IGN hit with layoffs (..) 1UP shutting down (Frustrated)

(I got this title from joystiq, hence the name. They got layed off, confirmed.)

Man, that Rorie thread just frustrates me. He's 1 guy. Its true that I didn't visit 1UP all that much. But I did make the effort to track down their 1UP PS3 Launch 06 video (1UP), from way back when. I think it was a couple of month ago, and I was trying to imagine what the last console launch was like. I liked this video. Its nice, and nostalgic. Everyone's feelings were just about the same as Right Now. ~ Now, I don't think that video works anymore. A couple of months ago, I was able to download it to Windows Media Player. Now I can't. The server probably got disconnected from the link, or something. Its a sign of the times. (I'll try to get it to work later on another browser.)

I WILL NEVER be embarrassed to say that I still like IGN. I like The Verge, Polygon, BGR, Gizmodo, Kotaku, EGM Now, etc. That's a whole bunch of stuff people like to hate. For no real reason. When someone loses their job, it sucks (Rebel FM). There is definitely good quality stuff to come out of GameSpy - (Debriefings) and 1UP the same. I'm sure UGO must of had something good come from there, but so many sites having the same type of content is kind of whatever. Making a website funny and unique, makes it quality, not cranking out next-gen articles.

I feel sorry for the dudes. I hope they All get back on their feet soon. ~ (So, I'ma go watch a live VergeCast, cuz I like that shit.)

(1UP Show - Patrick 8:52)

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion-30/ign-1up-layoffs-rorie-out-at-gamespy-1425676/#73

@warfare: No.

I just don't wanna be on the Rorie's kick tastes good thread. Its all Rorie, and no one talking about GameSpy. ~ Fuck that!

You gotta admit Rorie got fucked over... again.

Less sites better, more people might stumble upon GB (like I did from IGN 2 years ago) and makes this site even better with a larger community, more people watching/paying for premium content, can have a larger crew (wishes of Rorie maybe), etc. Games journalism is over saturated and usually of poor quality, maybe this is help improve journalism.

Who's getting kicked out of IGN?

@grimluck343: The industry is just too crowded man. I'm surprised how many hits joystiq still gets. Aol has alike 5 game websites, like WoW Insider and Massively, and they're like the same thing. ~ This industry needs to make tiny, niche blogs that are funny, wrapped around videogames and technology.

Anyone wanna take bets on how long before Polygon lets people go? If ever there was a place with a bloated staff number behind a poorly conceived business plan, it's Polygon

@gs_dan: Ryan Clements said on twitter he got laid off. He's the only one from IGN I've heard.

@blu3v3nom07 said:

Other than where people talked about GameSpy, you should join in and push the quotient of GameSpy love up in that thread. Must be 15 years of history there, that has to have influenced a fair number of current GB readers.

Polygon just needs more articles, and people that are ungodly faster at news than Kotaku.

@mildmolasses said:

Within 9 Months, they just hired someone, I really wonder how higher their numbers are since launch, I stopped going cause of all the bad articles, poor website design and burnout on the Besties

Wow. Didn't know that, he was my favorite of all those douches. But he was just genuine about anime. The other ones are just douches. He was never Really a douche. : /

@shivoa: Nope Fuck, that. It says Rorie, and its about how we selfishly want Rorie to go to GB. Rather, than him getting rent paid and food for next month.

@Blu3V3nom07 Well, in fairness, WoW Insider and Massively are pretty much niche blogs focus around a very small group of video games.

@grimluck343: Yea probably dude, there's just more game websites now than ever. Detructoid, gamesradar, rock paper shotgun, The PA Report. These are many times, private, but, they take away from the loyal following that is GameSpot. GiantBomb is around because its funny, and has cool voiced opinions. GameSpot still continues to fall to irrelevance, because IGN is truthfully its opponent. Trying to be the juggernaut, just doesn't work anymore.

Ryan Clements ‏@PwamCider

The Powerhouse has fallen. But in its place, a more powerful house will be built. #Beyond

Uhf.

I might just be a contrarian, but I think exactlythe opposite should happen: smaller personality and long form writing based sites, covering their own area of expertise and crafting their own niche. Part of the "PC Master Race"? Go to Rock Paper Shotgun. Want some JRPG coverage? Follow Jeremy Parish or Kat Bailey. Retrogames? Hardcore gaming 101 or wherever Bob Mackey takes Retronauts. Video content and unprofessional hijinks? Giant Bomb.

The days of one game site covering absolutely everything resulted in the most diluted reporting and boring news aggregation ever. Building a loyal fan base, with strong, specialised writers who can voice their own opinions. That will help journalism more than trying to cater to everyone.

The thread predated the news that GameSpy is going away entirely along with 1UP and UGO. Rorie's connection to GameSpot and Whiskey Media made him a focus of the initial post and the title in particular. Hopefully it will be updated, because I agree it's not an ideal topic to cover the entire issue at this time.

I used to be a big Gamespy fan, back in the old days when it was Fargo and shiathis. Hilarious dudes, with their grudge matches between Donkey Kong and the L block from Tetris. Flintlocke was a decent (only decent) webcomic, too. It was never really good after they left. I watched their steady decline afterwards before leaving the site entirely. So, I knew exactly what Rorie was getting into when he was hired there. I had thought that maybe it was an attempt to revive their image - maybe it was. But I'm not surprised, either.

@lordandrew: Well I know that part about Rorie, but the more time you say TeamBrad in here, the more yea!'s you get. ~ 3 Websites just got put down, like a dog that's had its time after like 6 years. And people just care about like one dude. Its fucking awful.

That sucks about Clements.

On a separate note, how do you reply to someone on the mobile site?

Clements job thing sucks, I kinda liked the guy. ~ But yea, there is no reply yet. I expect it: Whenever TBA. Yesterday I couldn't get the site to load like 20 different times. As soon as they get the stability down.. They'll look at that?.

There's actually quite a lot of successful Video Game Websites that you probably don't even know exist. The internet is a pretty huge place remember, it's just not just the big boys that all gamers in the entire world create a community over (GameSpot, Giant Bomb, Destructoid, IGN I guess about covers it).

Polygon always seems out of touch though. They want to have a casual writing style sometimes, and others are really too formal, so it's hard to expect where they're going with coverage. Also, I am absolutely not a fan of their layout within articles, the full page screenshots are so annoying when trying to read a review, I got it, I'll check out the gallery after I read the review, you don't have to fill the entire page with it.

Had a former co-worker just get laidoff after starting there FOUR days ago. He was working for UGO.com

Really sucks.

@bestusernameever: I mean you could read whatever you want. They borrow they color and layout from The Verge.

@subject2change: Wow, that sucks pretty bad. Did he write articles? I can go read one..

Disagree, I come to essentially to GB for everything I need. The crew plays all current games and retro games enough for me to get my fill. I want some info on JRPGs for the first, GB was right there with the P4ER and a community to talk to about similar games that I might like. And Dave is all I need for my "PC Master Race" needs. I used to go to a bunch of different sites but why not build your home on 1 or 2 and make it easier on yourself, that is what I did.

@BestUsernameEver I completely agree with Polygon's layout. Most of the time I'm reading one of their articles I'm thinking "What the hell is going on with this page?"

@grimluck343: Mm. I could see your point there. ~ But I guess its just their stubbornness to evolve the writing format. As you scroll down the page, the sub-headline graphic parks to the right. The font and letter spacing is very different. It forces you to be immersed in the article, as Arthur talks sad shit in their Aliens Colonial Marines review.

He made Videos. http://www.ugo.com/star-wars/sad-george-lucas-in-new-york#.USamrx2siSo was the one he showed me before his last day here.

@subject2change: Wow. I just saw that 'Lucas video. The article ws alright, and the video Was pretty funny. ~ Was he like an editor, or something? I'm kind of doing that RTF stuff, so I wanna be an editor at somepoint. It seems like a hard life.

Sorry, man.

@Blu3V3nom07 In which case it fails, because the last thing it does is immerse me in the article; I'm constantly reminded of all of the web x.0 bullshit going on with the page instead of the content of the article itself.

Was not talking about layout, I said article formatting is way too over the top. I like the Verge's article layout.

Wow, Patrick looks like a fetus in that video.

@bestusernameever: Oh, well yea. I mean The Verge has to cover like a billion bullshit things related to technology, and then that culture-culture joke that's not very funny. They take that culture joke to heart though, because their entire website is built on memes and culture. Its easy for memes to attract mainstream normalcy. ~ So their have menus and space for a lot of everything.

Polygon though has to attract mainstream to the dark, salty world that is videogames. The use the menus on the left to make it act like videogame would, actively. Rather, than The Verge that makes their website look like a chrome browser, if you think about it. And all that Polygon pink is like trying to color up, that dark videogame street corner I said. (Long answer)

@bestusernameever: Well I mean I didn't make this thread to talk about Polygon, either. I liked that picture though, but ah, think of a GameSpy article then.

Not sure what he did on that, while working with me he was in charge of our animations. I work as an Editor on a top rated Docu-Reality TV show.