Scott Jones Invades C|Net

Our very own Scott Jones makes a guest appearance on C|Net’s The 404 Podcast to spread the Crispy message, talk about why Japanese ladies love the DSi, his colorful and sexy (?) past at a certain men’s magazine and his sponsorship deal with Dickie’s. Here’s the promo from the official podcast home:

“Scott Jones from online gaming web site Crispy Gamer comes to the show to talk about everything under the sun, including his stint as a writer at a porn magazine and the video game industry in general. Jeff and Scott wonder why anybody would ever buy the new Nintendo DS, while Wilson reminds everyone that there are a billion Asian girls who love cute gadgets.”

One of the funniest podcasts I’ve listened to in a long time. Check it out now at www.cnet.com/the-404-podcast.

The Top 21 News Stories of 2008: 21 - 15

(contributors: Hal Halpin, President, ECA; James Fudge, David Chapman)

We count down the top twenty-one news stories of 2008, though picking which were the very best proved to be a painful, gut-wrenching exercise. There were so many interesting stories this year; we watched the interactive entertainment industry grow - and then later - retract as the global economy wreaked havoc on every kind of business you can imagine; players got their first taste of WiiWare, Home and the New Xbox Experience; we watched as the big three slugged it out for North American supremacy in the latest round of console wars and we saw Blizzard dust off its classic franchises and move million of copies of its Lich King expansion.

Yeah, 2008 was a good year, but not without its share of triumphs, disappointments, joys and sorrow. Here are the stories that moved us, made us angry, scared us and made us think about the industry we cover.

We begin with #21 - #15, starting now.

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CBS Restructuring Leads to GameSpot Casualties

And you thought those argyle socks from grandma were a bad Christmas present. Last week, CBS Interactive gave employees something even worse: an axe, wrapped in a not-so-pretty pink slip.

Layoffs at the media giant affected nearly every division of CBS Interactive, including the company’s video game news outlet, GameSpot. Word of the cuts started rolling in last week, with a number of employees unexpectedly finding themselves out holiday shopping one minute and job hunting the next. While layoffs have been confirmed throughout CBS Interactive and the former CNET Networks divisions, CBS is refusing to release specifics on the number of firings.

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Meet GameSpot’s New Editor-in-Chief

GameSpot is slowly putting the pieces back together after the firing of Jeff Gerstmann and the exit of several key members of its editorial team with the announcement that it has appointed Ricardo Torres as its new Editor-in-Chief. While the popular gaming destination has its share of problems right now, Torres certainly has the credentials to handle the job (he’’s been with the company since 2001).

I”m excited to have the opportunity to help further GameSpot’’s position at the forefront of the industry, said Torres in a press release issued by CNET Networks today. I”m eager to continue the site’’s tradition of excellence and I”m confident we can move forward into 2008 and set a new industry standard for how video games are covered.

The press release also featured a quote from former Editor-in-Chief Greg Kasavin, now working at Electronic Arts:

Ricardo was one the hardest-working, most dedicated people I knew during my 10 years with GameSpot, and he always had a real vision for how the brand could keep growing to best serve game players around the world. As a former colleague and a fan, I”m excited to see how GameSpot will evolve under his direction.

It’s tough to be cynical about Ricardo Torres taking the editorial helm when Kasavin speaks so highly of him, but I suspect he”d speak highly of most of his former employees.

Here’s to hoping that 2008 will be a less controversial year for GameSpot and that it can turn the corner, returning to the principles on which it was founded.

Navarro Exits GameSpot

Longtime GameSpot staffer Alex Navarro has left the company, according to Joystiq. I felt like it was just time for me to go, he told Joystiq in a recent interview with the popular blog. Navarro had been a mainstay of GameSpot since early 2003, but the recent controversy with Jeff Gerstmann being fired over a Kane & Lynch review sealed the deal for him. Word inside the company is that parent company CNET has been applying pressure to GameSpot staff to provide softer coverage on advertiser’’s products. CNET has never issued a public statement on the Gerstmann incident.

Navarro has written hundreds of product reviews and was a regular on GameSpot’’s podcast, The Hotspot. His final day at GameSpot will be Jan. 24th.