We live in an age where internet journalism is at an all time high; it's where most people get news about any and everything and it's where most "breaking news" takes place these days, video games included.
Of course, there is still such a thing as a big business having sway on how news -- legitimate news -- is presented to the public by using a strong-arm tactic known as "Blacklisting", this recently occurred to a French gaming blog appropriately named, Gameblog. Why did this happen? Well, they did some actual legwork and reported on an Amazon goof listing Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Activision blacklisted them as a result. Activision, however, says it was all just a misunderstanding.
Originally, Gameblog.fr discovered and reported on the Black Ops 2 news, shortly thereafter they were contacted to take down the news because it was vital for internal operations for Activision, according to a Kotaku interview with Gameblog owner, Grégory Szriftgiser. Supposedly, Szriftgiser and crew declined to take down the news after other sites played follow-the-leader and did what Activision said. In result, Szriftgiser says that Activision systemtically blacklisted them.
Activision, of course, had a by-the-books, damage-control PR response that they sent out publicly, according to Venture Beat, the firm said on behalf of Activision that..."Activision doesn’t blacklist journalists. We believe this was a misunderstanding and are working towards a resolution.”
So there you have it. Activision didn't blacklist Gameblog, apparently those guys just lied and those phone calls and brainstorming they were talking about in that Kotaku interview was all fake. Yes, since Activision only makes $1 billion every year from a $60 expansion pack (or 69.99 Euros according to that Amazon listing) then they must be right. Big corporations always put the consumer first, just look at how nice they are with all that DLC they have for Modern Warfare 3. They would never blacklist someone for outing Black Ops 2 after they were asked not to. Hirschberg, Kotick and crew would never do something like that. Never.
It's also nice to note that if the blacklisting never occurred how Activision's PR firm has to work towards a resolution. By the way, I love that Pinocchio picture Venture Beat is using to explain Activision's response. It fits perfectly.
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