IGN comments on layoffs - "IGN Layoffs and Saying Goodbye to 1UP and GameSpy"

"Alas, today we had to say goodbye to friends and co-workers, as well as begin the process of bidding a fond farewell to both 1UP and GameSpy. Why? Given the state of the market and the economy, it simply wasn't feasible to run multiple sites all focused on video game content.

But more than the why, how do I explain the giant “what” that we’re all feeling today? How do I communicate the profound affection we feel for the collective work of all of our sites, and even more, the deep sadness and sense of loss we feel for our colleagues to whom we had to bid farewell to today?"

[LocutusEstBorg]

Profiteering company setting up commercialised sites to exploit clicks with shallow "gaming" news. They aren't too far off from despicable shit like TMZ.

I don't know how anyone can watch their content with their TV quality fancy graphics and their professional anchors and believe that they give a shit about gaming.

On an unrelated note, I somehow suspect the loss of interest in these sites and a lot of other technology related things in general is because of Apple. Everyone is buying Apple products and losing interest in everything else (other smartphones, consoles, desktop PCs etc.).

[RTheRebel]

totally agree
sucks they gave the boot to ryan though =( guy actually knew games on ign than other people who are eyecandy

[NoPoint]

Go be a dick somewhere else, good people lost their jobs.

[T3MPL3TON]

@Antarsh

You're right they did. But they did because IGN cannibalized them.

I can only pray for the day IGN is gone. They do terribly obvious paid reviews. 90% of the people don't even know what the hell they are talking about. They spew nonsense and morons eat it up.

[silkrevolver]

So people aren't going on to websites... because of Apple?

Okay.

Sure.

That absolutely makes complete and total sense.

[LocutusEstBorg]

Most of those sites are too heavy for a tablet so yeah.

[juandren]

Dumbass

[ElectricKaibutsu]

Sucks man. I used to love the 1Up podcast back in the day.

This industry... what the f*** is happening? Developers, news sites, all going down. I'm scared for my favorite hobby and I'm scared for the people to whom gaming isn't just a hobby, but a way to put food on the table; the developers that sleep under their desks during crunch time and the journalists who keep us informed on the big AAAs and the small indies.

Do you think this industry will ever level off and be less volatile?

[Blackdeath_663]

what i hope is causing the layoffs is that people have realised diabolical state that gaming journalism is in and just don't visit these sites anymore but somehow i can't say that is the case. first gaming magazines bite the dust now the websites something else is attracting gamers more, youtube commentary maybe? or do people just not give a shit anymore? it wont get any better next gen, if people can try out games before they buy them via gaikai then gaming journalism is irrelevant people can judge for them selves.

[fucadastates]

what? ryan AND Colin ???

[grailly]

and not even moriarty? what?

[Theyellowflash30]

They should have fired the guy that wrote the article about the PS Vita being "destined to outsell the 3DS" Holy shit was he wrong.

http://psp.ign.com/articles...

[DBergmark]

As Colin Moriarty, who is still employed with IGN to clarify for @fucadastates, said at the end of his article, the future isn't here yet. The PS Vita has a lot of potential and poor gaming journos (or bloggers) are just willing to put up statistics without using a little bit of feeling or cognitive instinct.

[ElectricKaibutsu]

Wow... that article was way off. But reading it, it sounds like it makes sense. Of course his biggest point is "High tech! More power!" which it seems the masses have never cared about ever since forever (and ever). Still he was right about the launch games being good and plentiful, just not many games came after that. All it really takes is one crazy system seller to really turn it around, so who knows... Predicting the future is hard.

[SilentNegotiator]

IGN is the EA of game journalism. Buy, kill, buy, kill.

Well, with two more of the few sites that don't give 10s every time gone, you can expect the next gen rating range to only get more ridiculous. This gen the reviewers gave anything playable an 8 and everything else not crap a 9 or 10.

[urwifeminder]

Thanks for the goodtimes gamespy.

[feels]

ign only care about money

[tigertron]

Only because of Rupert Murdoch.

[JoGam]

Money is what they need to stay afloat.

[optimus]

This is just a sign of further things to come...sure, it sucks but blame it on technology...just like gaming mags are becoming less relevant and shutting down so to are gaming sites... When you have places like youtube and console home hubs providing gaming info on the fly so people are less and less flocking to gaming sites which contain ads that help support the sites...it won't be long before ign, gamespot, and a few others also shut down...ign would probably have the better chance of surviving since they cover movies, tv, music, and comics as well.

[R_aVe_N]

Well this stuff happen when people expect game reviews are being paid off. People stop going there. I personally think we could do with a little less game sites. There are thousands of them out there. Very rarely do you see one that is not all about money and greed. I do agree 1UP had one of the best podcasts out there though really enjoyed those. The amount of ads that we have on game sites now days are just to dang annoying to visit anymore. Only reason I come here at all is to minimize all the ads instead of going to multiple sites.

[Rivitur]

Gamespy why! Its clearly because on the new management first the gamespy servers now gamespy.