If it's a non-issue, why did they delete comments?
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Polygon posts ad/re-worded press release as 'News' & deletes user comments [Removed]
- Thread starter Gowans
- Start date
If it's a non-issue, why did they delete comments?
Goldenroad
Member
Every article about every video game would be an advertorial for that game then, right? So, you're saying that they shouldn't post any articles about any items that may be bought or sold on the free market, as that would constitute "advertising" for that product.
And yeah, if you are wearing any clothes with a logo, or have any consumer electronic items that you may take out in public that display what that item is, then you are a "prostitute that does it for free"? I disagree with that sentiment entirely.
Like Grant says, if you don't want to read articles about video games then why look at the site?
Oh, okay. Cat Party says that this isn't a valid issue. Stop the mob mentality, everyone.
Barbacoatl
Banned
Games journalism has changed.
Vyse The Legend
Member
Yikes. Polygon continues to be little more than Kotaku Redux.
dave is ok
aztek is ok
Press reset? More like press 'Delete Comment'
Foxtastical
Member
Really?
ReturnOfTheRAT
Member
Patrick K. did it the right way. A different perspective was applied to the press and it wasn't recycled PR garbage.
'Games jingoism' is sublime.
Barkley's Justice
Member
At least the podcast isn't called The Besties anymore. That was the dumbest shit ever...
Fixed.
Mister0079
Member
jediyoshi
Member
Because the comments weren't the non-issue part. Context!
Air Zombie Meat
Member
I look forward to the twitter circle jerk about message board conspiracists later. Can't wait to see those strawmen busted out again!
No one should have to explain the difference between writing an article about a video game and regurgitating press releases, but if there's anything the last week has made clear, someone does.
Flachmatuch
Member
Christopher Grant on the Polygon site said:
Haha. Ahahaha. Awesomely ridiculous.
But really, almost all game sites are about promoting the games industry as a whole or particular games, and they're basically all supported by the industry itself. Of course it's all PR. Just like most journalism, it serves an ulterior goal of manipulation. It's a lot less offensive and harmful than most other journalism though, which is why it is more obvious.
There are quite a few good books on this, off the top of my head, Propaganda (by Edward Bernays, a classic), Manufacturing Consent by Chomsky & Herman (not about marketing and PR but very interesting nonetheless); Market-driven Journalism (John McManus) and PR! - A Social History of Spin (Stuart Ewan) are less "radical" but still awesome. The Aronson and the Ellul books on propaganda are also nice but focus more on state propaganda. No Logo by Naomi Klein is pretty relevant too. Probably lots more also that I can't remember now.
Seriously, what's happening in games PR/journalism is pretty funny and extreme(ly obvious), but it's just the tip of the tip of the iceberg.
bigdaddygamebot
Member
The denial and lack of understanding in your post is what's stunning.
Every video game site on the planet probably ran that press release. CONSPIRACY
Don't worry, I won't dismiss you site because of this.
I dismissed it weeks ago when you took money from Microsoft to fund your insufferable self-aggrandizing advertisements and founded the site with staff drawn from the worst writers on the Internet.
Goldenroad
Member
Sure, but "regurgitating a press release" is not the same as "advertising" is all I'm saying. It's not advertising if you're not getting paid for it.
Games Journalism... Games Journalism never changes.
OH SHIT WHICH TAG LINE IS THE RIGHT ONE!?
This isn't an advertorial. An advertorial is content that a publication is paid to write by an advertiser, ex. Michelin paying Car & Driver to write about how it's new tire technology improves performance. This is a press release that was sent out to press sites because the publisher thinks its something that their audience would enjoy knowing about/find interesting.
That said, it's a pretty shitty press release that I probably wouldn't have considered newsworthy. I think it's misleading to call this "advertising" though.
That said, it's a pretty shitty press release that I probably wouldn't have considered newsworthy. I think it's misleading to call this "advertising" though.
It really doesn't take much. He's simply actually writing about what Rockstar said instead of just parroting their press release, and he didn't actually write a longer article than what's on Polygon.
They did the same thing at Joystiq too. Any comments that called out bullshit in an article were usually swiftly deleted.
Ken Masters
Banned
Sup guys.
This where we talk about the future of games journalism?
Polygon
RockstarGames.com
CTRL-C, CTRL-V, edit... aaand done.
the thought the polygon was going to be any different then the trash out there is laughable when the people who made polygon are just comprised of transplants from other game websites that are equally bad
games "journalism".....sigh
Well he's still inexplicably popular so it's not that odd to write an article about him. That said I have never wanted to punch a hole through my monitor more than when I watched one of his Dark Souls videos
DJSharpeCheddar
Banned
So, any and all reader comments about an article or review that are seen as negative will immediately be censored, no question. No public feedback allowed. Got it.
It's like you guys LIKE being vilified.
Ugh. And I thought I'd seen enough games journalists wrongly deciding what is and isn't worthy of discussion over the last week. I guess it's nice to see some things will never change. You'll play the victim, run back to your clique of lapdogs for moral support, and the cycle continues. Absolutely no self awareness.
Why isn't this a banned site yet?
Delusibeta
Banned
More sites should do it in general, to be frank. As I mentioned, Crunchyroll does it, even though that's entirely outside of their remit. Seriously now, if an anime streaming site can do it, a site claiming to be a revolution in gaming journalism should be more than capable as well.
after reaping the harvest of a $750,000 investment on behalf of the generous philanthropists at microsoft's IE department, who saw an opportunity to become gracious patrons of the bastion of a new kind of non-partisan game journalism, polygon have unfairly come under fire from those wishing to grind their tin-foil corruption axes and cynics who couldn't find it in themselves to have faith in polygon's cause.
despite a heart-wrenching documentary which for the first time truly illustrates the toil and struggle that these crusaders of digital truth have put themselves through in order to act on their moral convictions, people were still trying to pour water on polygon's beacon lone beacon in the night.
rising above the noise, polygon came out defiant, with an ethics statement which stood them apart from all those two bit e-rags clambering over each other to suck at the PR teat:
"Our policies do not permit placements of advertorial on Polygon. We will endeavor to clearly mark any advertisement or "infomercial" (videos, Flash animations, etc.) shown on Polygon as an advertisement."
oops:
well, uh. maybe they actively sought out this story? you shouldn't assume that every PR-alike piece is straight from the corporate chimera's mouth..
Polygon:
Videogamer.com
EGMnow.com
i guess it's a story people want so bad that there's no time to dress it up in flowery new language, just get it out there, let their audience decide!
uh. so, i guess they were all just off topic trolls and spam comments then, like these?
well shit.
despite a heart-wrenching documentary which for the first time truly illustrates the toil and struggle that these crusaders of digital truth have put themselves through in order to act on their moral convictions, people were still trying to pour water on polygon's beacon lone beacon in the night.
rising above the noise, polygon came out defiant, with an ethics statement which stood them apart from all those two bit e-rags clambering over each other to suck at the PR teat:
"Our policies do not permit placements of advertorial on Polygon. We will endeavor to clearly mark any advertisement or "infomercial" (videos, Flash animations, etc.) shown on Polygon as an advertisement."
oops:
well, uh. maybe they actively sought out this story? you shouldn't assume that every PR-alike piece is straight from the corporate chimera's mouth..
Polygon:
Videogamer.com
EGMnow.com
i guess it's a story people want so bad that there's no time to dress it up in flowery new language, just get it out there, let their audience decide!
uh. so, i guess they were all just off topic trolls and spam comments then, like these?
well shit.
I'm sorry, did you just offer praise for inserting snark into an otherwise innocuous post?
AHHHHHHH!!!!! YOU SAID THE SECRET WORD!
Games Journalism not changing after the controversy over the last week and hiding behind "LALALALALALA DEM NEOGAFFERS GOING ON A WITCH HUNT! WE AREN'T PR DEPARTMENTS! LALALALALALALALALALALALA"
Metalmurphy
Member
Plus an extra helping of hubris.