Did Edge actually play Super Metroid?

[monel]

I thought music magazines started the anonymous reviewing trend to stop retaliation from record labels for bad reviews?

Wasn't there a controversy over a game review in an old magazine, I can't remember right now, the games firm was p1ssed off and although the reviewer's name wasn't listed everyone knew who wrote it?


Looking back to some of my favourite gaming magazines growing up I'm certain they were influenced by freebies from firms, whether that stopped short of outright buying good reviews I don't care (that definitely happened in the music press though). They were dodgy as hell. Almost every game or console the mags liked seemed to feature neon text stating, 'BUY THIS NOW!', 'BEST GAME EVER', 'WOOHOOO'. They knew full well a lot of kids bought the magazines.

[Sketcz]

And here you go, if you named reviewers there would be some form of accountability for when scores are crazy high/low.

[monel]

True, but a plus to anonymous features is that firms can't punish certain writers for (possibly truthfully) slating them or pointing out their product's flaws.

[Sketcz]

But how would a firm punish an individual? Firms do like to administer punishment for writing things they disagree with, but it tends to be in the form of pulling advertising from an entire publishing house (I speak as a former mag journo). Konami was (and probably still is) notorious for doing this - if one magazine scored a game lower than they wanted, they'd pull ads from every magazine at that publisher.

I don't think game publishers give a crap about individuals really. You sometimes develop a rapport with the odd PR person, but the publishers just care about scores and coverage.

I mean, I can sort of see what you're saying, but have there been any known examples of - for example music magazines - singling out a single named writer for having written something? I thought music journalism is where the whole New Journalism movement started, with people like Lester Bangs writing things as he saw them from a personal POV without giving a damn what the big companies said.

I'd like to emphasise the difference between the New Journalism movement and the supposed New Games Journalism fad, which took its name from the former.

[monel]

I see your points, usually a firm would punish a whole magazine by withdrawing ads or giving first reviews / previews to other mags.

I know of a couple of incidents of music journalists being attacked, I mean physically, over comments made towards certain artists. This was in the 90s and it's quite well known but we're talking a specific genre of music, in one of the incidents the person assaulted was actually an editor. I doubt Britney Spears or whoever would have a journo attacked.

[Sketcz]

Gangster rappers?

Sorry, I've never followed the music press, apart from reading pieces recommended as being representative of NJ. That's quite interesting, that there was physical violence!

[monel]

Well, rappers, some who wouldn't even label themselves gansta rap.

One case was the editor of Blaze magazine (I think, I may be wrong on this), he was attacked for revealing the identity of the parody act The Madd Rapper. I may have spelt that name wrong, but even though it was a comedy persona used for skits on certain albums before actually releasing an lp, the magazine revealed who it was (guy called D-Dot, Derek Angeletti I think, again I can't be bothered to google the spelling right now). He was actually one of Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records' star producers. So we're not talking some unknown aspiring musicians.

Another case was when Cheo H Choker (he may actually have been the guy at Blaze later), got punched out by Masta Killa of Wu Tang Clan for being involved in an article that poked fun at the group light heartedly.

Also, Dr Dre, during the NWA days assaulted a female tv journalist who interviewed Ice Cube after he left the group. There was more to it, something about the way the show cut the interview up or something, but Dr Dre attacked a woman.

There's more probably but those spring to mind easily.



I would bet the rock press has some interesting gossip too, but I only ever read that stuff on and off.