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![[OpEd]](/v2/images/stories/insight2.png "[OpEd]")
Some time ago, January in fact, I promised the readership an interview with Doug Lombardi from Valve Software. That interview has never materialized and I'm going to tell you why I think that is.
Everyone is busy and we here at Generation: Gamerz know this. We know it far more than many others as there are so few of us and so many games, companies and PR firms. Yet we strive to bring you the latest and best information, interesting insight and informative articles with a tint of humor and passion for gaming. We also like to get the word straight from the proverbial horse's mouth and so we often attempt to interview figures in the gaming community. Many such figures are more than happy to accept the interview invitation.
This is generally where the problems occur, as in the Valve Software, Doug Lombardi situation.
So they agree and I take the time to draft a set of thoughtful and interesting questions that are different from what is in all the other game rags and are things I think might be interesting for you the readers. I do some research, I put some time into it and finally I send off the ordered list of questions with the understanding that it might take a little time to get back to me with the answers and that they might not be able to answer all of the questions.
And then I wait, and sometimes wait, and usually wait, and occasionally wait some more. In between the waits, which is usually about 10-14 days for me, I send a reminder email to the person in question. I remind them they agreed to the interview and that I have sent the questions. I generally do this several times if necessary, but I do not want to be a pest and after 3 or 4 of these I stop. It is now a month and a half to two months after I sent the questions and still have no reply.
Nothing burns me up in business dealings like someone who agrees to something and then does not fulfill the promise or does not respond in a timely fashion. It shows me that they think little of you, me and Generation: Gamerz. It shows me that they believe themselves too good to go through all the effort of answering some simple questions which will only benefit them in the long run by raising interest and awareness of their business.
This is not the norm. I have been surprised by how many people and companies have been forthcoming with information and interview responses over the last few years. But recently it seems I have come across a group of people, not just Mr. Lombardi who I have singled out in this article, who believe that they can agree to anything and then simply drop the ball when it gets to them and not even offer a reason or excuse as to why they did not complete what they agreed to. It's infuriating to say the least.
So if there happens to be less news about Steam and Valve Software on the site recently and into the future you have an inkling into why that might be so. I too can fail to fulfill what I have agreed to do and in this case it's simply to not report on their dealings. They have sent me many press releases in recent weeks that have simply been 're-filed' into the waste basket. They don't need us to report on it, they have hundreds of media outlets available to them and so we don't need to report on it as there are hundreds of game companies. That's how I see it anyway.
One person has commented on this article. 1. Untitled
TurboGoat, Manager Whether its a past bad experience with a journalist, aloofness, or simple absentmindedness it doesn't mean you shun the very folks that can help your cause. You don't have to love the media but you have to engae it on some level. To Mr. Lombardi...you don't have to love SuperGuido, you at least have to do lunch! Keep the fight for us SF...Bravo SG Author! Author!
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