Further Mass Effect vs Fox News
I haven’t had time to cover this for a few days but there has been a whole heap of new stuff that has come to light regarding the Fox News and Mass Effect debacle. We have had G4TV talk on the issue, Cooper Lawrence retract her statement and now we have the Entertainment Consumer Association weighing in on the issue.
Hal Halpin, president of the ECA has called for Fox News to apologize for the false reporting carried out regarding Mass Effect. Hal has written to the producer of the controversial Fox piece.
Your show’s reporting was irresponsible and incorrect. Your own “expert” Cooper Lawrence has subsequently disclaimed her misstatements… In the future, we ask that you book real gamer and industry experts on your show…
This is where we are before the ECA got in on the act (taken from my 411 Mania column)
Fox News on Mass Effect
The story that had grabbed my attention most strongly this week has been the furore that has erupted after the following Fox News report regarding Mass Effect.
This was frankly a pitiful attempt at ‘journalism’ with many incorrect facts and thoughts being formulated without people even having played the game at hand, Mass Effect. This has had a fair few repercussions, the most obvious one has been the spamming of the self-help author featured in the Fox report; Cooper Lawrence’s books on Amazon.
EA contacted Fox asking for an apology (link) and to retract the false statements. At time of press this has not occurred, however several other things have occurred. Firstly Cooper Lawrence who made several claims about Mass Effect has publicly apologised for her actions Link“I recognize that I misspoke,” she said. “I really regret saying that, and now that I’ve seen the game and seen the sex scenes it’s kind of a joke.
“Before the show I had asked somebody about what they had heard, and they had said it’s like pornography,” she added. “But it’s not like pornography. I’ve seen episodes of ‘Lost’ that are more sexually explicit.”
Adama Sessler from G4TV had this to say on the issue.
In the final twist to the saga famed anti-gaming lawyer Jack Thompson has declared he has no issue with Mass Effect. Link
Overall this has just been bad, bad, and more bad for Fox, EA have defended their property as they are right to do, and time will tell whether Fox back down and admit defeat in this fiasco.
The full letter from Hal to Fox follows:
On behalf of the [ECA], the national non-profit organization representing American video game consumers, I urge you to correct and repudiate the misstatements leveled by Fox News’ Live Desk regarding the story and character interactions in Mass Effect.
Your show’s reporting was irresponsible and incorrect. Your own “expert” Cooper Lawrence has subsequently disclaimed her misstatements… In the future, we ask that you book real gamer and industry experts on your show…
ECA’s members are disturbed by your news organization’s apparent disregard of the truth in this instance. We represent a diverse group that cuts across all ages, with the weightiest portion in the coveted 18 - 45 age group, and with women accounting for 38% of gamers. Over the past week, our members have mobilized to speak out and set the record straight on Mass Effect, and we ask the same of you.
This is only going to get worse for Fox before it gets better, who knows where this story will go next.
Tags: FOX, Mass Effect