Kotaku reported today that Alex Navarro would also be leaving Gamespot. The reason for his departure has not been given, but speculation seems to point to the controversial firing of former editor, Jeff Gerstmann. Does the future hold a new gaming site run by Jeff and Alex? I, for one, hope so.
In the meantime, we can all remember Alex for his hilarious review of Big Rigs: Over the Hill Racing.
Well, It's that time of year again when everyone puts out their "Best Of" lists, so I figured I would do one of my own.
13. Skate: A true reinvention of the skating genre, Skate manages to capture the elements of skating that make the sport exciting.
12. Ace Combat 6: From both a graphical and technical standpoint, Ace Combat 6 is a fantastic game. Featuring some of the most photo-realistic plane models and landscapes, it is a joy to behold in high-definition. While more of an arcade game than a simulator, it delivers actions and a great sense of flying.
11.Guitar Hero 3: Guitar Hero continues to rock, and this time, a wireless guitar lets you shred without worry of yanking the cord out of your console.
10. Rock Band:
9. Assassin's Creed
8. Puzzle Quest (Xbox Live Arcade)
7. World In Conflict (PC)
6. Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
5. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
4. Crysis (PC)
3. Half Life Orange Box (Xbox 360, PC)
2. Bioshock (Xbox 360, PC)
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Descriptions of why I chose each of these games to come later . . .
Gamespot releases "On the Spot" tribute to Jeff Gerstmann. Is it enough, or too little too late? And who is REALLY behind this afterall?
After today's "On the Spot" tribute to Jeff Gerstmann, there will be many people asking questions. For me personally, I've been wondering the following:
More thoughts later. . .
As many of us know, this has been a hard week. We lost one of our own --not just a lover of games, but a truly honest and professional journalist, who has served gamers for over 10 years.
And while I don't claim to know all the details, I've caught a lot of the gist and the fallout, and it's caused me to reflect back on some memories from journalism school.
It was there that I was lucky to have the opportunity to learn more than simply the trade of writing, I also learned about the importance of writing. A pen can be a powerful thing. It can bring about good things, and if abused or used for the wrong motives, it's share of problems, as well. Who we are as writers is largely based upon what we stand for. And so a large part of my early training wasn't just about the skills needed to write, but the ethics of being a writer. Responsible journalism is the kind that seeks honesty, professionalism and a sense of duty to serving readers.
The reason for these values extends beyond serving others. These values also function to build credibility, which is often the most valuable thing a publication can have. The reason that credibility is so valuable is that its so incredibly hard to obtain, while easy to lose. Simply stated, credibility is gained through professionalism and honesty, and lost through the opposite.
Any writer, whether he/she writes for a major publication or an unknown blog on the Internet, can tell you that professionalism and honesty are the highest possible ideals for any journalist. But those ideals aren't always easy to maintain in the real world when you're trying not to starve.
That said, it is no secret that every publication survives by having two departments. The first is editorial, which houses the objective writers of a publication, and the other is advertising, where salespeople work to acquire advertising revenue from companies willing to pay money to promote their products and services.
The problem is, both departments survive by the revenue generated by advertising. Therefore, it is easy to imagine how advertising interests, if left unchecked, can pressure the editorial department to write articles that advance the interests of advertisers over the interests of journalistic integrity, honesty and credibility.
So how do you prevent the advertising department from influencing editorial? Traditionally, the answer has been through strong management that instills the idea of a wall between advertising and editorial.
Ethically conscious companies provide advertisers with a disclaimer, either verbally or on paper, that explains that purchasing advertisements will not influence the manner in which that advertiser's product or service will be reviewed. Basically, if your product stinks, advertising with us isn't going to inhibit our editorial staff from describing just how much your product stinks. We just want you to understand this message loud and clear before you agree to advertise with us.
Some publications are reluctant to give advertisers this message because they feel it may result in some advertisers pulling their ads, and hence, losing money. But this is where the whole wall comes in. Management has to be strong enough to and stick tothe principles of the organization.Most advertisers will be forced to acknowledge that the burden is placed on them -- as it rightfully should be -- to release good products and services that are worthy of good reviews.
With that in mind, you may wonder what happens when the wall comes down between advertising and editorial. What are the consequences? I can tell you, it starts by the publication losing its hard-earned credibility. The publication's readership loses its trust in editorial and moves to competitors. Writers experience a chilling effect on freedom of expression that makes them afraid to write with honesty and integrity for fear of being fired. And as readership wanes, the advertising department is forced to discount the price of its ad-space to advertisers, and ultimately, the publication becomes unprofitable and goes under. It's a path of business ruin.
I now fully understand the importance of these teachings. It's one of the most important things I've learned and something management for any publication should be made aware of. It goes to show, some walls are necessary. Maybe more managers should spend a day in journalism school.
**Aside**
Jeff, thank you for the professionalism and dedication you have shown us over the last decade. I will always appreciate the time you took to discuss games with me and others over Xbox Live and on this site. I always enjoyed your reviews, knowing that you would always take the time to properly evaluate each game and give your honest opinion.You deserve much better than this, and I wish you luck in the future. I know we'll see you again, even if it has to be somewhere else. Thank you, always.
**Addendum**
When angry, people find many ways to express themselves. Recently, some people have chosen to display their anger by posting offensive images or spam. I would like to take the time to insist that this is not the right thing to do. This sort of action hurts everyone and ruins any attempt at a thoughtful, and often necessary, expression of ideas.
The lighting effects are quite impressive, and the textures are looking very sharp.
http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/734/734817/vid_2095498.html
Bioshock is surpassing all expectations, and currently is scoring higher than Zelda: Ocarina in Time in Metascores. Could this be the greatest video game ever made? Here's just a small sample of reviews.
1UP: Perfect 10
IGN: 9.7
Gamespy: 5 stars
Gamepro: 5.0/5.0
Today Bungie confirmed -- despite rumors to the contrary -- that Halo 3 would, in fact, have online single-player co-op. And it will allow up to 4-players!!! As you can see from the picture above, you get to play as one of four characters. This will make for some truly epic times, especially considering Halo 3's new video making features. I can't wait! Good job, Bungie!
1UP Halo 3 Previewby John Davidson
Gamespot Halo 3 Single Player Impressions by Jason Ocampo
Gamespy Halo 3 Single Player Preview by Gerald Villoria
IGN's Halo 3 Single Player Preview by Will Tuttle
Joystiq Halo 3 Single Player Preview by Kevin Kelly
The Xbox 360 Fall/Christmas and early 2008 lineup.
Games I'm looking forward to checking out.
2008
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