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[Codeblue]

Well, I hope getting all those guys together in one place means they can point out the flaws in one anothers previous work.

I think the thing that would be most refreshing to me is not tossing softballs at interviews and not marginalizing game bugs in reviews or impressions, even if they're going to be patched eventually.

Best of luck to them.

 

[firehawk12]

I just find it weird that the joystiq guys didn't bring Ludwig with them as well.

I stopped reading gaming websites entirely, so I suppose it's no skin off my back. I just hope they don't have a "everyone needs to post 10 stories a day" policy, which is the type of system that makes most of these sites completely unreadable.

 

[jimmypop]

I mean, "pwn" away, I guess. There's a GAF contingent that likes to play "six degrees of how can we involve Arthur in this topic so we can trash him personally for not liking the games we like" at every opportunity.

Some of us may not enjoy your presentation, attitude and opinions.

Just sayin'.

 

[remnant]

If I wanted to do that, I would have done my own thing. This is a chance to try something new and, I hope, interesting.

The best part is that this is a site we're building as a group from scratch.

For those of you not fans of where some ( or all of us) have come from, this is also a chance for you to offer constructive advice. We're just starting to build this now. We'd love to get input from a lot of great communities, including ones like NeoGaf.

Personally i would like a website that focuses less on game reviews and nerdy culture and more about the talent behind the products. Interviews that focus on more than just the lead designer or whoever the publishers want to throw out as their face. Why are their such little focus on guys like the animators, sound engineers, UI designers.

I don't want another trashy site like Kotaku or a bunch of people acting like nerds like giant bomb. A well-run source that focuses on the professionals in the industry, and the industries that surround it sounds interesting to me.

 

[see5harp]

Gamasutra already exists if you want that. I really enjoy the look and overall magazine quality presentation of The Verge. As long as they bring that, a focus on unique stories here and there instead of a focus on reviews, and distinct personality like Giant Bomb, I can see the site being worthy of at least a few clicks. Some of you acting like a single review 3 years ago will prevent you from ever clicking on a link need to grow up.

 

[RiccochetJ]

Some of us may not enjoy your presentation, attitude and opinions.

Just sayin'.

And some of you enjoy letting him know it every chance you get.

 

[aegies]

And some of you enjoy letting him know it every chance you get.

Writing in public under your own name opens you up to scrutiny. I accept that. I would more often like to read criticisms of the work I do that go beyond "fuck that guy, he's an asshole." I've tried to act in good faith as a member of the press and a member of this community where I can. It just gets a little old reading complete strangers call me a piece of shit all the time, and worse, looking for an excuse to do it. There are people here that seem to think more about how much of a piece of shit I am than other people put into hobbies.

 

[Duffyside]

I'm not that interested in titles. I'm more interested in creating something new and in reporting and writing. It's what I love.

I'll be a founder and the new site's News Editor.

Well, I wouldn't be all that concerned with the title itself, but the money implied with it, and having more control in the site's direction.

But I have no idea what the business arrangement is. It could be the best thing possible for you, and I hope it is. Best of luck.

 

[Isaccard]

Kotaku I can understand hate for, but I've always enjoyed Joystiq's humor. I can't say I paid much attention to who wrote what, but the names are familiar to me. Looks cool.

 

[DaBargainHunta]

I mean, "pwn" away, I guess. There's a GAF contingent that likes to play "six degrees of how can we involve Arthur in this topic so we can trash him personally for not liking the games we like" at every opportunity.

I don't know you and I'm not familiar with your work, but considering that GAF is usually dead wrong about most everything, I'm already a fan of yours. Looking forward to the new site!

 

[kuYuri]

I didn't even know Arthur Gies left Joystiq. When was this?

 

[Tyrax]

Hiring multiple EICs from other sites, how will they decide who will be the new sites EIC?

I suggest super smash brothers tournament.

 

[FStop7]

I want a gaming DrudgeReport.

SAMUS ARAN TOPLESS TABLOID SHOCKER

 

[MidnightScott]

The only few blogs I follow are some Nintendo ones, Siliconera, and Andriasang.

I stopped looking at IGN, Kotaku, Gamespot years ago.

 

[El-Suave]

I can totally understand getting some "big names" on board for publicity, and I'm fine with that. But the same old people rotating from job to job doesn't help the profession in my opinion and that isn't something you can be proud of as an outlet.

You hardly get any new impulses, and everybody already has (professional) relationships with the people they're supposed to report on and whose products they're supposed to review. Those relationships want to be nurtured and nobody risks anything anymore.

 

[sonicmj1]

I wouldn't want a copy of Giant Bomb, but I think there are a lot of lessons one can take from them.

- Cover the stuff that matters to you, and cover it in a unique way. There's enough out there covering the same circuit of every single major game on the market. If you do what you do well, you'll be a more useful resource, and your audience will appreciate it. I'd rather have three pieces of in-depth or unique content than thirty cursory glances at games or news stories.

- Let us know your writers. Let each person's personal voice stand out. When readers know where reviews and opinions come from, they can contextualize them better in relation to their own tastes. And it's easier to like a group of people who you feel like you know than a faceless page. Podcasts are a fantastic tool to do this.

- In a world where it feels like so much of gaming PR is in the thrall of big money, transparency is crucial.

I'm not exactly a fan of Kotaku or Joystiq, but I'd love to see another independent site succeed. Best of luck.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

There are people here that seem to think more about how much of a piece of shit I am than other people put into hobbies.

Hate is easy, if not effortless, that's why there's so much of it.

 

[Darkkn]

Looking at the current staff, it seems like there is none who's interested in PC gaming so i'm assuming PC coverage will be as pathetic as it is with joystiq and kotaku. Former joystiq guys had zero interest from what i could gather from podcasts, kotaku dude doesn't care based on kotaku's coverage and Arthur LOVES (to troll)PC gaming. Sadface.

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

I didn't even know Arthur Gies left Joystiq. When was this?

Same day as the others over @ joystiq.

 

[Blast Processing]

It's awfully dismissive to say anyone who doesn't read games news the way you do is "joe sixpack," which is inherently a shot at them. I know why people come to GAF (or reasons why, anyway). That's cool. But it's strange to me to live in a world where anyone who doesn't do that exclusively isn't a "real" gamer.

I mean, "pwn" away, I guess. There's a GAF contingent that likes to play "six degrees of how can we involve Arthur in this topic so we can trash him personally for not liking the games we like" at every opportunity.

"Joe Sixpack" isn't meant as a shot at anyone, just shorthand for the type of gamer who isn't as into it as to listen to podcasts or to read (or be aware of) GAF or anything less well known than IGN or Gamespot or whatever the most visited sites are these days. If that's who you want to attract to your new site, well great, but good luck getting the brand awareness to get them off of IGN or said most visited site.

If you want more "hardcore" gamer types, the ones who are likely to relay on places like GAF or Reddit for most gaming reading online, then you're going to have to stick out from the huge amount of existing sites. The stable of writers being built for this new looks good on paper, but content is king.

That's my two cents for you and Crescente and whomever else might read this--something unique.

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

Looking at the current staff, it seems like there is none who's interested in PC gaming so i'm assuming PC coverage will be as pathetic as it is with joystiq and kotaku. Sadface.

Easy fix, hire Ryan Scot he does not have a job yet and he plays pc games he comes from GFW, 1up and gamespy/IGN.

 

[Mizzou Gaming]

Any Mizzou Journalism School grads on that list?

 

[jimmypop]

The revolving door of enthusiast press never fails to bore me.

It's not limited to gaming.

 

[HamPster PamPster]

First official scandal! They are finally a real gaming website, just need to give Skyrim on PS3 GOTY and we're all set

They put out a call for everyone's favorite female games writers which is silly because A) they didn't ask for our favorite male writers (or just plain old games writers) and B) it highlights a complete lack of diversity while building the site.

 

[angrybus]

The revolving door of enthusiast press never fails to bore me.

It's not limited to gaming.

hmm yes, rather astute. do carry on

 

[Lothars]

If Arthur Gies is the answer, you're asking the wrong questions.

Thats the correct statement, I will be interested to see what this site is like but with arthur my interest dropped alot.

 

[Fjordson]

It's on the table, but nothing has been locked down yet. Should we?

Yes. Can be a great counterpart to a site I think.

Personally a fan of the McElroys, Chris Grant, and Crecente, so I'll be checking this out.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

They put out a call for everyone's favorite female games writers which is silly because A) they didn't ask for our favorite male writers (or just plain old games writers) and B) it highlights a complete lack of diversity while building the site.

Ugh, I'd rather hear from a good writer regardless of gender.

 

[Mudkips]

who are these people?

This.
And if the answer is "internet video game review site celebrities", I'd like to follow up with "This is what it's come to? Really?".

 

[JohngPR]

Step 1.

Read Grantland

Step 2.

Copy Grantland's editorial style

Step 3.

???

Step 4

You have an awesome website.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

This.
And if the answer is "internet video game review site celebrities", I'd like to follow up with "This is what it's come to? Really?".

They're video game blog writers, mostly. Some of the names are well known, for better or worse, throughout the greater online video game community.

 

[Samus4145]

Depending on the site, tens of millions of unique visitors a month. A MONTH.

Wish my site had 100 views per day lol. Best of luck, always enjoyed your attitude and honesty.

 

[Valnen]

Many people do use gaf as a one shop stop for all gaming media. No idea if they are the minority or majority

They're missing out on a lot of news.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Site traffic nowadays is generated through aggregated sources, like it or not. People hardly ever use bookmarks anymore. I pick up my news and links to interesting articles or reviews from Twitter, GAF or reddit. The only gaming sites I do regularly visit are Rock Paper Shotgun (Quinns and Keiron are dearly missed though), Eurogamer and Giant Bomb.

Good luck on your endeavors. I will be checking the site out.

Most site traffic is generated through search engines. That's also why written content is so important, since video can't be indexed that good by Google.

Of course that is for the whole site, including reviews and stuff. For just news it's lower, but still a large share.

 

[Shurs]

Nearly everyone in this thread is so fucking jaded.

Good for these guys for getting in on the ground floor and having the opportunity to build something.

 

[El Sloth]

^I wonder if so many of the responses would have been the same if the entire site we're forced to participate in Real Pic January.

I want my games reviews to be similar to a proper test drive from a consumerist perspective. If there's bugs tell us, and don't be bloody afraid to dock points for it, it'd be like buying a new car that randomly has bits fall off or the engine cuts out or a panel's missing.

It's surprised me how much I I didn't like this post. Car reviews, or consumer product reviews in general, are pretty much the last thing I'm looking for from a game review. Bugs and what not deserve a place in a separate article I think. But what do I know.

 

[conman]

This.
And if the answer is "internet video game review site celebrities", I'd like to follow up with "This is what it's come to? Really?".

Wow. Some folks on GAF have really developed a ridiculously jaded (and affected) hipsterism.

For example, millions of people know Manohla Dargis not because she's a "celebrity," but because she's a good writer and an intelligent film critic. It's not like we're talking about the Kardashians who are simply famous for being famous.

These game editors are among the best in the business, and the fact that one site has swept them all up is really incredible. This could be the first States-side site to put together something of the quality only seen in UK game outlets like Edge.

I'll admit I'm a little troubled by the homogeneity of the crew (all white twenty-and-thirty-something males AFAIK), but I suppose that's still par for the course in much of the games industry. If they really want to do something new and stay current, they need to rethink who it is their writing for, not just slap a coat of iPad-friendly paint on old formulas.

 

[FStop7]

I really don't get the negativity trend. I guess it started around late 2008 / early 2009 when everyone either left or got laid off from 1UP. Those were the salad days of podcasting... 1UP Yours, 97.5 The Brodeo, 1UP Show, Retronauts, Legendary Thread, Sports Anomaly, Broken Pixels.

 

[Coolwhip]

I'll keep my eye on this new site. A lot of negative nancies here by the way, I know this is the internet. But really, shouldn't a gaming community be interested in a new major gaming website and form an opinion when they actually go live.

 

[Lombax]

i lost interest at Crecente.

 

[JLima]

I'll admit I'm a little troubled by the homogeneity of the crew (all white twenty-and-thirty-something males AFAIK), but I suppose that's still par for the course in much of the games industry. If they really want to do something new and stay current, they need to rethink who it is their writing for, not just slap a coat of iPad-friendly paint on old formulas.

I completely agree that diversity is much needed among writers, but aren't they primarily writing to: white, male, 20-30 something's?

Why not find some new writers, with new ideas and voices? (certainly there is a LOT of chaff among the wheat- so my request already presents it's counter)

But I'm ready for something new, on both sides. I don't want another website that publishes a review of Mario Party 33.

 

[PKrockin]

chris grant - Former Joystiq
Justin McElroy - Former Joystiq
Brian Crecente - Former Kotaku
Russ Pitts - Former The Escapist
Chris Plante - Former freelance (the daily)
Russ Frushtick - Fomer MTV Multiplayer blog
Arthur Gies - Former Joystiq
Griffin McElroy - Former Joystiq

Am I supposed to know these people? Wouldn't that imply I pay attention to "games journalism"?

 

[BoobPhysics101]

I think the reason for the jaded response is because "gaming journalism" as a whole is a disappointing, sometimes nonsensical group of critics that is still in its infancy in terms of refinement and overall ability. There ARE a few truly stand-up, excellent gaming journalists who distinguish themselves (Jeff Green is one of the first who comes to mind for me), but typically I am reminded when reading their articles/reviews that a majority of them are no more educated/tasteful than some of my peers on gaming forums; rather, they're either pretentious enough to think they are and they're struggling so hard to be taken seriously, or they're juvenile fanboys who have a very large loudspeaker with which they spread their 'professional opinions.'

It's hard to be enthused. I have fond memories of EGM, Computer Gaming World, and Computer Games Magazine, and some of the great, mature writing that I read in there when I was younger. Today's 'professional' gaming journalism seems so watered down in comparison. I find more insightful, well-written opinions of games stemming from fellow GAF users and some 'indie' writers on small websites.

So when I see someone like Crecente, who was in charge of one of the trashiest gaming sites on the Internet (Kotaku is the gaming journo equivalent of TMZ) trying to start up a gaming website with a bunch of other 'all-stars' (uh, what?), how am I supposed to be impressed? It's the equivalent of Twilight's author trying to hype up her next novel as something that'll be along the literature quality standard of Shelley's Frankenstein. No, sorry.

You want to do something new and different, start culling the Internet for those unheard of gaming bloggers/writers who explore aspects of gaming in their writing that the mainstream ignores in favor of the latest Call of Duty. Use your vast 'influence' to mentor and promote younger/less popular yet gifted, passionate writers while showcasing a more diverse side of gaming. Go more in-depth in your writing, because getting the latest PR press release re-translated into some try-hard, 'this game will be the greatest' preview-vomit is so boring and overdone at this point.

Also, I'd really love to see a website that revisits games to see where they're at now thanks to bug patches, content releases, and community mods. For example, I picked up GRID during the Steam Holiday Sale, and was blown away to discover that users modded in ultra high graphics settings, depth of field, and new time of day lighting. It's a 3 year old game and thanks to that, it still looks great. Let's hear more about that kind of stuff. I love picking up old, cheap games that have been modded/patched into something that the original vision was so sorely lacking.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

^I wonder if so many of the responses would have been the same if the entire site we're forced to participate in Real Pic January.

Sorry for being off-topic, but is that what's going on around here? I've been scared and confused for several days.

If I wanted to see actual people's faces when I talk to them, I'd leave my goddamn house.

How did this start and why?

 

[Fox318]

Am I supposed to know these people? Wouldn't that imply I pay attention to "games journalism"?

Joystiq and Kotaku are pretty big sites.

 

[Utako]

They should have tried harder for 1Up alumni.

What is Scott Sharkey doing now?

His LinkedIn gives no sign: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/scott-sharkey/26/2b6/996

 

[Fox318]

Crap...

I actually can't wait for the new site.

 

[Rufus]

Wow. Some folks on GAF have really developed a ridiculously jaded (and affected) hipsterism.

Am I supposed to know these people? Wouldn't that imply I pay attention to "games journalism"?

Ah, I love it.

 

[LiK]

Writing in public under your own name opens you up to scrutiny. I accept that. I would more often like to read criticisms of the work I do that go beyond "fuck that guy, he's an asshole." I've tried to act in good faith as a member of the press and a member of this community where I can. It just gets a little old reading complete strangers call me a piece of shit all the time, and worse, looking for an excuse to do it. There are people here that seem to think more about how much of a piece of shit I am than other people put into hobbies.

I like you.

 

[diztrukted]

this is like the miami heat of game journalism....EXACTLY LIKE THE MIAMI HEAT