After years of separation, Giant Bomb that featured former GameSpot employee Jeff Gerstmann will be moving back with the former company but will stay as their own site. Questions behind the controversy between Gerstmann and GameSpot years back have also been answered.
The video game website Giant Bomb, previously owned by independent media network Whiskey Media, is now part of the CBS Interactive family. The main Giant Bomb staff consisting of Jeff Gerstmann, Ryan Davis, Brad Shoemaker, Vinny Caravella (all four were part of GameSpot before Giant Bomb), Drew Scanlon, and Patrick Klepek will be joining as well as Screened’s Alex Navarro (former GameSpot) and some of Whiskey Media’s engineering team. Sara Lima and Tony Guerrero of former Whiskey Media site Comic Vine is also coming along for the ride.
Giant Bomb fans might have been questioning about what was happening this week as some of the video content wasn’t located in their usual workstation but at programmer Dave Snider’s home. Their live stream announcement below regarding the acquisition should have been enough to clarify the situation why they are there.
Following the announcement, Gerstmann appeared on GameSpot’s own weekly show On The Spot talking more about coming back to the GameSpot headquarters as well as finally reveal the full details on how he was fired from the company.
It all started due to a conflict with the then new management team understanding the editorial team and Sony backing out of providing ads after a review of Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was scored a 7.5 out of 10. Gerstmann didn’t write the review but his role of editorial director had him watch over the reviews and stood by the review.
Regarding the Kane & Lynch: Dead Men controversy, publisher Eidos was planning to pull the ads that were in the site. The management team was struggling with how to deal with the situation resulting Gerstmann sent to multiple meetings regarding the review. Surprisingly, Gerstmann revealed that the chaos died down but in the following Thanksgiving break, he would be called in to be ultimately fired from GameSpot.
Giant Bomb's Jeff Gerstmann talking to GameSpot's John Davidson of the dimissal controversy.
“They felt they couldn’t trust me in the role,” Gerstmann said. “From my perspective, we did what an editorial team does. We review games, we instructed people about the quality of the games, and we are completely honest.”
Gerstmann followed that statement that there wasn’t some issues behind the editorial side but the management team who were struggling with the issue. Following the news of the dismissal, Gerstmann explained the chaos of press wanting to know more of the story.
“If there was [a problem with GameSpot editorial], I wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” Gerstmann said in the On The Spot interview. “[GameSpot] still understand video games and how to run video game websites and that was something [Giant Bomb] really needs.”
Those who registered for Whiskey Media’s premium membership wont have to mind much until April 15 where they will transfer all info to the new network. Nothing will be modified or blended into GameSpot’s Total Access but “those who stick around” will receive a free optional code for GameSpot Total Access.
Some of Whiskey Media’s other sites wont participate with CBS but with another company. Movie site Screened and technology site Tested are going to BermanBraun with the latter going to be involved with the popular MythBusters crew in the future. Anime Vice is apparently staying with Whiskey Media who is working on new community websites.
