I think the layout is great. Love the huge screenshots.
-
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.
Polygon posts ad/re-worded press release as 'News' & deletes user comments [Removed]
- Thread starter Gowans
- Start date
I think the layout is great. Love the huge screenshots.
Haunted
Member
Yeah, we could be quiet about this and ignore all this and let things happen as they always have, be happy with thinly veiled advertisements and regurgitated press release that don't have a shred of critical thought or personality put behind them. Just keep getting fed.
Or maybe, just maybe, we can make it clear that this is not good enough, this is not the standard we expect from any outlet that wants to be respected and taken seriously - and with that feedback, the people working for these sites can actually rise up to the challenge and better themselves.
I'd like to think the latter is more useful to all involved. Well, maybe except for the PR machine who are surely happy to keep things the way they are now.
My personal issue with this is that they claimed they would be better than all the other game critics/websites and would lead to a revolution of gaming "journalism".
When you promote high ideals and standards and says upfront you will be better than the competition, you really have to do like you said.
Next time simply don't write something bold like that if you don't want your reputation to take a hit.
When you promote high ideals and standards and says upfront you will be better than the competition, you really have to do like you said.
Next time simply don't write something bold like that if you don't want your reputation to take a hit.
Lord_Nergal
Member
I don't think anyone here cares about the promotion. I think they care about this story in the broader context GAF has been having over the past week. Polygon has claimed they are a new kind of media, one that has high standards. Deleting comments and hiding any criticism behind internal feedback is kinda gross.
SteveWinwood
Member
Zero is one single digit yes.
What else happened?
ThusZarathustra
Member
They could've not acted like shills, then not acted liked uptight arseholes when called on it, rather then doing all that and then doing the "right thing."
But I take your point.
GameIndustry.biz Gamasutra and GiantBomb are all great, and I'm sure there's more, I just can't think of 'em at the mo'...
I wish people that were 'above it all' would stay that way.
It's pretty weird looking.
Chris: Kudos for the removal. I don't think Polygon handled this properly at the start, but I'm fine with the correction now.
GAF should just take a breath and calm down. Yeah, they have not proved that they are a revolution in anything, but there is a bit of mob mentality going on.
GAF should just take a breath and calm down. Yeah, they have not proved that they are a revolution in anything, but there is a bit of mob mentality going on.
Did you see the other thread on gaming journalism? That crater covers nearly everything else that happened lately.
dave is ok
aztek is ok
I think the lesson from the past week is that the Streisand effect is real and we should all fear it.
Haunted
Member
I trust Bruno. He wouldn't lie to me.
You could try reading around the topic and then you may actually display some semblance of knowing what you're talking about. Go to the OP, read the thread this one was linked from, then maybe you'll understand. Our maybe you won't and you'll keep up with the passive aggressive tone. We'll see.
No, that's fair. The manliest thing was a joke and not part of a sound argument.
Can't comment on Chris Grant, but Arthur Gies' contribution to Polygon in terms of well-argued, critically thorough and non-hyperbolic analysis consists of the following:
10/10
TheJollyCorner
Member
Q: Best way to handle GAF mob mentality?
A: Feed it pizza (?)
A: Feed it pizza (?)
slightconfuse
Banned
Dat 750 k
3rdamention
Member
Ok, how quick their tone changes.
Within an hour we basically go from ------
"If you dont like it, read another one!"
to
"We agree this doesn't stand up to our high standards so we are taking it off the main page right now!"
Talk about a wavering wishy washy stance. That's all kinds of awesome. They wanted to stand up and defend the "story" for one minute, then they agree with everyone and remove it from their home page.
I find that as telling as anything that has transpired on Polygon today. Wow!!!
Within an hour we basically go from ------
"If you dont like it, read another one!"
to
"We agree this doesn't stand up to our high standards so we are taking it off the main page right now!"
Talk about a wavering wishy washy stance. That's all kinds of awesome. They wanted to stand up and defend the "story" for one minute, then they agree with everyone and remove it from their home page.
I find that as telling as anything that has transpired on Polygon today. Wow!!!
Rab Florence's article was exactly about what is happening here, which is that games writers are perceived as being at the beck-and-call of marketing and need to be careful to divorce themselves from the notion.
Florence wasn't specifically accusing the people he named of anything (though it was later found out that Wainwright's ethical breaches do in fact run deep). He was saying that their actions create the perception that something problematic is going on in the games media-PR relationship, and that the mere perception is ultimately viewed as reality.
When you regurgitate a press release for schlock and simply stick it on your front page as content, you are contributing to that perception because you are seeming to endorse what it is you're informing readers about. In that sense it is actually not different from an advertisement; that you are not being paid for it doesn't change its practical application nor the perception it creates.
Florence wasn't specifically accusing the people he named of anything (though it was later found out that Wainwright's ethical breaches do in fact run deep). He was saying that their actions create the perception that something problematic is going on in the games media-PR relationship, and that the mere perception is ultimately viewed as reality.
When you regurgitate a press release for schlock and simply stick it on your front page as content, you are contributing to that perception because you are seeming to endorse what it is you're informing readers about. In that sense it is actually not different from an advertisement; that you are not being paid for it doesn't change its practical application nor the perception it creates.
BrokenEchelon
Banned
Off to a good start.
Clay Davis
Member
thanks, I just grabbed a very nice looking red spartan costume for my avatar.
Barbacoatl
Banned
If you don't like this thread, read another one.
Never mind guys, we love your eyes!
Never mind guys, we love your eyes!
SteveWinwood
Member
I love giant bomb, but they're entertainment (some of Patricks stuff is good but at the end of the day they're basically video game's top gear). I'll give you gamasutra though. Some of their post mortems are really good. Don't visit gameindustry enough to comment on them though. Maybe I should.
The readers pointed out that they don't live up to their supposed high standards, and they agreed. That sounds fine to me.
I don't demand perfection, but I only demand that they listen and improve.
I at least appreciate the irony of us having to remind them what their own high standards are.
As I have mentioned a few times this last week, there seems to an undercurrent of contempt towards gamers from the games press. A distasteful "we are the insiders, they are entitled and immature" attitude coming from people that are supposed to have the interest of gamers at heart.
Delusibeta
Banned
Well, at least they're taking it down. They really could have a) not deleted critical, yet legitimate, comments, b) not taken the initial "this is a good article" approach or c) not posted the bloody article at all, but credit where credit is due.
ThusZarathustra
Member
Readers being the watch-dogs for quality standards is not a good precedent to set for a new games media website, especially one supposedly shooting for best-of-industry material.
Here
No and it's hard to search for something vague like that..
I agree, good show on them for taking it down.
daemissary
Member
Can we give Polygon and Chris Grant some credit now?
They screwed up and tried to defend it at first but in the end, they listened to the criticism and took action.
I hope that they address the comments issue for the futurethough...we aren't in Soviet Russia, we should be able to criticize without fear of censorship if the critique is warranted.
They screwed up and tried to defend it at first but in the end, they listened to the criticism and took action.
I hope that they address the comments issue for the futurethough...we aren't in Soviet Russia, we should be able to criticize without fear of censorship if the critique is warranted.
Bboy AJ
My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
I was pumped to have Polygon as my go to gaming site, based on the goodwill from The Verge. Now, well, fuck you guys. You're done to me until such time when the community (GAF) considers you reputable. Good luck with that.
i really hate the complaining about complaining. now they've taken the step of taking a story down due to complaints, which is kinda a big deal, there has to be internal discussion about news policies so they don't do this again which could very well lead to them not just reposting marketing press releases uncritically going forwards and considering how they cover press releases, which would be great. this is readers actively working to hold writers to a higher standard and trying to improve things, and belittling this is obnoxious.
Ravensmash
Member
Yeah, fair play in recognising their mistakes and identifying that their audience disagreed with the content.
But you know it will be spun against them as some sort of lack of belief in their own content or whatever.
3rdamention
Member
It's been on the front page for days, has "games journalism" in the title and has over 6000 replies.
they didn't listen to the value of the criticism, they were overwhelmed by its mass.
Visualante2
Member
I guess the question is whether these gaming sites are reactive or - not sure of the word - creative?
As in, the readers make their views known, and the site then shifts with the wind to keep that readership (as appears to have happened here); or the site has a defined set of principles to which they adhere, and aim to attract a readership based on that.
Instinctively, the latter form of games website seems much more valuable and ethical to me.
As in, the readers make their views known, and the site then shifts with the wind to keep that readership (as appears to have happened here); or the site has a defined set of principles to which they adhere, and aim to attract a readership based on that.
Instinctively, the latter form of games website seems much more valuable and ethical to me.
Foxtastical
Member
Wow, surprise surprise. No one responded to my comment before. And interestingly enough, no one responded (and by no one, I mean the journalists popping in here and commenting) to these comments.
Interesting to see Polygon remove the story from their front page. It's not like I wanted them to remove it, I just wanted them to understand the implications of publishing such a piece.
Interesting to see Polygon remove the story from their front page. It's not like I wanted them to remove it, I just wanted them to understand the implications of publishing such a piece.