Controversies
Hsu created a stir in the gaming industry in late 2005, when he wrote an editorial about the practice of gaming magazines and websites selling article and editorial opportunities to gaming publishers in exchange for advertising agreements. Citing an unnamed contact at a major game publishing company, Hsu refused to name the parties involved, but condemned those responsible for not maintaining journalistic integrity. The matter was publicized further when Slashdot linked to a Games.net editorial response written by Chris Cook, a writer for game magazine GamePro, who admonished Hsu for not specifying which companies were involved in the practices that were alluded to.
Following the launch of the Microsoft Xbox 360 in November 2005, Hsu interviewed Peter Moore, then the head of marketing for the Home and Entertainment division of Microsoft. At the time of the interview, there was much negative publicity in the media regarding technical problems with the system, as well as some complaints of the limited software line-up at launch within the gaming community. Much of the interview focused on these issues, as well as other various complaints by some gamers over limited backwards compatibility with original Xbox games on the 360 and a possible lack of improvement in graphics and game play over previous console generations. Hsu's questioning were viewed as inappropriately rude, confrontational, or aggressive by some readers. This reaction caused Hsu to defend the interview in his blog twice; the first time saying that there had been much positive response to the interview as well, and a second time featuring an e-mail of support from Moore following the backlash. Third-party observer Penny Arcade noted in a satirical webcomic strip that the interview was a necessary departure from the easy-going tendency of most gaming journalists.
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