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[Ape]

Yesterday a website supposedly provided evidence that game journalists have been working together to form a narrative for what we read online. Basically they get together is this "secret" mailing list and form opinions as a whole and we read them. This would mean that we don't really read any honest reviews or previews, you could see why this is a big deal.

I didn't really think anything of it but TODAY ars actually felt they needed to come out with an article (all of this is worth reading imo) that dissects the rumor and explains what GJP is all about.

I thought I would post all of this to see what you guys think of it all.

 

[Corpekata]

Source is Breitbart, I think that's about all that really needs to be said.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

Maybe this conspiracy theory stuff can just stay in the existing gamergate cesspool/topic.

 

[eznark]

I never would've guessed Orland is the Grand Wizard of the Games Journalism Illuminati.

 

[Biker]

People talking shop! Oh gawd!

 

[Fracas]

Nothing surprises me anymore but I doubt this is true.

Also Jason Schreier was implicated in the original story. Maybe he'll chime in.

 

[stuminus3]

Most of the gaming press are childish manbabies, they couldn't work together for long enough to tie their shoes without the whole thing falling apart. Nothing to see here.

 

[Ape]

Come on guys, you can at least read it.

 

[Guevara]

GameJournoPros lol

 

[MSMrRound]

I personally find Orland's transparency to be very refreshing.

There's nothing wrong with having a social network group for peers who are in the same business.

 

[Pastry]

Anyone that thinks there is a conspiracy here has never been a part of a corporate or professional email list. This happens in every industry and company.

 

[Mael]

Game journalist elite.
I think I'll need to go the ER, I'm dying from laughter.

 

[Nibiru]

Source is Breitbart, I think that's about all that really needs to be said.

I don't really understand this statement. EVERY news outlet has some kind of bias, political leaning or private interest they are beholden to. There is really no source these days that is "clean."

I'm not speaking to this article specifically but more the sentiment that Breitbart is any worse than msnbc or cnn.

 

[philberto]

I would think that it's quite normal for people in the same industry to communicate with one another through things like listservs and Google groups.

 

[Deleted member 126221]

This was discussed for several pages here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=889097

In short: what's surprising or dishonest with journalists in the same field talking to each other? It happens with professionals in every field, and there's nothing secret or conspiratorial about that...

 

[Ape]

This was discussed for several pages here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=889097

In short: what's surprising or dishonest with journalists in the same field talking to each other? It happens with professionals in every field, and there's nothing secret or conspiratorial about that...

It's the gamergate thread? Sorry, I did a search and it didn't pop up. I didn't know it was that thread. Sorry.

 

[Kade]

A lot of industries have mailing lists to share and discuss information with those who don't work with directly with you.

 

[AkuMifune]

It's all a secret illuminati subgroup tasked with the goal of making us want Sonic games again.

It's desperately nefarious and they need to be stopped.

 

[Turin Turambar]

"secret" mailing lists? You mean private mailing lists. Which obviously exists.

Game developers also have several.

So technically it isn't very secret.

They do the same we do now: talk about stuff. It isn't like it's a secret club where they are obligated by their own arcane rules to follow on with what they discuss. Everyone still can write whatever they want in their respective sites.

 

[Armaros]

This was discussed for several pages here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=889097

In short: what's surprising or dishonest with journalists in the same field talking to each other? It happens with professionals in every field, and there's nothing secret or conspiratorial about that...

Are people really that far down the rabbit hole that they believe that professionals in contact with each other is a conspiracy?

 

[jay]

Anyone that thinks there is a conspiracy here has never been a part of a corporate or professional email list.

We would be but they are all secret!

 

[FriedConsole]

Do these meetings take place at the Bohemian Grove?

Do I believe reviewers discuss among themselves in the small world of games journalism? Yes if you listen to podcasts they admit to it. Is it a conspiracy...uh no.

Who cares anymore what reviewers rate games anymore. There is so much media now to make a purchase decision that game reviews by professionals are irrelevant.

 

[Corpekata]

I don't really understand this statement. EVERY news outlet has some kind of bias, political leaning or private interest they are beholden to. There is really no source these days that is "clean."

Most don't have as far of a bias as Breitbart. Pretty simple. You can, for instance, find that writer blaming Jennifer Lawrence for her nude photos being hacked, or comparing gamers to Eliot Rodgers before he realized that gamers don't like feminists and is now suddenly pandering to them. This isn't a "sort of biased" situation, but an extreme one.

Not all bias is created equal. Breitbart has more in common with InfoWars than CNN.

 

[mrWalrus]

The dishonest part comes in when the group colludes to all run similar stories that push a particular narrative; which is quite visibly happening.

 

[atomsk]

Where have I seen this name before? Oh right, it's Kyle 720 vs 1080 isn't a big deal, sit farther back Orland

 

[SolidSnakex]

Oh right, it's Kyle 720 vs 1080 isn't a big deal, sit farther back Orland

He's also the one that started the "Don't read too much into it" meme when it came to the PS4 outselling the Xbox One.

 

[hawk2025]

I need to read the Ars article more carefully for a second time and look at this further.

At first brush, it could sit anywhere between "The DOJ would open an investigation on this if it was a large industry" and a simple "not a big deal at all". It's normal for people in the same industry to talk within certain confines.

The dishonest part comes in when the group colludes to all run similar stories that push a particular narrative; which is quite visibly happening.

I haven't seen any evidence of this. Without being privy to how these private discussions developed, there's no way to assert this.

 

[besada]

The dishonest part comes in when the group colludes to all run similar stories that push a particular narrative; which is quite visibly happening.

I'd like you to provide evidence of this beyond "Look, look, people ran similar stories!" Feel free to cross reference the people in the actual journalist list with those who wrote stories about gamers.

If you're going to make an accusation, you need more than "It's obvious!" as your evidence.

You can do so in the existing #Gamergate thread, by the way, as this one will be closing.

 

[PrivateRyan]

Maybe this conspiracy theory stuff can just stay in the existing gamergate cesspool/topic.

Yeah - we have a thread for this stuff already. Not sure that this warrants a separate thread and the posts so far back that up.

 

[FoneBone]

Are people really that far down the rabbit hole that they believe that professionals in contact with each other is a conspiracy?

They keep finding new levels of crazy.