Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About GameSpot: Simply the Best Sci-Fi Video Games Reviews and News!
Among the go-to websites for gaming news and reviews, GameSpot occupies a respectable place in the hearts of gamers worldwide. GameSpot was created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. The site went live for the first time on May 1, 1996.
Transfer of Ownership
Over the course of two decades, GameSpot was run under several different companies. It was first purchased by ZDNet, which then became part of the CNET Networks in October 2000. CBS Corporation completed the acquisition of CNET Networks in July 2008. After about a 12-years run with the corporation, CNET was bought by Red Ventures – the current owner of GameSpot.
Contents
The main page of GameSpot provides links to the latest news articles, game deals, reviews, and gaming gear. Entertainment news like movies and TV shows make up a small portion of the contents. Reviews are divided into several categories based on platforms, which include PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. However, there are also dedicated news sections for specific types of consoles such as PS4 and PS5 as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
In September 2009, the website began reviewing mobiles games. Other platforms, for examples Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, and Dreamcast are covered to a lesser extent. Articles and discussion by users are contained within the forum section. The main boards of the forum offer a range of categories from bug reporting to mods, from giveaways to fan clubs.
Awards
PC Magazine named GameSpot one of the best hundred websites in February 1999. It shared the list with IGN and CNET Gamecenter, two of its biggest competitors. Not long after CNET purchased ZDNet – then the parent company of GameSpot – a redundancy reduction effort brought Gamecenter to a close. When the two were running together, The New York Times called them the “Time” and ‘Newsweek” (respectively) of gaming websites. In the 2004 Spike TV’s Video Game Award Show, GameSpot earned the recognition as the Best Gaming Website. It won a Webby Award in 2013, and is a five-time People’s Voice Winner.
Best and Worst Games of the Year
GameSpot also has a ‘Game of the Year” award on its own. The first game to earn the distinction from the website was Diablo, back in 1996. Popular titles continue to fill the list such as Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Resident Evil 4 (2005), Super Mario Galaxy (2007), Journey (2012), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), and Deathloop (2021), among others. GameSpot used to give the Worst Game of the Year award too; the list ended with Fighters Uncaged (2010).
International Versions
There have been three GameSpot iterations outside the main U.S. site. The original GameSpot UK was the first to have launched in 1997. More than just a copy of the main site, the UK version was noticeably different as it focused on a Europe-oriented audience. In 1999, it won the PPAi (Periodical Publishers Association interactive) award for best website. Following the acquisition of ZDNet by CNET, the UK version merged with the US version in 2002. GameSpot UK re-launched in April 2006.
GameSpot AU followed the same pattern as its UK sibling. It was shut down by CNET in 2003, with all its contents moved to CNET.com.au. It would be three years later before GameSpot AU made a comeback. The vast majority of its contents focus on Australian gamers. The current form of GameSpot Japan launched in 2007, also with original local contents and translated materials from other GameSpot sites.
The GameSpot YouTube Channel makes no distinction between the US and other versions.
Exodus
The ousting of Jeff Gerstmann from his position as Editorial Director at GameSpot triggered an exodus of notable staffers including Ryan Davis, Alex Navarro, Jason Ocampo, Vinny Caravella, and Brad Shoemaker. There were speculations claiming that the termination was due to the pressure from Eidos Interactive, the publisher of Kane & Lynch – a game for which Gerstmann had written a less-than-flattering review. It wouldn’t have been an issue in many cases, except for the fact that Eidos had purchased a sizable advertising space on GameSpot when the review came out.
Gerstmann was initially not allowed to disclose the circumstances leading to his termination. GameSpot stated the decision was unrelated to any particular review. The former editorial director went on to create another game website called Giant Bomb with Ryan Davis. Former GameSpot staffers Navarro, Shoemaker, and Caravella also joined the new site. Following the purchase of Giant Bomb by CBS Interactive in 2012, Gerstmann was given the permission to speak about it. He confirmed the rumors were true. While it remains unclear whether Gerstmann’s termination affected the others’ decisions to leave, people could draw the line quite easily.
Objectivity Questioned
The termination of Jeff Gerstmann from GameSpot became one of the most blatant examples to illustrate the conflict of interest between game reviewers and game publishers, in which advertising and money have always been parts of the equation. GameSpot reviews lost credibility to a certain extent in the immediate aftermath of the issue, which was more than a decade ago. GameSpot has so far managed to rebuild its reputation back as a strong player among competitors. The site continues to attract tens of millions of visitors every month.
GameSpot, GameSpot, where for art thou, oh GameSpot? Are you a GameSpot fan? Are you one of the 10+ million people who visit the website every month? If so, tell us why you like it. We’d love to hear from you.
