Poll: Who else is a little depressed about the content loss?

[wAriot]

I come mostly for Yahtzee, Critical Miss, and the forums. Never liked Jim's or MovieBob's stuff, so I can't say I'll miss.
As long as those three things stay, I'll be here.
Also, I'm excited for the new hires; I believe some of them can give some pretty good content. But we'll have to see.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Yeah, gotta say that I am a bit. I've been here since 2008, lurking since 2007/2006. Aka, freakin' ages. To illustrate:


Shit, I remember MiracleOfSound still being a regular forum user like you and me. I remember his first stuff he just randomly put in a thread, and people urging him on. Fast-forward to now and he left the site already.

I've seen content rise and fall, big and well-known forum users come and go. And while I know that nothing is forever, what I'm seeing now hasn't really happened on this scale at least.

I hope The Escapist doesn't end like this. I'll keep my fingers crossed for new content.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

I am a pink hair away from asking for a ban. I am glad that Jim is successful on his own. And very happy that Bob has been let go. I have been saying for years that Yahtzee needs to drop the ZP routine and do something fresh. Now with all the negativity and Robert Rath (Who I really enjoyed) gone. I feel it's time to put away childish things. The only reason I am visiting these days is to watch it burn and I really have better things to do. Some of the forum topics are 4 chan levels of shit.

Someone please convince me to stay and give this site money.

 

[Charli]

I jumped on the ship with Yahtzee's inception, I'll jump when he jumps.

Sorry, but I'm just gonna be honest, he kept me coming back to this site for 2 years straight, if he's canned I'm just have no reason other than to read forums between work. And I can do that elsewhere.

 

[Starbird]

Extremely sad. Moviebob (while I didn't always agree with his opinions) was probably my favorite contributor, due to his love of old shows and comics. Escape to the Movies was generally my guide to what to watch at any time and through his show I discovered some complete gems like Moral Orel.

I have a feeling that he was booted for some of the stuff he said on Twitter (which yes, was pretty daft at times but was mostly baited out, at least in my opinion) but while Yahtzee brought me here originally, Bob kept me here.

Really hope he gets something like ETTM going again somewhere else.

Will still be here for ZP and forums, but a big part of why I loved this site is now gone. If Yahtzee goes, I will probably vanish too.

 

[Aerith]

Losing content is always sad, sure. However, I'm more saddened by the fact that it had to come this far for some of these lost contributors. Jim, for example, is still a heartbreaking loss. Not just as a contributor, but as someone who I had mad respect for.

Gav is wonderful, and I wish him nothing but success. He's the one loss I'm actually saddened by. (ノД`)・゜・。

 

[Magnakai]

I don't usually read or post in the forums. I started visiting this site for extra credits and after they left the only reason I came here was for Movie Bob. Nothing else here interests me. Imho they should have brought on new content before sending the old ones packing. If I remember to check back to see if managed to bring on some decent rookie content creator in a few months I may find a reason to visit here again. I doubt it, plenty of good content is already on other sites and or podcasts.

 

[Magnakai]

I don't usually read or post in the forums. I started visiting this site for extra credits and after they left the only reason I came here was for Movie Bob. Nothing else here interests me. Imho they should have brought on new content before sending the old ones packing. If I remember to check back to see if managed to bring on some decent rookie content creator in a few months I may find a reason to visit here again. I doubt it, plenty of good content is already on other sites and or podcasts.

 

[Jandau]

I'm sad about it, not so much because people have left (as I can still watch/read all of them elsewhere), but rather because it indicates that The Escapist (or their overlords) don't know how to manage and retain content creators. Sure, they'll get new writers and video makers eventually, but those people will either suck (or be mediocre) and drop away, or they'll become popular, at which point they'll have enough clout to strike out on their own. And this is where the problems arise - you can push around and set terms for someone who depends on you, but once that individual doesn't really need you anymore, you need to start compromising with them in order to retain them for your site. You need to offer them something they wouldn't have on their own.

To fledgling content creators they can offer an audience - people will check out that new show or column simply because it's on the site. But once a creator has an audience of his own, that's no longer a factor, that's no longer something they need a site for. And that seems to be where The Escapist fails - they no longer have anything to offer them other than hassle...

 

[The Harkinator]

I'm saddened because The Escapist used to be a bustling hive of excellent content. Of course like many I came for Zero Punctuation and if that went only the Forum RPing would give me a reason to keep visiting. There was a time when the schedule was packed with The Jimquisition, The Big Picture, Critical Miss, Zero Punctuation (and Extra Punctuation), Rhymedown Spectacular, Miracle of Sound (and corresponding column), Escape to the Movies (and corresponding column), Critical Intel, and at a certain time they had Extra Credits (and that short-lived but good column where James, Yahtzee, Bob, and Jim discussed game issues) too.

Now there's Zero Punctuation, and Critical Miss. I know some of those shows ran their course and ended naturally, but it's still a significant loss to the site to lose that sheer volume of quality content. Lots of people came for those shows and I know I visit the site much less now they're gone. Visiting the Escapist used to be a regular thing, they had something new and good very day, now I can leave it a few days at a time and feel like I've not missed out at all.

The Escapist is sinking, shedding contributors as it does so. If they can bring in some new, excellent ones that will become permanent fixtures then it can still be saved, but at this rate it's going to fade into obscurity as it loses several things that made it stand out. If they lose ZP I can see it dropping off entirely.

 

[Starik20X6]

It's almost come full circle for me- I started with Yahtzee, then branched out into other shows/reading other columns, now those shows/columns are gone, and I'm back to just watching Yahtzee and reading the news feed. Hell, my original bookmark for the Escapist lead directly to the ZP archive.

 

[Netscape]

Hopefully they'll change their mind on hiring this chap [https://twitter.com/TheBrandonMorse/status/532034374796345344] as its resulted in losing another round of I Hit It With My Axe. [http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/were-not-playing-d-with-escapist-ever.html?zx=1ef27205a676f8a0]

Why do people feel the need to self-destruct on social media? Seriously, what good ever comes from expressing controversial political views on Twitter when you are a public figure. First of all you are potentially alienating your audience and putting your job in jeopardy. Second of all you are almost certainly not going to be able to make a cohesive, well sourced argument that could change someone's mind with only 140 characters.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Only come here out of habit now, so used to coming here at 5pm. Though on Wednesdays i come for zero punctuation. Without him i think i would just leave this site. I do use the forums but its not the main reason i come to this site. I do wonder how much this sites views have fallen since Bob and Jim are gone. Though we could get the next versions of Jim and Bob so who knows. We could get someone better?

 

[Cidward]

I miss Movie Bob and Jim Sterling, but it's more that I'm depressed about what it bodes, as I'm not terribly interested in any of the new stuff that's been rolled out/promo'd. Maybe it'll be interesting, but off the top none of it appeals.

I still come for ZP but that's it.

 

[Lightknight]

Well, I am sad that some of my favorite content is gone but I'm also excited about what will replace it. We've got to remember that the Escapist is still the site that brought those talents here in the first place so we should be able to trust them to continue to do so in the future.

 

[ClanCrusher]

Yeah, pretty depressed myself and I'm probably not going to renew my Publisher's Club Membership this year either unless this new content is mind bogglingly amazing. I joined back in my own personal golden age with Jimquisition, Movie Bob, Big Picture, Extra Creditz, Critical Miss, and Yhatzee...and now only two of them are left. Yes I know that all of those people are still making content, but it was nice to have them in one place. It felt like a league of super-critics and really talented people had all converged to make a singular website really awesome, and now it just feels...empty.

The real problem I have with how the Escapist handled this was how sudden and almost secretive they were with the whole 'letting go' thing. Every single one of those people just suddenly disappeared from the website and stopped updating. I didn't figure out most of them had gone until almost a week after the fact when their shows stopped updating. You'd think they'd at least be allowed a 'goodbye' article and/or show, but nope. They're just gone.

But I digress. It's disheartening and depressing and I think the Escapist is worse off for their loss.

 

[Starbird]

I liked Jim, he amused me! Don't really miss Bob's sneering and posturing or any of the SJW content Rath pumped out. Excited to see if the site can be re-balanced so it isn't a far left wing echo chamber.

Eh Bob could be a bit of a twerp online, but he knew his stuff movie/old tv series/comic wise which is why I tuned into him.

Fortunately he is still making good stuff on youtube. His new project sounds fantastic.

 

[Starbird]

I liked Jim, he amused me! Don't really miss Bob's sneering and posturing or any of the SJW content Rath pumped out. Excited to see if the site can be re-balanced so it isn't a far left wing echo chamber.

Eh Bob could be a bit of a twerp online, but he knew his stuff movie/old tv series/comic wise which is why I tuned into him.

Fortunately he is still making good stuff on youtube. His new project sounds fantastic.

Just found the politics a huge turn off personally, everything seemed to be seen through the lens of a certain type of political moralising. However, credit where it's due, he did have an extremely impressive level of knowledge as you say.

Mm. I never really found it a barrier. He did soapbox sometimes, but at least it was interesting to listen to even if I didn't agree with half of it. He also seemed to be very easily baited online into saying stupid and offensive things (which I absolutely sympathize with).

On the other hand Jim...seemed like a gigantic jerk (reminded me of TotalBiscuit towards the end of his WoW show/start of his SC2 casting). Gigantic ego, not all that much interesting to say.

So yeah, different strokes and all that. Regardless of my feelings, the Escapist feels amazingly empty without them.

 

[SquidSponge]

Depressed? Hells naw, I'm fucking ecstatic. No option for that on yer poll though. I finally get to end my boycott of the Escapist without feeling guilty.

ZP is still here, I was always polarised love/hate (averaging to ambivalence overall) about Jimquisition and purging that detestable little scrote Chipman was a great day for the site (and possibly even for Chipman himself - having an ego that size isn't healthy). Not too torn up about EC disappearing either. So the revised ethics policy is in place, the (overwhelming majority of the), ahem, "less savoury elements" are gone and there's new stuff on the way too? Sounds good to me.

Perhaps now the site's staff will be able to stop whining about the misogyny under the bed for long enough to talk about some gods-damned video games. Provided as Brandon Morse keeps those views to himself during his tenure here, of course.

I liked Jim, he amused me! Don't really miss Bob's sneering and posturing or any of the SJW content Rath pumped out. Excited to see if the site can be re-balanced so it isn't a far left wing echo chamber.

Left-wing is rarely the problem people have with SJWs, it's authoritarianism. For example myself - I'm extreme left-wing but I don't like SJWs telling me what I or anyone else can or cannot think, say, do or partake in. Like getting GTA5 pulled from Target (Aus), or attempting to have Hatred dropped from Steam Greenlight. Traditionally it's been the right-wing who try to get things banned, that doesn't mean I'll tolerate the left-wing doing it either [Insert Voltaire quote here].

But yeah, a bit of balance from some right-wingers would not be unwelcome. Mostly writers/vloggers/whatever just need to assess if and when politics should come into a discussion about video games - it is very occasionally relevent, but not often.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'm more depressed by the blooming plethora of joke threads asking if I would date this or that.