Ever huddled in a boxy dim-lit trailer with whirring computers, no air conditioning, and a bunch of guys with horrid coffee breath? Welcome to the VIP hub at a games convention, where the funky odors occasionally dovetail with the subject matter you're sneak-peeking. In this case, the desiccated apocalypto-scapes in Bethesda's post-nuclear RPG Fallout 3. I'd love to tell you all about the game, but frankly my hand-scribbled notes read like chicken scratch compared to the encyclopedic coverage provided by Fallout fansite No Mutants Allowed.
I can't remember the last time I saw a feature as meticulous, as literal, as utterly photographic. I'm counting somewhere in the vicinity of 10,000 words of fastidious blow-by-blow obsessing over the 45 minutes Xbox 360 demo Bethesda's Pete Hines was running in the GCDC press center, a demo Hines explicitly instructed attendees not to record...no ifs, ands, or buts.
So, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little disappointed to see that these guys thought it'd be just dandy to apply "for the demo showing in name of another media company," [update: ostensibly] tape the whole shebang, then transcribe it. Me envious? You better believe it. I had a recording device too, and I would've killed to use it. But I didn't, because playing games is something you do in front of your computer or TV, not at the expense of a respected industry publisher.
In any event, the issue's not what NMA did so much as how they gained access to do it. It's not like Bethesda's running a sweatshop or a money laundering op or an underage sex ring, where going all 60 Minutes or Mother Jones on the company to expose moral turpitude might be justified. No, and not to sound all preachy, but this is how a couple kids without scruples screw it up for the rest of us by turning already paranoid-enough companies into impregnable PR fortresses.
Thanks a lot, guys.
I'm sorry? What unsanctioned screen grabs, all those screens have been release via Bethesda's website. What camera? What "video the whole shebang"? What "transcribing" of the whole event?
There are no new screenshots in there, all quotes are hastily scribbled as well. We could pay more attention to it because there were two of us and because we had little else to focus on, giving us more time to work out our notes directly. We applied under name of supporting companies, with their support, in my case it was the company itself that applied *for me* to the event, I didn't have to apply myself.
I'm not sure what brought on your disapproval. We didn't break Bethesda's no recording rules, and I'm kind of confused how you got that idea since there's no new screen material on the site and most of the quotes I had to double-check with other previews (especially Perlman's intro) because my notes were hasty. What exactly did we do wrong?
Why does it mark me anonymous when I'm logged in?
Anyway, I forgot to add: there have been two previews that directly transcribed, word-by-word, Ron Perlman's speech at the start. I used the preview of Gaming Trend to check my notes on his speech since they were too haste to be used (obviously couldn't write it own down). It seems pretty obvious to me Gaming Trend had to have some sort of recording device to put that all down, since I'm a pretty fast writer but could not keep up. That was at E3. So why single out NMA?
-Brother None
Well if you say so BN (so maybe GT's the recording culprit?). Still, saying you're someone you're not... I'm not passing judgment on anyone personally, but leaks are leaks from a publisher's perspective, and they pass that buck on to us by being less candid and putting ridiculous, sometimes punitive measure in place when it comes to info-sharing.
Well now that's bizarre. I'm certainly not billgseattle. I suppose that's why you're showing up as anon BN. Something goofy in the waterworks...
-Matt
It is possible that we acted out of turn. If we did, I can't do anything but apologize, but consider at the same moment all of it was quite legit, and I honestly expected no backlash: the three media companies backing us up did so without any deceit or persuasion from our side, AtomicGamer/Gamernode handling all applications for me, while MadShrimps for SuA is even more legit because he is actually writing a Fallout 3 preview for them.
On the conference itself, we were polite, followed their rules, and neither of us lied to them. Yes, we were deceitful in withholding info, but I honestly think it wasn't to any significant level, and that any overblown reaction is more on Bethesda's shoulders than ours. I'm not a gaming journalist, obviously, but I also find it hard to believe Bethesda would get away with broad punitive measures towards the entire media, over this small event.
Multiple people recorded I think. Most of the long quotes (opening speech, the sheriff) were from them.
-BN
Wow, to think an established PC Magazine hires such employees that blatantly slander their peers who write and take notes better than them. For shame. Both SuAside and Brother None deserve an apology from Matt Peckham AND Pc World for this travesty.
It really is strange what lies are seen in this article. As BN already pointed out, they did nothing illegal and quotes were taken from other magazines.
Also, I think that this is nothing more than implausible gloominess being used to justify the bashing of the oh-so-evil Fallout-community.
In addition, this whole article shows even more envy and hatred than the whole Fallout community could ever do...
An apology really is the LEAST that would be appropriate now to let this writer (yes, Matt, you) keep it's credibility.
How cute. A green-faced non-journalist complaining about the vastly superior work of competent journalists
A big round of pity for Matt.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
-Anonymous
Self-professed journalist Matt shows us the ropes to true journalistic standards, eh?
Cmon everyone, lets make up claims and totally downplay our collegues in the name of journalism!
"Non-journalist"? What's that, the new playground bully equivalent of calling someone a "big dummy"? Get real guys. :)
Quite a bit too much personal attacking going on for my tastes here, but the fact is that the article is inaccurate and contains false accusations, no matter which way you turn it. Any backlash and the way to handle it is not my business, though.
Cheers,
Brother None
matt talks about how nma is ruining pr for "proper" journalists like himself. well, if being a "proper" journalist means doing the kind of fact-checking that he does, then i'll stick with the fansites, thank you very much.
Hello Matt, this is Briosafreak from Fallout3:PNB
http://fallout3.wordpress.com/
First let me correct you on one thing, I send the pics to NMA, and I was thousands of miles away from Leipzig, the pics were released to the public by Bethesda before the article.Maybe you could edit that part.
I disagree of your negativity towards the detail of the NMA piece, instead I find it comendable. Still if you read the previews of ron Burke at Gamingtrend or Brendon Lindsey at Gamenode you'll find other examples of extremely detailed pieces, NMA was the most thorough but not the only one.
Finally as you can read here
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=2
there was a time Bethesda allowed fansites to see the demoing of the games by themselves, if it discriminates Fallout fans than it seems reasonable they use direct action in order better coverage the game and give the info their viewers deserve
all the best for the future
Briosafreak
This wouldn't be a problem if game "journalists" would remember that there obligation is to consumers, not publishers. If you're not willing to give us an honest, critical, and complete evaluation of what you see, then you need to change careers.
Journalists hold all the power in the publisher-journalist relationship, yet they have been letting publishers call the shots for years. You should be commending NMA for standing up and showing Zenimax how it should be.
First of all, there's no fact-checking here -- NMA pretty brazenly trumpeted its "deceitful" activity. They're proud of what they did, and that's that. My post point's no more or less complex than: when people play games with publishers, it makes them less friendly with everyone, period.
Second, there's no way anyone can absolutely prove that NMA either did or didn't engage in illicit activity. I'm saying it certainly seems like they did, but I'm not claiming it journalistically. And while I'm sympathetic with the NMA fans showing up here who're clearly motivated by a blind desire for raw info (and thus ready to forgive just about anything to get it), it doesn't excuse fibbing to a publisher.
so being a casual fallout fan i have just chanced across this and what a hoot. it sounds like a hit dog whining. they may not have been "real" game journalists but they sure did a heck of a job (by your own admission and complaining) brother none and suAside should take up writing for indymedia. well matt, you would like to tell us about the game but can't cause you didn't do a good enough job, maybe the coffee breath was to distracting? grow up.
So, because they were good reporters who instead of whooping, hollering and masturbating over the video, actually paid attention wrote down what they saw and heard, they must have cheated and snuck in recording gear?
Also, why are you calling them kids - they are uni students, not Children - yet another fraudulent attempt to deride them... The article clearly stated they were there legitimately, representing valid media outlets. The event was a PR event, their action has generated considerable publicity - more than this blog has. What's that old adage, any publicity is good publicity? Why would Bethesda be concerned - if they do clamp down, what's the problem, afraid you wont get the bribes and hookers no more?
You may consider yourself a journalist Matt, but lets face it anyone with a keyboard can attain that title these days. Accuracy is what differentiates the good from the bad, not a wage slip. This article is full of false information, lies, and is remarkably short of facts.
Deceitful? How the hell is what they did deceitful? If all they did was release only the information Bethesda wanted them to... Guess what? That's not journalism - that's *FREE PR*. Journalism is the reporting of truth. I'm sure the war journalists in Iraq "ruined it" for the rest of your journalists, amirite? Better not report anything that criticizes the government, because obviously the government doesn't want us to know.
Don't blame NMA for making Bethesda a "PR Fortress" (not that they weren't before, as they specifically didn't allow you to record the demo?). That is their own choice. Besides, where is the honor and integrity in PR anyways - holding back information and revealing only "exciting" tidbits just so fans build up unsubstantiated hype which basically equals more $$$ for the publisher and developer. Doesn't it sound deceitful at all not to let potential customers be fully informed? Fact is, NMA fought fire with fire, whereas all YOU could do was feed the fire
"Deceitful"? I didn't use the word to describe their actions, they did.
...feed the fire like a parade of servants.
Finally, explain to me which journalist the *informed* customer appreciates more: the one who writes "hand-scribbled notes [that] reads like chicken scratch" or the one who produces "encyclopedic coverage?"
Wow, you post this and claim your a professional journalist? Lets get some things straight here, first there were smaller, fan run sites, that got invites to the preview. The claim by Bethesda there were not enough "seats" in the demo or whatever was clearly a lie, and was proven to have been so. Also there was no videoing of the event, to claim there was is just irresponsible on your part.
NMA has been covering fallout news for years, have done interviews with pretty much all the people involved with fallout over the years and is really the best source for fallout news on the Internet. Repeated attempts to get into a demo, even a Admin from nma who applied at leipzig under NMA had been denied.
So here is my question, if you claim these 2 guys did something illicit, yet both have written or are writing articles for the sites they were there for, exactly what did they do that was illicit? How have they hurt your relationship of paid trips and glowing reviews for ad sales in any way?
What, I can't even be self-disparaging? :)
""Deceitful"? I didn't use the word to describe their actions, they did."
How kind of you to nitpick the smallest of details to avoid the larger point. Anyways, I was not quoting your use of the word, but rather the tone that the article describes NMA, e.g. "the issue's not what NMA did so much as how they gained access to do it."
I cannot for the life of me understand why the artificial distinction between 'professional game journalist' and 'fan' needs to be so dramatic. NMA-fallout is just as legit as any game site, a bit more focused then most, but a reliable news outlet for post-apoc games and everything related to Fallout.
I'll take the opinion of the fan over the 'professional game journalist' any day? I prefer the free press to the bribed, hyped and very expensive shill press.
I?m actually looking somewhat forward to this game since the meticulous detail and quality coverage provided by NMA. ?Professional journalists? could learn a thing or two about separation of fact and opinion, including both pro?s and cons, and simply providing extensive and quality coverage.
"First of all, there's no fact-checking here"
you're damn straight there isn't. any halfway decent journalist would at least have tried talking to the people in question before accusing them of "tap[ing] the whole shebang, then transcrib[ing] it".
Well... For me, the point is: If the gamming journalist did they job RIGHT as they should, and if the companies didn't treat the fans so bad, this type of thing probably would never happen.
And certainly, they didn't have done nothing ?dishonest? or "ilicit" (if so, why they didn't suffer any legal accusation?). "Omit" isn't the same as "lie". They hadn't stolen information, they didn't show anything that wasn't already been published, hadn't shown no new image - they had only shown a new vision of the facts.
A vision that THE JOURNALISTS MUST HAVE BEEN ALREADY SHOWN. But? Oh! They hadn't! So surprising! Proffesional? Yeah, right!
And note I'm not picking on their coverage -- it's fantastically thorough, even if I don't necessarily agree with some of their conclusions.
This is only about whether guys who know a given company doesn't want them attending some private event should be applauded for sneaking in anyway.
And news on TV only reports on that which the government tells them, amirite?
They should be applauded for USING deceit to EXPOSE deceit.
well, what choice did they have?
they're fans of a gaming franchise. they've stuck around for ten years, and suddenly someone else buys their baby. sure, it's bethesda's property, so they can do whatever they want to with it, but they still have an obligation to the franchise and to it's fans, an obligation that hasn't been fulfilled. if nma had had any other chance to get that information, then they wouldn't have done this.
btw, i'm glad to see that you at least added the word "ostensibly", though i'd have liked to see you go a little bit further than that.
Hey, Matt, you forgot to mention the all the pro-terrorist propaganda BN tried to sneak into his preview:
"At this point, I could see a notice of gained experience points fading in and out on the left side of the screen."
Clearly the work of a twisted and deceitful mind.
Also, it may not be completely obvious, but I'm pretty sure there's some racist stuff in there, too. Brother None is a well-known Nazi sympathizer, as well as a Grand Dragon in the KKK. (I heard he sacrifices puppies.)
Anyway, keep up the good work.
"This is only about whether guys who know a given company doesn't want them attending some private event should be applauded for sneaking in anyway."
Sounds like investigative journalism, which is by far the most important kind. Much more important then just parroting carefully prepared PR statements in exchange for freebies and advertisement revenue.
"...kids without scruples screw it up for the rest of us..."
A lot of Fallout fans feel that Bethesda is the one screwing it up for the rest of us. Something which could have been avoided if Bethesda had had the scruples to approach Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky and Jason Anderson to design fallout 3. So dont blame the fans for loving the franchise blame Bethesda for pissing on our bonfire.
A "journalist" who flames a "fan" for reporting on things that should have been his job in the first place... brilliant. This article is so heavily laced with ironies that I have a mental image of them all slapping this man in the forehead as he's typing this up... oblivious to it all.
This entire thing should be retracted. It's so full of misinformation and unverified "facts" that it makes me wonder how you could possibly consider yourself a journalist in the first place? These guys are ruining it for you? Please, guys like you feeding PR lines instead of honest opinions have been ruining it for the thinking public for years now.
I'll be looking forward to articles and reviews written by you in the future, sir. Ones where you simply parrot off the company PR lines to me and tell me how awesome everything is.
9.8 out of 10. Editor's Choice.
"This is only about whether guys who know a given company doesn't want them attending some private event should be applauded for sneaking in anyway."
Ah, yes, right.
This is mainly because games are not to be presented to the public and are a secret, right?
And why shouldn't they want BN and SuAside to attend?
The only reason for that is, because they know that they are the ONLY ONES able to see the flaws of the game.
EVERY other preview I have read so far points out only some graphical flaws, and that's it.
Yes, indeed, they should be applauded for exploiting a system that was misused to serve for nothing more but hype and PR-Propaganda.
Edit:
Also, tehy did nothing illegal. And YOU really shouldn't be talking about moral; following the hype that goes around F3 without questions and making bad reviews of a game, just because you don't like what the game is all about (NWN2, you guessed it) is way worse than anything BN did.
We are asking for nothing more than objectivity, but do we get it from "professional" journalists? No.
In the F3-preview by BN and SuAside, they at least try to be as objective as possible by describing everything that accurately...
Hey guys, I'm enjoying your comments, but let's keep it civil.
Matt
Hmm, can't say I agree with your conduct, Matt. Seems like you're ignoring some points being brought up that are begging for the author's response and posting clever one liners instead.
Bethesda clearly does not want NMA to have any info about Fallout 3. The reason is because NMA will evaluate it based on it's merits - while most game hype sites will pump it's visuals and etc. Remember the press for Oblivion? With NMA's preview we see how bad the AI still is in the game. Imagine if we had known this about Oblivion before it was released instead of all the Radiant AI hype....NMA is a Fallout fansite. Bethesda is a huge multi million dollar company. If Bethesda won't give them information, then I don't see any problem with them going to get it themselves.
Also, I don't understand why you haven't retracted your false information in the post. It seems like one of the core elements of journalism is to provide accurate facts to your viewers.
Matt-
Please know that the majority of people reading these comments and posting are NMA/Codex drones who feel that this 'diss' by you is grounds for some sort of personally vindicating dogpile on a non-member of their community. For all of their talk about the 'licking of ballz' of Bethesda by the media, they lick each others' ballz constantly in their bashing of the 'oppressive establishment.'
Know that what you're reading here is just a small cross-section of the internet world (and a bitter, bored one at that) and realize that the vast majority of rational, objective readers understand that you've done the equivalent of poking a rabid, insane dog...and one that deserved to be poked.
Meanwhile, keep up the dramedy, you FO-defending martyrs!
What exactly is the connection between "NMA/Codex Drones" and putting false information in a PCWorld article?
You're sure good at the ad hominem fallacy, Mr. Anonymous. Just accept you're wrong if you can't argue with facts, logic, and reason.
Acting in the capacity of a person who earned a Bachelor of Journalism, I have to ask you - Matt - a question: do you know what professional ethical conduct is?
I can tell you what it is not. It is not acting like an agent for a developer or publisher by actively promoting their interests or agenda. It is not justifying this position on the basis of securing the 'trust' (read: press junkets) of a "paranoid PR-fortress". It absolutely is not acting like a lap-dog instead of a watchdog.
Traditional concepts of media responsibility and its role as the fourth estate et al are dying the death of a thousand cuts. Not because of the irresponsible conduct of bloggers, but because of the misconduct of those who proclaim themselves to be or to act as professional journalists.
- Reporter
I could care less about a preview folks. Most consumers have a "must have it first day" mentality. Consumers can take more responsibility by ignoring previews all together, wait for fanboy sites, media sites, etc. to post "real reviews" after the game comes out and then make a conscious decision to purchase it or not afterwards. Game companies would then be forced to ensure better quality in their games to generate sales and it would force mag reviewers to acutally review the "entire" game if they want to stay in the market as a valuable source of information or fanboy sites like NMA would dominate. Feeding the "PR Machine" via good press or bad press usually just helps companies by generating additional revenue when it comes out first to market. A preview is just a "preview". It isn't worth my time, nor my money. Nuff said.