ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Installing Wordpress on a webserver is, like, hard man.
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Press Reset: The Story of Polygon - financed by Microsoft for $750,000
- Thread starter Grecco
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Installing Wordpress on a webserver is, like, hard man.
pants
Member
You mean Sony. He is in Japan you know.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I was going to say that CAGCast is the unofficial 360 podcast, but I just remembered that Cheapy and Shipwreck just bought awesome PCs. So maybe Valve will pay him to make a documentary soon!
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Video Games Journalism: Blatant but unpaid fanboyism
NEW Video Games Journalism: Blatant and paid fanboyism
NEW Video Games Journalism: Blatant and paid fanboyism
PowderedToast
Junior Member
perfect
Team Filler
Member
Dat title change.
whalleywhat
Member
lol
Delusibeta
Banned
Pretty much. Wow, I thought the Internet Explorer sponsorship was a bit much, but that's basically their reputation gone in my eyes. Every thread that will mention that website reviewing a Microsoft thing in a positive light will wind up with a bunch of "Sponsored by Microsoft" posts. Same goes to the overall Verge, come to think of it. Bad idea, folks.
Wolves Evolve
Member
Hang on.
Is it 750,000 as a fee to Polygon? Or is 750,000 the cost of the documentary that goes to the people making it? Do we know who the production company is? Price might make sense if we know.
Is it 750,000 as a fee to Polygon? Or is 750,000 the cost of the documentary that goes to the people making it? Do we know who the production company is? Price might make sense if we know.
Ehh.. normal game sites run ads for games all the time. IE9 doesnt really have all that much to do with gaming. They seem to have gotten a pretty big haul out of Microsoft, I'm thinking that the full screen IE ads on The Verge lately were also part of the deal? Honestly I'm more offended by their crap documentary than their ad sales.
PowderedToast
Junior Member
um, maybe you haven't noticed but this is no NORMAL video game site.
Just to clarify some things:
The microsoft sponsorship isn't news. I mean, it's said "brought to you by internet explorer 9" on all of the videos. And the Ad Age story went up ages ago. This relationship is similar to other stuff the Verge has done for event coverage - CES was sponsored by Ford, if I recall. As for the actual dollar amount, I don't know the specific number, but yeah, it was a lot. Making a documentary can take a lot of money, and it's a multiple month campaign.
As for how it plays into our editorial coverage, I mean, we don't write about IE9. So there's that. Just like we don't write about Clear for Men Scalp Therapy. And neither of those things have input into what we do or write. Even if we did write about IE9, we would still probably run ads for it. Ads pay for the site. Ads pay for every site. It's not especially different from the print model. We're working aggressively to court non-endemic (read: non-game related) advertisers, and we've been quite successful at that. And we've said no to things. We here refers to vox and polygon as a business. I don't talk a lot with ad people outside of occasional updates on some stuff here and there.
There are plenty of valid reasons to think I'm biased toward Halo, like, I don't know, me saying on a regular basis that I like Halo A LOT. This isn't really one of them. As for the site launch date, if you watched the doc, you'd have a pretty good idea of when it is. But we legally can't give an exact date due to various contractual stipulations with advertisers until we are absolutely positively one hundred percent sure. Which is difficult given the various moving parts and moving targets of launching a website.
If you have other questions or concerns I can answer, feel free to ask me on twitter. I try to answer what I can.
The microsoft sponsorship isn't news. I mean, it's said "brought to you by internet explorer 9" on all of the videos. And the Ad Age story went up ages ago. This relationship is similar to other stuff the Verge has done for event coverage - CES was sponsored by Ford, if I recall. As for the actual dollar amount, I don't know the specific number, but yeah, it was a lot. Making a documentary can take a lot of money, and it's a multiple month campaign.
As for how it plays into our editorial coverage, I mean, we don't write about IE9. So there's that. Just like we don't write about Clear for Men Scalp Therapy. And neither of those things have input into what we do or write. Even if we did write about IE9, we would still probably run ads for it. Ads pay for the site. Ads pay for every site. It's not especially different from the print model. We're working aggressively to court non-endemic (read: non-game related) advertisers, and we've been quite successful at that. And we've said no to things. We here refers to vox and polygon as a business. I don't talk a lot with ad people outside of occasional updates on some stuff here and there.
There are plenty of valid reasons to think I'm biased toward Halo, like, I don't know, me saying on a regular basis that I like Halo A LOT. This isn't really one of them. As for the site launch date, if you watched the doc, you'd have a pretty good idea of when it is. But we legally can't give an exact date due to various contractual stipulations with advertisers until we are absolutely positively one hundred percent sure. Which is difficult given the various moving parts and moving targets of launching a website.
If you have other questions or concerns I can answer, feel free to ask me on twitter. I try to answer what I can.
Your error is in assuming the Internet at large is capable of making a sound assumption such as this. I guarantee this will be roped to discussion of their Halo 4 review and possibly any positive 720 coverage. The crazies will hang this over their heads for years.
And if Arthur gives Halo 4 a 10... Oh shit.
SDIT: I feel you, Aegies. Totally in Polygon's corner if that wasn't clear.
PowderedToast
Junior Member
haha
you don't get it.
here's a Q. you ever heard the term conflict of interest? get back to me after you google it.
"Ads pay for the site. Ads pay for every site. It's not especially different from the print model. We're working aggressively to court non-endemic (read: non-game related) advertisers, and we've been quite successful at that"
if only there was some way you were able to avoid doing an inane documentary about your non-existent website..hmm..then you wouldn't have to court MS to 3/4 of a million bucks! the very same MS who produce the XBOX 360, a console you review games for...
wot a predicament ...
pants
Member
Ford sponsoring CES is neither here nor there CES isnt a media outlet reporting on motorcars. And about the "we don't write about IE9" why even mention this? That wasn't anyone's concern , it should be blatantly obvious to you what is.
Yeah, this is going to loom over every single review and preview these guys make. No matter what the money was for, it is a massive conflict of interest for a supposed independent journalism site.
The equivalent would be a supposedly independent political paper being given £750,000 by a political party during the midst of an election. It is a complete and utter conflict of interest and makes any claim of impartial "journalism" utterly laughable.
The equivalent would be a supposedly independent political paper being given £750,000 by a political party during the midst of an election. It is a complete and utter conflict of interest and makes any claim of impartial "journalism" utterly laughable.
Pretty much. They will be mocked to death, no matter what preview or review they make.
whalleywhat
Member
Is Microsoft happy with their investment? I mean, I assume if the documentary functioned as it was ostensibly intended, to promote Polygon and lend respectability to it, that maybe they would see some value in this beyond just attaching their brand to a popular documentary? Or would it be just as beneficial to IE9 if it provoked a huge backlash, as it did, and lots of people just watched the doc in hopes of witnessing a train wreck?
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Never has an avatar been so on-point.
*eat popcorn*
They courted us.
And I know the definition of conflict of interest. I just don't think it is one. Newspapers have run ads for things they've covered for more than a hundred years. Go to nytimes.com. Right now, there's an ad for smart cars on the front page. Search the site for "smart cars" and find a ton of articles about it. CNN and MSNBC and Fox News are all "brought to you in part by" companies they have to cover eventually. A conflict of interest would be, say, being owned by a company we have to write about. But on the web especially, for sites that run ads, they'll be running ads about things they cover, because web advertising is hyper-targeted.
At least, that's the way I look at it. If you want a standard that eliminates all endemic advertising or sponsorship, then I think you're going to be consistently disappointed.
akidnamededdy
Banned
"Sony sent us a 50 inch TV along with our review copy of Uncharted 3. But it's okay because we don't review TVs."
Visualante2
Member
Good for them I suppose. I've been disinterested in their site since I saw the trailer for their lives. I think it's incredibly naive to think that they "won't write about IE9" given that it will probably be a games platform someday.
That all doesn't mean shit when you're being paid significant amounts by the very company you are claiming to be completely impartial to and independent from.
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Serendipidously, I used the word "dodecahedron" today. First time in my life I think.
Fun times.
chickdigger802
Banned
What people are saying is, if you give halo 4 higher score than borderlands 2, YOU GOT CONFLICTED OF INTERESTES!
Team Filler
Member
Polygon: We're doing something that's never been done before!
*Endemic advertising*
Polygon: It's okay, guys, because everybody else is doing it!
*Endemic advertising*
Polygon: It's okay, guys, because everybody else is doing it!
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
pants
Member
Another false equivalence. The NY times covers EVERYTHING, they can afford not to be picky about what sums and who they accept money from as they will get ads as long as their readership numbers stay up. For a focussed site like yours you guys need to be extra careful accepting large sums of money from one of the major players in the niche you cater to. I commend that you are trying to find sponsors outside of this niche, but accepting this particular funding has wrecked your future credibility with the very niche you want to cater to. Not a very smart play don't you think? If no one takes you seriously you will devolve into becoming more Kotaku than RPS because it is all you will have left.
Graphics Horse
Member
"[We] were like, 'They want to sponsor a documentary series? Awesome," he said. "'But about us? Uh, interesting.'"
I wonder what awesome subjects were they expecting to be paid to cover?
I wonder what awesome subjects were they expecting to be paid to cover?
catotheyounger
Member
What people are saying is, if you give halo 4 higher score than borderlands 2, YOU GOT CONFLICTED OF INTERESTES!
So you are holding their credibility hostage? I know this is GAF, but this philistine mindset is poisonous.
We have a game/developer documentary in production since March/April.
Team Filler
Member
Their credibility was in question from the moment the editorial team was announced, and then completely evaporated when the teaser trailer for Press Reset was shown.
catotheyounger
Member
Giantbomb is owned by CBSi. Do they have a conflict of interest in their handling of the NSIC and CSI games? How does Giantbomb's apparent "conflict of interest" differ from Polygon - according to your reasoning?
chickdigger802
Banned
fix your sarcasm detector silly!
btw: what is Polygon's 'sales pitch'? I noticed that their japan coverage is pretty decent, but what else they got that others don't?
No they don't, but their Web Platform Installer will help you install it on an IIS/Windows server.
It's all about the "personalities".
onlyindreams
Banned
you guys are really overreacting...
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