GameSpot and CNET see their favorite fired game reviewer return with a rival gaming blog and a ton of street cred.
Gerstmann’s old employers hotly denied external pressure from major advertiser and game developer Eidos played a role in his dismissal in 2007. His firing coming on the heels of a tepid review of Eidos’ big release Kane & Lynch: Dead Men evidently happened strictly by coincidence.
No one will push him around on Giant Bomb, Gerstmann’s return to the world of game reviews and related content. The new site opened with Gerstmann emphasizing its social media aspects:
One difference you may notice from the way other game sites handle their business is that we put the games first, not the platforms. We’re pretty tired of all the platform comparisons that end up saying “dude, I don’t know, they both look pretty much the same.” We have ONE home page for Grand Theft Auto IV where players can come together, regardless of platform of choice, and talk about the game.
Their blog touted Giant Bomb as “a little bit of everything from 4 dudes working out of a basement in Sausalito.” Gerstmann’s reputation and the assortment of features available at the site should make it a hot destination for gamers.
Selectivity will be a factor in what the quartet reviews. On their help page, they noted the staff will dismiss the “fire-hose approach to video game coverage” in favor of bringing what they find important to the attention of their readers.
Just don’t look for a massive breakdown of the next installment of the Madden NFL franchise, as the group isn’t all that big on sports games in general.
