Snipping most of this down to the one point I want to discuss. The rest of this is pretty much stuff that is personal opinion (Thoughts on Linus) or things I concur on. Also, a clarification, in case it might be misunderstood.
I am not in any way upset or angry while posting this. I just like to place emphasis on words and certain phrases because that is how I can elaborate, for lack of a better phrase, emphasis that I would be giving on certain parts if I were speaking aloud.
I hardly think it's a moot point that one of the most-cited/reputable publications buys their own hardware, when people are acting like this is a death sentence for Hardware Unboxed.
I've done product reviews before, and had Samsung blacklist us based on a review that I wrote because it wasn't all glowing praise like many of the other publications (based on technical measurements and subjective impressions) and it was not a huge deal - the cost of buying the products for review was a minor expense, all things considered, and it got us to start seeking partnerships with retailers instead - which was ultimately a benefit.
But that was not in an industry where day-one reviews are apparently such a big deal - though I do suspect that Linus' view is skewed on that based on his position. Digital Foundry's reviews are one of the few outlets that I look to for PC hardware reviews, and they often arrive later in the week. They still don't seem to have published a Ryzen 5000 review, unless I've overlooked it?
It absolutely is Moot in my opinion, and is hand waving as a defense, in order to obfuscate the fact that right now Nvidia is basically, as Linus put it, already at the point in the conversation where the Don has had your kneecaps shattered, just because you aren't towing the company line to serve out the opinions that
They want you to.
It is also further pushing a dissonance that " Hey, you can just go buy a card for day 1 reviews, right? It shouldn't impact you too much, and you'll still survive, right? Other channels do! " When the fact is that these reviews happen when the
Embargo lifts,
before Preorders happen, which is a vital and critical juncture for views and revenue for any tech based channel, because viewers are not going to hit that channel en masse after the fact and neither is the algorithm after Embargo and Launch Day has passed on the same scale. To think otherwise is disingenuous.
It's also ignoring the twin facts outright that Hardware Unboxed is in Australia, where the prices are absolutely
Astronomical for anything Tech related out there, in addition to the matter of ResetEra already having threads with Hundreds, possibly thousands of posts where no one here can even get a damned card because they are selling out in seconds, if not minutes, due to the damnable plague of scalpers snatching up everything with bots and then selling the cards for double, if not triple.
In what scenario is Nvidia NOT the bad guy here? Looking on in amusement as HUB is held up by two family goons while a third proceeds to instill the company line further by moving to break Hardware Unboxed's legs after their knee caps are long since broken, bloody, and shattered whilst saying the line of "should your editorial direction change".
That is Hyperbole yes. But that is literally how bad Nvidia looks in this whole affair to me, and Linus pretty much stated that outright himself. This whole affair, quite frankly reeks, and is put in the most succinct and eloquent way, Bullshit.
There is no avenue in which Nvidia looks GOOD in this. Period.
The Issue inherent here with this is that it ultimately does impact the bottom line. Digital Foundry is an anomaly, and cannot really be used in this argument I feel as everyone knows they usually take quite some time to do a thorough analysis. The same goes for Gamer's Nexus, who has spent countless years building up a brand solely on honesty and truth, and thus due to fan presence alone, are in a standing where it impacts them to a lesser degree and also where they can freely call people out on their outright BS. Which they frequently do.
With Tech channels, who usually get their review samples a few days before launch, especially with the recent 3000 Series of RTX cards, viewers absolutely look to their most trusted channels, often multiples of them, to get a feel for what the thoughts are on the product before it goes up for pre-order on the launch dates.
A Samsung blacklisting IMO is nowhere near as knee-capping, IMO, as a massive, brand new Graphics Card Launch from Nvidia.
The hand-waving that is going on here frustrates me. No one should be defending this intensely anti-consumer move. Because at the end of the day, that is EXACTLY what this is about. Nvidia being able to push reviewers to say what, and when they want, or **** YOU no more shiny day zero toys for you to review, because you aren't force feeding our consumers the ration of **** we want you to.
And I am glad that the Tech Channels don't, for the most part. The power should be in the hands of the consumer, not the massive mega corporation seeking to squeeze every dime, nickel, and penny out of it's customers at every opportunity it gets. ( Looking at you, 2080 TI and 3090 )
The Rabid Wolverine is now out of the bag, and there is no way that the revelation of that e-mail will not damage trust in ANY Of the reviewers moving forward, because now when anyone says anything glowing about DLSS, or Ray Tracing, etc....that will email will be dredged up and people will go " Hunh..."
I certainly don't think it's a good look for NVIDIA, but I still don't think that they should be obligated to continue supporting outlets when they don't feel that it benefits them to do so.
Linus is right that it does come across as oddly personal/vindictive, and he says that it's also not what he would expect from having dealt with that specific PR person before. So maybe there's something more to it.
Like I said higher above, some of the things we agree on.
However, Nvidia is absolutely in their right to do this. But we are also absolutely in our right, as are the various Tech Channels, to call them out on this behavior and drag them through the worst of the mud pits for this inexcusable behavior. Just because one may have a right, does not immunize one against the repercussions of their actions.
www.youtube.com
