Kotaku has taken to publicizing a much lesser quality copycat site called "cheap college gamers". Looking at the timestamps and deals posted on this site, all by admin "GoldenChild", it's pretty obvious that this is a site setup to siphon affiliate revenue from the site we all know and love: cheap ass gamer. The site lays claim to all the deals generated by this community without credit.

This is because of a longstanding grudge started by off the cuff remarks by CheapyD and Wombat on the cagcast, bemoaning the fact that most gaming blogs pickup stories carelessly without so much as checking the sources. They even went on to challenge the CAG community to come up with such posts, which was probably unfair to these sites. However, one of more accredited journalists in the gaming industry, Brian Crecente, took the bait and proved this point in spades.

Crecente picked up a story by an individual user blogging on this very site, and when he discovered that the blog was a joke, pointed out to the Kotaku readers that the entire community of CAG has lost their credibility.

It's interesting how the anger was misdirected, when clearly this was their own fault. Crecente has decided to hold a grudge rather than direct this energy towards improving himself as a journalist. The fact that he is now purposely blinding himself to CAG and instead going through an illegitimate site that is nothing but a cashgrab for the deal information our community generates proves that he's decided to make himself a worst journalist. In the internet age most gamers are savy enough to find the best information, and Kotaku intentionally misleading their readers to inferior sources is in the end will only hurt Kotaku.

I don't think it was fair of CheapyD to encourage deceit to a mutually benefitted site (in fact I found CAG through Kotaku), but the critical remarks were necessary and should have been made constructive by bloggers. I'm very turned off by Crecente, who has revealed himself to be a pretty poor journalist and petty individual.

I'm not reading Kotaku anymore and I implore other CAGs to do the same because much like:

Cheap Ass Gamer >> Cheap College Gamer

I find also find to be true that:

Joystiq >> Kotaku

If you happen to like a blog that checks their sources, is credible, and respects their readers then you'll find that Joystiq is superior to Kotaku.