Good riddance to him! Now only the ethical games press is left. :-D
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Rare Bayonetta Promo Item on eBay -- Sold by Former Game Journo
- Thread starter Syriel
- Start date
If games journalists want to be called journalists first they shouldn't accept gifts of any kind from anyone related to the industry they're writing about. There's a reason most major news and other media outlets in different industrys have literal rules in place to stop that happening. It's called journalistic integrity.
Then why the fuck are people bitching about him? They should be pissed off at Platinum or Sega.
Seems alright to me, after this many years it's too late to do a raffle or something. It's not like it'd be better if he/she takes it down to Goodwill or something. This way, he/she gets rid of it, and someone who really wants it is happy.
Now, the stealing of E3 seat cushions and shit, that's a bit much. This... eh, no big deal. Looks pretty cool, too.
Now, the stealing of E3 seat cushions and shit, that's a bit much. This... eh, no big deal. Looks pretty cool, too.
SirMossyBloke
Member
Wickerbasket
Member
Whether he reviewed that specific game or not isn't the issue.
Journalists shouldn't be accepting 'gifts' from publishers. They have a working relationship where one has to give their honest opinion on the others products, and giving gifts taints those opinions.
You might look more favourably on one of my products the next time you were reviewing something if I gave you hundreds of dollars worth of gifts.
That plastic toy sold for $500.
Games Journalism
The whole point of giving stuff like this is part of the advertising arm. And yes, it does also mean advertising to the media businesses to curry favor and gain more exposure. Companies don't just do this for shits and giggles.
Did he review any of Platinum's games?
It's not that journalists should be accepting gifts, it's that publishers shouldn't be trying to hand out the gifts or 'bribes' in the first place.
It's nice to see that you care so little about the people in positions of power over the hobby you seem to enjoy (hence why you're here I'd imagine). I for one wish games critics didn't have any sway on people, but sadly those people who are accepting what could be classed as bribes when they're working in the industry then selling them off later for profit make a large difference to many peoples opinions about certain games. Most of them can't even write.
SirMossyBloke
Member
You really think that gun in that case is going to make a reviewer give a game an extra 2/10? Come on now.
Wickerbasket
Member
It's actually both.
Journalist's shouldn't be accepting 'gifts' if they have integrity, AND publisher's shouldn't be trying to bribe them.
Nose Master
Member
Did he have a buy it now price? He could have gotten more...
Perhaps both sides should simply not do it
SirMossyBloke
Member
Having common sense doesn't mean I don't care.
"Oh boy, I'm going to give this bayonetta game a good review because I'm going to make $500 of a promotional object five years down the road"
They always blame the underpaid, often underemployed (or probably unemployed in this case) rather than the multi million dollar corporations
There isn't a conflict of interest if the person has no direct interaction with the reviewer or the review process. What was the extent of his coverage for Bayonetta? This is extremely mild, what Rockstar does is multitudes worse.
i believe so
As of today, it's $500
patrickthehedgehog
Member
Who cares? After seeing everyone get laid off or fired from every outlet I say get the money you need to survive however you can.
ShockingAlberto
Member
He can do this.
He shouldn't, because it looks bad, but he can.
He shouldn't, because it looks bad, but he can.
SirMossyBloke
Member
He should get hired by Polygon then so he can change their Bayonetta review score.
YOU'RE HISTORY'S GREATEST MONSTER!!!!
THIS IS WHY VIDEO GAMES AREN'T TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS ART
He can take solace in the fact that he doesn't have to care what anyone from this side of thing says anymore. He lucked out.
Jawmuncher
Member
I love how this first post just told the OP to shut up basically.
Ill buy it for 300
Glitchesarecool
Member
The fuck is going on in this thread? Haven't game companies given out promo items for ages?
Everyone's acting like this person killed a puppy while working as a journalist.
Everyone's acting like this person killed a puppy while working as a journalist.
Wickerbasket
Member
Journalist's shouldn't be accepting 'gifts' because there's a conflict of interests by the very nature of the relationship they share. The journalist is supposed to present news to us in a completely non bias way, and they can't do that if they're accepting gifts off the companies they're covering.
It doesn't matter if he reviewed the game because we don't know what he choose to write or not write because of the gifts he received. Anything he wrote after receiving the gifts could have been potentially tainted.
That's the trouble you run in to when you start accepting gifts from publishers whom you write articles about, your opinion becomes tainted.
I'm aware it's not just Sega that does it, the whole industry is filled with these shameful tactics; they wouldn't continue doing it though if it didn't work.
Lord Ghirahim
Member
I would have bought it without a second thought at $500. Damn.
Twin Tails
Member
343 must pay low
SirMossyBloke
Member
This has been going on for longer than I can remember, but because this guy sold one of them apparently they care about it now.
I don't see why it feels wrong, it he/she owns it, they can do what they want with it. Although you may disagree with it, you are not in the possession of said object. I honestly couldn't care less about the gun since I'm not a collector but you may since you may be one. If that was the context, then I would see where you were coming from.
That must be twice the copies Bayonetta 2 sold.
What news coverage did he do for Bayonetta? Can you point out any interviews or reviews that he did, that were biased in Platinum's favor?
There are cases to be fought about journalistic 'corruption' but this isn't one of them. Certainly not without more context.
$15 since yours isn't anything special.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Gamergate has really sapped almost any ability I have to care about this. The whole campaign causing so much trauma over so little has put the entire issue of "games journalism" into sharp context for me.
I'm gonna go with,
Thanks cracked.com.
It's not that I disagree that it could cause a conflict of interest. It's that I don't care.
I'm gonna go with,
Thanks cracked.com.
It's not that I disagree that it could cause a conflict of interest. It's that I don't care.
It's the same shitty quality pistol, I can paint it in red...
I can't find a source for any of 1ups bayonetta coverage they are all dead links.
Wickerbasket
Member
Did he cover anything from Sega? If he did, you probably can't trust his opinion on those products.
And if he accepted Sega's gifts then he probably accepted other publishers gifts. So did he write anything that covered other publishers? Because you can't really trust his opinion on those products either.
And if you can't really trust any of his opinions, then what's the point of reading anything he writes. See how accepting bribes ruins your credibility?
There wouldn't be so much 'gift' giving if these practices didn't work.
No, it isn't.
It's part of a message that this product is important so they would like people in media to pay attention to them more and put up more content about them, come to their PR events, accept advertising on their sites for the product, etc. The publisher's end-game is to sell the game to consumers, and the media business is an important channel to catch the attention of consumers.
If it were some Bayonetta branded USB drives Sega was giving away, no one would have cared, because those are garbage that no one wants. Go to any business convention and see how different vendors effectively grab people's attention in the sea of booths. It's almost always about good swag.
Nose Master
Member
Giant Bomb has covered this issue many times, but you guys seem confused. It's not as if they're having dinner with a Sega executive and he unveils this shit under a velvet scarf. It's trinket garbage they get in the mail. Do you want them to put "return to sender" on every package and drive it back down to the post office to maintain your ever-moving goal post of credibility?
They work for the games industry because they (should) have a passion for the business. They shouldn't have to feel guilty for keeping an awesome and rare collectible they got for being skilled enough to gain recognition.
Judging by the Buy It Now, either two things happened. He wants this stuff to go to people that will appreciate it (and make a relatively small amount of money), or he's desperate for cash and needs to move this stuff asap. Either way, who gives a shit? He clearly doesn't work for the company any more, so his pockets aren't being lined with gold rings.
I do think that PR outlets should move away from giving these type of items to press outlets, though. Not for the misunderstanding that they're shitty bribes, but because a lot of gaming press have too much of this shit already. Just hold contests and give them out to fans. You'll get more guilt-free press, and good will on top of it. Who even knew these things existed before this ebay auction?
They work for the games industry because they (should) have a passion for the business. They shouldn't have to feel guilty for keeping an awesome and rare collectible they got for being skilled enough to gain recognition.
Judging by the Buy It Now, either two things happened. He wants this stuff to go to people that will appreciate it (and make a relatively small amount of money), or he's desperate for cash and needs to move this stuff asap. Either way, who gives a shit? He clearly doesn't work for the company any more, so his pockets aren't being lined with gold rings.
I do think that PR outlets should move away from giving these type of items to press outlets, though. Not for the misunderstanding that they're shitty bribes, but because a lot of gaming press have too much of this shit already. Just hold contests and give them out to fans. You'll get more guilt-free press, and good will on top of it. Who even knew these things existed before this ebay auction?
SirMossyBloke
Member
This concept of sending reviewers gifts have been going on for many, many years. I can guarentee every single reviewer has been sent something from one company or another. Every. Single. One. From a pen or keychain, to a statue or plushie.
So you have a choice. Either trust no one or continue reading reviews as you always have and compare that to your own thoughts of the game.
This isn't new.
SwiftDeath
Member
In general, I've found there to be more of a stigma for American game journos to sell their promo items then say European journos. Likely one of the reasons why European press kits for games are so well known, bought, traded etc.
CartridgeBlower
Member
So if Roger Ebert was given and accepted a replica of a T-800 hand in 92 while reviewing T2 is that unethical?