RSS Feeds
industry news
The Man Who Fired Jeff Gerstmann From GameSpot Has Been Sacked
Posted by Michael McWhertor at 7:20 AM on April 5, 2008
When long-time GameSpot reviewer and editorial director Jeff Gerstmann was let go from the site last November—with sources pointing to his review of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men as the catalyst for his termination—fingers were also pointed at executive Josh Larson, VP of games at parent company CNET. Larson, who replaced former Editor in Chief Greg Kasavin, was implicated by anonymous GameSpot employees to have had the "church-and-state" separation between the sales teams and the editorial team" "cracked" under his tenure. Whether the VP, Jeff's supervisor at the time, was the key decision maker in letting Gerstmann go we can't confirm, but we can confirm that Larson will be leaving the company next week.
Internal communication informing employees of the cut were forwarded to Kotaku last night, indicating that a "new management structure means that Josh Larson's position as VP, Games is being eliminated and Josh will be leaving the company." CNET announced last week that it would cut 10 percent of its work force, about 120 employees. We contacted GameSpot Editor in Chief Ricardo Torres to verify the news this morning.
Torres confirmed that Larson's last day would be April 9, but declined to comment much further on the restructuring, citing the "internal" nature of the news.
It was clear that, at the time, Larson's capabilities as editorial lead weren't well regarded by some of the GameSpot staff. The anonymous "gamespot" commented at sister site Valleywag that Larson was "a suit [...] who had no editorial experience and was only involved on the business side of things." The anonymous commenter lamented that the presence of the sales team had become much more visible under Larson's watch, with other contributors going on and off record with less than favourable comments of CNET management.
In the months that followed Gerstmann's dismissal, GameSpot lost a sizable portion of its editorial staff, with reviewers Alex Navarro, Frank Provo, Ryan Davis, Brad Shoemaker and Jason Ocampo leaving for other, sometimes unspecified opportunities. Torres told us that GameSpot continues to bring on new editorial talent and plans to continue its coverage "with the same breadth and depth we have in our previous 11 years."
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
nat
Posted April 6, 2008 7:37 AM
good news, but i think the damage has already been done :X
Does Not Equal
Posted 8:13 AM 5/4/08
Well, sure. When your new VP is the catalyst for causing your core editorial staff, all experienced and established, to find work elsewhere, you might start looking at some of his other work more closely.
Does Not Equal
Silverbackne
Posted 8:08 AM 5/4/08
It's a start, but I still won't read Gamespot.
Silverbackne
NocturnOwl357
Posted 8:08 AM 5/4/08
ehh so...thanks to him, he started a whole bunch of bitches about gamespot. FACE IT! GESSTMAN WAS A BAD REVIEWER!!!!
NocturnOwl357
DarkElf
Posted 8:06 AM 5/4/08
Well, I deleted Gamespot from my bookmarks since the whole Kane & Lynch fiasco and never went back there. I don't think this new development will change that.
DarkElf
sargemat
Posted 8:05 AM 5/4/08
I dont go near Gamespot. Not after what they did. All the good people have left now as well. TBH I dont see the site staying around for much longer at this rate and if it does, it will be a very different place.
I use 1UP as my major source for news etc now.
sargemat
shubleedsblue
Posted 8:04 AM 5/4/08
serves that b@$#@rd right
shubleedsblue
Kounji
Posted 8:03 AM 5/4/08
@aka Bitter: seconded
Kounji
axiomatic
Posted 8:00 AM 5/4/08
Yeah, CNET as a whole has become too reliant on advertising dollars. I avoid the whole smash of sites offered by CNET for this exact reason. I don;t even look to CNET for electronics reviews. Too much fluff.
Gamespot was fun while the ride lasted, but it's over for me for good.
Kotaku FTW!
axiomatic
Truepatriot
Posted 7:54 AM 5/4/08
wtf is gamespot? is that anything like [www.giantbomb.com] ? =)
Truepatriot
jun581
Posted 7:54 AM 5/4/08
it still doesn't bring me back. Man, i forgot about gamespot after the whole kane and lynch fiasco. I haven't looked at that page in a while. Anyway, Gamespot has always been a sinking ship in my eye. It's just getting lower and lower. I was never a big fan of the site even with kassavin there. O well, there are more prevalent videogames websites out there. It's too bad for the employees that have been sacked because of management incompetence. I wish them the best going foward.
jun581
Covert_Knight
Posted 7:53 AM 5/4/08
you know, this reminds me of Batman Begins with Morgan Freeman (the man btw)
"You've been 'let go.' Didn't you get the memo?"
Covert_Knight
foamking
Posted 7:53 AM 5/4/08
...and just like that, Gamespot is now the best place to work in the games industry.
foamking
Gam3r
Posted 7:52 AM 5/4/08
Gamespot died when Greg left, ever since its been lacking in content, especially features and news, and especially ones worth reading.
Gam3r
MisterSleep
Posted 7:52 AM 5/4/08
@SanjiX - Has been on Kotaku for one year!: yeah, and not to mention that lately it's getting increasingly more difficult to even find a review on a game that's been out for days or even weeks. Pretty much the only time I go to Gamespot anymore is when I misstype "Gamestop."
MisterSleep
Troubadour
Posted 7:52 AM 5/4/08
Can anyone say, "karma"?
Troubadour
Blah-Blah-Blah
Posted 7:50 AM 5/4/08
Yahtzee is the only reviewer worthy of my time. Zero Punctuation FTW!!!!
Blah-Blah-Blah
Jnas
Posted 7:49 AM 5/4/08
Gamespot = dead to me.
Giantbomb is where it's at. I predict great things from that site when it's fully up and running in the summer.
Jnas
WillW
Posted 7:47 AM 5/4/08
Fuck you Josh Larson
WillW
mythus
Posted 7:44 AM 5/4/08
lol @ gamespot.
giantbomb, this summer, will set us up a flea bomb. gamespot will die.
mythus
Strangelove
Posted 7:44 AM 5/4/08
@Sandbox_Emperor:
Damn you, I came in to specifically quote that.
47,000 Mexican Whooping Llamas?
Strangelove
HaydenTenno
Posted 7:44 AM 5/4/08
Gamespot has gone downhill. I use Giantbomb.com now. I prefer the old Gamespot crew.
HaydenTenno
SanjiX - Has been on Kotaku for one year!
Posted 7:44 AM 5/4/08
@MisterSleep:
Heh, yeah. I usually went to Gamespot when I needed a second opinion on a game, but even then the reviews still haven't been all that great. I just never liked Gamespot in general.
SanjiX - Has been on Kotaku for one year!
TheTime
Posted 7:42 AM 5/4/08
Kane&Lynch 2
TheTime
Sandbox_Emperor
Posted 7:42 AM 5/4/08
kind of reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail's opening credits;
Those responsible for sacking
the people who have just been sacked,
have been sacked.
lol
Sandbox_Emperor
Covert_Knight
Posted 7:41 AM 5/4/08
Yes...the planets are aligning. Gamespot is "d00med."
Covert_Knight
Twisk
Posted 7:40 AM 5/4/08
Nice first step. ...will wait a couple more years to see if they've truly changed their ways.
Twisk
aka Bitter
Posted 7:39 AM 5/4/08
Great, the guy who was likely responsible for Jeff's dismissal is gone. But who hired him?
As long as the people who created this situation in the first place are still employed by CNET, Gamespot and their other properties are not trustworthy sources of information, at least for me.
aka Bitter
semmem1
Posted 7:39 AM 5/4/08
hoorah?
semmem1
Ashurahori
Posted 7:39 AM 5/4/08
Justice.
Anyway, I've never had any complaints about Gamespot before this thing happened, so I guess I'll start reading it again.
Ashurahori
MisterSleep
Posted 7:38 AM 5/4/08
@SanjiX - Has been on Kotaku for one year!: well, it's more like "remember when Gamespot had content? and employees?"
MisterSleep
drlard
Posted 7:38 AM 5/4/08
fire one person...and others leave due to firing....internet breaks
or fire one vp and everything is still business as usual...
gotta love how management types always seem to hang on when the going gets tough...then the senior management go...oh shit...it hasn't gotten any better....lets fire the guys below us!
haha shit really does flow down hill!
drlard
LordAndrew
Posted 7:37 AM 5/4/08
Looks like something has come out of that investigation we were promised.
Of course, it's not going to bring back all the GameSpot ex-staff.
LordAndrew
illmatic291
Posted 7:36 AM 5/4/08
too late, I just predict GameSpot will continue sinking now.
illmatic291
Deadbolt543
Posted 7:36 AM 5/4/08
Karma wins.
Deadbolt543
SanjiX - Has been on Kotaku for one year!
Posted 7:35 AM 5/4/08
@mcheddadi:
"Remember when Gamespot was cool?"
Gamespot was NEVER cool.
SanjiX - Has been on Kotaku for one year!
eastx
Posted 7:35 AM 5/4/08
Yeah, this is definitely a step in the right direction. Perhaps the site will return to its former quality.
eastx
What The Geek
Posted 7:34 AM 5/4/08
sweet - with all the layoffs and people quitting maybe I can get a job there if I offer to write advereviews.
/sarcasm
seriously though - I can't remember the last time I actually read gamespot.
What The Geek
Neocorey
Posted 7:33 AM 5/4/08
HUZZAH!
Neocorey
Iron_Dragon_2.0
Posted 7:33 AM 5/4/08
A step in the right direction but the damage has already been done.
Iron_Dragon_2.0
mcheddadi
Posted 7:32 AM 5/4/08
gamespot was cool back in 1999...
mcheddadi
Blah-Blah-Blah
Posted 7:31 AM 5/4/08
*point Nelson style* HA HA!!!!
Gamespot will still blow.
Blah-Blah-Blah
xanavi
Posted 7:31 AM 5/4/08
Justice is served.
xanavi
balls187++
Posted 7:30 AM 5/4/08
Hrm, maybe Gamespot will clean up it's act, and I'll start reading the site again.
Probably not, though. Kotaku is where it's at.
balls187++
PissedPS3Fan
Posted 8:38 AM 5/4/08
Ain't karma just a mother fucking bitch?
PissedPS3Fan
mightyg
Posted 8:35 AM 5/4/08
people often have too much confidence in businessmen. This is a prime example of this, as this man had absoloutly no grasp of how things work when you run an internet website. and because of that, gamespot has suffered greatly.
mightyg
AkirasCrow
Posted 8:35 AM 5/4/08
I didn't particularly like Gerstman, but I liked what he stood for. He did have integrity. I have yet to return to that site since his dissmissal. I still won't but goddamn if this isn't just deserts.
AkirasCrow
mbeck
Posted 8:32 AM 5/4/08
Havent been to gamespot since the gerstmann thing, wont be going back anytime soon. I only go to Ign, Kotaku and 1up for news features and podcasts and of course random shite
mbeck
kw4k
Posted 8:31 AM 5/4/08
@balls187++: qft. this news is great and GS used to be my #1, but not anymore. i will visit more often now though, after this whole gerstmann thing. bye bye larson, you will not be missed
kw4k
Michael McWhertor
Posted 8:31 AM 5/4/08
@Jurai: Was that really necessary?
Michael McWhertor
AkirasCrow
Posted 8:30 AM 5/4/08
Nhaa Nhaa Nhaa Nhaa. Nhaa Nhaa Nhaa Nhaa. Hey Hey Hey GOODBYE!
AkirasCrow
ArmyofJuan
Posted 8:30 AM 5/4/08
Karma is a bitch.
But have you seen gamespots new video reviews with their new reviewers? It's not fun to watch anymore...
ArmyofJuan
ostartero
Posted 8:29 AM 5/4/08
Too late to save your site now Gamespot.
I'm still not reading anything there.
ostartero
Jurai
Posted 8:27 AM 5/4/08
I hope larson gets aids in his eye socket
Jurai
GiantEnemyCrab
Posted 8:25 AM 5/4/08
BTW, for all your Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis(and more to come) needs, visit their new site at Giantbomb.com
GiantEnemyCrab
BtownDesignGuy
Posted 8:22 AM 5/4/08
I'm not convinced that this termination actually means anything just yet. It feels like so many other stories, where, just when you thought the story was resolved, there was still one more twist waiting around the corner.
You never know. Maybe Larson was pressured to put the pressure he applied onto Gamespot. Maybe he's getting replaced by the originator of that pressure.
It's too early to call. That's the important thing here. It's just too early to call.
BtownDesignGuy
dsmx
Posted 8:17 AM 5/4/08
To little to late gamespot this is what you should of done the moment this story broke rather than releasing those lame press releases that no-one believed. Gamespot has ruined it's reputation and it can never be repaired now, I used to like going to gamespot but as soon as they changed there review system I new something was up. Why change a system that shows you where the marks for the review come from in number form to one where they just give an end score?
dsmx
jobble
Posted 8:16 AM 5/4/08
Gamespot is done for me as well.
jobble
pandafresh
Posted 9:10 AM 5/4/08
that was the only sight i used for reviews (cant stand 1up and IGN) i mean why do all these game sites have such terrible layouts? I used gamespot since it was easiest to navigate, and the reviews seemed alright. but anyways regarding the article: Karma's a bitch, init?
pandafresh
mrplow8
Posted 9:05 AM 5/4/08
I can't believe that happened back in November. It seems like it was about a month ago.
mrplow8
myspambox
Posted 8:55 AM 5/4/08
@foamking: Nope, it's still Insomniac.
myspambox
relax_guy
Posted 8:51 AM 5/4/08
i know i stopped wasting time there, i wonder how many people did the same.
enough to cause people to lose their jobs i guess.
now i kinda feel bad.
relax_guy
DiscipleofJamzy
Posted 8:47 AM 5/4/08
Maybe Gerstmann and Ryan Davis can give him a job doing the marketing for GiantBomb... Nah.
DiscipleofJamzy
Kyouya
Posted 8:47 AM 5/4/08
I was right. I said this when the controversy began...that it was far from over. The constant resignation from respective editors started to follow as Jason, Alex, Brad, Ryan and other editors quit Gamespot. It looks like it might finally be over since the source of the problem is eliminated. However, the damage has been done and rebuilding their reputation is going to take years or even as long as decade due to poor PR.
Kyouya
badasscat
Posted 8:43 AM 5/4/08
@foamking: ...and just like that, Gamespot is now the best place to work in the games industry.
You mean... except for all the layoffs?
Kinda tough to work for a company where you don't know whether to plan on actually getting up in the morning or not.
badasscat
Dave Silva
Posted 9:38 AM 5/4/08
The dude is getting laid off... probably with a huge severance package, though.
Dave Silva
giddieon
Posted 9:37 AM 5/4/08
Way to late and way to little gamespot is lost they be better off closing and coming out under a new name...
I will never go there again and can't trust anything that comes out of that camp...
There are just to many other sites I can go to and get the same info...
Game sites will have to see that if you do piss off there readers there can be actions that will bit you in the ass...
I hope Larson goes and sucks the cold dead sweat off a dead donkeys balls...
giddieon
Jonax
Posted 9:35 AM 5/4/08
It's times like these where I like a particular saying - Karma is a bitch. I hope Larson doesn't let the door hit him on the arse on the way out - It's actually a nice door.
Still, removing Larson this long after the K&L incident is likely removing gangrene after it's took 95% of your leg - While it's a great success, they're still going to pull out the hacksaw.
Gamespot now has a uphill struggle to show whether it has changed since Gertsmanngate or not. The next couple of years will determine its fate, but I wish Torres the best of luck. Not because I want GS to fly or sink, but because I think he got put between a rock & hard place.
Jonax
Nexus-6
Posted 9:33 AM 5/4/08
There's always a bigger fish...
Nexus-6
excel_excel
Posted 9:26 AM 5/4/08
@Jurai: jesus, I know that South Park Imagination Land trilogy was good but don't start taking idea's from them ok? You sound like a freak....
excel_excel
superbabyproject
Posted 9:22 AM 5/4/08
Back in the 90s Gamespot was my gaming bible, but nowadays it's all about the Kotaku, with the occasional dip into 1up.
superbabyproject
Guizzy
Posted 9:57 AM 5/4/08
@SanjiX - Has been on Kotaku for one year!: Gamespot was cool when they gave away games with the X Marks the Spot contest. Apparently, not many people bothered entering often, so my brother managed to win maybe 3-4 times.
Guizzy
ErskinPig
Posted 9:52 AM 5/4/08
Great news.
ErskinPig
dead_red_eyes
Posted 9:47 AM 5/4/08
@Sandbox_Emperor:
Damnit, I was just about to post that!!! Good show!
dead_red_eyes
MechaTama31
Posted 10:18 AM 5/4/08
Those responsible for sacking the sacker of Jeff Gerstmann, have been sacked.
MechaTama31
Jackjoe500
Posted 10:08 AM 5/4/08
Thats karma for ya
Jackjoe500
Ampillion, now with the hair stylings of TVs Frank
Posted 10:45 AM 5/4/08
@MechaTama31: Dude, had you not made the reference, I would've. Ten points.
Ampillion, now with the hair stylings of TVs Frank
Sunjammer
Posted 10:45 AM 5/4/08
I think it's pretty sick how much GS was defined by its employees. Of course it's obvious, but i don't think the dudes that laid off Jeff realized it.
Frankly, judging by his recent podcasts, i kind of "get" why he was fired. Mostly because i've been in the position of a loudmouth politician troublemaker in a company attempting to keep a strict power pyramid structure. I assume they tried to make an example and it backfired explosively.
Inevitability i guess. All good things must end, somehow.
Sunjammer
Homard
Posted 10:37 AM 5/4/08
@balls187++: I agree. I love when my news items are tainted by unfounded editorial slant, and when editors make arguments without basis. Kotaku FTW!
Homard
mariospants
Posted 10:37 AM 5/4/08
We've probably all been guilty of dismissing writers as disposable but when you list them "Geoff Gerstmann, Alex Navarro, Frank Provo, Ryan Davis, Brad Shoemaker and Jason Ocampo"... I realize that I actually recognize those names... I guess gamespot IS doomed.
mariospants
halopower67
Posted 10:27 AM 5/4/08
www.giantbomb.com FTW!!!! This summer it will blow Gamespot away.
halopower67
Salen
Posted 10:54 AM 5/4/08
Irony!
Ah, gotta love when irony hits the folks who need it, right between the eyes.
Salen
Wubbytoes
Posted 11:24 AM 5/4/08
Good riddance. Maybe Gamespot can start getting back some of the credibility they lost during this whole debacle.
Wubbytoes
m-p{3}
Posted 12:34 PM 5/4/08
Looks like it's garbage day.
m-p{3}
Namtillaku
Posted 1:01 PM 5/4/08
Since the first day that Gertsmann story came out, I haven't visited Gamespot once. I wonder if I wasn't the only one. Let's see, right now on my list; never buy another Creative product again, and never use Gamespot. Check.
Namtillaku
NerdblurbSteve
Posted 12:58 PM 5/4/08
So does this mean Gamespot will be having a "Grand Re-Opening"? And more importantly - will there be free hot dogs?
NerdblurbSteve
sooiee115
Posted 2:03 PM 5/4/08
HAHA Sucks to be you Lardson
sooiee115
neojam
Posted 2:18 PM 5/4/08
Karma is a bitch. :)
neojam
sooiee115
Posted 2:15 PM 5/4/08
^
I meant Larson, but Lardson sounds funnier.
Lardson Turdson
sooiee115
Witzbold
Posted 3:21 PM 5/4/08
@Jurai: B A N N E D
Witzbold
DreamTwister
Posted 3:34 PM 5/4/08
For Great Justice!
www.giantbomb.com FTW indeed!!!!
DreamTwister
Northern Cat
Posted 9:20 AM 5/4/08
Gamespot has the best user interface for gamers, community-wise. But they're slow, especially at posting reviews, and now it's worse than ever.
I wish it went back the way it was before.
Northern Cat
FlippinSweet
Posted 3:59 PM 5/4/08
@Namtillaku: ditto.
FlippinSweet
Eternal BPM: Insanity's Requiem
Posted 5:35 PM 5/4/08
So... does anyone still work at GameSpot?
Eternal BPM: Insanity's Requiem
Fyren
Posted 6:17 PM 5/4/08
By the way, from the flow of this thread; you guys do realize that Gerstmann is also one of the worst reviewer to date right?.
This whole fiasco is based on the principal and ethics, not his reviewing scope.
Fyren
Fireblast
Posted 6:49 PM 5/4/08
@balls187++:
Amen. I used GameSpot for their news and Game Collection thing and before I joined here I told them they are the perfect place for biased reviews. Besides Kotaku gives you more than just news you would find at any game site.
Fireblast
Mara
Posted 6:46 PM 5/4/08
A victory for journalism.
Mara
yaegar
Posted 5:20 PM 5/4/08
Am I the only one that sees this for what it is? This man is a scape goat and nothing else,..they are doing the same thing that companies and governments have been doing since the beginning.
They got rid of him in hopes that people will come back to the site and view their ads, now that JUSTICE has been served. Come on everyone, He got let go with a nice retirement package, and now Gamespot gets their good name back,..
They can be trusted now that they got rid of one guy right? NO!!
This is not a one person's decision.This was a decision made by them all to make those big advertiser dollars,...I absolutely will never trust Gamespot again, and I suggest that you all take the same route. They rate the game on who pays them. That simple
yaegar
pico77
Posted 8:04 PM 5/4/08
Good to hear this. Unfortunately everyone I liked at gamespot's already left in the wake of Jeff Gerstmann's firing, so I don't see myself going back to the site anytime soon. Kotaku covers everything I need to know anyway, and some of the former gamespotters pop up occasionally on the giantbomb.com podcast, so I'm pretty much set.
pico77
human3rror
Posted 3:33 PM 5/4/08
@PissedPS3Fan:
haha
true.
human3rror
LayZeeBear
Posted 10:45 AM 5/4/08
Never Forgive. Never Forget.
LayZeeBear
DugDawg
Posted 1:46 AM 6/4/08
Gamespot used to be my favorite site. Now I have good 'ol Kotaku.
DugDawg
joebobfunguy
Posted 2:28 AM 6/4/08
My 12 year old nephew will be so stoked! Oh wait, he is into IGN now. They have 'babes'.
joebobfunguy
cowondinosaur
Posted 2:12 AM 6/4/08
The thing about firing executives in big companies like CNET is that:
1) They already made way too much money before being fired.
2) Their contracts pretty much always include a termination clause so that they get ridiculous amounts of money just for being fired.
So is Larson the loser here? No. Gamespot is still in shambes and Larson has more money than any of the honest staff affected by this situation, and money is obviously the only thing Larson cared about. Thus he wins, everyone else loses.
cowondinosaur
Recoil
Posted 4:30 AM 6/4/08
Did anyone else think of the Monty Python and The Holy Grail intro when they read the headline? :P
Recoil
GodPlus1
Posted 7:07 AM 6/4/08
i am happy. i have never liked Gamestop anyways.
GodPlus1
YotaruVegeta
Posted 8:51 AM 6/4/08
Good. I bet he took a nice chunk of cash on his way out, but I hope he dies of a water overdose. I know that I don't even know the guy personally, and Jeff's doing well at Giant Bomb, but this is just another hint that Jeff being let go was because of stupid advertising.
Giantbomb.com for life!
YotaruVegeta
shubleedsblue
Posted 1:39 PM 6/4/08
@Jurai:
WTF???
shubleedsblue
this_will_be_fun
Posted 3:23 PM 6/4/08
everyone loves a little blood spilling :)
this_will_be_fun
mcderek3000
Posted 6:57 PM 6/4/08
Ding! Dong! The witch is dead!
mcderek3000
Jac21
Posted 3:55 AM 7/4/08
@Jurai: Then he'll die all slow-like.
Jac21
huginn
Posted 4:27 AM 8/4/08
Karma, it's not just for guys name Earl it seems!
huginn
BadSheep
Posted 12:45 PM 8/4/08
Gamespot alwready blew it, its a deep wound they did to them selves
BadSheep
agentluap
Posted 5:45 AM 6/4/08
Good to see something being done over at gamespot to try and sort out the mess it has becoming since Jeff's departure. It lost a lot of my respect when Jeff left. I think I'll be sticking to Kotaku and giantbomb from now on.
agentluap