Update: I'll continue to add questions I'm seeing a lot to the bottom of this document.
Psst... Big changes happening at Whiskey Media. Don't panic. The answer to most of your questions are likely below. This isn't a goodbye post or a hey, thanks for joining us on this awesome journey, but we're outta here fabrication. It's a general trumpet call to let you know that we're working with two separate companies to build even bigger sites. For those of us at Whiskey, that means we'll spend all of about a weekend celebrating before we jump back to our jobs of building, creating and making you laugh. We'll make sure to keep you in the loop along the way.
Two companies?
Yes. We wanted to make sure our separate brands and employees ended up with companies that best fit their strengths. Here's the scoop...
Giant Bomb and Comic Vine are now in the same family as GameSpot and GameFAQs. The entire editorial teams from those sites are coming over, as is Dave. This marks a reunion of sorts as we’ll get to work with our friends over at GameSpot again. Giant Bomb will continue to operate as its own unique site.
Tested and Screened, along with all other things Whiskey Media are being acquired by BermanBraun. They've got big plans too, as you've likely seen on Tested already. Andy and his TOP MEN (our engineering team) are going to be busy building a whole slew of new sites that carry our mark of community first philosophies.
I'm a premium member, what does this mean for me?
Nothing for the moment. Your services continue as normal across all of the Whiskey sites as well as on Roku, Boxee, iTunes... etc. On April 15th we will migrate the billing for premium memberships to Giant Bomb and Comic Vine so that we can separate them from Whiskey Media proper. Don't worry, features on the other sites will continue to work, as will your username as passwords, but you will only billed by Giant Bomb. No split billing will occur.
We made this decision based on the fact that 98 percent of our subscriptions originated with Giant Bomb and the vast majority of our premium content has focused on that site. However, we also recognize our users have their own ideas about the value of their premium plan so we wanted to make sure you had a full month to sit with these details and use the same billing tools you're used to using. It is very important to us that we don't sucker punch anyone and that you can cancel your plans easily at any time.
Got all that? OK, well there’s more. Those members that do stick around past April 15th will immediately receive GameSpot Total Access memberships for free as a thank you for continuing to support Giant Bomb and Comic Vine. These will be distributed through email as a gift code, so their redemption is optional.
We'll also send out a general email as well as other announcements before April 15th so you're not left with any surprises.
What about the Whiskey Media store and my coupons?
They will continue to be valid. You can use them now, or at anytime. The store isn't going anywhere.
What about my wiki points?
Your points will continue as normal. Past April 15th your combined Whiskey points will be used for your submissions across all our sites. But any points earned after that date will only increase your total on the specific site you earn them on.
Hey, this has me worried. I've seen others sites get purchased and become
pretty crappy. What makes this different?
It's a valid concern. But if you've made it this far (let's be honest, some of you have been supportive of us for years) you know that beyond the logos on our sites are a group of people who have committed their lives to building a better Internet. Our sites will continue to thrive because quite honestly, it's what keeps a lot of us going every day. And as hokey as it may sound, we want to continue having an audience that trusts us as stewards of our respective expertise.
Continue to keep us on our toes. Now let's start building.
I have more questions!
I (Dave) will be around personally to answer all questions late tonight and throughout the weekend either on this thread or through twitter (@enemykite). As you'd imagine it's a busy day and I've still got to run to the city this afternoon to meet some peeps so thanks ahead of time for being patient as I go through your questions later today.
Will premium content still continue?
Yes, All the Giant Bomb premium shows you've gotten used to over the last few years will continue in their regular format. Give us a week to get used to our new digs, but we'll have new content coming your way within a week.
Are Giant Bomb memberships being rolled into Total Access at GameSpot?
No. The programs are separate. The GameSpot account is an added bonus that is optional. We're committed to building our premium member base and will always look to add more value to our users.
What are the plans for the API?
It will continue to stay up. It's been provided AS IS for a few years now, but it's something we very much would like to revisit and make better.