just responding to the bold part, but these email legal disclaimers are complete bullshit and not legally enforceable. It's just scare language.
http://apps.americanbar.org/litigat...13-0213-do-email-disclaimers-really-work.html
Maybe all the times wrong details have also come out from some neogaf leakers, some of which end up slandering people have made posters here care a bit less.
You're obviously right and they can keep doing that. It's not like they got the leaked information directly from a PR suit working for those companies. Nothing changes.
Granted, it's just the response in this thread, but this weird martyrdom rubs me the wrong way. People are standing almost in unison behind Kotaku like they unveiled some super shady and horrific shit, when in reality it was just kinda obvious information.
Hey guys, you remeber those AAA games. Guess what? SEQUELS!
Another poster nailed it earlier ITT. It wasn't for the good of gaming journalism or their readers. It was just for clicks.
Oh come on...
I think I find it hard to sympathize with Kotaku, because they're always so quick to defend their journalistic standards, but never respond as to why having a dude eat Captain Crunch Taco Bell desserts and talk with his mouth full on camera deserves to be on the site as well.
It used to be a tabloid site, and that never really went away, the difference now is they do pepper it with some excellent content which just creates an identity crisis.
It used to be a tabloid site, and that never really went away, the difference now is they do pepper it with some excellent content which just creates an identity crisis.
So in every other industry when people fuck you over you then go the extra mile to help them out?
I wasn't aware of this.
Glass Shark
Banned
These confidential notices are a joke and not legally binding in any way.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
True that, lol.
Society really. It is to keep people from uniting. Unity. United we stand, divided we fall.
But enough about that. That can be reserved for an off topic discourse.