Poll: 2015, The end of The Escapist?
- Thread starter Ironbat92
- Start date
Look, you're right. There are legitimate grievances and complaints. But as far as I'm concerned they have a shelf life. Now, as in the present time, we're very much in a state of limbo. We know of three new content contributors, and only know what one of them will be providing for content. It makes sense for people to be a little unsettled and voice their grievances now.Solaire of Astora said:
We don't know who else may come aboard. We don't know who might leave who is still here.
But as things go on, that time expires. Once the new content is here and we start to see the "new face," so to speak, of the site, then it's time to either stay or leave. That's it. Sticking around a place that apparently is upsetting or depressing doesn't make sense.
I've been away for some time. Can someone fill me in? Moviebob and Miracle of Sound are leaving?! WTF?!?!
Im hanging around for the moment. But its like choosing which turd to suck on with gaming websites right now. Was a member at GS for like 10 years... Then they turned into a bunch of preachy soft cocks with reviews written by the devs. Escapist is slipping in the same direction, but not as bad yet. Mostly now I just watch Jim on Youtube.
Maybe if the site lost ZP, then it would truly die.
But at the current state, the site has seen worse.
But at the current state, the site has seen worse.
Honestly? Yeah, I think my involvement is over, at least. They've fired almost everyone interesting, the news section is now a mess of mostly irrelevant clickbait (relevant gaming news? Nah, tell me about how they found life on Mars for the 50th time), and GamerGate turned the forums into the fucking post-apocalypse with stragglers fighting over scraps of flame-bait.
I've been checking the Escapist every day for eight years (which is a lot for a 25-year-old), so it makes me sad when I log in every Wednesday to watch Zero-P and then can't find anything interesting to read or watch. I mean, we had multiple animated shows... We had Porn Stars playing D&D... We had Jim fucking Sterling... We had a great Expo with tons of fun to be had...
I've seen the site get pretty barren in the past, but this feels different. It's like the staff don't have their heart in it anymore, and it makes me really sad. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole site is taken down in a year or two, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is my last post.
Maybe I'll check back later. *sigh*
I've been checking the Escapist every day for eight years (which is a lot for a 25-year-old), so it makes me sad when I log in every Wednesday to watch Zero-P and then can't find anything interesting to read or watch. I mean, we had multiple animated shows... We had Porn Stars playing D&D... We had Jim fucking Sterling... We had a great Expo with tons of fun to be had...
I've seen the site get pretty barren in the past, but this feels different. It's like the staff don't have their heart in it anymore, and it makes me really sad. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole site is taken down in a year or two, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is my last post.
Maybe I'll check back later. *sigh*
I don't think so.
This might be the end of the "golden era" of the Escapist, but I don't see it being the end of the website at all.
I am sure they'll bring on new content and the site will stay active for many more years.
It might be different, but it will be here.
PS. I didn't even know that Miracle of Sound was one of the ones gone.
This might be the end of the "golden era" of the Escapist, but I don't see it being the end of the website at all.
I am sure they'll bring on new content and the site will stay active for many more years.
It might be different, but it will be here.
PS. I didn't even know that Miracle of Sound was one of the ones gone.
Are you kidding me? This is the beginning of a new golden era for The Escapist. I might even pay for a subscription at this rate.
People have been saying 'The Escapist is dying/dead' since 2008. Some people even said it in 2007 when Zero Punctuation started drawing people in.
I've said it a good few times myself.
I'm adopting a wait-and-see approach. Jim Sterling and Greg Tito weren't too bad on the grand scheme of things, they could have honestly stuck around. They were reasonably respectful in conversation with the other side. I would like to see some opinion pieces like Jimquistion and enthusiastic critique like Escape To The Movies (although the latter without the constant shoehorning of political opinions/alienation of the viewership/contradiction and complaining about the same things over and over etc. that got me to stop watching in the first place, Moviebob Post-2012ish).
I do think it's funny that they've hired some prominent women in the #notyourshield campaign, though. Anti-GGers have been denying their existence since its inception, so that must sting.
I do think it's odd that some of the Antis are complaining about this site going "right wing" though. It's always been a Left vs. Left debate, really.
I've said it a good few times myself.
I'm adopting a wait-and-see approach. Jim Sterling and Greg Tito weren't too bad on the grand scheme of things, they could have honestly stuck around. They were reasonably respectful in conversation with the other side. I would like to see some opinion pieces like Jimquistion and enthusiastic critique like Escape To The Movies (although the latter without the constant shoehorning of political opinions/alienation of the viewership/contradiction and complaining about the same things over and over etc. that got me to stop watching in the first place, Moviebob Post-2012ish).
I do think it's funny that they've hired some prominent women in the #notyourshield campaign, though. Anti-GGers have been denying their existence since its inception, so that must sting.
I do think it's odd that some of the Antis are complaining about this site going "right wing" though. It's always been a Left vs. Left debate, really.
I've no idea if the Escapist is dying but I will say that there doesn't seem to be much of interest to me on the front pages these days. I check the site several times throughout the day (work is boring) and the news just doesn't seem to be updated as often as it once was (I have no proof beyond personal estimation!). I'll be honest, with all the recent losses i'm here for ZP, the occasional news story, and a quick browse through the forums.
Panics I've seen/remember so far
-ZP was added and everyone worried that the forums was becoming to fast/big
-Off-Topic section was added and everyone thought it would become /b/ lite
-Unforgotten Realms ended and people were worried about not enough content
-That one contributor that blamed pirates for everything that was wrong with gaming left
I don't even think most people remember those last two.
The only thing that made me like the forums less was when I started seeing people that had been here for 3-4 months had racked up 10,000+ posts but I never saw that as a sign of the endtimes. It only made ME think about leaving. These lay-offs might be signs that YOU are leaving the site but you've no real idea how it will effect others.
TL;DR
Stop worrying about others leaving. The only person you need to worry about is yourself.
The site used to survive with just written gaming news and editorials.
-ZP was added and everyone worried that the forums was becoming to fast/big
-Off-Topic section was added and everyone thought it would become /b/ lite
-Unforgotten Realms ended and people were worried about not enough content
-That one contributor that blamed pirates for everything that was wrong with gaming left
I don't even think most people remember those last two.
The only thing that made me like the forums less was when I started seeing people that had been here for 3-4 months had racked up 10,000+ posts but I never saw that as a sign of the endtimes. It only made ME think about leaving. These lay-offs might be signs that YOU are leaving the site but you've no real idea how it will effect others.
TL;DR
Stop worrying about others leaving. The only person you need to worry about is yourself.
The site used to survive with just written gaming news and editorials.
Having one or two content producers rotate within a year or so is nothing unusual in the freelance content business.
But losing several regular content producers who have worked for years in just a few months is a pretty clear indication that something on the business end is changing (rarely for the better) but that in itself is not reason enough to decry the end, because all businesses must adapt and change at some point.
It's the performance of similar games media venues why I express concern. Most have been on a slow downhill decline, and with the fallout from last year's debacle I wouldn't be surprised if we see further losses.
(Joystiq closed down recently)
The Escapist could very well be next, depending on how things go both locally and in the market at large.
But losing several regular content producers who have worked for years in just a few months is a pretty clear indication that something on the business end is changing (rarely for the better) but that in itself is not reason enough to decry the end, because all businesses must adapt and change at some point.
It's the performance of similar games media venues why I express concern. Most have been on a slow downhill decline, and with the fallout from last year's debacle I wouldn't be surprised if we see further losses.
(Joystiq closed down recently)
The Escapist could very well be next, depending on how things go both locally and in the market at large.
I don't know... do you know EVERY person behind the escapist? What about the wonderful Moderators we have here, that do a thankless job and get so much abuse for doing it? Yeah a lot of people have gone, as people tend to do. It's not the end of the website. More people and more content will come along.Ieyke said:
Exactly.TheRightToArmBears said:
I've been here since '07, and have seen the site weather far more content loss than what has occurred in the last few months.
Quite frankly, all this doom-and-gloom from a small, very specific collective of posters is hilarious to me. Just about every single one of them has been on the site only a few years, so seeing all the doom-saying screams of naivety. The Escapist has weathered worse times and come out fine. It came out different, mind you, but just fine.
I'm not worried about the change. I'm not even worried about the change leading to some posters leaving. That too has happened before, and the site weathered that as well. Some genuinely nice posters were lost. Some not so nice posters were lost as well. yet, through the changes, we also gained a number of posters - some good, some bad.
The site is changing. Of that there is no doubt. But, is it the end? Highly unlikely.
And sure, we may lose a few posters, some of them possibly among the goods ones, but in the end the site will go on. Besides, maybe we'll luck out and lose some of the more toxic portions of the forums and gain a few more kind, level-headed posters.
Either way, I look forward to seeing what direction the site goes in. I can't say whether or not I'll end up liking the new direction, but I'm still excited to go along for the journey.
No, it's not. The doomsaying is just because the anti-GG people are crying because certain individuals who have made complete asses of themselves offsite have been fired and the pro-GG people are rubbing it in their faces.
Now if ZP goes it'll probably shrink significantly, but that's unlikely.
Now if ZP goes it'll probably shrink significantly, but that's unlikely.