Another GameSpot Editor Bites The Dust

I really feel bad for the guys over at GameSpot. To be specific, I feel bad for the writers, the ones that watched the whole Jeff Gerstmann debacle go down and still have to work there. If you're not familiar with the matter, Gerstmann was terminated under suspicious circumstances after giving a game a (deservedly) bad review. It just so happened that the game in question was being advertised like mad on the site, and the advertiser was said to have told GameSpot that they would be taking their money elsewhere. While the whole truth is likely only known to a few people, it's pretty obvious why he was let go. In the wake of the firing GameSpot has already lost two of its writers, and has just recently lost a third.

8-year GameSpot veteran Ryan Davis has officially announced his departure from the site. While he hasn't made any statement regarding the reason for his decision, one can make an educated guess. The latest entry in his blog points to how much of an impact Gerstmann's termination has had on him.

"It's been almost 8 years since I started working at GameSpot, and Jeff was there for nearly all of my fondest and most memorable experiences on the job. ... Simply put, I would not be in the video game business at all were it not for Jeff Gerstmann, and I am loathe to imagine what I might be doing with my life right now without the focus I've earned from having this ridiculous job. ... But now, Jeff's gone, and I'm not afraid to say that it absolutely breaks my heart. I felt the departure of Rich Gallup from the site earlier this year in my bones, but this goes deeper. Jeff was a rare constant, and this marks the end of an era for both GameSpot and myself, a fact that doesn't seem to be getting any less upsetting for me."

Honestly, I'm really not sure how GameSpot will pull out of this slump they're in. Sure, they have a new Editor-in-Chief with big promises, but once your readers lose faith in you, it's hard to earn it back.

[via GameDaily]