Is the Escapist dying?

[CyanCat47_v1legacy]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Fun fact: The Escapist has been around since 2005, two years before Zero Punctuation gave the site a massive traffic boost. If it could survive back in those lean times, surely it still has some legs left now?

Things have probably gotten a lot more expensive to run as the site has expanded and while a lot of things have been repaired since the bush administration and goldman sachs fucked the global economy and didn't even leave a note, things are still kind of shaky

 

[Janichsan]

If you really do want to know and this isn't one of those collective gloom and doom threads we get a few times a year, then OK: ?

We've been getting this sort of thread since I can remember, any time any popular contributor leaves or their works changes it's the end of the Escapist.

This time there are some stats to back up the claim, however, less views and less staff, and while it's subjective, I'd say lesser quality of content being produced.

Well, it's really concern from my side, not just randomly calling the sky is falling. I've been reading the Escapist for many years now (though not being active in the community), but I've never seen as little activity on the site as at the moment. I mean, it's not just some popular contributor that has left, it seems that almost everyone is gone. At least there are more news posts again: not too long ago, there were three or four days in a row without any post at all.

DEFY closed the Durham office in North Carolina due to it not making them enough money (just about after the site devs had finished the latest update), and that meant most of the contributors and staff left. ?

Okay, that's quite informative. I definitely haven't heard this before.

 

[DementedSheep]

What do you expect? fuck all content and the forums is only marginally less of a shit hole than the other gaming sites.

 

[Silence]

Thing is, there was less weekly content in 2015 after Jim Sterling and MovieBob left. Staff tried to upsize content again, apparently it did not completely work right, staff was let go.

Also there was less forum traffic.

Now it's ... something.

 

[wizzy555]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

The problem is money. The independent commentators are making their money from youtube and patreon (more than the escapist can afford.. maybe?), centralised publications are making less and less sense in this market where any 20 year old with a bit a video editing skills can make a top 10 awesome addons list.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

those of us that like the forum and the community, I made an emergency back up board. You can find the link to it on my website, under my name, above my avatar. Everyone is welcome to bookmark it and use it if these boards die.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

Staying neutral was the worst business decision they could of made. Both sides of the aisle ended up scorning it, aGG scorned it for giving GG a platform. GG resented it because they got corralled into the Games Industry section.

No Country For Neutral Gamers it seems.

 

[wizzy555]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

Staying neutral was the worst business decision they could of made. Both sides of the aisle ended up scorning it, aGG scorned it for giving GG a platform. GG resented it because they got corralled into the Games Industry section.

No Country For Neutral Gamers it seems.

I don't believe GG scorned it, it appeared on most of GGs recommended website lists. Only some of the more extremist forum members scorned it.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

Staying neutral was the worst business decision they could of made. Both sides of the aisle ended up scorning it, aGG scorned it for giving GG a platform. GG resented it because they got corralled into the Games Industry section.

No Country For Neutral Gamers it seems.

I don't believe GG scorned it, it appeared on most of GGs recommended website lists. Only some of the more extremist forum members scorned it.

I mean I lurk in KiA quite a bit these days, and for like every one post in there I can see being reasonable there like five extreme alt-right ones.

If they aren't scorning it, they aren't championing it like they do that opportunistic fuck Milo.

 

[Breakdown]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

Staying neutral was the worst business decision they could of made. Both sides of the aisle ended up scorning it, aGG scorned it for giving GG a platform. GG resented it because they got corralled into the Games Industry section.

No Country For Neutral Gamers it seems.

I don't believe GG scorned it, it appeared on most of GGs recommended website lists. Only some of the more extremist forum members scorned it.

I mean I lurk in KiA quite a bit these days, and for like every one post in there I can see being reasonable there like five extreme alt-right ones.

If they aren't scorning it, they aren't championing it like they do that opportunistic fuck Milo.

I think that's a consequence of the endless attacks on Gamergate though, coming from supposed left wing sources. It's pushed GG supporters to the right and then made them feel really entrenched in their position and completely disillusioned.

 

[IceForce]

I think that's a consequence of the endless attacks on Gamergate though, coming from supposed left wing sources. It's pushed GG supporters to the right and then made them feel really entrenched in their position and completely disillusioned.

... which is strange, because back when GG all began, Gamergaters swore up and down that it wasn't a political movement.

Now however, it's pretty much entirely political.

 

[wizzy555]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

Staying neutral was the worst business decision they could of made. Both sides of the aisle ended up scorning it, aGG scorned it for giving GG a platform. GG resented it because they got corralled into the Games Industry section.

No Country For Neutral Gamers it seems.

I don't believe GG scorned it, it appeared on most of GGs recommended website lists. Only some of the more extremist forum members scorned it.

I mean I lurk in KiA quite a bit these days, and for like every one post in there I can see being reasonable there like five extreme alt-right ones.

If they aren't scorning it, they aren't championing it like they do that opportunistic fuck Milo.

Well yeah, KIA doesn't exist to promote gaming sites, it exists to promote the "OMG the SJWs are taking over the world and the journalists are in on it" narrative.

A neutral escapist doesn't fall into that circle often except when they do good disclosures on articles or report on something relevant. But that isn't scorning.

 

[Stewie Plisken]

I mean I lurk in KiA quite a bit these days, and for like every one post in there I can see being reasonable there like five extreme alt-right ones.

If they aren't scorning it, they aren't championing it like they do that opportunistic fuck Milo.

I think that's a consequence of the endless attacks on Gamergate though, coming from supposed left wing sources. It's pushed GG supporters to the right and then made them feel really entrenched in their position and completely disillusioned.

Yeah, but it's also a matter of, well, time. Those still using the hashtag are far fewer and use it to signal-boost politics. The rest of us support the notion on principle, but don't really partake in anything at the moment, including using the hashtag-- let alone KiA. The Escapist did get on the good side of GamerGate when GamerGate was bigger, more diverse and more focused. Currently GG isn't representative of GG two years ago. There is a far bigger diversity in the userbase of this board now than there was three years ago, in my exerience at least.

 

[MCerberus]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

Staying neutral was the worst business decision they could of made. Both sides of the aisle ended up scorning it, aGG scorned it for giving GG a platform. GG resented it because they got corralled into the Games Industry section.

No Country For Neutral Gamers it seems.

I don't believe GG scorned it, it appeared on most of GGs recommended website lists. Only some of the more extremist forum members scorned it.

I mean I lurk in KiA quite a bit these days, and for like every one post in there I can see being reasonable there like five extreme alt-right ones.

If they aren't scorning it, they aren't championing it like they do that opportunistic fuck Milo.

I think that's a consequence of the endless attacks on Gamergate though, coming from supposed left wing sources. It's pushed GG supporters to the right and then made them feel really entrenched in their position and completely disillusioned.

That sort of ignores the inciting incidents and the underlying reasons those blew up leading to GG. Remember that GG was a continuation (and really, GGs original sin was not completing the break from these) the Tropes vs Women backlash and 5 guys. These were motivated by a desire to prevent diversification and keep the medium 'pure' and tied up with some traditional views on gender.

This is very, very similar to the alt-right to the point where you can assign the identity to it.
GG was an outgrowth of conservative voices in gaming. Which, in another world would have been healthy if it weren't a shitshow of death threads, misogyny, and echo chambers.

 

[Breakdown]

I think that's a consequence of the endless attacks on Gamergate though, coming from supposed left wing sources. It's pushed GG supporters to the right and then made them feel really entrenched in their position and completely disillusioned.

... which is strange, because back when GG all began, Gamergaters swore up and down that it wasn't a political movement.

Now however, it's pretty much entirely political.

So a diverse group of people come under relentless attack from progressive types, and a couple of years later end up being united in their hatred for progressive types. Another victory for social progress!

 

[Breakdown]

I really don't understand why there isn't more of an effort to bring in more content onto the site. I think as much as I hate to say it, the escapist never really recovered from GamerGate, and the series of people that left during that period, while opinionated, were enthusiastically delivering regular content to the site, and that was a good thing. The podcasts, the nearly daily video content. I didn't like them all, but enough of it was part of my routine web surfing. Now I come here out of habit but there is literally fuck all here to see. The news is dry, and the editorials and analysis is so not as interesting.

Staying neutral was the worst business decision they could of made. Both sides of the aisle ended up scorning it, aGG scorned it for giving GG a platform. GG resented it because they got corralled into the Games Industry section.

No Country For Neutral Gamers it seems.

I don't believe GG scorned it, it appeared on most of GGs recommended website lists. Only some of the more extremist forum members scorned it.

I mean I lurk in KiA quite a bit these days, and for like every one post in there I can see being reasonable there like five extreme alt-right ones.

If they aren't scorning it, they aren't championing it like they do that opportunistic fuck Milo.

I think that's a consequence of the endless attacks on Gamergate though, coming from supposed left wing sources. It's pushed GG supporters to the right and then made them feel really entrenched in their position and completely disillusioned.

That sort of ignores the inciting incidents and the underlying reasons those blew up leading to GG. Remember that GG was a continuation (and really, GGs original sin was not completing the break from these) the Tropes vs Women backlash and 5 guys. These were motivated by a desire to prevent diversification and keep the medium 'pure' and tied up with some traditional views on gender.

This is very, very similar to the alt-right to the point where you can assign the identity to it.
GG was an outgrowth of conservative voices in gaming. Which, in another world would have been healthy if it weren't a shitshow of death threads, misogyny, and echo chambers.

It's all subjective though. As a socialist, Gamergate appealed to me because I saw it as a mass demonstration of dissent against an elitist and condescending media, and championed typical left wing values such as freedom of speech and creative freedom. It's become a bit more militant and right wing these days, and so I stopped identifying as a GG supporter a while back.

 

[Disco Biscuit]

and threads like this say otherwise.

I came here specifically to ask why we had another one of these threads after only a few months. This topic has been done many many times before, so while the dwindling clicks and such are correct, there's always gonna be threads like this. The doomsayers have been saying this sort of thing since I got here

Has this place been in steady decline since you got here?

While it may very well have been, my point is that, as Thaluikhain said, we've gotten this stuff constantly. The instant something changes, staff or otherwise, we get loads of "The Escapist is DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!!!!" stuff rolling in. It's only now that this seems potentially true.

We know, the place is losing a lot of people it used to. Like, a lot a lot. Enough to be concerned. But let's leave these doom threads at the door, cause we're gonna see more of them in a month's time I'm sure

If there's real reason to be concerned now then I don't see what a history of misjudging that has to do with anything; if we're all in agreement that the place is in trouble.

Quietly standing around while the water gets higher seems much nuttier to me actually.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

If there's real reason to be concerned now then I don't see what a history of misjudging that has to do with anything; if we're all in agreement that the place is in trouble.

Quietly standing around while the water gets higher seems much nuttier to me actually.

It's because everyone has been in agreement for years. We know. The ship isn't sunk yet, and it's not close to doing so, just getting closer. It's not time to pack up our bags and leave yet. Besides, not many folk know where else to go besides here, so they will hang around here until the day it dies.

"Quietly standing around while the water gets higher seems much nuttier to me actually." Then what do you suggest we do? Just tell everyone to pack up and ship off elsewhere before this place's time is even up? This is the core about these threads that confuses me. I dunno what the result is supposed to be (I understand it was more of a curiosity thing at the start, but it's become close enough to be considered a doom saying thread based on previous responses)

 

[Disco Biscuit]

If there's real reason to be concerned now then I don't see what a history of misjudging that has to do with anything; if we're all in agreement that the place is in trouble.

Quietly standing around while the water gets higher seems much nuttier to me actually.

It's because everyone has been in agreement for years. We know. The ship isn't sunk yet, and it's not close to doing so, just getting closer. It's not time to pack up our bags and leave yet. Besides, not many folk know where else to go besides here, so they will hang around here until the day it dies.

"Quietly standing around while the water gets higher seems much nuttier to me actually." Then what do you suggest we do? Just tell everyone to pack up and ship off elsewhere before this place's time is even up? This is the core about these threads that confuses me. I dunno what the result is supposed to be (I understand it was more of a curiosity thing at the start, but it's become close enough to be considered a doom saying thread based on previous responses)

This feels pretty close to me actually, but I don't have much of a frame of reference with this site, only dying sites in general. As for what to do, make noise until the handful of people left actually getting paid deign to answer with something coherent.

Obviously.

 

[Vigormortis]

... which is strange, because back when GG all began, Gamergaters swore up and down that it wasn't a political movement.

Now however, it's pretty much entirely political.

So a diverse group of people come under relentless attack from progressive types, and a couple of years later end up being united in their hatred for progressive types. Another victory for social progress!

Guys, please, can we not? Can we just...not?