Still a rumour!
Before we all jump on the back of Gamespot and Eidos and condemn them to hell, please bear in mind that what we're about to tell you is purely a rumour and we won't know the full story until Gamespot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann steps forward and reveals the full story.Gertsmann has apparently been a reviewer with Gamespot for 11 years, but yesterday it was confirmed that he was sacked from his position. Destructoid has suggested that he may have been relieved from his position due to his average review (6.0/10) of Kane & Lynch Dead Men. Gamespot were running a heavy advertising campaign for the title, including flash banners on the site, and it's rumoured that Eidos expected a more positive review from a website with which they were spending a substantial amount of advertising money to show their product in a positive light.
Now most of this is speculation for the most part but appears to have been given substantial weight by a Penny Arcade comic and a further comment by Gabe claiming the comic to be true. At the time of writing neither Gamespot, Eidos or Gerstmann have commented on the reasons for his dismissal.
But before we grab our pitchforks, light our torches and form an angry mob, take a moment to think about it. Are the Gamespot bosses really that far removed from their community to believe that allegedly dismissing a senior reviewer apparently for commercial reasons would go unnoticed? Are Eidos such a heavy advertiser, and even Gamespot's main source of of advertising revenue, that they could bring that much pressure to bear on the site? Has the editorial climate at Gamespot changed so dramatically that Gerstmann was unaware of the repercussions of his review on his career with Gamespot?
These questions are worth thinking about before we leap to erroneous conclusions... I'm not trying to defend Gamespot or Eidos and nor am I attacking Gerstmann, Penny Arcade or any of the sites reporting this news. I'm just saying that until we hear from the parties involved, all we can do is speculate.
The debate on the issue is gathering pace across the web with many Gamespot readers furious about his sacking and a number of people even heading over to the Eidos forums to vent their anger.
Gertsmann must be aware of the potential scandal that is unfolding, but has yet to confirm or deny the rumours. Gamespot themselves are also remaining tight-lipped, no doubt locked in discussions on how they're going to answer the growing number of disgruntled Gamespot readers who are demanding answers.
We'll update this article as soon as we hear more.
Watch Gertsmann's YouTube review of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (now removed from Gamespot).
Read more from the source: Destructoid
See what Kotaku have to say.
Other sources: Penny Arcade, Primo Technologye
