After the whole THQN fuckup, I can safely say most of the gaming press is spineless.

[GhostTrick]

I didn't hold the gaming press to high standard in the first place. In my opinion, not many were doing an actual journalist work and most of the time doing an opinion work about games and reposting press releases sent by publishers.

But after the whole THQN stuff, which for those who may not know about, is basically a few higher ups from THQ Nordic, taking the decision to hold an official AMA on a website known for hosting child pornography, drawn but also real one, and doubling down on that decision, to then pretend it was a mistake on their end and didnt make proper research (when it's obvious even when you step on said website). As of right now, no actions from THQN has been taken toward these higher ups.

But the other problematic thing that happened following that is the weak press coverage. Sure, a few did their job reporting it accurately but others talked about it in a lame way as a "whoopsie they made a mistake !".

And today ? Well they totally let that slip away.

We're talking about a key members of a big publisher giving a spot to a website hosting child pornography and here we have the press being lenient toward that, when, if they had a fuckin spine, they should've collectively take the decision to stop covering THQN stuff and stop reviewing their games until proper actions were taken. If the biggest websites and editors in chief just decided that, the whole thing would've been resolved in a few days and THQN would've had no choice but to take proper actions, if they wanted their promotion back.

In the end, none of that happened. Crazy.

In any other industry or in any serious press, the journalists would keep coming at them until an actual answer was given. They'd keep pressing them until something was done.
Imagine if Disney hosted an AMA on a website hosting child pornography ?
Imagine if Apple hosted ab AMA on a website hosting racist content ?
The press would go insane on that.

But not the gaming press, who decided to remain the obedient and lenient promotion tool.

I basically feel like that, save for a few persons, the whole gaming press is nothing but a spineless advertisment billboard. I knew they werent the most pro-consumers, but now I know they are totally at the boots of publishers.

 

[SprachBrooks]

Surprised this is the straw that broke the camel's back for you. The gaming press never served as a check on the industry, in my opinion. It's a clique of individuals that are looking to progress their career and ensure they can keep eating, which is whatever.

 

[Dan.]

You're talking about Reddit right?

 

[GhostTrick]

Surprised this is the straw that broke the camel's back for you. The gaming press never served as a check on the industry, in my opinion. It's a clique of individuals that are looking to progress their career and ensure they can keep eating, which is whatever.

Click to shrink...

Well, as I said, I already didnt had much faith in the gaming press before because of past events and behaviours.

But yeah, this was the last straw considering how big it should be. We're not talking about someone running a twitter account here but people in charge and giving highlights to a child pornography hosting website.

 

[Deleted member 54320]

I'm still shocked as to how someone would give the go ahead for this AMA to even happen. If the site is blacklisted, shouldn't that give you a hint?

 

[Deleted member 50374]

Surprised this is the straw that broke the camel's back for you. The gaming press never served as a check on the industry, in my opinion. It's a clique of individuals that are looking to progress their career and ensure they can keep eating, which is whatever.

Click to shrink...

Not just that, much of the tech media is in bed with companies. It's not very unusual that journalists go to work for companies they write about months before. "Gifts" and "trips" here and there, and much is done by knowing the right person in that one PR company. And companies do ask for better votes on products.

Nothing to do with gamergate btw, it's the same deal with the fashion media, or bloggers/influencers

 

[Valdega]

I think it boils down to the fact that Nordic isn't really seen as a notable publisher. If EA, Activision or Ubisoft had done this, it would have gotten a lot more attention because those are much more well-known companies.

 

[GhostTrick]

I'm still shocked as to how someone would give the go ahead for this AMA to even happen. If the site is blacklisted, shouldn't that give you a hint?

Click to shrink...

As I said, even if they never heard of it (they knew what it was) just the front page should've been enough.

 

[Chivalry]

You're talking about Reddit right?

Click to shrink...

Reddit and facebook also host a wide variety of horrible content and nobody bats an eye when companies host amas there.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Because the "gaming press" isn't real journalism. It's entertainment news, which is itself just more entertainment. And the "gamer" market broadly either 1) just doesn't want to bother caring and just wants their review scores, trailers, and unboxing videos or 2) widely intersects with fairly shitty demographics, which together defines not only the core audience, but many of those in the gaming press industry.

You will never see a major outlet refuse to cover major gaming releases or run a real campaign against a major publisher with deep issues, because that will decrease their volume of entertainment content, damage relations with effective business partners, anger large swaths of the "gamer demographic", and those producing content for these outlets are part of that very same demographic and thus themselves may not care or are actively against calling these things out for suspect reason. And ultimately, it's not their job. They sell previews of and reactions to entertainment products, not journalism.

People need to stop pretending the "gaming press" is anything more than it is, or that the "gamer" crowd's issues aren't as deep and wide as they are.

 

[Turin Turambar]

... if they had a fuckin spine, they should've collectively take the decision to stop covering THQN stuff and stop reviewing their games until proper actions were taken.

...

Imagine if Disney hosted an AMA on a website hosting child pornography ?
Imagine if Apple hosted ab AMA on a website hosting racist content ?
The press would go insane on that.

Click to shrink...

Yes, the press would go insane.

But they also wouldn't stop covering Disney and Apple. They are too big for that. If anything, they would cover them even more.

The rest of the press works exactly the same as the gaming press: it's about obtaining clicks.

 

[reelbigeddy]

I'm not sure what they can really do, there aren't any further developments in the story. Wishful thinking perhaps, but maybe someone out there is digging further into it.

 

[GhostTrick]

Yes, the press would go insane.

But they also wouldn't stop covering Disney and Apple. They are too big for that. If anything, they would cover them even more.

The rest of the press works exactly the same as the gaming press: it's about obtaining clicks.

Click to shrink...

Well frankly, I doubt Disney or Apple would've done nothing.
Seeing that Disney fired a writer when stuff came out from Twitter, I wouldnt be surprised if actions were taken in this case.

I'm not sure what they can really do, there aren't any further developments in the story. Wishful thinking perhaps, but maybe someone out there is digging further into it.

Click to shrink...

Do their actual job and press them further. No answer ? Well then maybe stop giving coverage to these publishers.
We're not talking about video games here but child pornography, which is something that we're supposed to consider highly immoral and illegal.

 

[Nanashrew]

It will be a full week soon, since the event. There's a serious lack of coverage and information in what is currently available with the exception of very few sites. It genuinely makes me angry.

 

[beelulzebub]

Reddit and facebook also host a wide variety of horrible content and nobody bats an eye when companies host amas there.

Click to shrink...

Yeah man you're right. I might as well spend all the time I spend on Facebook on 8chan instead. It's practically the same place with the same content standards and the same user base. /s

 

[dex3108]

Same journalist who will for example refuse to review or even preview smaller indie games before they come to consoles or become huge hits tnx to word of mouth but be the first one to complain how Steam is damaging indie developers?

Same ones that will ignore technical issues or even worse acknowledge them but refuse to lower score when reviewing it?

Or same journalist who think that criticizing games is just people hating developer and showing toxic behavior?

No way!

 

[Nanashrew]

Do their actual job and press them further. No answer ? Well then maybe stop giving coverage to these publishers.
We're not talking about video games here but child pornography, which is something that we're supposed to consider highly immoral and illegal.

Click to shrink...

They should also go further. Reach out to their partners like Nickelodeon for questions. Ask them if they're okay with partnering with a company that essentially advertised, associated themselves with, and endorsed a site that was blacklisted from Google for things like real and fictional CP.

 

[Psittacus]

Not just that, much of the tech media is in bed with companies. It's not very unusual that journalists go to work for companies they write about months before. "Gifts" and "trips" here and there, and much is done by knowing the right person in that one PR company. And companies do ask for better votes on products.

Nothing to do with gamergate btw, it's the same deal with the fashion media, or bloggers/influencers

Click to shrink...

It's the same in politics too. Everyone's always angling for a way into a higher paying job instead of doing the one they already have.

 

[Deleted member 50374]

It's the same in politics too. Everyone's always angling for a way into a higher paying job instead of doing the one they already have.

Click to shrink...

That too.

Basically the only safe media is when they talk about killers. One day we'll find out they also do that business

 

[GhostTrick]

They should also go further. Reach out to their partners like Nickelodeon for questions. Ask them if they're okay with partnering with a company that essentially advertised, associated themselves with, and endorsed a site that was blacklisted from Google for things like real and fictional CP.

Click to shrink...

Also that yes ! Just, you know, investigate.
I think years of being a promotion tool might have gotten some a little bit too lenient.

 

[GhostTrick]

It's the same in politics too. Everyone's always angling for a way into a higher paying job instead of doing the one they already have.

Click to shrink...

That's not true though.
There's a lot of journalists investigating politics and digging stuff.

 

[Psittacus]

That's not true though.
There's a lot of journalists investigating politics and digging stuff.

Click to shrink...

Sorry I mean politicians themselves rather than political journalists

 

[GhostTrick]

Sorry I mean politicians themselves rather than political journalists

Click to shrink...

Ah yes, my bad.

 

[Potterson]

Many outlets do not have good opinion pieces authors. Mostly reviewers or news reporters that can't really write anything good when it comes to non-review opinion piece.

Kotaku writes something good from time to time and... I can't really think of anyone else. Eurogamer maybe, once a year.

 

[Nanashrew]

Because the "gaming press" isn't real journalism. It's entertainment news, which is itself just more entertainment. And the "gamer" market broadly either 1) just doesn't want to bother caring and just wants their review scores, trailers, and unboxing videos or 2) widely intersects with fairly shitty demographics, which together defines not only the core audience, but many of those in the gaming press industry.

You will never see a major outlet refuse to cover major gaming releases or run a real campaign against a major publisher with deep issues, because that will decrease their volume of entertainment content, damage relations with effective business partners, anger large swaths of the "gamer demographic", and those producing content for these outlets are part of that very same demographic and thus themselves may not care or are actively against calling these things out for suspect reason. And ultimately, it's not their job. They sell previews of and reactions to entertainment products, not journalism.

People need to stop pretending the "gaming press" is anything more than it is, or that the "gamer" crowd's issues aren't as deep and wide as they are.

Click to shrink...

I feel like plenty of entertainment outlets do more than anything the gaming press does. Plenty will reach out for more on a story because entertainment news loves its gossip, news, and rumors about anything going on with celebrities and some goings on in the industry. They really love a good scandal they can sink their teeth into.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

How is this 8chan website even still on the net and not yet taken down by like the FBI or interpol?

Its pretty messed up that THQN associated themselves with that site, but its even moreso that the site even exists on the normal web and not hidden away in the deep web or something.

 

[Jecht]

I agree with you OP.

 

[Mass_Pincup]

Most of them aren't even journalists, they're closer to youtubers than the actual press.

 

[Deleted member 11370]

Some days ago there was a thread asking why the gaming industry continued to be so biased and intolerant.

Well, it's because it doesn't want to change. This whole shitfest is proof of that.

 

[Deleted member 34618]

The "gaming press" is, in effect, just a glorified PR department for the AAA industry so while obviously disappointing, none of this is remotely surprising.

 

[MaxwellGT2000]

Being a writer for even a mid tier gaming website back in the day, I can say without a doubt these companies have trained the gaming "press" to not take any risks to damage a "relationship" which is usually free codes and maybe goodies and ad revenue, so while there may be no direct telling these "journalists" not to say anything critical of a company (irony that the reviewers are literally called critics) they know if they go too hard it can damage future ad revenue and game copies. I'll just say stick to people that can and will be independent, my standards rubbed people the wrong way and had reviews denied from editors for being critical.

On this specific topic, at the very least the PR manager should be fired or suspended, at the very best it was not doing the basics of your job and doing research, at worst it was intended for reasons they personally have an affinity for the site, but my intuition here is telling me that given literally zero backlash to people in charge that this was intended to cause a stir so people are talking about THQ Nordic and their name is getting out there, many brands are doing edgy things to get negative reactions to force a viral ad campaign because it just doesn't hurt a brand if there are no journalists holding feet to the fire.

 

[Twenty5Thousand]

The reason game's media isn't going further with this is because in the grand scheme of things this isn't a big deal and people don't have a hate boner for THQ Nordic.

THQ Nordic isn't a AAA publisher so their actions, short of committing a literal crime, isn't going to carry the same weight if a publisher the size of Ubisoft or EA did the same thing.

They've also done nothing but garner good will prior to these events, picking up niche but cherished gaming IPs with the prospect of publishing more games like them. So unlike EA where people are ready to cut their throats at a moment's notice, people are going to be more lenient with mistakes that they make, especially when, regardless of how much you believe them, they've sent out a public statement condemning the actions they made.

And speaking of EA, what JUST released recently and is the hot new commodity to have discussion about? That's right, a game with a ton of backing behind it from EA is now failing, which to the gaming community is more interesting than a AA publisher that made a mistake.

You have to separate your personal feelings in order to understand how and why things happen. You yourself may personally be more invested in what THQ Nordic did, but the general gaming public isn't. To them, the QnA was nothing more than small gaming controversy of the week #5062.

 

[duckroll]

In any other industry or in any serious press, the journalists would keep coming at them until an actual answer was given. They'd keep pressing them until something was done.
Imagine if Disney hosted an AMA on a website hosting child pornography ?
Imagine if Apple hosted ab AMA on a website hosting racist content ?
The press would go insane on that.

Click to shrink...

Roman Polanski is a convicted child rapist. The press didn't really go crazy when he was given a standing ovation at the Academy Awards years back.
John Lasseter left Pixar and Disney after apologizing for creating a toxic environment for female employees and behaving inappropriately. He has just been hired as the head of Skydance Animation, and the press isn't going crazy over it.

Entertainment coverage has very different standards. But even outside of entertainment, in actual politics and government, the press can only push as hard as people truly care to hear. The president of the United States of America has ties to Russians interested in undermining the country, he has ties to someone on trial for child rape and prostitution, he has formed diplomatic ties with a murderous dictator in North Korea and has had very nice things to say about him.

The press reports on it, the people don't care enough to be able to make any difference. It's pretty sad but that's what society is I guess!

 

[TheRaidenPT]

I'm still shocked as to how someone would give the go ahead for this AMA to even happen. If the site is blacklisted, shouldn't that give you a hint?

Click to shrink...

Most folks on the board don't know this, they have assistants who fill them in

 

[Podge293]

How do you know that they're not constantly asking the question? It's already been pretty well covered that the parent company isn't issuing a comment?

Also as THQN is the publishing arm and not always the developer or even tied to the developer outside a publishing deal signed long before this, blanket refusal to deal with them hurts the developer alot more than it would THQN

 

[Bulby]

If it wasnt a mistake, what is the other line of thought here? They were going after that huge paedophile gaming market?

 

[GhostTrick]

Roman Polanski is a convicted child rapist. The press didn't really go crazy when he was given a standing ovation at the Academy Awards years back.
John Lasseter left Pixar and Disney after apologizing for creating a toxic environment for female employees and behaving inappropriately. He has just been hired as the head of Skydance Animation, and the press isn't going crazy over it.

Entertainment coverage has very different standards. But even outside of entertainment, in actual politics and government, the press can only push as hard as people truly care to hear. The president of the United States of America has ties to Russians interested in undermining the country, he has ties to someone on trial for child rape and prostitution, he has formed diplomatic ties with a murderous dictator in North Korea and has had very nice things to say about him.

The press reports on it, the people don't care enough to be able to make any difference. It's pretty sad but that's what society is I guess!

Click to shrink...

I have my personal blacklist regarding Polanski. But yeah, this asshole is still celebrated. Doesnt mean part of the press isnt calling him out.

 

[Maxina]

How is this 8chan website even still on the net and not yet taken down by like the FBI or interpol?

Its pretty messed up that THQN associated themselves with that site, but its even moreso that the site even exists on the normal web and not hidden away in the deep web or something.

Click to shrink...

It is hidden away, you'll only really run into it if you search. I believe google hides it, haven't tried myself. You could say since lots of pedophiles would browse that website on occasion, its a perfect place for authorities to gather information on the perpetrators, and possibly lead to other sites/outside sources of child pornography.

 

[Deleted member 2321]

Yeah. Very disappointing.

 

[Deleted member 34618]

my personal policy on polanski is that I will watch one of his films after I've watched every other critically well received movie in the world not made by a convicted rapist.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

The press reports on it, the people don't care enough to be able to make any difference. It's pretty sad but that's what society is I guess!

Click to shrink...

Pretty much this. I work for a local newspaper and we regularly drop newsworthy stuff because we know that our audience doesn't care. Writing about stuff like this is a privilege. You ultimately still write for your main audience and 99% of the people that go to IGN, Kotaku etc. don't give a shit about what THQN did.

 

[duckroll]

I have my personal blacklist regarding Polanski. But yeah, this asshole is still celebrated. Doesnt mean part of the press isnt calling him out.

Click to shrink...

I think the point is that the press doesn't go crazy over it and report on it day after day when "nothing is done" because they know people have accepted it and don't care. The THQ situation is largely similar. The press did report on it. They covered the facts. People at large don't care. They're not going to keep reporting it when THQ continues to ignore it. It'll just blow over if no one cares, just like with anything else out there. What is it that you think the press can do if the people in general don't care?

 

[Eumi]

If it wasnt a mistake, what is the other line of thought here? They were going after that huge paedophile gaming market?

Click to shrink...

Intentionally causing controversy in order to have people talking about you is a really common marketing tactic these days.

 

[Deleted member 42055]

Glad more and more people are starting to realize this.

 

[Deleted member 8561]

I'm still shocked as to how someone would give the go ahead for this AMA to even happen. If the site is blacklisted, shouldn't that give you a hint?

Click to shrink...

Because this wasn't a mistake

You don't accidentally stumble into 8chan and not know who you're catering to and interacting with.

 

[TSM]

I think part of the lack of pushback is that most people didn't know what 8chan was. When you have to explain to someone why they should be indignant you don't get the same visceral response.

 

[GhostTrick]

I think the point is that the press doesn't go crazy over it and report on it day after day when "nothing is done" because they know people have accepted it and don't care. The THQ situation is largely similar. The press did report on it. They covered the facts. People at large don't care. They're not going to keep reporting it when THQ continues to ignore it. It'll just blow over if no one cares, just like with anything else out there. What is it that you think the press can do if the people in general don't care?

Click to shrink...

Well as I said, nothing forces them to cover THQN games.
For once, they could take a stand.

 

[Lyng]

Well as I said, nothing forces them to cover THQN games.
For once, they could take a stand.

Click to shrink...

Can you name some examples of press who have covered THQN games after this scandal happened?

 

[duckroll]

Well as I said, nothing forces them to cover THQN games.
For once, they could take a stand.

Click to shrink...

When has the press in general ever taken a stand for anything by withholding coverage? In pretty much any example. Do you think the entertainment press should stop covering Skydance Animation productions?

 

[GhostTrick]

Can you name some examples of press who have covered THQN games after this scandal happened?

Click to shrink...

Not yet, since I dont think there's a relevant actual information about an upcoming game. Did THQN released a press release or new media about an upcoming game ?
But can you name some examples of the press who came out and say "we wont cover them until actions are taken" ?