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Kotaku has been blacklisted by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
Nastrodamous
Member
and this is why gaming journalism will always be considered a joke.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Disgusting. Fuck Bethesda and fuck Ubisoft both.
Uh, did you read the article? They're being penalized (denied review copies, requests for comments, etc.) because they act like real journalists instead of lapdogs. The price is that their job as journalists and critics is made more difficult (such as, again, being denied review copies, total silence on requests for comments, interviews etc.).
Yeah, especially the second one started a shitstorm about the graphics.
Unity turned out to be one of the prettiest games I've ever seen, but yeah. Leaking those screenshots was a dumb move.
I'm 70% sure that Kotaku always maintained it was never a journalist outlet and more of just a "games blog"? Am I thinking of something else?
And on a personal level, if a website kept leaking my shit, I wouldn't do them any favours either. That's not shitty business practice particularly, that's just not wanting to provide content / clicks to people who spoil your stuff.
Edit:
And lots of people defending Kotaku for journalistic integrity and crap. Schreier writes some excellent stuff, and that Destiny article was great, but 90% of its output is "Stephen Totilo - My favourite Waifu".
And on a personal level, if a website kept leaking my shit, I wouldn't do them any favours either. That's not shitty business practice particularly, that's just not wanting to provide content / clicks to people who spoil your stuff.
Edit:
And lots of people defending Kotaku for journalistic integrity and crap. Schreier writes some excellent stuff, and that Destiny article was great, but 90% of its output is "Stephen Totilo - My favourite Waifu".
Wasn't the Assassins Creed leak from the same Ubisoft employee the past couple years?
ebullientprism
Member
Having been part of a team whose worked heavily, devoted and passionately on a project (not a game) only for external reporters go leak it in the most underhanded way under the 'but the fans want to know'! justification, I can't say I disagree here.
.
NeOak
Member
So you should only publish what PR tells you to, which them makes you an unofficial extension of that company's PR.
They aren't saying "we don't get games". They are saying that they don't get anything from them, no matter if it's something positive.
Altered Juice
Member
Did they seriously think that pubs would choose them over E3? lol
gamechanger87
Member
They are the only company doing any actual journalism by looking into the stories behind the games and the industry as a whole. Most other sites are just Let's Plays and Review and "OOOOOOOOO FIRST PREVIEW". I'd rather hear whats going on behind the scenes and see critical takes on games and the industry as a whole.
Their embedded journalism structure is a great feature. I don't know why people just want hype journalism.
My favorite thing from the Crecente-era: this being used as the sole source for a story.
Why should they report on them though? What good does it do anyone except Kotaku?
I see no real benefit to reporting a game leak on the scale of Fallout 4's or the countless Assassin's Creed ones other than bringing hits to the website. It gave people access to unfinished documents and footage that is not designed to be seen by the public because it can have a significant effect on someones desire to purchase or play the game.
Leaks and datamining are two of the most depressing things that can happen to a game studio. You want people to be excited for a game when they see it when you want them to -- it'd be like someone snapping a photo of a painting being half-complete and posted all over the place. You're making judgements based on something that is not ready to be judged yet.
Why is it on Ubisoft and Bethesda to make Kotaku's job easier on them?
This sucks because Kotaku does a lot of cool work.
If this is related to the Assassin's Creed leaks I can understand but I'm more inclined to believe it's because of their exposes in how bad some companies treat their employers.
Hopefully this won't stop Kotaku from doing that sort of pieces. Even if I'm not the biggest fan of leaking games before they are announced the rest of their work is nothing sort of stellar and we need more of that.
If this is related to the Assassin's Creed leaks I can understand but I'm more inclined to believe it's because of their exposes in how bad some companies treat their employers.
Hopefully this won't stop Kotaku from doing that sort of pieces. Even if I'm not the biggest fan of leaking games before they are announced the rest of their work is nothing sort of stellar and we need more of that.
Broken Joystick
At least you can talk. Who are you?
Thanks for the answer, glad to hear it. Keep doing great work, it's appreciated.
serenewarfare
Banned
I hate this idea that "they leaked stuff so this is okay". So any site that reports on casting of a movie before its announced should be blacklisted? Or a company who reports on the specs of a new Apple device should never be invited to their events (which doesn't happen)? Why is the gaming industry allowed to have different standards?
Related to this topic: What do you think about the weird distinction between the Games Industry and the Film/TV industry in regards to the secrecy behind projects in development? There can be a lot of secrecy in regards to the content of movies being made, but mainly the film industry is quite open with what projects are being developed or filmed currently. Games feel unique in the Entertainment sector in regards to this.
Why is the Games PR Industry so obsessed with secrecy behind game announcements? Seems unnecessary.
AFAIK, Bethesda Softworks still does that, or has done that.
QuantumBro
Banned
Their Bethesda articles were pretty eye-opening for how shady their business practices were. Good for them for publishing those kinds of stories even though it hurts them monetarily.
Would there be any legal consequences if someone from your company bought a street broken copy of say Fallout 4, beat it, and posted a review before the embargo ends?
Also, do you know how much revenue Kotaku loses out on by not having a review out for a AAA game when the embargo ends?
Would there be any legal consequences if someone from your company bought a street broken copy of say Fallout 4, beat it, and posted a review before the embargo ends?
Also, do you know how much revenue Kotaku loses out on by not having a review out for a AAA game when the embargo ends?
Once again a poster acts like this unique to the gaming industry.
But like I noted, EA and Activision are not listed despite leaks:
http://kotaku.com/leak-modern-warfare-creators-new-game-titanfall-is-511622481
http://kotaku.com/5801226/the-moder...ive-first-details-on-the-biggest-game-of-2011
I'm not surprised. Yes, sharing and leaking information is great and all, but depending on whats in place, it can cost the publishers a lot of money. Marketing deals in place, a timeline for reveals and such. Then Kotaku wrecks that. When you cost these publishers big money, they revoke your access. It's their right to. It shouldn't stop Kotaku from doing what they want to do, but don't be surprised when you cost people money, they revoke access.
Leaks can wreck relationships.
Not defending, but yeah, I can see this. You mess with their money, you get cut off.
Leaks can wreck relationships.
Not defending, but yeah, I can see this. You mess with their money, you get cut off.
hodayathink
Member
Gizmodo and the iPhone (4, I think it was). Now that was a story.
NeOak
Member
GAFshitposts.gif
Eh I don't get all these posts about leaking. If somebody told me tomorrow that a red dead sequel is being made, of course I'd post about it here on this sote( or if I had my own site , write about it). Nothing personal to the developers. It's a newsworthy story in my opinion that would get clicks( which are sites jobs)
Off-Kilter
Banned
Jason, you and your coworkers have my gratitude and support. Keep doing what you're doing, and don't bend to these publishers. Utterly reprehensible behavior from Bethesda and Ubisoft IMO.
Prophet Steve
Member
Of course that's not all there is to journalism, but it is certainly a part of it, outside of game journalism too. Government documents that get leaked before reveal and stuff like that.
Personally I can see how publishers do not want "help" journalists that go against their interests. However that also means that they see them as echo chambers purely used for marketing.
At the same time it is stupid and incredibly petty though. It is not like they are deliberately making negative articles or reviews. What the hell are they achieving by blacklisting them? They are still posting news and reviews, but now it is more inconvenient for them.
It just results in a very petty feud.
LordBaztion
Member
not surprised about Ubisoft considering they leaked Unity and Syndicate.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
...What?
You think it's cool of corporations to refuse to engage with journalists in all cases, no matter what, and somehow that's the fault of the journalists? Especially if they do engage with the journalists of other media publications but only if they suck up to their PR agenda?
Obliterator
Member
Good job Kotaku, screw the pubs.
This entire industry is far too controled and secretive as is.
This entire industry is far too controled and secretive as is.
call_kotaku
Member
the level of pro-corporatism in gaming is sort of alarming, I don't think other tech industries get to demand this level of secrecy and treat enthusiast press so heavy-handedly.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
Not surprised at Bethesda being on there...they have been doing a lot of borderline scummy stuff recently. Last week I found out that an indie game called "Fenix Rage" was forced to change their name because Betheada claimed a video game copyright over the title "Rage" and was forcing them to take it out of their name less they be sued.
Strangelove77
Member
I personally blacklisted Kotaku a few years back after it got really clickbaity and slow, but this is really silly behavior from these big ass companies.
If you want to have a website where you have direct contact with a company, can get early games for review, press kits and all that jazz then you'd probably want to not fuck them over by leaking info about their games.
If you want to have a website where you can leak info early, post things that those companies don't want you to see (which I enjoy, give me more of that type of shit, Kotaku) then don't expect those companies to then help you have more content for your website.
Kotaku wants to have their cake and eat it, too.
I don't see the big deal. Bethesda doesn't owe Kotaku anything, and Kotaku doesn't owe Bethesda anything
This should be something Kotaku wants. Now they can be purely transparent and unbiased. But the bitter "because we do real reporting and refuse to act as publishers' marketing arms" quotes make them seem like Kotaku DOES want to have their cake and eat it too.
This should be something Kotaku wants. Now they can be purely transparent and unbiased. But the bitter "because we do real reporting and refuse to act as publishers' marketing arms" quotes make them seem like Kotaku DOES want to have their cake and eat it too.
boiled goose
good with gravy
Gaming journalists and critics need some kind of Association
VeryGooster
Banned
This part is hilarious because I see it a lot: