Editing Greg Fulton/Fanstratics Newsletters/24 (section)

== HoMM3 Recollection: Journalistic Encounters ==
In my early years in the video games industry, I met several wonderful games journalists.  [[Stephen Heaslip]], from Blue’s News, immediately comes to mind.  There is also [[Elliott Chin]], then employed at GameSpot, who arranged my original Designer Diaries.  Yet, there was also a fair number of games journalists who were ‘not so wonderful’.

For example, when I worked at Activision, the Editor-in-Chief from one of the biggest PC computing magazines, along with a Staff Writer, made a planned visit.  While the Staff Writer interviewed a specific team about their forthcoming product, the head of Activision PR took the Editor-in-Chief into a nearby meeting room.  Once they had achieved ‘privacy’, she flat out told the Editor, when the preview was published, she also wanted the magazine’s accompanying cover.  Of course, the Editor told her several other games, from several other companies, were being considered for the cover, and he would be happy to include Activision.  She then took it to the bottom line and asked ‘How many ads do we need to buy to get the cover?’

I don’t know the details of the subsequent arrangement... but Activision got the cover.  When this particular story was relayed to me, I was taken aback.

 Upon seeing my reaction, the storyteller rolled his eyes, shrugged, then asked, “Are you really surprised?”

If you are curious, go back and look through older Console and PC magazines.  If a specific game received a featured preview, don’t be shocked if the magazine also featured a quantity of advertisements, from the associated publisher, well in excess of its normal amount.

Another odd incident occurred when I was working on Command & Conquer: Renegade.  During production, we had a freelance games journalist visit Westwood Studios.  He did the rounds, visiting each team in the building, but he traveled specifically to Las Vegas to craft a preview concerning Renegade.  In the process of chatting with Mike Ward, our Producer at the time, he pulled out a business card and pushed it into Mike’s hands.

 He then proceeded to ‘pitch’ himself, “I also do other freelance writing.  If you need help with the story, in-game dialog, or the manual, I’m available at a reasonable price.”

After he left, Mike looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

 Mike, “What am I supposed to do?  Is he going to give us a slanted write-up if I don’t throw him a bone?”

While the first incident involved journalist corruption, and second involved questionable ethics, the third... which occurred at [[New World Computing]] (NWC)... was pure ego.

If you remember the incident involving [[Nick Ferrari]], you understand how early builds of Heroes3 were delivered to game journalists for previews and reviews.  This was a widespread practice as games can take a long time to play, and written reviews can take a long time write.  Additionally, magazines wanted to schedule a game’s review to coincide with the associated game’s release.

On one particular occasion, prior to code lock for Heroes of Might and Magic 3, [[Jon Van Caneghem]] (JVC) caught me in the hall.

 JVC, “There’s a PR Lady from [[3DO]] visiting tomorrow, and she’s bringing a journalist.  We sent him a build of Heroes several weeks ago, and he’ll probably want to meet with you.  He’s reviewed all the Might and Magics, going back to one.”
 
 Me, “How long do they want to meet?”
 
 Jon shrugged, “I don’t know.”
 
 Me, “Does he want an interview?”
 
 Jon shrugged again, “I don’t know.  Talk to him and find out.”

I must admit, I was perplexed as to the nature of this visit, but I was confident I could answer any questions he could formulate.

On the following day, just before lunch, I was in my office when I got a phone call from the front desk.  3DO’s PR Lady was waiting for me in the NWC Meeting Room.

Dropping everything I was doing, I immediately left my office and walked to the Meeting Room at the front of NWC.  Once inside, the 3DO PR Lady introduced me to a games journalist I had never before met.

While I don’t recall his name, I haven’t forgotten his appearance.  He was older, small, thin, balding, with a full beard, wearing what looked like secondhand clothing.  He also had a weatherworn leather satchel he had laid on the Meeting Room table.

We shook hands, and I took a seat adjacent to him at a corner of the Meeting Room table.  Reaching into his satchel, the Balding Journalist pulled out a plastic CD case holding a burned CD-ROM.

 He held it out to me, “I’m done with this.  I didn’t know what to do with it.”

I took the disc and looked at it.  It was an early build of HoMM3, just for journalistic review.  Scribbled on the disc, in [[Mark Caldwell]]’s handwriting, was ‘Heroes of Might and Magic 3’ and the name of this intended journalist.  Because of the Nick Ferrari incident, Mark was still customizing builds for specific journalists.

 Me, “I’ll take care of it.”
 
 At this point, our ‘meeting’ began, as the Balding Journalist began speaking, “I didn’t play all of it.  There’s a lot there.  I played mostly single scenario maps and some of the first campaign.  I liked it.  I’m giving it an 85.”
 
 Me, “Uh... okay.”

Anyone who knows anything about formal game reviews, knows an 85 (4.25 stars) means ‘very good to excellent, but not great’.  It is typical for a game reviewer to give an 85 if they like the game, but are not blown away by it.  An 85 also gives a publisher the ‘recommended’ mark they desire, while preserving any good will between the publisher and the game magazine.

 Balding Journalist, “I was disappointed there was no option for opera music.”
 
 Me, “A lot of fans didn’t like the opera music.  That’s why there was an option to turn if off in Heroes2.  For Heroes3 we thought it was best to just avoid it.”
 
 Balding Journalist, “I really liked the music.  I thought I detected a lot of Mozart in the compositions.”
 
 I shrugged, “I wouldn’t know.  I’m not a composer.  You’d need to talk to [[Rob King|Rob]] or [[Paul Romero|Paul]].”
 
 After nodding his ‘understanding’, the Balding Journalist looked to the 3DO PR Lady, “I’d like to talk to Jon now.”
 
 3DO PR Lady, “Ok.”

After shaking my hand again, the Balding Journalist grabbed his satchel, and followed the 3DO PR Lady out of the Meeting Room.  I assumed she was taking him to JVC’s office.  For a moment, I sat there... alone... in the Meeting Room. 

What now? 

Do I leave?

Should I wait? 

Before I could decide what to do, the 3DO PR Lady returned, closing the Meeting Room door behind her.

 3DO PR Lady, “Sorry about all of this.  I know you have work to do.”
 
 Me, “It’s not a big deal... but I am kinda confused.”
 
 3DO PR Lady, “About what?”
 
 I played with the CD-ROM I’d taken from the Balding Journalist, “Am I supposed to do an interview or something?”
 
 3DO PR Lady rolled her eyes, “Oh, no.  No interview.”
 
 Me, “Then what am I supposed to do?  Just take this disc from him?”
 
 3DO PR Lady smiled, “In exchange for reviewing the game, he requested we fly him to New World, to meet with JVC, and the Heroes3 game designer.  We also were asked to put him up in a hotel for the night, and pay for all his meals.  He changed rooms four times before he found one he liked, and it’s a four-star hotel.”
 
 I suddenly realized what was happening, “Oh.”

3DO was stroking this guy’s ego, giving him the royal treatment, and making him feel important... to get the best review possible.

 3DO PR Lady smiled at me, “This isn’t about you.  It’s all about him.”

After a small bit of ‘chit-chat’ to pass the time, the 3DO PR Lady excused herself from the Meeting Room.  A couple of moments later, the Balding Journalist walked down the hallway, his satchel slung over his shoulder, with the 3DO PR Lady close behind.

 3DO PR Lady waved to me through the glass walls of the Meeting Room, “Thank you for your time.”

I waved back and the Balding Journalist nodded ‘goodbye’.

I never saw him again.  Perhaps, in our one-to-one exchange, I scored less than an 85.

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