the guys such a dork

Here's to delusions of grandeur, mike!

Faheygate 2009: CONFIRMED

I might actually tune in to X-Play tonight for the very first time. Then again why waste my time when I will probably just be able to read about what he said tomorrow here on Kotaku.

Mike don't worry, you are safe :P I hope you guys provide a clip with this afterwards, if he actually does tell us why he got sacked that is. Something tells me he wont spill the beans :(

@theGimp:

As opposed to one posting on a gaming blog?

How DO you get a job as a game reviewer/editor?

GO JEFF!!

i highly doubt he's going to get too particular as I'm sure there are legal reasons why he shouldn't should he want to pursue legal action down the road.

If you leave Mike, Kotaku will be just as hilarious as Joystiq. And by hilarious I mean "not really that funny at all, but smirk-worthy at best."

Actually, you know what, I think they need you over there Mike.

lol @ "I hope I get half as popular as Jeff does when Crecente finally fires me".

I'm sure you'll be fine Mike! I never watch X-Play though so I'm wondering the same thing as Irenicus...will Kotaku possibly be providing a clip? Hope so! =D

This would be a good time for Jeff,Ryan,Alex,and Ryan to announce a new review site.That would demolish all other review sites.Maybe Gawker can give them some start up funds.

lack of innovation in japanese gaming? Maybe, but don't exclude american market games like generic space marine FPS #205

Joystiq is fuckin' worthless. Sorry.

@CHU BOI: What is this Joystiq? Do you mean AOL Joystiq?

Be interesting to see what kind of plans are in the works for the future, although I'm not so keen on another game review site being created. Game reviews this gen are broke - and the reviewrs for the most part so jaded and biased they can't write a proper review.

Hope a clip is posted of this, I have no way to see it otherwise.

"That's one ugly motherfucker"

@BurningRevenge: lol

@HykCraft:

After I got the awesome uber $5k Falcon Northwest rig... Joystiq is w00tolicious :O

Oh Mike, you're already popular!
...Although Faheytaku could send you into as yet untested depths of popularity.

Fahey, you're hilarious, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I'm only watching if he and Sessler get into a real-life deathmatch on-set.

Huzzah, a glorious celebration of a dude who got fired. I got fired once too. I gotta get on this!

@theGimp:

Your such a dork

@theGimp, BurningRevenge: So anyone else wants to sample the cutlery?

ahh great news it will be great to see him back

Is their not a newer a or better picture of Jeff? I mean the review picture there from Need for Speed: Most Wanted was funny when it first came out, but that's a long time ago.

and Jeff sin't going to give reasons beides saying it was more then kane and Lynch and things were handled inappropiately beforing vehementaly denying him, Vince, and Ryan are forming a new gaming website.

I personally hope he and Alex join 1UP, more open. That and 1UP Yours of Alex - Shane - Garnett - Jeff would be hilarious.

I laugh at how everyone is complaining that there is no innovation in Japanese games. I will say that No More Heroes was the best new game I have played this year. The problem is that Japan is a franchise hungry culture. They want the same gameplay and mechanics in every single game. If they do not have a tried and trusted system they will simply not buy it. That is why Nintendo games are selling so well currently in Japan.

What Japan needs is new franchises in addition to the once that are proven to work; and we are not talking Lost Odyssey here. So why not create new games based on the storyline from existing franchises? I mean would it be that hard to imagine a Chocobo or Cloud motorcycle racing game? How about an online multiplayer entry into the Brain Academy series (Jeopardy! anyone?)?

Sure, most everyone disliked the uninspired gameplay in Halo 3, but they still bought it. And now we have Halo Wars, a game about as far from the Halo gameplay as possible that will expand the franchise. So why can't Japan innovate using their proven franchises?

So where is all this innovation in western gaming that is being used as a frame of reference?

Is it the Fps's or the action rpg's with guns, or what?

I would say that no territory is currently exuding innovation, and when it does come (say Zack and Wiki, Okami, Vib Ribbon) it tends not to do that well.

I guess the problem with trying new things is that most of them tend not to work and people tend to forget them.

I would also say that "Fps with engaging storyline" or "squad based action game with rpg elements" (you can invert that depending on what your perception of the balance is) is hardly innovative.

And I guess there is also the tendency for "innovation" to be quickly dismissed as the usual if it works. Say alone in the dark/ resident evil, katamari, tomb raider, even mario, stalwarts of innovative new or reinvented genres which quickly became just formula games.

Ah, forgot to mention, the most innovative thing to happen to gaming in a long time, the little known "Wii" came out of Japan. And is hugely successful because of it.

You could replace Gerstmann's file photo with Sloth's and no one would notice.

@Ignatius: Mine is 6k, but not my own custom rig. But about Joystiq, I find their site and postings funny because they always copy most of Kotaku's posts.

@Cardigan Square: I'm waiting for the fat jokes to flood this post, lol. Because all over GameFaqs and GameSpot was all about Jeff and fat jokes about his low scores on games.

@HykCraft: err.. *IS my own custom rig.

oh wow, Jeff's return to a show he used to be a part of back when it was called gamespot tv.
...Back when it was good.

Hiero Glyph
Seiryuu

Pretty much. While I see games like Patapon and EchoChrome, Loco Roco, (hm, three for the "gameless" PSP :p), Mainichi Issho, SMG, or Zack and Wiki coming from Japan, the last really innovative Western title I saw was Portal. Before that, it was... uh... hmm... Burnout 3 maybe? Not counting PC indie titles and experimental noncommercial stuff, I'm drawing a blank.

@Cardigan Square: Kinda like how no one is going to notice you going missing from now on.

@Witzbold: Notice what?

Fahey-gate has a less catchy ring to it.

it might be an interesting interview, but alas its on xplay so thats a no watch for me.

@Setzer IIDX: have an elitist attitude, hate playing games, and make snap judgments at the drop of a hat...oh and have no moral issues with giving good reviews for money err advertisement compensation.

@dv8godd:

Huh?

@Hiero Glyph: Dude, your problem is that you make really broad statements about an entire country that is--gasp!--filled with widely varying demographic markets.

What you call "innovation" everyone else calls "worthless spin-offs that were made on the cheap to cash in popular franchises." I'm pretty sure there was a Chocobo Racing game, and I'm pretty sure that it sucked horribly.

The industry--including Western and Eastern developers--doesn't need to "innovate" on existing franchises. It does need a friendlier atmsophere for high-risk endeavors, but on the whole, the game industry is no worse than television, film, music, or publishing. As is the case, find the indies and your search of innovation will be duly rewarded.

@Witzbold:

Note to self: Add to the list of things that incur the wrath of the bannhammer, no politcal hate speaches and no personal attacks on the devilishly handsome Gertsmann...

@Setzer IIDX: And for a serious answer: get a portfolio together and apply. Most sites are always looking for reviewers. You won't get any paid gigs until you have a significant body of work, but it's quite simple to review games and get a paycheck. They'll probably 1099 you, but money's money.

It's a bit easier if you just want to write about games--just draft a well-written pitch and send it to the eds at whatever publication you're aiming for. The process for writing for VG pubs is no different than any other magazine.

It'd be interesting to see this, but I sadly cannot watch it. Now if you excuse me I have to go sandpaper my throat.

I'll admit it, I dislike him and Gamespot as a whole. I dislike people working there, I dislike their reviews, and I even dislike people who like them (I keed! I keed!). With all that put aside, I do feel genuine remorse for him. He lost his job, that just plain sucks.

I think X-Play's doing this mostly for ratings, and partly for any remaining hardcore audience they may still have. But, it's TV after all, and I'll watch it *grumbles*...

Also, about this lack of innovation in Japanese games... is you crazy? :o Their games are still the most innovated.. I think they're confusing games that make it to America and the games we never see.

This is pathetic...sorry...can we please get over this...

It's like everyone freaking out over Brittany Spears or some other person...

yikes, it's a giant squirrel!

Looks like a thinning of the herd is coming.

X-Play? Gerstmann, what are you thinking?!

This isn't actually Jeff's first appearance on G4. He co-hosted Attack of the Show for a week once with Kevin and appeared on some GameSpot/G4 produced episodes of Cinematech.

(obviously a fan of Jeff's work)

I notice that x-play has been violated, it is a mere husk of it's former good self. G4 should of learned to keep there mitts of the only show that was still decent. (Seriously Attack of the Show, ohhhhhh how edgy)

@Vecha: no, it's n