1000°

N4G V2 Open Beta

It’s been a while now since we last had a major update to the site, 5 years to be exact. We are finally ready to push the next site update and we are aiming for a launch mid December. Before that we need some help with breaking stuff so we are opening up beta versions of all 5 newsboiler sites today so that we can do some stress testing and sort out the last bugs. So for those interested in helping out...

Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (2)- Updates (2)

Updates

Changed: title
Dusty3497d ago
Changed from Pending to Approved
Community3497d ago
tayz3497d ago

I like the current design better.

ajax173497d ago (Edited 3497d ago )

The people have spoken! TABLOID VIEW SUCKS! Thanks for the bubbles, though. Sorry you guys took 5 years designing a site that nobody likes, lol.

mechlord3497d ago

thirded, fourthed and infinited. that layout suck balls. its just plain fugly. how could you even consider that??

uptownsoul3497d ago (Edited 3497d ago )

Everybody got 10 bubbles!!! ...except I already had exactly 10(so no upgrade or downgrade in bubbles for me). I noticed that some people said they got more bubbles, but did any get bubbles taken away?

RedDevils3497d ago

Same here the beta view look suck, don't fix what isn't broken!

Bansai3497d ago

Whoa, I really don't dig that layout, I hope we will be able to use the old skin.

AnubisG3497d ago (Edited 3497d ago )

Yeah, have to agree. The current design is just a lot better. Just want to add that I checked it out on my "mobile" and it's not great. So I think it's pretty clear that you guys are headed in the wrong direction with this new design. Wanted our feedback... Well, there you have it.

nix3497d ago (Edited 3497d ago )

35th'ed.

N4G, you already had that tabloid-like format for years but i've never used it. we like this format.

just bring back the Open Zone. Let's have some laugh in this site instead of depressing same fights every time... and also with Open Zone, Septic can finally open up to us. be who he really is. lol. i kid. i kid.

@AnubisG,

the mobile version is good the way it is.. please don't ask them to change that. last thing i want is another data consuming mobile site.

That-Guy3497d ago

Retain this layout please. Update it to be more reactive (scaling with size) if you want one theme to fit all (mobile). Perhaps update some of the colors and icons for a more modern look. Comments are far more legible here in the current version, and content is king. If it's harder to read there's less audience engagement.

JackBNimble3497d ago

Nope, if I am stuck with that tabloid shit I will never come back to N4G, sorry but it's garbage.

FriedGoat3497d ago

The problem with Tabloid view and any other design that features squares/pictures, is that there just isn't enough information on the screen, have to scroll down so far to get all the news :/

UltraNova3497d ago

Ok...I need some time to get used to this but I'll admit its quite slick

G20WLY3496d ago

Yep, sadly not a fan of the new layout. The thing is, by and large I like the current format fine, barring some fine tuning. I think the back end stuff needs tightening and the format is pretty clear as it is.

The new beta format is very odd. I don't understand why today's top story (about Sony's potentially unlocked 7th PS4 core) is 7 or 8 pages down?! And it's a little box, while stories with less than half the community interest have a box taking up over half the screen.

If anything, maybe look at the 'heat' level denoting the size of the box (up to full page width) as well as the order, otherwise gamers will miss important news if they only manage to steal seconds one day to glance at N4G.

Gazondaily3496d ago

You're honestly gonna lose a lot of engagement in that tabloid style layout. The one as it is is fine.

But still looking forward to the other changes minus that.

breakpad3496d ago (Edited 3496d ago )

@tayz while i like more the current one if they modify a bit the new one it would be the same...change the background color to blue ,add the same comment section as here , add some colors to add-agree and keep the flash and graphics at minimum so it can be fast even at low spec Pcs

ThanatosDMC3496d ago

That was horrible. It was like a bunch of ads from the usual $hitty websites.

Perjoss3496d ago

I even prefer current design (classic) when I'm browsing on a small phone or tablet, don't like this new one at all!

Major_Glitch3496d ago (Edited 3496d ago )

Yeah...the new layout is a no go.
Edit: Holy crap! Where did all these bubbles come from?!

AnubisG3496d ago

@nix

I meant to say the the new beta site design on mobile looks bad, not the current one. The current one is pretty good.

antz11043496d ago

Tabloid view is no good, it's just not fun to sift through on a tablet or a desktop. Keep it the same!

antz11043496d ago

If they wanted to do something right they would scrap the bubble system. Tabloid view is just annoying to sift through and now the threads are zoomed in way too close.

lociefer3496d ago

like some1 mentioned , pls also bring back the open zone section, some really funny stuff was going on there , we need to blow some steam every once in a while u no xD

subtenko3496d ago

Look, I think the layout is good, but the actual front page on the current layout looks better overall, the actual layout and possibly colors.

Everything else I think is slightly better.

The again I dont really dislike the current layout as well.

specialguest3496d ago

Wow, I've been an official N4G member for 9 1/2 yrs and a lurker even longer. I remember the first yr of N4G when the 2 separate Xbox and PS site merged to one. I also remember all of the updates which kept a similar layout making the site smoother and incrementally prettier.

However, with this latest update, its a drastic change. I dont like it, because each article post takes up an entire mobile phone screen of real estate. It makes scrolling passed each article post a pain. The current layout has always been mobile friendly, so why the drastic change?

amiga-man3496d ago (Edited 3496d ago )

Not for me, popped in then out again, if the site comes to that count me out.

ULTp0ltergeist3496d ago

Weeeeee free bubbles! ...i know off topic ;D

blackbeld3496d ago

The Beta looks pretty but tabloid sucks! The current view is clear so please don't change it.

Bathyj3496d ago (Edited 3496d ago )

Looks like the people have spoken. No one likes the beta layout. You have to look to hard to find information that used to just be there.

Also what's with all the bubbles? I earned my bubbles and it took years to get there. I also bite my tongue often so I don't lose them. NOW all the trolls have 10. I hope you going to reset that back to normal. Bring back the open zone if you want to give trolls free reign.

+ Show (24) more repliesLast reply 3496d ago
camel_toad3497d ago (Edited 3497d ago )

Just checked it myself and quickly closed the tab. I also like the current form. A vertical list is easier and faster to skim through than random fisher price-sized blocks.

Relientk773497d ago

Can they have the top 5 news stories on top, then the news under it like they do now. Then update everything else but keep the layout, The current "classic" layout is perfect

uth113497d ago

Don't like the look, but if the current bubble system is gone, I'll take it!

lociefer3497d ago

please listen to us and dont go tabloid , leave it as it is, its practical and easy to get the stories

babadivad3497d ago

I like the new design. It's a little cramped but not terrible. Just will take some getting used to.

iliimaster3497d ago

lol by then how many followers would this site have lost?

choujij3496d ago

Quite a few I would imagine.

fenome3497d ago

I definitely like the current design better myself, I've never been a fan of tile formats. The list is much easier for me to scan and see the things that interest me personally, I always have N4G set to Classic View..

-Foxtrot3497d ago (Edited 3497d ago )

Kind of reminds me of when Kotaku gave their site a new lick of paint

All we really needed was to scrap the bubbles.

Main criticism...it's too white. Sides are a faded grey and the main section for articles/comments are white

Can they not implement a colour/theme option.

Oh and the "SPAM/Inappropriate" options. I know there isn't any bubbles but shouldn't the options we had like immature, trolling, bad language remain so you know what kind of punishment to give out. Well maybe not bad language, that needs to be thought out more. If it's in the nasty way to a user then fine but if EA decides to do something stupid then I don't see why a "I don't f****** believe it" would be as bad. I've starred that out but you know what I mean, even if you are 12.

I just tested this on someone who wasn't in violation by the way, not because I'm a dick but because I thought clicking inappropriate would bring up some options but it didn't...sorry.

Little disappointing with how long it's been in development. I was expecting it to use 3D holograms or something at this point

TheCommentator3497d ago

Wait, you mean bubbles are finally going away?

G20WLY3496d ago

RIP bubbles. The system is only partially broken, since there are some people that nobody can listen to, regardless of preference. On that front it actually unites those of differing opinions.

Thanks for all the work on developing new solutions. Sorry it's not been well received, but at least the feedback should be invaluable to understanding what the community do and don't want.

Major_Glitch3496d ago

I would've liked the bubble system...if it worked properly.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3496d ago
Export3497d ago

I like the reply system better

3497d ago
outsider16243497d ago

Agreed! I don't like the new layout. Maybe stick with the current layout but use different colors and different menu styles.

Ristul3497d ago

I dont want to shit on someones hard work but the new design is not great. When it comes to ui, simple is often better!

IanTH3497d ago (Edited 3497d ago )

Agree 100%. This has that PC Gamer typed layout that is infecting everything. Less intuitive to browse, things take up too much space, etc. They note that list view is coming, and I hope it comes with some improvements to the current list, but this would certainly be a no-go for me if it became their everyday interface.

Off Topic: You probably have more likes from this 6 word comment than I do in the history of my commenting lol.

rezzah3497d ago

I prefer the previous design, whatever that looked like.

I just remember liking it more than the current one.

TheSaint3497d ago

Seems like 99% of us like the old version better.

DOMination-3496d ago

I only use n4g on mobile so this update is very welcome. The current mobile site is very limited

Ahytys3496d ago

I don't like it at all! Useless change on a desktop PC

Clown_Syndr0me3496d ago

Agreed. New version on mobile is so crap can't find anything quickly.

Perjoss3496d ago

Don't change it, the layout of the current site (classic mode, not tabloid) is perfect.

bradleejones3496d ago

The current design is much better. If the new design was just laid over the current, then that would be great.

quaneylfc3496d ago

Have they removed the god-awful "agree, disagree" system?

Edito3496d ago

I'm with you, I think the actual website feels better.

3496d ago
SegaGamer3496d ago

What the hell is wrong with admins ? they always feel they need to change their site. Leave it as it is now, the new style is absolutely horrible.

UnHoly_One3496d ago

Yeah if this is the only option, I'm out. I hate literally everything about this layout. Even the comments section is terrible.

Thunder_G0d_Bane3496d ago

Agreed, the new design is terrible!!

SeanScythe3496d ago

Was anyone asking for the layout to change? No, so leave it alone. If it isn't broke don't fix it.

Spenok3496d ago (Edited 3496d ago )

The current design is definitely more comfortable, this new design is still nice. Personally I think the best part about the new design is the comments. It appears they got rid of the bubble system, which is super nice. I never dropped below the standard 5, but it's annoying when you're having a good conversation. I wish they would have added a button to respond to people regardless of where they were at on the comments section. It's annoying there's no way to notify them you've responded without some kind of tag or something. MANY other sites allow you to so you know when a conversation has continued without having to physically look at the thread to see if someone has responded. That is honestly my most requested feature.

N4G3RZ3496d ago

Design is not as good as the one on the OLD site.

FITgamer3496d ago

Agree. Not a fan of tabloid layout, also the overly white background is harsh on the eyes. Wonder without out the bubble system, will comment section end up like IGN's. Non-stop troll comments.

Silver_Faux3496d ago

It's safe to say that it's not gonna change any time soon...unless N4G pulls a Ubisoft/EA on us and tells us what we need

Silver_Faux3496d ago

What would be good if there was a 'filter' where you could set it so you won't see site you don't like come up on the news feed, ie Kotaku

3496d ago
Zhipp3496d ago

Yeah, the new design is too bright. Makes me feel queezy.

SynGamer3496d ago

Love the new design (same for animeshinbun.com as well)!

Erik73573496d ago

I think the newer one is nicer if your using a phone.

MehmetAlperTR3495d ago

i didnt like the Beta.. It's not nice.. I like the original one...

bradleejones3495d ago (Edited 3495d ago )

No sir, I don't like it.

crazyclown3494d ago

Same here, the new design is week and is actually way worse then mashable which is a similar design

+ Show (40) more repliesLast reply 3494d ago
Relientk773497d ago

"Site search is finally useful"

good lol

cplus3497d ago ShowReplies(2)
rkyounis3497d ago

I like the current design way better. The new one just looks disorganized and cluttered.

UserNameIsNotTaken3497d ago

It's like the Tabloid version of this site :/
Which I don't like.

Insomnia_843497d ago

That was horrible! Came back to the current version right away!

Show all comments (313)
630°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (2)- Updates (2)

Updates

Changed from Pending to Approved
Community16h ago
Changed: credit url
17h agoReplies(1)
16h agoReplies(1)
Obscure_Observer16h ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

16h ago
pwnmaster300016h ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

16h ago
Obscure_Observer16h ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger15h ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster300014h ago(Edited 14h ago)

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole9h ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 9h ago
Tacoboto15h ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing6915h ago(Edited 15h ago)

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif14h ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing6914h ago(Edited 14h ago)

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif13h ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein12h ago(Edited 12h ago)

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 12h ago
-Foxtrot15h ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast15h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts14h ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto14h ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 14h ago
Profchaos11h ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo3h ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3h ago
15h ago
Show all comments (78)
130°

Sony Faces Class Action in the Netherlands Over Allegedly Inflated PlayStation Store Prices

Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation in the Netherlands has filed a class action against Sony for inflating PlayStation Store prices.

Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (1)- Updates (1)

Updates

Changed from Pending to Approved
Community16h ago
dveio15h ago(Edited 15h ago)

My personal opinion:

Manufacturers and publishers have indeed inflated the industry.

From $700 million development costs for games like Call of Duty, to digital (store) prices for games and DLCs, online multiplayer fees on consoles (why can you play Helldivers 2 online for free on PC but not consoles?) or still preventing sell/lend digitally purchased games.

Sometime in the future, this bubble will collapse.

They should know better, but they just can't help themselves and suck even the last penny out of our wallets.

BeHunted12h ago

Because Sony knows people will be forced to pay those prices for single player and multiplayer games, not everyone prefers PC gaming. Sony also has a monopoly on PlayStation digital games. In 2019, they stopped allowing retailers and game key sellers to sell PlayStation digital games, making them available only through the official PlayStation Store

anast14h ago

The Dutch gov. wants a piece of the pie.

Eonjay14h ago

They should be suing the individual publishers increasing the prices to $80 instead of suing the store. There are plenty of publishers still selling game for like $50 with much success (like E33). But this proves that the publishers are the ones setting the prices.... so again nothing changes because they aren't even going after the main offender. How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD? Sony being the number one store in the market doesn't mean that publisher have to charge us an arm and a leg. Again the industry is laughing at us because consumers never get real representation. Just these fake platitudes that are meaningless.

BeHunted12h ago

"How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD"

Because Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly, I can purchase Call of Duty at a huge discount from CDKeys or other gaming retailers. The only way to purchase digital PlayStation games is through the PlayStation Store.

djl348511h ago

Weird, I swore GoW, Stellar Blade, Horizon Zero Dawn, TLoU, etc. were on the steam store....uh.....

BeHunted8h ago(Edited 7h ago)

@djI3485

I'm talking about PlayStation games that you can only purchase on PlayStation. I can purchase Steam and Epic games from 3rd party retailers and key stores.

"Sony to stop selling full-game download codes at retailers"

https://www.videogamer.com/...

Killer2020UK12h ago

About time. There is zero fair reason why digitally distributed products that you cannot recoup any value when you want to dispose of them, should be priced higher than that of physical copies that entail all of the costs and the benefits of owning.

Show all comments (11)
50°

Spook-A-Boo — Game Overview • VGMM

Spook-A-boo is a silly ghost-hunting game where you and up to 3 friends explore different levels, hunting down ghosts in a game of hide-and-seek.

Read Full Story >>
videogamesmademe.com
Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (2)- Updates (2)

Updates

Changed from Pending to Approved
Community17h ago
Changed: embed code
DeadAngelsHell1d 6h ago