From Kotaku:
Jeff's review was certainly less than glowing. He assigned the game a 6.0, otherwise known as "Fair" on the Gamespot scale. The game is currently enjoying a Metacritic score in the 65 to 69 range, which the site describes as "mixed or average reviews." According to our tipster, it wasn't necessarily the score that was reason for Gerstmann's rumored axing, but the "tone" of the review.
[...]
Update: We did get confirmation that Mr. Gerstmann is no longer with Gamespot. The circumstances in which he was terminated or left of his own accord, however, were not disclosed.
While the circumstances of his termination are quite unsettling for the gaming industry as a whole, as it puts the objectivity of reviewers in question, I can't say that I'm sad to see him go. It is primarily his work that has lead to GameSpot's reputation as an untrustworthy source for reviews.
Some of the controversial highlights of his career:
- Giving the original Gran Turismo a 7.9 back when GameSpot was known as VideoGames.com. This review was later removed after protest.
- Giving Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 a 10.0, thus placing it with the likes of Soul Calibur and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by GameSpot's standards.
- Giving the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess an 8.8, with only a 7 in sound because the speaker in the Wiimote sounds "tinny".
- Giving Super Mario Sunshine an 8.0
Overall, this is a sad day for the review industry, but a good day for GameSpot. That guy needed to go.
