If you are behind in the gaming news, you might have missed the recent
Mass Effect report on Fox News that basically slandered the game for it's "graphic sex scenes" and "objectifying of women", despite neither the interviewer or psychology 'expert' Cooper Lawrence (who appeared in the report) ever having actually played the game. Gaming journalist Geoff Keighley tried his best to set the record straight and defend the game, but was ultimately ignored by Fox's interviewer.
Well this is what has happened since then:
A few days ago
EA demanded Fox correct their unfair Mass Effect report and
Geoff Keighley also stated his opinion on the botched interview. Cooper Lawrence's psychology books have also been
attacked with hundreds of one-star ratings on Amazon from unhappy gamers.
And yet another chapter has been added to the Mass Effect story, with EA telling Kotaku that their detailed request to fix the errors in the report have been completely ignored by Fox. EA is greatly offended at this, and is wanting to "fight" against Fox. (We can all assume - or hope - that means legal action).
In a single line text message sent from her Blackberry, Teri VanHorn, producer of Fox News' Live Desk with Martha MacCallum, blew off Electronic Arts' detailed call for correction over the error strewn report the show did on Mass Effect earlier in the week.
Jeff Brown, Electronic Arts' vice president of communication, told Kotaku that the producer told him to contact Fox News' public relations department, which apparently now deals with factual errors in their stories.
Brown told me he wasn't surprised, but that EA will continue to "step up when someone maligns our creative teams.
"They need to understand there are 100 people in Edmonton, Alberta who dedicated years to making that game. They've got names, faces and reputations - and they've been slandered. We're angry about that."
He added that yesterday's reaction was not a one off, "it's a policy directive from Riccitiello. Anyone who tells lies about our creative teams is going to get a fight."
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The report was shockingly inaccurate and for Fox to air it, never mind fix it, is pretty shocking.
I do agree that EA should should fight this, though.
EA should definitely sue them for slander.