[Neuromancer]

George Broussard weighing in on Twitter

[Absoludacrous]

Games sell well, rated well, and he's still continuing to make games so ... I'd say pretty well?

Yea, but he also continues to make them without nearly as much talking. He's the textbook example of why people don't like to talk early in their dev cycle.

[mckmas8808]

Did you read the whole article? "What really makes this culture of silence so heinous is that it helps hide the industry's most critical issues, like bloated budgets, mismanaged teams, and catastrophic collapses. Executives at the late 38 Studios, for example, knew that the company had serious issues way before it fell apart earlier this year. Employees at L.A. Noire developer Team Bondi were afraid to speak up about hellish work conditions because it has become taboo in the gaming industry to speak up about anything."

It's still not close to gaming's biggest problems.

[Retro_]

And as for Versus becoming XV... I don't think it'll happen. They renewed the Versus trademark and website quite recently.

Seems like that'd be something reasonable to check into before publishing an article about the game being cancelled

[flyinpiranha]

George Broussard weighing in on Twitter

Damn, it's hard not to see both sides on this thing.

I think I'll go back to blaming "entitled gamerz" as the root of the problem in the industry.

[demidar]

I don't support them neither... jesus even venerable sim city is re-emerging as nothing else than DLC bait.

I really don't know how I feel about the new SimCity. It will be the first game to come out in recent times that's not centered on shootbang that interests me, but this whole multiplayer thing and online being required gives me pause. Not only that but I'll be forced to use Origin and the game's backed by EA so who knows how they're gonna try and fuck me in the ass. Tough decisions.

OT I do wish companies were more transparent, the more I can see the less on guard I'll have to be. Doesn't help that sometimes I'm looked at as pirate who will hack/sue them at the drop of a hat. The further they crawl into obscuration to keep their games "safe" the more chance I won't even give it the time of day.

[Tookay]

When sites like Kotaku - who cherrypick quotes and twist them to drive traffic - exist, is it any wonder why publishers and developers are afraid to talk?

[OldJadedGamer]

Don't show or talk about games until they are ready to be played by people outside the company and stop giving free games to the press. Problem solved.

[Incendiary]

I think there are problems on both sides, the gaming press and the developers. The gaming press like to sensationalize, hyperbolize, and twist the words of developers. We have people like Pachter who go crazy with predictions and people like Paul Gale who alternately post cryptic spoilers (PSBR) of a game only a few months away from release and then make shit up completely (Star Fox x Metroid). On the other hand, sometimes gaming companies play information so close to the vest that we'll sit and not hear anything for years after an announcement, which begs the question why you would make an announcement and not want to follow up on it.

Journalists in general get a bad rap, a lot of the time it's deserved but sometimes they can only work with the information they have. I think both sides perpetuate the problem and it'll probably only get worse unless we can work on both sides communicating better. Gaming journalists need to stop sensationalizing things and making real reviews and real news stories, and then the publishers can be more comfortable sharing information.

[Boney]

You could have not posted anything!

Did they hurt your feelings by posting a rumor?

[flyinpiranha]

When sites like Kotaku - who cherrypick quotes and twist them to drive traffic - exist, is it any wonder why publishers and developers are afraid to talk?

Yes it is. Stop being so secretive ... but it's probably more the publishers than the developers so I can't really speak to why they do what they do.

[IC_Champion]

"Why is journalism so hard :(" - Kotaku

One of the reasons -- to my understanding -- as to why games Journalism is mocked or looked down upon is because I am starting to see more blogging sites popping up. My point is that an individual doesn't even need a traditional Journalism degree anymore; he or she just writes about what they observe or like.

[batman2million]

Great article, but I doubt it's as simple as that. Either way, from what I'm seeing this days the gaming industry has a lot of problems.

I do think that communication is one of them but definitely not the biggest one.

One big factor that I do see is that there is no government regulations or laws on the work force. No doubt, the working for a game developer is a much different environment than other industries. There needs to be enforcement on how companies cannot force their employees to work overtime, longer than they will, etc.

Yes, there are a lot of other factors but this comes to the same topic to where the companies have more rights then the employees do. I don't want to get into the details but generally there needs to be some laws or regulations for people working in this industry specifically.

And this is coming from someone who has worked for a game developer. You are at the mercy of your employer, period.

[timetokill]

Notch getting in on the "Kotaku Sucks" action:




Totilo tries to follow up:

[Neuromancer]

Beaten

[Gintamen]

Notch getting in on the "Kotaku Sucks" action:

Ouch that must have hurt, being exposed by someone so famous. Would love to read an interview at RPS.

[jschreier]

Weird that he'd say something like that. Here's the e-mail I sent Notch:

Hey Notch - I just saw your comment on Reddit about Microsoft possibly locking down Windows 8 and how bad that could be for the indie scene. It seems like a lot of prominent PC devs (like Gabe Newell) are not very big fans of Microsoft's new operating system. What do you think of it from what you've seen/heard so far? How will Windows 8 affect the way you develop PC games in the future? Thanks! Jason

[WanderingWind]

We've all been saying this for a long time. This is how public relations/public affairs/marketing goes wrong...when they start driving the bus, instead of just navigating it. It's a common phenomenon in growth industries and it usually lasts until "fans" or at least people who understand the industry on a fundamental level, becoming marketing reps.

Somebody who truly understands gaming culture at large wouldn't do half the shit marketing reps (who are still treating the industry like the bastard child of Hollywood) are currently doing.

Yes, gaming "journalists" are also to blame by allowing themselves to be co-opted like they have by marketers, but they're not wholly to blame.

[Projectjustice]

Damn, it's hard not to see both sides on this thing. I think I'll go back to blaming "entitled gamerz" as the root of the problem in the industry.

The entitled gamer is the bane of this industry. Everything has to be dirt cheap or free.

[SapientWolf]

Weird that he'd say something like that. Here's the e-mail I sent Notch:

Maybe it's because you used the sensationalist title "Is Windows 8 the Biggest Threat to the Future of PC Gaming?" when the actual feedback was a lot more nuanced.

[george_us]

I'm one of the few gamers that doesn't care about not having information until the company is confident in releasing said information. For examples of the opposite see: FFXversusXIII, Last Guardian, Grand Turismo 5, etc.

[notworksafe]

Maybe it's because you used the sensationalist title "Is Windows 8 the Biggest Threat to the Future of PC Gaming?" when the actual feedback was a lot more nuanced.

If I was making games this is the exact reason I wouldn't want to talk to Kotaku. They'll take even the most insignificant remark and blow it up into the most sensationalist, Perez Hilton-y bullshit headline ever.

[DocSeuss]

It seems weird that a website that would make talking impossible talks about the importance of talking.

(yes, I know, it's a degree of hyperbole, but finding good comments is next to impossible, and the number of non-commenters who have friended me on Steam over the years because of commenters have said they don't even visit any more because the comment sections are like IGN)

I never minded somewhat sensationalistic headlines, because, hey, they were just headlines--the articles themselves tended to be great when not involving gender issues.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

I've given a short answer on the first page and read it a few times now, but the article really doesn't show any stringent logic to substantiate the claim and certainly no evidence. The industry has lost a ton of money this gen, it continues to do so and seems unwilling to adapt to the market, but apparently - without any explanation given in the article - all this would be fixed with more/better communication. Or maybe it's not a problem, after all it's essentially never tackled in the article, maybe that's no problem for the gaming industry. Or it's apparently not the biggest problem, losing money or going out of business is apparently not so bad after all, someone should tell THQ. Where exactly in the article is there a chain of logic that explains how the industry suddenly wouldn't be screwed if only it talked a bit more. The writer might be right if he called it the biggest problem in the relationship between industry and (core) customer (or maybe gaming media), but the biggest problem in gaming ? Maybe it is, but the article isn't doing much in that regard. Let's not forget that evidence for this is missing, not just a stringent chain of logic. How did more communication work out for other industries ? What examples are there ? There's a lot of interesting points one could've made, e.g. one could have tried to build a bridge to the software industry in general and point to Microsoft as a company that - maybe because of a bad hierachy and not enough communication - has missed out on huge markets. One could've pointed out that Apple, one of the most successful companies in the world is extremely quiet. The article doesn't do that, it's a missed opportunity in that regard.

I'll assume no one, including the interested parties reading this thread, has responded to this post because it thoroughly negates the thread topic and referenced article.

NeoGAF: Better Journalism From Non-Journalists Since 1999

[StuBurns]

Weird that he'd say something like that. Here's the e-mail I sent Notch:

Not at all loaded, nice.

"Hey Notch, all the cool guys hate Windows 8, it's a real piece of shit amirite?"

[DaBuddaDa]

Maybe it's because you used the sensationalist title "Is Windows 8 the Biggest Threat to the Future of PC Gaming?" when the actual feedback was a lot more nuanced.

Betteridge's Law applies nicely here.

[Delusibeta]

George Broussard weighing in on Twitter http://i.minus.com/ibhCMispSPg0Ss.JPG

Notch getting in on the "Kotaku Sucks" action: http://i.imgur.com/II0fj.jpg

As I said, from the perspective of game developers and publishers, games journalists are The Enemy.

[Retro_]

Weird that he'd say something like that. Here's the e-mail I sent Notch:

Lol

You're not asking him about his thoughts on windows 8. You're asking him on his thoughts on the conclusions you've drawn from whatever previous statement he made

bad form

[NoirVisage]

We wouldn't have spread false rumors if they had been willing to say "Yes, we are still working on the game we announced six years ago." Instead, they said "We have no information on the status of Final Fantasy Versus XIII." Do you see how that might be frustrating for us? When we hear from sources that a game is cancelled and the company refuses to say a thing, leading us to report something that might be wrong? We hate being wrong!

wow.. so you're blaming THEM for YOUR outfits lame and possibly imaginary source?

Not only the gaming equivalent of the enquirer, you're also self entitled and illogical.

You're either attention whoring majorly, or just that clueless.

Did they hurt your feelings by posting a rumor?

Did he hurt your by having an opinion?
Whatevz,
keep earning that tag

[HK-47]

Except for those with decent job security or unions. The gaming industry secrecy is pretty absurd, especially the rash of denials preceding each game show, the complete obfuscation of sales numbers, and the lack of accountability for budgets. As an investor, why would you throw money at an industry with so many question marks? The 38 studios fiasco was a complete disaster. The whole industry, from top bottom, needs an overhaul.

Its almost like the games industry is filled with immaturity and incompetency.

Oh shit...

[MikeE21286]

They only talk to the gaming press when if fits their needs.

You are tools in their marketing/PR.

Truth hurts?

[El_TigroX]

I formerly wrote for a gaming site for several years. I was never under the pretension that I was a "games journalist" - in fact, if a friend introduced me to someone else they would often say "He's a games journalist" and I would correct them and say "Well, I write about games."

When the "games journalist" buzzword caught fire 4 or so years ago, you'd see all these guys claiming to be a journalist, and then they would drip feed on publishers' words. They'd rail against the industry and wholly participate in the process. I grew tired of all that crap. There are very few out there that adhere to any journalistic standards and principles, but claim to nonetheless.

I stopped listening to most of those guys, stopped reading their crap. I don't want a games press that is straight journalism, because that would be terribly boring - a few here and there aren't bad; but I wish games writers would give up the ghost and embrace the fact that they write about games, and they aren't journalists.

I don't blame publishers and developers for keeping everyone at an arm's distance. Too much "gotcha" writing going on out there - across all media. You'll expend more energy correcting problems (misquotes, out of context information, flat out lies) then designing release information schedules.

[StuBurns]

wow.. so you're blaming THEM for YOUR outfits lame and possibly imaginary source? Not only the gaming equivalent of the enquirer, you're also self entitled and illogical. You're either attention whoring majorly, or just that clueless.

They did since the day Wada tweeted it's not canned.

It's difficult to say really, SE don't owe them an update on a game, announced or otherwise, and clearly they either didn't have a source, or more likely didn't vet the source they did have, and SE are certainly not responsible for the competency of Kotaku's vetting process. However, publishers have to decline to respond to rumors most the time, if they deny every false rumor, by process of elimination you can determine which rumors are real, but they could have told them off the record not to run the story and "It's in development, your source is incorrect" I imagine.

Maybe they wanted to burn them though, they deserve it clearly.

[NoirVisage]

They only talk to the gaming press when if fits their needs. You are tools in their marketing/PR. Truth hurts?

They're not even gaming press, they're a unapologetic blog that kinda deebo'ed their way into infamy. They leave behind them a trail of bad form and childish antics that sites focused on actual gaming journalism would never attempt for good reason..they burn bridges without realizing it small wonder ANY company would come to them with exclusives, or anything else out side of free press.

[JABEE]

How do bonuses work over there now?

I'd like to know this too. I remember Jason believing that slapping *RUMOR* on pictures he found on NeoGaf through 4chan and thought that this kind of route to producing news pieces on the site would be okay if the story somehow ended up being true. Jason doesn't seem to have his own sources and would rather put out a story and get hits rather than wait to put out an accurate story. It's a systemic issue with all blogs and social media, because its only purpose is being first. So if you sling the most outlandish rumors or post pictures of cosplay babes in the place of a story you'll get those unique page views and continue to be employed.

I'd like to know if page view has or over the last 12 months has had an impact on bonus payouts.

[JABEE]

Notch getting in on the "Kotaku Sucks" action: Totilo tries to follow up:

It makes more sense to go with a magazine that actually has the space to provide context for quotes. Kotaku and most gaming blogs need hyperbole like "BIGGEST PROBLEM IN GAMING" or "incendiary quote taken away from context of interview" to draw in hits.

[El_TigroX]

I'd like to know if page view has or over the last 12 months has had an impact on bonus payouts.

That's a considerable part of their payment. Writers are compensated for bigger hits; I'm not outwardly against that... you want writers to be invested in their stuff and getting more eyeballs on it. That said, a byproduct of that is shock (classless) writing.

[jett]

Good article, nice to see someone else think about this crap. To carry on with the Hollywood analogy, studios announce project the day they are greenlit, sometimes even before they are greenlit, when they're just kicking ideas around. And they do it with fanfare, proud of their projects. The secrecy that goes on in this industry cannot be qualified as anything but immature. Even worse is during interviews when people flat out refuse to answer even the most basic questions.

Personally, I see Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime as the worst example of this. Every single answer he gives seems to be prepackaged PR, and everything about him seems fake as fuck. I heavily dislike him.

[NoirVisage]

They did since the day Wada tweeted it's not canned. It's difficult to say really, SE don't owe them an update on a game, announced or otherwise, and clearly they either didn't have a source, or more likely didn't vet the source they did have, and SE are certainly not responsible for the competency of Kotaku's vetting process. However, publishers have to decline to respond to rumors most the time, if they deny every false rumor, by process of elimination you can determine which rumors are real, but they could have told them off the record not to run the story and "It's in development, your source is incorrect" I imagine. Maybe they wanted to burn them though, they deserve it clearly.

good point, but i thought they dropped the rumor over the weekend when PR wasn't even available.. if thats true, their "WHY S.E. WAIT SO LONG TO REPLY..HUH?" defense is empty.

[Pikma]

Kotaku wants more prototypes and cancelled projects to be shown, why are they so afraid of showing them up, if they're just harmless information? Because no company want's to deal with it's own Megaman Legends 3 Project. If companies showed us every little game they axe or cancel I think their fans would hate them even more.

[Glix]

Kotaku's biggest problem is that no one will talk.... to them.

[NBtoaster]

Even after the FFvs13 rumor was reported no one from SE bothered to tell IGN and all the other sites that reported it that it was false until Wada's tweet. Just stupid they would let bad PR build like that.

[JABEE]

Maybe it's because you used the sensationalist title "Is Windows 8 the Biggest Threat to the Future of PC Gaming?" when the actual feedback was a lot more nuanced.

If you want to make it to the big show every story must ask a question that takes rather nuanced answers and take them to the extreme. Also, slapping rumor on unconfirmed and unsourced news gives you an easy out if the story isn't true. Free hits, no work. If I it turns out to be true Kotaku is on the forefront of gaming news. Blogs like Kotaku are unethical in their approach to news. As a media outlet that has enough power to find its way into the New York Times, Kotaku has responsibilities to follow a journalistic process that often seems to be detrimental to the type of reporting that they do.

[NoirVisage]

Even after the FFvs13 rumor was reported no one from SE bothered to tell IGN and all the other sites that reported it that it was false until Wada's tweet. Just stupid they would let bad PR build like that.

What are you talking about, they responded to the source of the rumors, Wada was the official word, the only bad PR was on sites that rely on kotaku for rumors, they all looked silly. SE got away free for once.

[King_Moc]

Gamings biggest problem is uninformed consumers only paying attention to the games that are forced in front of their faces, and shying away from new experiences. They stifle creativity by forcing people to make marketable retreads.

[NBtoaster]

What are you talking about, they responded to the source of the rumors, Wada was the official word, the only bad PR was on sites that rely on kotaku for rumors, they all looked silly. SE got away free for once.

There was 4 days between the rumor being reported and Wada's tweet.

[SolidSnakex]

Personally, I see Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime as the worst example of this. Every single answer he gives seems to be prepackaged PR, and everything about him seems fake as fuck. I heavily dislike him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izlnLgxgmJY#t=3m31s

That's still one of the funniest moments from E3.

[StuBurns]

Why is it bad PR to not correct publications about a cancellation the second it's posted? They couldn't have handled it better, they wrote off the rumors as baseless shit, and in the most cavalier manner, they couldn't have made those publications look worse.

They haven't even started marketing the game, it doesn't matter yet.

[SpaceDrake]

This is p. much why I try to announce projects as soon as the ink is dry on the contract. No reason not to disclose this sort of stuff.

(It's also why I'm mad annoyed about the silence surrounding Project Four but that's practically its own thread)

That being said, Broussard and others are totally right, the public companies are terrified of bad press and tbh the Kotaku article is wrong, you DO see a lot of stonewalling in the movie biz for example, it's just harder to keep actual in-production stuff under wraps because it involves people going out and doing stuff, it can't all be confined to one office.

[Eggplant Wizard]

Somebody give me a valid reason why GAF hates Kotaku. I've rolled my eyes at them plenty in the past, but lately every time I'm linked to them (not a regular reader, I'll admit) their articles seem thoughtful and more ahead-of-the-curve than most of the gaming community.

Case in point:

Kotaku: Assassin's Creed's New Black Heroine Could Represent a New Kind of Liberation

IGN: FREE SH*T

It feels like GAF's willfully turning a blind eye to the thing it claims to want.