Topic: Episode 397: RFNware Shop Channel

[famicomplicated]

Finally I can join in on an RFN discussion, been a long while!


So there was one huge thing going through my mind through the "media ethics" discussion.


As Jonny said, NWR is a volunteer website, which in essence makes us a "fansite" in the eyes of the rest of the media. It may be the best goddamn fansite dedicated to Nintendo, but to the folks at IGN/Gamespot et al, we are nothing more than a blog.


The total lack of money in the equation is what separates us, no one gets a salary, advertising revenue is only used to (barely) pay for server costs. If games aren't supplied by the publisher, then the NWR guys/gals go out and buy the games with their own money that they earned from a separate unrelated 9-to-5 job.


This complete lack of money, has removed any tiny possibility of NWR ever having to make any tough decisions about ethics. You get a meal from Dennis Dyack, no big deal, you aint changing your mind on any game for that. Let's say Neal gets some spam email offering $20 to publish a shitty article on NWR, no - **** you guy, dump your **** on another website.


Now compare that to Gerstmann-gate. Gamespot were getting hundreds of thousands of dollars from a publisher, Jeff shat on their game, they fired him.
What if NWR got offered a multi-thousand dollar advertising contract for a shitty 3rd party shovelware game with the stipulation they had to advertise it, then review it with over a 9.0? What if the RFN crew got offered thousands of $$ to talk positively about the same shitty game for an hour?


So what I'm trying to say is innocence is bliss, the NWR guys never have to worry about their ethics being tested, and I much prefer it that way!