Gamefly will review games, not just rent them, after purchasing Shacknews

In an economy like this, it’s always interesting to see which companies make moves indicating they’re doing well. Online rental service Gamefly is so flush with cash it has purchased Shacknews and all its editorial components, according to Joystiq. Not only does expanding when so many other companies are scaling back provide numerous talking points, there are the obvious editorial questions.

In light of the Gerstmann fiasco at Gamespot and the recent bloodletting that took place when Hearst purchased Ziff-Davis, shuttering Electronic Gaming Monthly, these questions loom larger than ever. Can a company in the primary business of renting and/or selling you games be objective about reviewing those games? Both Gamefly and Shacknews have released statements promising that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Of course, what else would they say? A PR statement is not going to say, “We look forward to being unabashed shills for whoever shells out the most cash for ad space, regardless of how crappy their games may be.”

Shacknews says GameFly is not looking to make cuts as a result of the acquisition and, in fact, wants to addadditional resources. If that’s true, it’s good to hear somebody might actually be hiring as opposed to laying people off.

Read [Joystiq] Also Read [Shacknews]