7 Times The Gaming Industry Gave In To Anger

The relationship between video game review outlets and publishers is a murky one sometimes; it's a symbiotic relationship in which games need good press in order to get out into the public eye and outlets thrive on fanbases clicking on their coverage. However, it's a relationship that can and has become increasingly corrupt, with media outlets taking payouts for positive exposure, which changes the relationship entirely.

Now it's no longer about one party assessing the others objectively, but about appeasing the person holding the checkbook, and no clearer was this exposed when an unfavorable review of Kane and Lynch from Gamespot came to light in 2007.

Jeff Gerstmann (who later went on to found the almighty Giantbomb) was the reviewer in question and he gave the game a 6/10, a rather too positive score in my eyes considering the bland gruel with spit in that was this title. But to IO Interactive, this was not what Gamespot had been paid to do. They wanted a more positive review and they had not received it, so the outlet was "pressured" by outside forces to let Jeff go.

What a horrible display of anger AND power over the relationship between publisher and reviewer. It was quickly snapped up by the media and ever since there's been a very unsure dialogue going on between the two groups. IO Interactive's anger was on display and the rallying support behind Gerstmann's new project showcased that it wasn't something the public was willing to support.