Game review site's connections to large gaming PR company exposed

[Vrolokus]

From the intro...

Technically, gaming news and review site GameCyte.com isn’t owned by TriplePoint PR – “the leading international agency serving the interactive entertainment industry” – despite many sources' allegations.

But it turns out the truth isn’t any better.

Richard Kain, TriplePoint PR’s General Manager and Founder, in fact formed a new company – Pantheon Labs – under TriplePoint’s roof to create GameCyte, as a way to bring “quality journalism” to the gaming media – and then deliberately concealed his ownership of Pantheon and GameCyte.com using domain privacy services like Domains By Proxy, a Joystick Division investigation indicates.

Then, when it came time to put together the GameCyte team, he staffed the site exclusively with TriplePoint PR employees – his former account executive the site’s most prolific reviewer. And by Mr. Kain’s own admission, some of the highest-reviewed games on GameCyte are from Telltale Games – a company he just so happens to be invested in.

In lieu of what we were hearing and learning for ourselves, we contacted TriplePoint directly for comment. After leaving a few messages asking to speak with someone “who can answer questions about the company,” Mr. Kain called me late Tuesday, and agreed to let me tape the call for accuracy. What followed was a shockingly revealing conversation, and one that has sent all three companies scrambling to more clearly disclose their unseemly relationship in the days since.

All the gory details are after the link.

http://www.joystickdivision.com/

[demi]

I think you're just linking this for hits. I have no idea who any of that is.

[Vrolokus]

I think you're just linking this for hits. I have no idea who any of that is.

Um, it's about a game review site and its connection to one of the biggest gaming PR companies in the industry.  Even if you don't recognize the names, it's news.

[T234]

holy shit patel is alive

[pilonv1]

this is barely news, no one knows who this website is

[demi]

I think you're just linking this for hits. I have no idea who any of that is.

Um, it's about a game review site and its connection to one of the biggest gaming PR companies in the industry.  Even if you don't recognize the names, it's news.

Nope, never heard of any of it. Are they related to Sony? Only Sony would be devious enough to pull a stunt like this.

[Joe Molotov]

I've never heard of GameCyte, but from it's name alone I can tell that it's crap.

[Bocsius]

Um, it's about a game review site and its connection to one of the biggest gaming PR companies in the industry.  Even if you don't recognize the names, it's news.

It's not news.

[Don Flamenco]

what a huge fucking letdown.  Was hoping it was a website I'd heard of before I opened the thread.

[Draft]

Oh my God.

Oh Jesus.

Gamecyte is in some PR companies pocket?

Gamecyte?

I just... I don't know what to say. Motherfucking Gamecyte.

[Joe Molotov]

Next thing you know, we're going to find out VGChartzzz.org isn't a credible site.

[demi]

You should edit your article and say NeoGAF is working with the PR company. That'd be pretty awesome.

[drohne]

i hear gamecyst is in some pr company's ovaries

[pilonv1]

omg its not!?!

[Bildi]

The following are things I have never heard of:

gamecyte.com
TriplePoint PR
Richard Kain
Pantheon Labs
Telltale Games
joystickdivision.com


...well done.

[demi]

You never heard of Telltale Games? What a re-re

[Bildi]

While I have heard the name, I couldn't tell you what games they've done.  Looking at their list of games I can see why - I'm not a PC gamer.

[Joe Molotov]

Sam & Max Season 1 is coming out for the Wii, you should get it.

[demi]

No you shouldn't

[Bildi]

Episodic gaming is at odds with my long-term financial plans.

[Joe Molotov]

I'm not sure what that means, but it's only $30. And if demi hates it, you know it's gotta be good.

Or you could just buy the Sam & Max: Surfin' the Highway collection, and read the greatest works in the English language. Your call.

[Van Cruncheon]

oooooh god, not GAMECYTE

noooooooooooooo

nooooooooooooooooooooo

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Eel O'Brian]

i keep reading it as gamecyst

[Bildi]

I'm not sure what that means, but it's only $30. And if demi hates it, you know it's gotta be good.

Or you could just buy the Sam & Max: Surfin' the Highway collection, and read the greatest works in the English language. Your call.

There's so many other games I want to get that I'll be a dirty poor already by the time Christmas rolls around.

[tiesto]

The following are things I have never heard of:

gamecyte.com
TriplePoint PR
Richard Kain
Pantheon Labs
Telltale Games
joystickdivision.com


...well done.

I have to admit though, joystickdivision.com is a pretty clever name for a site... never been there though.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Oh shit!

[Vrolokus]

   

Okay, note in my header I described the PR company as large, not GameCyte.  And for the record, TriplePoint isn't just large, they are a major PR company in the gaming biz.  And they've opened up an editorial site - quietly - and covered their tracks.  The best-reviewed games on their site are from a company TriplePoint's founder is an investor in!  That's the story.  I'm not saying it's Watergate, but it's something people - especially GameCyte's readers - deserve to know.  

I'm sorry it didn't involve Gamespot or IGN or NeoGAF.  Seriously.  As in, if you have information send it my way.  

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I have some insider information regarding tricky dealings with GAF owner and several PR companies of several firms, more than just video gaming.  Its very secretive and to be honest, I probably shouldn't have disclosed even this.

[Great Rumbler]

I have some insider information regarding tricky dealings with GAF owner and several PR companies of several firms, more than just video gaming.  Its very secretive and to be honest, I probably shouldn't have disclosed even this.

This is probably the last post The Experiment will ever make.  :'(

[ManaByte]

I have some insider information regarding tricky dealings with GAF owner and several PR companies of several firms, more than just video gaming.  Its very secretive and to be honest, I probably shouldn't have disclosed even this.

No surprise.

[Bildi]

And they've opened up an editorial site - quietly - and covered their tracks.  The best-reviewed games on their site are from a company TriplePoint's founder is an investor in!  That's the story.  I'm not saying it's Watergate, but it's something people - especially GameCyte's readers - deserve to know.  

Doing naughty things is more trouble than just not doing naughty things.  Is the extra few bucks really worth the hassle?  I guess they think so.

[ManaByte]

This would be a big deal if it was a site people actually heard of, like say IGN or Gamespot. Although Gamespot has had problems in the past where a company's PR person was sleeping with someone in editorial and it resulted in favored treatment for Gamespot.

[Vrolokus]

This would be a big deal if it was a site people actually heard of, like say IGN or Gamespot. Although Gamespot has had problems in the past where a company's PR person was sleeping with someone in editorial and it resulted in favored treatment for Gamespot.

Yeah, I think I heard something once about some guy named Gertsmann, getting fired or something.  I dunno, it kinda rings a bell.

[demi]

This would be a big deal if it was a site people actually heard of, like say IGN or Gamespot. Although Gamespot has had problems in the past where a company's PR person was sleeping with someone in editorial and it resulted in favored treatment for Gamespot.

That was IGN...

[ManaByte]

This would be a big deal if it was a site people actually heard of, like say IGN or Gamespot. Although Gamespot has had problems in the past where a company's PR person was sleeping with someone in editorial and it resulted in favored treatment for Gamespot.

That was IGN...

Nope Gamespot. And the editor and PR person involved are now both working at EA. One is now a producer at EA LA on their RTS games and the other is, surprise, PR.