Ahh Rockstar, our paths have crossed yet again. I spent half of January posting rumor after rumor after rumor after rumor about Rockstar Games and their allegedly questionable business practices, and another juicy piece of gossip has now popped up.
Toby McCasker was once a editor for Australian publication Zoo Weekly, but has been shown the door. According to him, Rockstar Australia was breathing down the magazine’s neck for a more positive look at their upcoming title Red Dead Redemption, even going so far as to allegedly send an e-mail which reads: “This is the biggest game we’ve done since GTA IV, and is already receiving Game of the Year 2010 nominations from specialists all around the world. Can you please ensure Toby’s article reflects this – he needs to respect the huge achievement he’s writing about here.”
McCasker went ahead and posted the message on his Facebook page, and was then promptly fired and the e-mail was removed. In an interview following the firing, McCasker states that he “did not sign up to become a journalist to write advertorials masquerading as editorial.”
“This ‘cash for comment’ culture that is fast becoming the status quo within print media bothers me a lot.”
Rockstar Australia has yet to comment on the matter.
