If I still had my confirmed planning spreadsheets available I'd be happy to welcome a full audit of my freebie-buying ratio.
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Ubisoft gave journalists a free Nexus 7 at a Watchdogs Preview event.
- Thread starter Hanmik
- Start date
If I still had my confirmed planning spreadsheets available I'd be happy to welcome a full audit of my freebie-buying ratio.
If you call yourself a journalist, you shouldn't have accepted it.
Maybe that's just my opinion.
How the public perceives your impartiality, has more value than some midly-expensive gadget.
Also doesn't surprise me to see some video game personas are already at it defending and downplaying this on their twitter. Disgusting.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Isn't it a journalists job to turn down said gifts to reduce conflict of interest?
My job has a policy that states no hospital employee is allowed to accept gifts from biotech vendors, and it's pretty easy to follow, even when they offer.
My job has a policy that states no hospital employee is allowed to accept gifts from biotech vendors, and it's pretty easy to follow, even when they offer.
Impeccable
Member
Ubisoft, I pre-ordered Watchdogs - send me a Nexus 7.
Gifts should just be disclosed right next to the scores.
9/10 - Nexus 7, trip to Vegas, private jet, 5* Hotel. Would go again.
edit : i crashed the gamescom saints row party and additionaly to the hookers, they gave tritton headsets and a digital copy of the game to everyone.
9/10 - Nexus 7, trip to Vegas, private jet, 5* Hotel. Would go again.
edit : i crashed the gamescom saints row party and additionaly to the hookers, they gave tritton headsets and a digital copy of the game to everyone.
Hey, cant blame them for using old tactics when they have worked in the past. IBut then again its obviously gotta be an "European thing", that would never happen in an american blog like Kotaku.
"Gaf being Gaf" is from a pre-nextgen release uproar the Youtubers were in a tizzy about against Sony.
Brewster's Wallet
Member
Senor Kami
Banned
I would be upset but I don't consider these people to be journalists. Most of them will shout that they aren't journalists. Most of their job is regurgitating marketing spiel, willingly accepting and pontificating on falsified images, gameplay videos, and hands-off events covering an inherently hands-on medium designed for the sole purpose of providing a false impression on the features and quality of a title.
I'm not shocked or upset that they act like bloggers that made it. That's why they are. It's like getting mad that cat's meow.
Could lead to favorable reviews in hopes of being the one assigned or asked to attend the next Ubi game's event in hopes of receiving another electronic device.
I'm not shocked or upset that they act like bloggers that made it. That's why they are. It's like getting mad that cat's meow.
Could lead to favorable reviews in hopes of being the one assigned or asked to attend the next Ubi game's event in hopes of receiving another electronic device.
Fornaximus
Member
They flew journos out to Italy for 10 days to review Assassin's Creed 2. This is a pittance compared to their past bribes. Times must be tough.
I'm sorry, could you explain?
The funniest part of this "scandal" is that AAA games like Watchdogs will have ad/promotional budgets of millions. If they really felt they could influence metacritic scores (which are now prominently displayed on Amazon and concretely tied to sales) for $200 a head, every publisher would give every journalist a trinket at release and expect all 8s, 9s and 10s. Clearly, they don't and if they do in some sort of backroom scandal, it doesn't work...
Well there's some truth in this "Gaf being Gaf". Many people here are acting like they are convinced that journalists are getting bribed at every preview event, which is not true. Gifts like tablet/phone are ultra-rare.
Broken Joystick
At least you can talk. Who are you?
Lol @ "I should become a journalist". Those Nexus 7s don't make up for shoddy pay.
I'd take it, then just give it away or save it for a game charity event or something. Make a post saying "This is what Ubi gave me, I don't want it, giving it away etc etc."
If people don't think I'm being honest and have no integrity after that...well, that's on them.
I'd take it, then just give it away or save it for a game charity event or something. Make a post saying "This is what Ubi gave me, I don't want it, giving it away etc etc."
If people don't think I'm being honest and have no integrity after that...well, that's on them.
ShiroAmakusa
Member
So close to the truth, it's sad. It's not like Ubi is short on money. This company just doesn't like to spend it on QA. Always nice to see where the money goes to instead...
This whole thread seems to be assuming that everyone there took the tablets? I'd love to see someone figure out who actually did, and if they were professional reporters as opposed to hobbyists or youtubers, before GAF pulls out the pitchforks.
They should begin to replace GAF with the actual point:
"Ohhh people with better ethics than me being people with better ethics than me".
Like saying "GAF" automatically discredits the obvious fact they have lousy ethics.
RedNumberFive
Banned
Truth to power.
Messofanego
Banned
Official Xbox Magazine UK's Jon Hicks says the mints were eaten.
https://twitter.com/MrJonty/status/456001637342281728
https://twitter.com/MrJonty/status/456001637342281728
Sectorseven
Member
Was it a 32GB Nexus? Don't get cheap now, Ubi.
Is it strange that I'm not mad about the bribe? I saw this as a natural thing.
But what I'm mad about is the fact that Google only sends out 1-2 of these to us and we're supposed to use them in dev. purposes but the fact that we need more of them is stopped since everyone and his mother is dead set on buying every single Nexus device so it's basically a fucking miracle if you can get one before the normal user with no real need for a Nexus device.
Know What Google? We're Going with Sony's Tablet, that way it doesn't matter if it rains and we just have to make sure the casing is heat resistant. So screw you! And Whatever Ubi, you better not mess up Child of Light.
But what I'm mad about is the fact that Google only sends out 1-2 of these to us and we're supposed to use them in dev. purposes but the fact that we need more of them is stopped since everyone and his mother is dead set on buying every single Nexus device so it's basically a fucking miracle if you can get one before the normal user with no real need for a Nexus device.
Know What Google? We're Going with Sony's Tablet, that way it doesn't matter if it rains and we just have to make sure the casing is heat resistant. So screw you! And Whatever Ubi, you better not mess up Child of Light.
I understand what you mean... but it's not like hobbyists and youtubers accepting bribes should make us feel any better. After taking the gift they still go out there speaking about the game in front of a public that assumes they're impartial.
Marketing move that is risky. Game will have really different companion app that will do things a bit different so tablet as gift is not odd, but in other hand it is expensive gift that could affect reviews and more important it can affect how gamers are looking on certain journalists.
It depends on the individual site/magazine.
At least it's called unethical according to the german press code for example, however it's a joke if you take a look pressconditions where every discount is listed for journalists.
As an example, you get 15% off on a new car from BMW, if you got a journalist card....
These discounts are availabe for nearly everything...which is quite ironic.
Getting an discount on something you might review/test...
Before I forgot to mention it, it's for the private individual and not a discount for the actual magazine/site.
Cosmo Clock 21
Banned
That you being all super defense force up in hear comes from your own (apparently skewed) personal experiences with professional gifts?
Nah.
I've never heard or witnessed a situation in which publisher is choosing who will go to preview event or who can review their game. So what are you saying?
Sir Blaming
Member
downgrade suddenly confirmed.
Is this how low we are going to go now?
Is this how low we are going to go now?
Ok, this is even more stupid.
Games mags and websites are supported by advertising from game publishers.
I don't believe anything written in consumer journalism is unbiased outside of subs-driven places like Which?
Lactose_Intolerant
Member
yep, they are still part of the machine.
And there he is! Any time anyone besmirches video game journalism...Jason Schreier is there! Any time anyone hints that he might be less than the paragon of journalistic integrity, even if even merely by association...the Schreier will be neigh!
Hope you don't mind a bit of a rub, it's just that you're always present trying to defend gaming journalism, or yourself, or your site, or whatever any time there's even a hint of an attack. It makes you come across insecure and tactless. Have some more poise! If you're as awesome as you clearly think you are, your merits will stand without you having to defend yourself any time your profession is under attack.
Back when the Rab stuff flared up, Eurogamer explicitly suggested that they felt they needed to change how they do things. Glad to see that that's not been forgotten.
So? We must earn money somehow. Arguments like this one are silly.
We had an advert for Thief for a week during release window. Our reviewer gave it 6/10. I write for one of biggest Eastern European (lol, sorry, can't be more specific) gaming websites for 2 years now. I reviewed many games. Never have been in a situation, when chief told me "sorry, you have to score this higher/lower, because we have this advert/this deal with publisher".
Seriously. I know it's hard to believe, but some sites really can keep the balance and reviewers are writing what they really think about game ;P
Gosh, yeah. If only there had been a bunch of journalists on hand to report about this. That would certainly help clear the air.
SmackCrackleNPop
Member
Bet they got a good deal. Hope it wasn't the 2012 model. Need that high DPI screen. If not. 7/10.
IPad Air would've clinched 10/10 scores. Premium scores for a premium tablet.
Real shady behavior, but it does have a tie in to the game.
IPad Air would've clinched 10/10 scores. Premium scores for a premium tablet.
Real shady behavior, but it does have a tie in to the game.
More Fun To Compute
Member
Who is really surprised.
Just going to these events is already a questionable decision. Why would you want to go them? What could you even get out of them that gives genuinely good information to your readers?
Just going to these events is already a questionable decision. Why would you want to go them? What could you even get out of them that gives genuinely good information to your readers?
Feels a bit weird to call someone out personally like this, and also, they're adding to the discussion...so...that seems productive and not thing to poop on.
dragonbane
Member
It's his job, what he does for a livelihood. He is probably better at it than most other journalists in the games industry, but I can't really fault him for trying to defend his job as a whole when under attack by "lol games journalism". Of course his perspective may be limited, as him and his colleagues probably employ some actual standards, but still...
Yeah, it's real fucked up that he's providing an alternate perspective on these situations. What an insecure mook.