Giant Bomb News

RSS

Salute: 1UP Acquired By UGO, Downsized; EGM Shuttered

The early days of 2009 are dark ones for Ziff Davis' erstwhile Game Group. Giant Bomb salutes the departed staffers.

By Brad Shoemaker  |  Jan. 6, 2009

The giant crowd at the PAX 1UP Yours Live event was something to see.
The giant crowd at the PAX 1UP Yours Live event was something to see.
There's no easy way to talk about people losing their jobs, especially when they're people you're friends with. Now-former Ziff Davis game property 1UP announced its rumored acquisition by UGO today, with reports coming in from all over about massive layoffs and the closure of Ziff's sole remaining print magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, in the wake of the deal. MTV Multiplayer has done the hard part for me with this report.

Rumors around the sale of 1UP.com and the future of legendary magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly are no longer rumors. Ziff Davis Media has announced the sale of 1UP.com and its web site subsidiaries to UGO Entertainment and decided to close down long-standing game publication EGM. “We believe this is a smart transaction for Ziff Davis Media that places these market leading assets and teams in a great environment poised for further success,” said Ziff Davis Media CEO Jason Young in the official release. “The transaction allows us to pay down debt and shift our full focus to our core PCMag Digital Network business. We thank our 1UP team members for their contributions and wish them the best of success into the future.” In addition to these moves, a series of layoffs have hit Ziff Davis. MTV Multiplayer has learned from multiple sources more than 30 people were laid off as part of the transition, including much of the GameVideos.com team. 1UP Show creator Ryan O’Donnell and producer Matt Chandronait announced that popular video podcast The 1UP Show would not be produced any longer on their Twitter feeds. Other notable layoffs include podcast producer Andrew Pfister.

Joystiq also has a rumored full list of the layoffs, indicating the bulk of the editorial and video departments have been let go.

We all have friends and respected industry colleagues among the (former) ranks at 1UP, and we were especially honored and humbled to appear recently on what's now become the last two episodes of 1UP Yours. Thus, this post is primarily here to express condolences and best wishes to those 1UP staffers who have departed the company. It felt a little weird to go on putting up the usual goofy game news and screenshots of Cammy while a bunch of other people making the same living as us abruptly found themselves out of work this afternoon.

We'll pour out a 40 or two for those chaps tonight, which--if you know us--is really the fondest farewell we could bestow.
268 Comments
McPlatedon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:04 p.m.
Rough beat indeed
cspiffoon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:04 p.m.
:^(  Farewell 1up and EGM :^(
ThomasPon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:05 p.m.
:(

I wish them all the best of luck.
Breadfanon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:05 p.m.

I never really visited 1Up's site, I only recently listened to their podcasts because the GB crew were guests.  Still its too bad to see anyone lose their job in these economic times.

Djon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:06 p.m.
Its a sad time when a team of writers as talented as the 1up staff cant stay afloat. I can only hope that all of these talented journalists can find work elsewhere.
KillerFlyon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:06 p.m.
First Gamespot, now 1up.  This really hurts.  I hope to see those guys on another gaming website in the near future.
Artieon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:07 p.m.
This is worse than the reason GiantBomb was made.

God this sucks.
Terra1909on Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:08 p.m.
Good luck to everyone that lost their jobs.
pill92on Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:08 p.m.
Wow ,with all the familiar faces and personality's that 1up had to offer gone there really isn't much incentive for me to visit the site any more.
insanejedion Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
Although my feelings to 1UP are not as strong as my ones back in the good gamespot days, I still feel a heart wrench oh so familiar to the one a year ago. Those were good editors with good personalities, it's too bad that I got into 1UP only recently. The writing industry has suffered another blow.
KillerFlyon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
"We'll pour out a 40 or two for those chaps tonight, which--if you know us--is really the fondest farewell we could bestow."

May I ask who they would be?
MrMondayNighton Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:12 p.m.
sad day for the videogame journalist industry
GoldenGreek117on Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:12 p.m.
With 1up gone, I hope to find a new home here, at GiantBomb. To all those affected: May luck find you and fortune help you land on your feet. It's a sad day. 2009 starts with tears for the industry. 
:(
sdauzon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:12 p.m.
man who really knows whats going on now anymore
albedos_shadowon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:13 p.m.
Farewell, 1up. UGO-gate: 1/6/09.
Spenceron Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:13 p.m.
A great magazine is dead, and a whole bunch of people lost their jobs... look on the bright side, it's probably not going to get any worse.  Plus, people are the most creative when they have nothing else to do or work on, so maybe the now unemployed can take a fresh look at what a gaming website should be instead of what it evolved into.  I mean, I absolutely love Giant Bomb, but there's probably a market for a new website done right.
_blankon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:13 p.m.
what a sad day. This start of this whole year has been rough for me, this doesnt help it much. I was hoping to wake up to this friday with a good laugh while watching the 1up show, but now thats gone. i hope the laid off staff form a site like giant bomb
tropicalmugon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:13 p.m.
I'll miss you shane, fitch, chuff, skip, cesar, giancarlo, greg, milky, jay freche, matt, donahoe, nick and phil (still group you kids table guys together), rynan, ryan scott, and all of the others who never received large time in front of the camera or mic but still made 1up what it was.

shane please pull a john davison and guest on "his goddamn show" every week when he starts doing it again.
Chewii101on Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:14 p.m.
Wow...I guess the recession is going to hit the gaming industry hard for a couple years. Wouldnt be surprised to see more websites and magazines getting closed or smaller.
mrflukeon Jan. 6, 2009 at 8:15 p.m.
seriously guys stay afloat do whatever you need to to keep going

because in my opinion giantbomb has literally become the outer haven of gaming journalism

ill pour a 40 in honor of those guys and keep big boss as my display pic in honor of the shane b
Popular News
Diablo III Sells 3.5 Million Copies In its First Day Alone

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is now the fastest-selling PC game of all time.
38 Studios Unveils its First Look at Project Copernicus

In the wake of the studio's recent financial drama, the studio finally opens the door on its long-awaited MMO.
Wii U’s Controller May Have Seen Some Changes

No more Circle Pad-style analog sticks, and some swapped button placement.
Johann Sebastian Joust Is Latest iOS Cloning Victim

Studio behind awfully similar game for iOS claims an agreement was in place.
And Now Aliens: Colonial Marines Won't Be Coming Out This Year, Either

Gearbox's Aliens side-story slips to February.
38 Studios Pays its $1.125 Million Debt, Will Receive No Additional Funds from State

Oh, and the governor of Rhode Island just tossed out a release date for "Copernicus."
Activision Lawsuit Has Details on Bungie’s Next Game

First game scheduled for Xbox 360, sequels on unannounced platforms.
Worth Reading: 05/18/2012

You have 20 seconds to click on this article and discover what games you might have missed and what stories passed you by.
Diablo III Sells 3.5 Million Copies In its First Day Alone

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is now the fastest-selling PC game of all time.
38 Studios Unveils its First Look at Project Copernicus

In the wake of the studio's recent financial drama, the studio finally opens the door on its long-awaited MMO.
Wii U’s Controller May Have Seen Some Changes

No more Circle Pad-style analog sticks, and some swapped button placement.
Johann Sebastian Joust Is Latest iOS Cloning Victim

Studio behind awfully similar game for iOS claims an agreement was in place.
38 Studios Pays its $1.125 Million Debt, Will Receive No Additional Funds from State

Oh, and the governor of Rhode Island just tossed out a release date for "Copernicus."
And Now Aliens: Colonial Marines Won't Be Coming Out This Year, Either

Gearbox's Aliens side-story slips to February.
Activision Lawsuit Has Details on Bungie’s Next Game

First game scheduled for Xbox 360, sequels on unannounced platforms.
Worth Reading: 05/18/2012

You have 20 seconds to click on this article and discover what games you might have missed and what stories passed you by.

Submissions can take several hours to be approved.

Save ChangesCancel