Escapist Editors in the Midst of an Exodus?! -Updated-

JoJo

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Archon said:
We made some tough decisions yesterday that impacted several staffers from The Escapist, GameTrailers, and GameFront. The contributions of the talented writers and editors we had to let go will definitely be missed. However, all of the properties are continuing to serve the gamer audience going forward. Here at The Escapist, Josh Vanderwall, the managing editor under Greg Tito, will be taking over as the new editor-in-chief. Look for his first editor's note, re-introducing himself to you all, later today.
Thanks for the confirmation Archon. To put to bed some of the other rumours, would you mind clarifying whether there's any current plans to merge the Escapist and the other Defy Media gaming websites?
 

SonicWaffle

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Eclipse Dragon said:
Ryallen said:
This is the only gaming website that I actually visit regularly. I honestly don't even know what I would do if/when this website goes under. Jeez.

On a side note, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE HERE. i'm afraid...
If this site goes under, I feel sorry for the poor, unsuspecting forum we're going to swarm. It will be great, they'll get all these new users and their population numbers will increase substantially and they'll celebrate the increase, then darkness will fall and we'll start demanding sources be cited and that will just be the beginning.
I vote we go somewhere entirely unrelated to games, like a fly fishing forum, and warp it into Escapist 2.0
 

ForumSafari

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I'm totally unsurprised by this, the Escapist has been circling the drain for a few years now. Being bought by yet another crappy Internet 'media' company was the final straw.

Goodbye Escapist, even if just for lulsy arrogance, you will be missed.
 

Archon

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Fappy said:
Is a merger in the cards or is that just speculation? I assume it's not if we're getting a new EiC for the Escapist itself.
It's speculation. All of those properties are aimed at gamers, but each of those properties does different things in different ways for gamers. The goal is to have the sites support each other at each doing what they are best at. So look to see an intra-site re-focusing combined with inter-site cooperation.

While the notion of creating walking tanks with howitzers seems awesome, actually we will have tanks, infantry, and howitzers, and they will work together in a combined-arms task force. This metaphor seems sensible to me but I have been watching a lot of Robotech lately.
 

Fappy

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Archon said:
Fappy said:
Is a merger in the cards or is that just speculation? I assume it's not if we're getting a new EiC for the Escapist itself.
It's speculation. All of those properties are aimed at gamers, but each of those properties does different things in different ways for gamers. The goal is to have the sites support each other at each doing what they are best at. So look to see an intra-site re-focusing combined with inter-site cooperation.

While the notion of creating walking tanks with howitzers seems awesome, actually we will have tanks, infantry, and howitzers, and they will work together in a combined-arms task force. This metaphor seems sensible to me but I have been watching a lot of Robotech lately.
I think I have a better picture for what's going on now. Thanks for the update!
 

Eclipse Dragon

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SonicWaffle said:
I vote we go somewhere entirely unrelated to games, like a fly fishing forum, and warp it into Escapist 2.0
Fly Fishing Enthusiast: I caught this fish, I tell you it was 600 pounds!

Escapist: That's great, but did you gather the instruments of the sirens and brave the Ancient Ruins? Did you play the Ballad of the Wind Fish? Also what proof do you have that the fish was 600 pounds?


[sub][sub](For the record, I don't have any issues with demanding sources, I'm just having fun)[/sub][/sub]
 

Archon

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JoJo said:
Thanks for the confirmation Archon. To put to bed some of the other rumours, would you mind clarifying whether there's any current plans to merge the Escapist and the other Defy Media gaming websites?
See my post above. The current plan is for each of the properties to retain an independent existence.
 

SonicWaffle

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Teoes said:
SonicWaffle said:
sky14kemea said:
Why does every forum I join ultimately crash and burn?
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for all things drops to zero.

Plus, you smell.

OT: OH NO! If the Escapist goes, what shall become of my arbitrary numbers? My post count, my join date, my only true measures of worth in this confusing life! Oh god, what about my badges?!

Probably nothing. I doubt this is the end of the site, just a reduction in content, and I come for the forums anyway. Let's all have a nice, refreshing glass of lemonade and chill out.

Alternatively, this is the apocalypse, and it's all down to those evil/heroic trolls/GamerGaters hounding away/rescuing the site from ordinary/corrupt journalists/SJW stooges. Choose your own adventure!
That lemonade looks suspiciously like Kool-Aid. Ermagerd, you haven't been drinking it have you?!
OH YEAH!

Come, have a glass. You'll soon find all your troubles just...melt away...
 

Th37thTrump3t

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Damn... It's going to suck if this site goes to shit. I've been here since 09. Shit, you could practically watch me mature by looking at my post history. (Please don't though, some of that shit is quite embarrasing.)
Davroth said:
Colour Scientist said:
Davroth said:
Colour Scientist said:
Davroth said:
DeadpanLunatic said:
Zhukov said:
Anyone know of a good geeky forum? Healthy population, decent moderation, minimum of bitter conspiracy theorists?
I recommend the Idle Thumbs forums. Settled in there when the Escapist became infested with GG nonsense.
Seems like a great place if you are firmly set in the anti-GG mindset.

Looks like a good place to get banned within a week for having 'opinions'.
Why not stay here then?

With a lot of the pesky SJWs out of your hair, you'll be able to have the beautiful, uninterrupted echo-chamber utopia you've always wanted.

Yay!
Goes to show you don't know the first thing about what I want, and it's rather creepy that you insinuate to know what I want.
Haha, oh you.

You big joker, you.

I think we both know that you'd really miss me if I left.
Maybe I would. Not that you'd know.

But that's really besides the point. I would very much mind if the Escapist becomes a GG echochamber, Echochambers are by their very nature cancerous and stifle constructive discussion. I've seen way too many examples of that, and the forum linked looks a whole lot like an echochamber. If this site dies as a neutral ground, I'd rather just not join a new site altogether. I've had enough of people calling me a misogynist because I find the current status of games journalism abhorrent and think that it's going to harm the future of indie games in particular, which happen to be pretty much all I play. So as much as this might be a loosing battle, I likely wont stop fighting it.

Not that you'd particularly care about any of that. Have fun in your new echochamber, if you choose to leave. For what it's worth it doesn't look like the worst echochamber one could choose.
Seriously guys, can't we all just get along?!
 
Mar 30, 2010
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This news makes me so glad that my subscription auto-renewed three weeks ago. :-(

OT: Shame to hear about the job cuts and valued contributors having to leave. Best of luck going forward to all those that left, all hands to the pumps to those who're staying. :-/
 

IceForce

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Eri said:
Story said:
Thorn14 said:
https://twitter.com/Gregtito/status/557595806329749505

Sounds like a mass firing.
:(

But seriously I wish them all the best. I really do wonder what this means for The Escapist and why this is happening.
Why? Because they were huge SJWs and the higher ups got tired of dealing with their crap.
That's right, ban all the opinions and viewpoints you don't like. That's pretty much GamerGate's goal, isn't it.

At least you've got the balls to be honest and just come out and admit it, I'll give you that.
 

SonicWaffle

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Eclipse Dragon said:
Fly Fishing Enthusiast: I caught this fish, I tell you it was 600 pounds!
Escapist: I don't even understand why anyone would fly fish. Clearly everything was superior in the old days when we spear fished. Modern fishing is a travesty. Thanks for killing my hobby, fishing developers!
 

Fappy

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Dandres said:
On another note, it looks like no more Escapist EXPO's, man those were fun.
The Expo was already dead. Notice how we didn't have one in 2014 XD

Apparently there was some regional video game festival in the Escapist's hometown instead.
 

Dandres

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Fappy said:
Dandres said:
On another note, it looks like no more Escapist EXPO's, man those were fun.
The Expo was already dead. Notice how we didn't have one in 2014 XD

Apparently there was some regional video game festival in the Escapist's hometown instead.
Yes I noticed, I was hitting up the staff months in advance to see what was going on with it & was told nothing was no EXPO that year, then at last minuets notice that regional video game festival I would have gone because I like the area but it was to short of notice for me.
 

Josh123914

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Archon said:
We made some tough decisions yesterday that impacted several staffers from The Escapist, GameTrailers, and GameFront. The contributions of the talented writers and editors we had to let go will definitely be missed. However, all of the properties are continuing to serve the gamer audience going forward. Here at The Escapist, Josh Vanderwall, the managing editor under Greg Tito, will be taking over as the new editor-in-chief. Look for his first editor's note, re-introducing himself to you all, later today.
........So can we still get Greg in that little box to do podcasts?

 

Hero of Lime

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Now I'm starting to feel bad about only visiting the site for the forums now.

I didn't realize everyone would be so worried about the site too, all of your concerns have rubbed of on me guys! I would be very sad if the site just poofed away one day. :/

I'm also worried about possible Gametrailers firings too, they already lost a lot of good people last year, and the ones who remain are really cool. Though it seems like GT is doing much better getting more content, so it may just be the Escapist that is falling behind.
 

VanQ

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PsychicTaco115 said:
Huh, I guess it is true that all threads will eventually end up bringing up GamerGate

We should call this something...

Taco's Law

Patent/Trademark/Copyright Pending!
I see Gamergate blamed for pretty much anything these days. At this point Taco's Law is just the new Godwin's Law.
 

Story

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Sep 4, 2013
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Eri said:
Story said:
Thorn14 said:
https://twitter.com/Gregtito/status/557595806329749505

Sounds like a mass firing.
:(

But seriously I wish them all the best. I really do wonder what this means for The Escapist and why this is happening.
Why? Because they were huge SJWs and the higher ups got tired of dealing with their crap.
Even if that was true, that's frankly not a good reason to loose your job over. Specifically if that job includes writing opinion pieces which is what a journalist sometimes does.