PlayStation 3 Insider vs. CVG

[Burai]

PlayStation 3 Insider is a site dedicated to bringing people the news regarding Sony's next generation platform as and when it's released. What they certainly don't do is start rumours with little truth behind them or even pander to them - it acheives nothing and causes more disappointment when they turn out to be flase.

Indeed, last week CVG's website contained a news story that PS3 technology would be debuted behind closed doors at E3 according to "insiders". PS3I emailed Sony to ask them about this and this was the reply they got:

Thanks very much for forwarding this "news" along to us. While we appreciate the market interest in our future technology plans, Sony Computer Entertainment has not publicly discussed its plans for a next generation platform. (Not a big surprise to you, I know.) We are very pleased and comfortable with our position in all worldwide markets on PlayStation 2, and look forward to sharing some new business developments at E3. As of today, we have no plans to officially demonstrate next generation technology at E3.

Sony don't have anything to show - why would they, seeing as the thing is 2 years away from release? As such PS3I ran a story to quash the rumour that CVG started...

CVG's editor was not best pleased and decided to bring in the threats of lawyers...

Johnny Minkley
[email protected]
Message: Hello,


I've been made aware of a story you've written in response to a news piece we ran yesterday.

http://www.ps3insider.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=39

In the story by Andrew Watt, you write:
"C and VG being notorious for their inaccurate articles." What you've printed is libellous and I suggest you retract the remark immediately and issue a full apology, or we'll be forced to turn this into a legal matter.

Regards,
Johnny

That's hilarious in my mind. Here we have a website which happily posts up message board rumour as fact, which in turn has affected the stock market value of those involved without thought (who forgets the sharp rise and fall in Nintendo and Capcoms share prices over the Megaton incident?), and now they seem a bit peeved that someone dare show them up for what they are.

Why do all of these "reputable" sites allow crap like that to be pritnted anyway? Surely as a magazine from a large publisher has the means to actually do some research, ask questions, quash anything that may be untrue?

In my mind this incident does little more than show that it's perfectly fine to print bull**** rumour as long as you have the lawyers to back it up.

Thoughts?

[Firsty]

That's pretty embarassing.
But CVG would win if they went to the lengths of legal action. Remember the Fox news story? Some woman wouldn't report fake headlines and got fired. Ruling said that it's not illegal to report false news. Very sad.

[geldra]

Thing is how can it be libellous when PS3I prove that what CVG posted was false by getting the official line from Sony themselves. What a knacker.

[Ish]

If they'd confined there story to rebuking that single incident they'd probably have been ok. But saying "C and VG being notorious for their inaccurate articles" is what they'll be done for libel on I should think.

But yeah. All comes down to cash and lawyers. Blood sucking leeching parasites that they are...

No lawyers on here are there?

[srgbilco]

I think they've removed that specific quote, but they haven't changed their attitude or their tone. If PS3 Insider is based in America, then I think they can get sued, as the article lowers C&VG in the public's esteem, so it can be damaging to their image and hence their sales. Months of watching Ally Macbeal has payed off.

But I don't think they can take an organisation from, say, Europe to a court in America. I think a European court would rule against C&VG anyway, so they probably won't pursue it overseas. However, if PS3 Insider's ISP, web host, etc. are based in America, C&VG could go after them. Most web hosts in the past have just removed the offending content rather than pursue the matter, or even hear the defendant's side of the story. It's pretty commonplace after Demon got sued by some doctor for defamation becuase someone posted a defamatory message against the good doctor on Demon's message board.

BTW Burai, did you get that from Penny-Arcade?

[Popo]

Blood sucking leeching parasites that they are... ,

What you've printed is libellous and I suggest you retract the remark immediately and issue a full apology, or we'll be forced to turn this into a legal matter.



Quite a daft thing if ever I saw a daft thing. Daftest thing since the woman from Deelite wanting to sue Sega.

[replicant]

c&vg should be more concerned sueing whoever designed the disaster which is their website. It is hard to navigate, and horrible to use.