I feel weird that Jeff called in to the Amplitude Livestream

I don't post often at all(I'm a lurker, but I've listened to every bombcast made, backlog, livestream, etc), but this sort of hit me the wrong way.

Usually, I'm perfectly fine with Drake being around GB. Even when he was on the vinnyvania, he was part of a news story with the tweet he sent out. Today, however, Jeff seems to be directly supporting the video game creation process, and with it directly supporting a game company/agenda.

Now, I know that the modern Game Critic has developed much differently than journalistic integrity standards of 10-20 years ago, but this just seems weird. Anyone else feel the same way? I know he's supporting a friend, but...man, I personally felt uncomfortable with this.

*Note: never had a problem with the bastion stuff, as GB was very open about it, never had a problem with anything else they've done that I can recall.

Please show me on the doll where Jeff trolled you little boy

I didn't listen to it, so I've no clue of context either.

So maybe he was just being Jeff, but if he's calling into a livestream where the singular purpose was to support the livestream...


I hope I am just seeing tweets and getting trolled, lol.

I don't see a problem- unless he's planning on reviewing the game. I don't think he is, though, and I don't see why he can't indulge them on this game as, if i recall, he liked the original.

People get to uppity about this stuff. It's good that you want to police what he does, though. I'm sure he needs people "keeping him in line."

It's not being posted on the site, so there's that. I also imagine that the people checking out the stream are either already donors or are on-the-fence but considering backing the Kickstarter. Granted, I haven't seen the event in question.

I don't see it being an issue.

@kidavenger: I mean, what did he say? If he was calling to directly comment on calling into a kickstarter, sure.

If he did a dumb gag, or Dr. Tracksuit, it's still supporting the idea of the kickstarter.

Just sort of hit me the wrong way was all, no need to be rude about it.

If he's involved in any way, I think Jeff has the professional integrity to not review the game. Just putting that out there.

I personally don't have a problem with this but I can understand the thought that this seems odd. Same reason Patrick talks about not sponsoring games on Kick Starter but I feel this is Jeff doing a solid for a game he must like and for good friends. If he was to then review it I would have more of an issue with that, but thats just me.

Let the guy have some fun with his friends!

They took down the Amplitude story. More than likely they won't review it. So where's the problem?

I just, I dunno, this particular thing seemed out of character is all.

When bastion happened, they were REALLY upfront about it.

When they brought on Drake, there WAS a news story there.

This is just a harmonix funded livestream to support the kickstarter, and while he's supporting a friend, there's a direct monetary impact to him calling in...

Meh, maybe it's just me.

I don't see any issues with having him call in on their livestream.

Oh! Collusion!!!

The way the games media at large has covered the amplitude kickstarter really comes across to me as sleezy. Im hoping someone of note writes an article about it and calls people up on it.

There's no way Amplitude is going to be reviewed on this site. (If it even gets funded)

It's one of the few games that they broke the "we don't talk about unfunded Kickstarters" rule for, in a company filled with people they are very close to, that one of the employees of this site previously worked for.

I think Jeff and the rest of the crew are self-aware enough to know that wouldn't be an acceptable thing to do.

@carryboy: That's some of the stuff I guess I saw. Polygon, GB, Joystiq, few others were basically pushing this not just as a news story, but as helping a friend, and that worries me deeply.

Then again, who knows. I've always liked patrick's approach to the stories, so maybe I'm looking for something else.

Wait a mintue, he just called in on a live stream and that's it?

@alexandersheen said:

Even if he isn't there's a very low chance he'd review it anyway.

@jakethesnakeyea: It's probably just you. This isn't some kind of goofy collusion or conspiracy, rather, these guys are just tight and like to show up for each other's stuff. If you ask me, the more significant thing was Drake being on the last VinnyVania, where he kept plugging the Kickstarter. But even that seemed harmless.

You should collect your thoughts and throw a question to Jeff's Tumblr. That'd be a good way to gain some insight into his perspective on this.

If you had no problem with Drake coming on Vinnyvania to promote Amplitude then I don't see how this would be any different, unless you think Jeff is trying to be sneaky and people won't realize that he's calling in on their stream that is aimed at promoting the game.

@alexandersheen: a live stream funded by harmonix, ONLY to help kickstart amplitude. It's a special fundraising stream.

Wait, he made a phone call!? Jesus fucking christ get him sacked that's gross. I am speechless, just beyond words, that he would make a phone call into an event that is some way related to the industry in which he works and is therefore interested in. Just disgusting, horrible.

Shut up.

This this this this this this this this

They didn't review Bastion, they are not reviewing transistor, and they took down the article.

Unless he is holding people by the hand and forcing them to donate, I cant see the problem.

But dont you think that what you said in itself is the problem?

For me reviewing isnt even the issue at the end of the day you can make a decision on if you want to trust the sites review based on the information available, but to use your own "clout" if you will, that was gained through the covering of games to basically pimp a project because you like the guy doing it, comes off as wrong to me.

Plus there is the fact I dont like the kickstarter model :) so I guess I was never going to be happy.

Do you guys remember the part where Jeff said he has barely played Transistor since E3 last year, and where they were speaking critically (not negatively, but objectively) about it on the Bombcast this week?

Keep in mind that Jeff and the others are gamer's just like all of us. They are always going to have certain games that really appeal to them. When we turn to them for reviews and want their opinions, I don't really see this as being much different. If this is something that Jeff likes then I don't have a problem with any of this.

I think sometimes we put too much onus on them as reviewers and not enough on our own judgement's as to whether we will actually like something or not.

I think this is one of the reasons I like the quick looks so much more then an actual review sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I still like reading the reviews and hearing the differing opinions, but that is really what they are , opinions. With quick looks, you are actually getting to see the game play and experience more of the game which I find to be much more informational.

Wait, let me get this straight. Jeff called in to a livestream that one of his friends was doing?

VIDEO GAMES ARE OVER! Pack it up, everyone.

I see this as a guy helping his friends out. Just because Jeff is a game reviewer and journalist doesn't mean he can't support his friends. If the Kickstarter was promoted on the site by the GB guys, or if Jeff suddenly rallied the community to support Harmonix, then yeah, people can take issue. Honestly, I don't understand why people get bent out of shape about this stuff.

Not that I have any problem with this stuff, but I find it kinda odd that you point out Jeff just calling in when Alex is straight up asking people to support it on twitter...

I take the stance that it's cool as long as they don't plan on reviewing it, which I'm sure they won't. I can understand the concern though.

EDIT: Did the thread just get momentarily locked...?

He does reviews sometimes so that means he isn't allowed to have friends. Got ya.

@mysterysheep: Yeah, it did. FOLLOW THE MONEY!

The difference between this and the post they took down is that I wouldn't know about it until you mentioned it. He might be "providing content" for their advertising freely, but it doesn't affect us or the site. It's a bit disingenuous for us to expect the crew to not want to support Harmonix at this point, so as long as they're not exploiting their positions as "trusted "professionals"" I don't think it's weird.

CHEM TRAILS

Plus, how can you not want to help John Drake. Have you seen that man?

A lot of people really being dicks in this thread; it's totally normal to get a bit weirded out by the closeness of developers and reviewers/critics/journalists/whatever they want to be called this week. I mean, everybody is pretty much friends with everybody and they hang out on a regular basis, and that's not a crime, but you'd be an idiot not to wonder every now and then what kind of 'line' there is, if any.

Now, if the game comes out and it's garbage and the Giant Bomb guys are talking about how it's amazing and considering it for game of the year? That's maaaybe an issue, and even then it's entirely possible that it's just a matter of taste so you should probably give them the benefit of the doubt. If it turns out the site closes in a week and everyone suddenly has jobs at Harmonix? That'd probably be cause for alarm, but it wouldn't matter so much with the site existing only as a smoking hole! But so far they haven't done anything inappropriate, I'd say. Well, I mean, they do plenty of inappropriate stuff, but professionally inappropriate, probably not.

You didn't listen to it but it still hurt your delicate sensibilities? This can't be real.

To be fair, I think he's really into Amplitude, so if calling the livestream can be considered "pimping," then it's more that he supports the project than because it's done by a friend. It's an awkward position to be in, for sure, because it's generally acceptable for the enthusiast press to hype up things they're excited for -- but because they also happen to know the people in this case, suddenly it has to be looked on with scrutiny.

I'm kind of getting ahead of myself though, because we're talking about him phoning a livestream that only people who were already interested would've even heard.

I agree with this

Christ people, he reviews video games (sometimes) and makes awesome videos. Jeff isn't running to be President of the Free World.

Were you okay with them doing the Bastion videos? Will you be okay with them possibly doing Transistor video stuff? When they did the Bastion videos they didn't review the game and that's going to be the same with Transistor (the not reviewing it thing. not sure about a video series). How is this any different from that?

@chilibean_3: @gunslingerpanda: @mysterysheep:

I'm not trying to be a dick about this, I just was wondering aloud if this was something to maybe bring up. I am NOT trying to be alarmist, rattling sabers saying "GRR! Let's get'em guys!", but I just wanted to know if this hit anyone else as just out of the ordinary. Usually Jeff is really careful about this sort of stuff.

To the point about Alex doing it, yeah, that's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I just don't usually read Alex's tweets because I don't generally agree with his opinions and sort of don't watch his stuff anyway.

The point about the people who are already listening to the livestream...yeah, that sounds solid. I dunno, why hold it at all then? I guess this is sort of just old hat at this point, I just was concerned was all.

PHONE CALLS? To the Enemy? Burn it all.

I've heard Jeff talk about amplitude positively in the past, doesn't seem out of line to me. I haven't heard the spot but I feel pretty comfortable in the assumption that he wasn't there for a small businessman style promotion.

@jakethesnakeyea: Unless he's planning on reviewing the game, I don't see any issue. He's friends with the developer; he's allowed to show them support.

Like Bastion, Transistor, and countless Harmonix games, Giant Bomb has been pretty good about not letting personal relationships impact eventual reviewing(or in this case, non-reviewing).

@monkeyman04: I guess because this was a livestream fundraiser, and he didn't acknowledge it beforehand? I guess I figured I would've heard something on the bombcast about it, ya know.

Dude I know vidja games are serous business but what???

I don't care at all about him making a phone call into the live stream but I do feel a little weird whenever I see a journalist tweet out a message saying "hey, help these guys reach the goal!", which has been going on A LOT the last couple days.

You know Jeff supports games as a person too right?

And Alex used to work at Harmonix. I'm sure he wants to see his friends do well and make a great game. You don't have to support the project if you don't want too. He is just getting the word out there in case people didn't know. I still haven't even supported it. Why? Because I don't give a shit about Amplitude.

He can support whatever games/studios he wants. Why that would ever be a problem I can not understand.

He is not a person, but a machine to produce video game journalism.