GameSpot layoffs

Winegarner too.

DON'T YOU TAKE ERICK TAY FROM ME, CBSi.

Only one person was confirmed as a layoff. I'm not sure where all these newz sitez are getting "massive layoffs at Gamespot" from.

@cale: I got fired while I was working at EA and it was the second option. They just gathered all people on the floor (about a hundred) and told us that the studio was closing. Some people knew, but most didn't.

Not that it is the same thing for Gamespot. I wasn't there, but a lot of employers don't care about your well being (while others do). If they tell you that you're going to be fired in 2 months, they're afraid you'll get a new job before you get fired, while they still need you.

@hailinel said:

I wonder if the fact that he used "author" to describe those affected means they are indeed culling the writing staff to focus on video content. I understand that's where game coverage is heading, but it's so depressing to see written content being put out to pasture. Ugh.

It seems there is more about this here than on the Gamespot forums. Also, those forums are much less kind.

A little off topic: I'm not going to say there haven't been problems on the GB forums lately. But calling our community a cesspool is pretty insulting when you look at some of the garbage posted over on their comments and forums.

People who work at GameSpot. We are reading what they write, and therefore know things about it. I'm not trying to be condescending, but... that's what is happening.

Admittedly I wasn't overly familiar with her work, but from what I did see Carolyn was pretty darn good. This stinks.

Danny says he's still employed, in case anyone was wondering.

@monkeystick said:

I think Kevin's "Somehow, I am in the tiny group of GameSpot authors still left standing" is a pretty strong piece of evidence that some series $%*& went down today at the site.

https://twitter.com/fiddlecub/status/494582909698076672

@chaser324: I sincerely hope it wasn't the latter in this case. That sounds dreadful. Best wishes to everyone, GameSpot is a very well known site and that will surely carry some clout for whatever they endeavour to do next.

I can only imagine how shitty they must feel right now.

It is one of the worst feelings in the world to lose your job (Up there with having a baby, passing kidney stones, breaking leg, etc)

yeah my guess is @bisonhero's guess is right. This is about the writers, makes you wonder if Gamespot is going mostly all video and may be ditching written reviews. And thus restructuring their staffing

People , especially Patrick, have been saying the only ad money is in video these anymore for a long while...

What the fuck. Do they just intend to rely on Kevin and freelancers for their reviews from now on?

The number of open positions shrinks while the number of qualified applicants rises, and game PR isn't the best industry ever right now either. It's a pretty raw deal all around.

Well that's sad to hear. But on the bright side, when you've written for GameSpot...your career isn't over. They'll bounce back for sure.

Damn. That's a huge bummer. :(

Dear long form writing,

Your days are marked.

Signed the guys and girls who killed radio.

;(

I'm going to guess that Carolyn ends up at Polygon within a week.

Just based on the chatter, it seems like Gamespot might be trying to ape GiantBomb. But I'm not sure how well that will work when GiantBomb is already part of the stable...

Maybe Gamespot will stick to news, like a video game NPR, while GiantBomb does infotainment.

That sucks. I went to Gamespot to confirm what I thought would happen over there. People on their forums were rejoicing. I would love to see GB get Carolyn. Not only is she a great writer and reviewer but it would really make a lot of people angry.

I feel like I've heard that gamespot has been outsourcing some of their reviews so I assume that played a role in this. Sucks to hear about and wish all those people the best.

Yeah, this is the pinnacle of lame. I am going to guess that Chris Walton is probably gone too.

I am a huge fan of video content (and especially of GB and Danny O'Dwyer), but I also loved reading Gamespot reviews. Heck, GS reviews are pretty much the only written reviews I read all the way through anymore. Though I do think Kevin is their best, I also loved McShea and Walton. I must say, I have never been a big fan of Carolyn's writing, but I have always respected her.

I'm worried about two things: first, that the internet morons will think they achieved a victory because McShea and Carolyn were fired. Secondly, and most scary for as Bombers, I'm worried about Patrick. Yes, Giant Bomb just hired two new people, but they were two new video-centered people. Not only is Patrick primarily a newsman, but he is separated from the rest of the group. Yes, he puts out a lot of video content for one guy, but who knows if the corporate overlords would take that into account.

Wow, this one REALLY bums me out.

@vigil80: Polygon just laid off part of their staff not too long ago. The field of game journalism has too few open positions for too many bodies.

Giant Bomb should hire *laid off Gamespot Employee*

Carolyn should now go and kickstart her own new site with the rest of the layoffs -- she should call it Above-Average Explosive or something.

...Sucks to hear anywhoo. Can't say I really liked McShea very much, but Carolyn seemed alright. Crazy to see all of this happening after what recently went down at Gametrailers.

Pretty surprising that McShea is a part of this. He was a regular on The Lobby and I've seen him on other live shows/produced video content too. He was definitely in the foreground just as much if not more than VanOrd, I'd have thought he was safe. Rarely agreed with the guy but I thought he was cool on camera.

Man, hasn't he been there for years? I remember seeing him on GS videos like, 10 years ago.

(I also just went down a GB/GS LinkedIn hole for several minutes just now).

Oh no, this sucks! It's hugely selfish and all that, but I sincerely hope GB isn't going to be affected by this.

Best wishes to all those laid off :(

Radio was killed by ClearChannel execs obsessed with "format" replacing every station with top 40 garbage, so... actually, I guess the comparison is apt. Goodbye thoughtfulness, hello YouTube.

Carolyn is one of the voices I seek out to read for well thought out opinions, even if I didn't always agree with her in whole or in part. That won't change as long as she keeps writing. I don't know the other affected writers that well (or even who are the other affected writers) but I wish them all the best - you don't work for one of the biggest sites in an industry without having talent and putting in hard work. I hope it's recognized elsewhere.

Statement from Gamespot

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-07-30-layoffs-at-gamespot

A GameSpot representative acknowledged the cuts, saying, "GameSpot did some shifting of internal resources as part of our long-term content and user engagement strategy. A few positions were impacted.

Translation in my mind, we are shifting to primarily being a video site.

I want to preface this comment by saying I have nothing against Carolyn as a person and it sucks that she lost her job. That is the worst and only part I feel for.

I do not believe she is a very good writer, though. I want to say "especially for video games." I suspect she will find a much better job in the end. She would make a very good political blogger or whatever they're called these days. I think that's where her passion really seems to lie- all told.

With Tom Mc Shea, again, I don't have anything against him as a person. I don't think he's a very good writer. His interest in video games, also, seems much more passing (at least the way he writes about them) and seems like he wants a different direction for video games to go than I do. It still sucks that he lost his job, I am fine with disagreeing with everything someone says- it doesn't make them a bad person or whatever.

It is no surprise Kevin is still at Gamespot- Kevin loves video games and has been there forever. Ryan McDonald too. The old guard there is the old guard for a reason.

Honestly this was bound to happen. Gamespot has not been very interesting- beyond Danny's projects- for a really long time. They never seemed to figure out what they want to do to progress the site. I suppose that is a lot to ask, but Gamespot has been in a rut since 2006 or so.

@slag: That businessman language.

Sounds about right.

@hailinel: Polygon laid off their head features editor, no less. I don't think it can get more explicitly clear that big sites are not looking for writers unless they're writing video scripts. And even then...

Dude, I have nothing against you as a person... but Tom McShea doesn't have a 'passing interest' in video games! The guy is a serious retro gamer and a hardcore collector.

I have to agree with how vile the Gamespot community seems. Now, I am not going to excuse the clusterfuck that happened when Dan or Jason was hired or the horrific monstrosity that happened to Samantha Allen in the name of Giant Bomb, but these people seem like true monsters with no sense of remorse. Talk about heartless fools...

Maybe I'm a selfish person but I wish someone here at GB would confirm that no one here has been laid off instead of posting something vague and foreboding and going offline.

How about instead something vague and foreboding you might not have seen yet, posted yesterday on Patrick's tumblr?

EDIT: Though I guess it could just be a reference to the Max Temkin stuff.

That's a good point. Sounds like it was just Gamespot, though. I'd imagine people would be referring to it as CBSi layoffs if GB were involved.

we would have known about it by now if that was the case.

@djm389: that's the problem with anominity and the distance of people using the internet. People feel like they can say whoever they want and forget they are talking about people with feelings.

Of course it's not an excuse fuck those people.

Transphobia sucks. Also losing your job sucks. As someone who dealt with layoffs in a waning industry it's no fun.

Also, that statement from a GameSpot representative is horrendously robotic and bereft of any sympathy for those affected. Talk like a human being for God's sake.

Seems like they are going video focused. It's a big shame for those who are now gone :( this sucks...

@djm389: You should know: There is no cause for alarm with Giantbomb. As long as Giantbomb continues to make money off of subscriptions they can continue to do whatever the hell they want and no one will get fired.

If subscriptions die then you can start to worry, but that is the opposite of what is happening with Giantbomb right now. So don't worry about Patrick- he's in a good place right now. =)

@superfriend: Read the rest of the sentence before knee jerking. Then understand the sentence as a whole. Then comment if you need to. Here I'll post the whole sentence again without the risk of being muddled by other sentences: "His interest in video games, also, seems much more passing (at least the way he writes about them) and seems like he wants a different direction for video games to go than I do."

Notice the word seems and the added addendum in parenthesis used because of knee jerk reactions like yours to show this is how he writes. I basically said in so many words that I don't agree with his opinion on games. I never said he doesn't play video games, doesn't know about video games or whatever else.

I will refrain from making other remarks at you. You seem caustic.

Humanity and business don't match. It's been proven time and time again. Assholes and business however.. one to one, perfect match.

Haven't these PR people got it through their heads that just saying "We are sorry, but we he had to let some people go" is much preferable (and human!) to saying "a few positions were impacted." What an easy way to make people hate you and your company's decisions. Is there a person on Earth who reads that and thinks, "oh, well that doesn't sound too bad!"?

Guys, if you are considering popping into this thread just to comment that you didn't like one of the people who were laid off and/or don't care, don't even bother. That firmly falls under the don't be a jerk rule - people actually do care, the people who lost their jobs do read these forums, and it would be nice to show a little compassion.

If you don't care or don't like someone, keep it to yourself please. That's about as nicely as I can put it after seeing some of the comments over the last couple of hours.