Gamespot’s Gerstmann Gets The Axe Over Kane & Lynch Review

For over ten years, Jeff Gerstmann ruffled the feathers of sensitive fanboys with his controversial reviews on Gamespot, which is why it’s ironic that he’s been fired for giving a mediocre game a score it deserves. At least, that’s what we’ve heard. You’re going to read this here and you’re going to read this at other sites in the coming days. The fact of the matter is that we have no real “facts” yet, but information taken from several sources seem to be converging on the idea that something rotten is going on.

The news that’s been making the rounds is that Gerstmann was fired by Gamespot’s parent company C|Net for an unfavorable review of buddy actioner Kane & Lynch, a game whose anti-heroes have been part of an on-going advertisement campaign on the website. Go look at it right now. It’s so oversaturated with the kowtowing that it almost overwhelms the actual content.

Apparently, the pressure to sack Gerstmann came from the marketers themselves. Whether it was an issue with the score or the tone of his review, we aren’t sure, but the absence of the “On The Spot” podcast (which Jeff normally hosts) this week is suspicious in and of itself. Add to that fairly credible reports from both Kotaku and Shacknews, as well as a highly suggestive Penny Arcade comic (shown below), and you’ve got a churning pot of truth.

This sets a dangerous precedent for gaming journalists themselves, as well as trust issues with their audiences. It’s something we talk about happening a lot, but rarely does an occurrence like this come to light or go this far up the ladder. It’s the kind of thing that we, as people who bring you the news and information, try to avoid.

For the time being, I’d keep a packet of salt handy. Nothing has been absolutely confirmed from a named source, let alone the full scope of the motives behind Gerstmann’s leave, but we’ll bring you any more details as we get them.