I see this as an opportunity for more talent. I think other than Yahtzee everyone was becoming kind of stale.
Poll: Who else is a little depressed about the content loss?
- Thread starter KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime
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I'm kinda depressed, seeing as a lot of my favorite shows are gone... but hopefully there's still room for new stuff in the future... right? Right?
If you may permit me to be hysterical for a moment.James Nettum said:
I think their unwillingness to positively state what's going on besides a bland, general PR statement is pretty good proof they don't have much positive to say. How can one actually dress up the loss of so much content with nothing notable replacing it (apart from somebody the community doesn't want) as anything good? "Restructuring" will only get you so far.
They weren't calling him anti-semitic, racist, ableist or sexist. They were stating that since they were a progressive group intent on inclusivity it would be hypocritical of them to contribute to a company that pays someone who displays any of those traits. They are saying he appears to be transphobic and homophobic. Given his blog and tweets, it's not off the mark.Spentzar said:
Getting the thread locked is the last thing on my mind actually, I was just voicing my opinion on the discrepancy.KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime said:
You also can't voice your opinion to dismiss mine and then say I shouldn't respond. That's intellectually dishonest you know
But I'll drop it for the sake of not ruffling feathers, because my opinion is clearly the controversial one. Asking for more than a tweet to crucify a man is heresy, apparently.
Most of the featured content I came here for is now gone. That's just a fact. However, that's not to say the new content isn't worth the odd look (unless it's one of those completely pointless 'top 10', 'top 8' or 'top 5' lists that have absolutely no discussion value or journalistic insight in them what-so-ever). Has the Escapist changed noticeably over the last six months? Yeah. Has this change been for the better or for the worse? Jury's still out on that one. Like I say, the rise of 'Top #' articles over considered, well thought out discussion pieces is a worrying trend, but I'll reserve judgement for the time being.
Actually that's a lie. I'm pretty much convinced The Escapist is rapidly losing what made it unique and stimulating to visit but am still willing to give the new crew a shot. After all, corporate does always not mean bad. 98% of the time it means bad, but I guess there's always room for that two percent.
Actually that's a lie. I'm pretty much convinced The Escapist is rapidly losing what made it unique and stimulating to visit but am still willing to give the new crew a shot. After all, corporate does always not mean bad. 98% of the time it means bad, but I guess there's always room for that two percent.
I'm always sad to see staff turnover. However, I'm seeing some of the stuff that could be upcoming. People making pitches. Whispers about new projects. Assuming the new content isn't rubbish, the Escapist become a very unique site. I'm a big fan of these forums, too. Lots of good people. And even if the staff change, you've still got a community of people.
I'm sad, but still kind of hopeful for the future.
That, and my main draw has been the forums for a very long time. I guess I'm a bit of an odd one.
That, and my main draw has been the forums for a very long time. I guess I'm a bit of an odd one.
You're being told to drop it because this thread isn't about those discussions. Find or make another thread about the issue if you want to talk about it further.Spentzar said:
OT:
Yeah, I'm really disappointed at the loss of content. This site feels like it's spiraling the drain and no one in power is in a position to stop the steady decline into entropy.
Depressed? Not really. The thing bothering me about the site now is not really the content loss, it's more what that content loss appears to be emblematic of. If (and, more likely, when) I leave it's really only going to be the forums I miss, and even those are pretty hit or miss.
There won't be entropy if Archon continues to hire new people. It's not as though the content stream will dry up. The problem is whether the content will be good. There are some promising indications, but too soon to say for sure.Kajin said:
I'm thinking that Escapist will end up attracting people who were discriminated against in some way. Now this doesn't automatically mean a stream of disgruntled GamerGater writers and creators signing up. But certainly I can see people who've been shut out of the scene due to political disagreements or feuds pitching to Escapist. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan Perez, for example, became a freelancer. Oliver B. Campbell has apparently agreed to freelance. I don't want too see him become Escapists' token black guy, but he is someone I'd consider marginalised by the mainstream games journalism scene.
I used to really love Escape to the Movies/the Big Picture, but to me it seemed as though both shows became not much more than soapboxes for his political views. Take it to twitter or something man, I come to the Escapist for games, movies, and shows.
Moving on, Jim leaving took my completely by surprise. I really liked him. Not his first few episodes, sure, but once he hit his form I liked him. But yes, the Escapist does seem to have a habit of letting good people go for eh reasons:
1. Extra Credits
2. Lisa Foiles
3. Game Dogs (I kid, I kid)
And finally, am I the only one who remembers/misses Rebecca Mayes?
Come back, Rebecca...come back.
Moving on, Jim leaving took my completely by surprise. I really liked him. Not his first few episodes, sure, but once he hit his form I liked him. But yes, the Escapist does seem to have a habit of letting good people go for eh reasons:
1. Extra Credits
2. Lisa Foiles
3. Game Dogs (I kid, I kid)
And finally, am I the only one who remembers/misses Rebecca Mayes?
Come back, Rebecca...come back.
Oh sweet machine god, SO MUCH THIS.TheLastSandwich said:
So much of the featured content of late has felt like 'I'm a featured contributor, worship me!' veiled snipe, veiled snipe, disparage audience. Bob on his soapbox, Jim going off half-cocked and taking it so far OTT that he may as well have just been playing it straight, as much as I wanted to visit more, there was literally nothing apart from ZP and EP which was worth the time.
And it's not like we're witnessing the last of the damn elves leave for the undying lands either. ZP started with nothing but Yahtzee ranting and some paper cut-outs on youtube, after all.
A good idea, a pitch and a sample. That roster could easily be filled with all KINDS of exciting new content within the fortnight. It could be you! It could be me!
In fact fuckit, brb, gonna have a crack at it.
I would love to write about the N64 and its games. Even if there are only 350 or so of them.
But I'm kind of unreliable and also...
But I'm kind of unreliable and also...
Aww, what? Critical Intel was one of the few articles I'd consistently click on and read. Even if it was on a subject I didn't care for much they were always interesting and well-writtenAndy Shandy said:
Ugh. To be honest, I've been visiting the site a lot less lately, and the loss of a lot of my favorite content creators is not exactly changing that notion. I used to come here a lot and post on a daily basis in some months, and even wanted to write for it eventually, but not like this. The name may be the same and a few fixtures remain, but the site today has a lot less in common with the site that I fell in love with than it did even a few months ago. I'm not getting any good vibes from the recent shifts either.
The content that kept me coming back has been Zero Punctuation, Critical Miss, Escape to the Movies and The Big Picture. I enjoyed Jim's work too, but it was something I would flick through the episodes of every few weeks and pick out topics that interested me.
Now that Moviebob has left too I'm not sure that I'll bother renewing my premium membership in 2016. I guess I'll be spending less time around here, but that isn't set in stone. Who knows, maybe there is some brilliant new content creator around the corner that will capture my interest in new and exciting ways.
Maybe.
Or maybe the loss of quality content will outpace the scouting of quality content. It is easy enough to rake in new shows but harder to spot talent and retain it. I guess time will tell.
Edit:
P.S. I sincerely hope The Escapist has the class to reverse their decision to hire Brandon Morse as a freelancer. His expressed views betray an insular attitude. It is openly offensive to suggest that the inclusive and accepting ethos of many people in society is a matter of pretending.
Now that Moviebob has left too I'm not sure that I'll bother renewing my premium membership in 2016. I guess I'll be spending less time around here, but that isn't set in stone. Who knows, maybe there is some brilliant new content creator around the corner that will capture my interest in new and exciting ways.
Maybe.
Or maybe the loss of quality content will outpace the scouting of quality content. It is easy enough to rake in new shows but harder to spot talent and retain it. I guess time will tell.
Edit:
P.S. I sincerely hope The Escapist has the class to reverse their decision to hire Brandon Morse as a freelancer. His expressed views betray an insular attitude. It is openly offensive to suggest that the inclusive and accepting ethos of many people in society is a matter of pretending.
Aw, damn. This was on the short list of content I still check out on this site. Now I'm down to Feed Dump, Critical Miss, Zero Punctuation and Experienced Points. Kind of worried that another couple of those might leave with the way the tide's lookingAndy Shandy said:
Part of the reason it's so bad is that this site is home to a lot of transsexuals and gay people. It's always been a site that at least tried to be welcoming to them. If you start hiring people who publicly broadcast transphobic sentiments it makes the site a good deal less inviting.Zahri said:
I'm not saying he shouldn't be able to work anywhere, just that he'd be a hell of a lot better suited working somewhere that hasn't historically tried to fight what he's preaching.
Unless the Escapist decides to drop that part of its identity, in which case I and a lot of people are probably going to move elsewhere
As one of the aforementioned trans individuals, I gotta say you're right on the ball there. Furthermore, if one goes far back enough in the website's timeline, they'd find one of my own among the founders: Jessica Mulligan. Learned that two and a half years ago from Archon himself. To me at least, that decision feels like they're spitting on the site's legacy. The powers that be might not care, but longtime users who came to love the site because they at least tried to make it a comfortable and safe place for people like me do. There's a difference between those who keep it to themselves but hold such opinions(Martin O'Donnell) and those who are blatant advocates of hate against minority groups(Brandon). I'd certainly hire the former, but the latter I'm a lot more wary of.The Almighty Aardvark said: