Shoe: Game company paid for 'lady companionship' for journalists [Joystiq]

[DP ServBot]

Filed under: Culture (http://www.joystiq.com/category/culture/), Business (http://www.joystiq.com/category/business/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/09/partybarasia2.jpg (http://sorethumbsblog.com/post/52029173/gamingjournalism5)Dan "Shoe" Hsu has let loose another post delving into the nitty-gritty of games journalism and if you thought the gift bags and free jet fighting school (http://sorethumbsblog.com/post/48219664/gamingjournalism4) was extravagant you're in for one eye-opening Tuesday morning. Among a litany of questionable activity from several companies, Shoe reports: "Tecmo in the past has treated their American journalist guests to evenings out at Japanese hostess bars, watering holes where women are paid to keep customers company (not necessarily in a 'me so horny!' way ... it's more of a 'let me keep filling your drinks and you are so funny and handsome and wonderful and let me hang on to your every word!' male-insecurities-nuking thing)."

Sure, it's not hooker-level (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/28/pack-your-bags-australian-game-reviewers-offered-hookers/) scandalous, but it does clear up why so many reviews for Rygar included lines like "the most moving piece of interactive entertainment of this or any other time. There, Yuki, I said it! Now, will you please just ... love me for me?"
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[rbudrick]

Actually, gaming PR folks have indeed been buying hookers for journalists, along with drugs and vacations, sometimes all of the above. This is how crappy games often get good reviews. I'm not saying it happens often, but it does happen.

Where's my proof, you ask? Well, I've admittedly got nothing tangible, just the VERY trusted word of a close friend that used to be in the industry.

By the way, those Japanese girly bars are extremely common in Japan. Nothing taboo about them, really.

-Rob

[Sabz5150]

Free drugs?! Where do I sign up?

[fennec fox]

Where's my proof, you ask? Well, I've admittedly got nothing tangible, just the VERY trusted word of a close friend that used to be in the industry.

I work in the industry and I will tangibly say that he was yanking your chain.

[Cav]

Actually, gaming PR folks have indeed been buying hookers for journalists, along with drugs and vacations, sometimes all of the above. This is how crappy games often get good reviews. I'm not saying it happens often, but it does happen.

Where's my proof, you ask? Well, I've admittedly got nothing tangible, just the VERY trusted word of a close friend that used to be in the industry.

By the way, those Japanese girly bars are extremely common in Japan. Nothing taboo about them, really.

-Rob

Damn. And I can't even get some PR people to send me box images.

...and yeah, "Hostess Bars" are quite harmless.

[Nature Boy]

This just in: people can be bribed. Film at 11....

[rbudrick]

I work in the industry and I will tangibly say that he was yanking your chain.

Then you aren't attending the right parties with the right people.

-Rob

[s1lence]

I'm actually surprised that this is even a news story.

I thought things like thise were pretty common place.

[MrSparkle]

*applies to ign and gamespot*

[heybtbm]

After seeing the Game Informer staff every month for the past few years...money would have to be involved to get those guys laid. Yikes!

[Push Upstairs]

I'm going to a hostess bar if I ever make it to Japan.

[MrSparkle]

In all honestly this surprises me about as much as a politician being corrupt. Reviewers of everything else in the world have been getting this treatment for years. I say its about time these bums started getting something for their awful praise of bad games!

[Neil Koch]

Hostess bars are common in Japan and other parts of Asia, like Hong Kong. Taking people there on business isn't any better or worse than going to a place like Hooters, or really any number of bars in the US that aim at college-age guys and have their female waitstaff heavily flirt with the clientele.


I'm going to a hostess bar if I ever make it to Japan.

Unless you're an extremely high roller, you're not going to get anything besides a case of blue balls and/or a shitty hangover. Plus a very light wallet.

[DreamTR]

rbudrick: I'm with fennecfox on this one. I worked at a video game magazine for almost 8 years and ended up at all sorts of crazy parties from every company imaginable that you could not get into, crazy sporting events, AAA boxing fights, private concerts, wining and dining in Vegas a gazillion times, etc. Never, ever did I hear of anything like this unless there's some rogue PR guy that is buddies with an editor perhaps, and doing some stuff "off the record" and company expensed, but I think that's a bit exaggerated.

[The 1 2 P]

If you write a gaming blog does that count as gaming journalism?

[InsaneDavid]

If you write a gaming blog does that count as gaming journalism?

Does someone else approve and then publish your work?

[Push Upstairs]

Unless you're an extremely high roller, you're not going to get anything besides a case of blue balls and/or a shitty hangover. Plus a very light wallet.

I can stay in the US and get those. Poo.

[Lady Jaye]

Well, I never got that kind of treatment in my (short-lived) career as a game journalist. But I do remember fondly the little Christmas stocking from Midway with a hula-dancing doll (no, really!)...

Doesn't mean that Shoe was bullshitting. It's possible that this treatment was offered to the best-known mainstream publications, while the rest of us received a gazillion emails from PR companies trying to push this or that game.

BTW, it's a gig I'd redo any time. :P

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Hmm ... I wonder if this kind of thing would work in reverse ...


"Hey Sony Execs, I'll buy you all hookers and drugs if you let me into the Home beta!"

[rbudrick]

rbudrick: I'm with fennecfox on this one. I worked at a video game magazine for almost 8 years and ended up at all sorts of crazy parties from every company imaginable that you could not get into, crazy sporting events, AAA boxing fights, private concerts, wining and dining in Vegas a gazillion times, etc. Never, ever did I hear of anything like this unless there's some rogue PR guy that is buddies with an editor perhaps, and doing some stuff "off the record" and company expensed, but I think that's a bit exaggerated.

I figured you'd post in here eventually, D. It's not like these PR guys had a megaphone at parties screaming HOOKERS AND BLOW EVERYONE! STEP RIGHT UP! It certainly wasn't every company and every PR rep. However, it is well known that vacations and other awards are given to reviewers to bribe them. Escorts are certainly not a far stretch, and to be honest, it was often a "ask and you shall receive" type of thing, and not necessarily offered up by the game company. It was all in how far some reviewers pushed the companies to please them to get a grade. It's not like I'm pushing this all on the PR reps because the reviewers or editors were as much to blame. PR reps learned who could be bribed, though. Those who could be CERTAINLY were not open about it in the press.

Honest reviewers would naturally have never known about these things or even indulged in them.

-Rob

[The 1 2 P]

Well, I never got that kind of treatment in my (short-lived) career as a game journalist.

Thats because you weren't reviewing games for my company. Otherwise I would have definitely hooked you up;)

[DreamTR]

Rob: I agree with that much, but yeah, it was definitely not "flaunted" by any means. The seedy underbelly of game journalism was not as dirty as you would think, but there's a lot of other "dirt" that many people involved in that is a bit more important than something like this, though.

You can't beat the companies' perks with all those plane tickets/hotels/meals. All of those events were basically free vacations for me.

[rbudrick]

Hey Jason, I'm just saying that if you and Chris asked for hookers and blow, you probably could have gotten them. ;) Hah! \\^_^/ :cheers:

-Rob