It's not particularly surprising that some people would choose to lie and claim that I was mocking small channels with that screenshot rather than pointing out that access was being given to a great number of different people, but not us.

Rather than address their stupidity, let me make it clear that I am in favour of widespread access pre-launch to every title with as few restrictions as possible. That is what is best for consumers. The greater diversity of opinion that the consumer has access to before making their purchase decision the better.

This is entirely consistent with my views over the years, which should be abundantly clear if you watched my video in which I defend Kotaku, a site I don't even like, in their blacklist debacle with Bethesda some years ago. One of the many benefits of being honest is that you don't have to remember which lies you told. A piece of advice I would give to smaller channels that are just starting up is to try and temper your excitement at being given access to a desirable title. That sort of thing can be used to buy your loyalty and influence your opinion.

I remember how thrilling it was to get my first big game pre-launch in 2010. It's hard not to let that excitement cloud your judgment and lead you into leaning towards the positive in hopes of future access. Just try to be aware of that.