I haven't updated my admittedly anemic blog in almost a year, but this week's debacle over the termination of Jeff and Tim's jobs under dubious circumstances and in a manner that I'm sure the bright people responsible for are now regretting has compelled me to update it. There's nothing I have to say on the matter that hasn't been said already, but I do want to express solidarity with Jeff and Tim (and release some of this pent up frustration and disbelief).
I'm not worried about either Jeff or Tim. They are both incredibly talented people who I respected deeply during my comparatively short stay at GameSpot, and I know they'll be just fine. I do worry about the reputation of GameSpot, which has been my homepage for over 10 years and a publication that I deeply respect; I worry about the constantly eroding line separating church and state (editorial and marketing) at the site; I worry about a publication that's being managed by people with no substantial editorial background or an understanding of the games industry; and I worry about the impact that this week's action will have on the credibility of the gaming press as a whole. I love this site and the people that provide content for it, but for some like me, it'll take a lot before I make a purchasing decision based on that content.
To paraphrase something that Greg said this morning, credibility can be gained and lost, though it's much harder to be gained. I hope those responsible for the manner in which all of this was handled are made to publicly answer for their irresponsible actions. That'd be the first step in helping to restore some of that lost credibility.
Fitting that Tom Chick, currently a freelancer for Yahoo! Games and an ex-GameSpot contributor, would write such a verklempt-inducing piece as this one on Valentine's Day.
http://www.quartertothree.com/inhouse/news/314/
Hey Tom, you're a generally very well-adjusted person too. I guess that says a lot, considering the industry we're in. This one's for you:
Thanks for the link, Wedge.
