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It can be called a mistake in the understanding of given information. It could be called coming to radical conclusions before all the information is actually present. Call it what you want, but IGN got the hopes and dreams of several gamers sky high today, only to retract all that they reported as it turned out to be false. Earlier today IGN stated that the Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS would be available Day 1 of the 3DS’s release, and also stated that Pokemon Black and White would features some exclusive content when played on the 3DS system. They have since retracted both statements, as they openly lied about the news given.

The Virtual Console is part of the 3DS E-Shop which will debut in late may. There is no special functionality or features for Pokemon Black and White on the Nintendo 3DS system. Both stated as facts, both utterly false. This just goes to show you that even when your at the top of the tower (they are considered the premier gaming news source in America) grave and unforgiving mistakes are made that question journalistic integrity. We are no strangers to this, having fallen victim to some false reporting ourselves.

Of course this mistake by IGN does not give us an excuse for our mistake either. It was silly, it was foolish, and it was done without knowing all the facts – the same thing IGN did today when they made the major announcements. What this goes to show is that everyone, even at the top, can make some huge journalistic mistakes. It’s a bit gratifying and still a bit upsetting with what transpired today. Luckily I was at work and couldn’t post the original news or we too would of fallen victim to trusting IGN.

This brings squarely to the front how “hard” it can be to be a news site. A lot of things posted across the web are based on “rumors”, a few tweets, some reliable source, or even words from the horses mouth misinterpreted into false meanings. News is fickle and trying to find that next big exclusive piece is hard. IGN got caught grasping at straws today banking on being correct. We got caught back during E3 grasping as well. A lot of news we report is found at others sites who found it at other sites who posted it because they heard it from some “source”. Sure some is legit like interviews, but even then we can read too much into simple words used in reply to complex questions. A Link to the Past is before The Legend of Zelda… wait it’s after The Adventure of Link… er… wait it’s a prequel. Screw it, Ocarina of Time is first. Everyone makes mistakes, changes their mind, and banks heavily on what they feel is rock solid information.

This doesn’t mean the IGN Nintendo 3DS Launch Guide isn’t a great source of information. It means they screwed up. They may not be owning up to the fact, having simply erased the mistakes, but it’s well known at this point that IGN made a “oh shit” mistake. How are they dealing with it? By forgetting it ever happened and moving on. I’m sure the comments are going to flame away at them for ages, but what else is new? Ever read the comments at IGN? Their “fans” despise the place… yet they always come back. It’s a love-hate relationship where they hate how IGN carries themselves and how they go about things (and apparently all their opinions suck), but they love the reporting and the fact they post articles and opinions at all. I know we have similar fans here, even if it doesn’t define the majority.

Simple fact is mistakes happen, we all make them, and what we did, what IGN did, should serve as a lesson for all major game sites out there. Okay, calling ourselves a big player may be pushing it, but you get the point. Live and learn. Don’t we all have more important things to be complaining about then a mistake in news reporting? You know, like the government giving tax returns on money they already spent. The rampant racism in America or the fight for whats right in Egypt. Gaming is a hobby, and for some it’s a career, but lets keep whats important in perspective.

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