For as long as I’ve used the internet, I’ve pretty much had one favorite gaming site that I’d check out everyday. When the website goes, I’m forced to move on. The first one I can remember is N64HQ.com. That was in the early internet days. Had great content run by a cool guy and it went under around the time the Nintendo 64 was put out to pasture. This was when IGN (probably my #2 spot) and gamespot.com hit the scene as well and got massive. I stopped going to IGN along time ago because it got too big and diluted.
Then there was 1up.com. Loved that place because I felt like I knew the entire staff that worked there. They had similar tastes to me, I liked the content they put out and it was updated all the time with great written and video content. Then, around 2011 (iirc) they were closed and the band split up. From there, I moved to Gametrailers.
Until yesterday, everything about 1up.com can be applied to GT. Great staff whose personality made the site. Updated all the time with a lot of funny and original content. While I didn’t personally know the crew, I felt like I Internet Knew them. That counts for a lot.
Half way through 2014 GT was bought by Defy Media and a huge chunk of GT was laid off. The remaining group held on and kept things going strong. Brandon Jones started GT in 2002 and has seen it to the end. Defy closed the site yesterday. Brandon had to tell his friends that they were all fired.
If you followed the site for any amount of time, you could tell the site was struggling (the video player was garbage which is ridiculous for a video site) and viewership was down, but the guys (and girl) made due. Â The shuttering still feels very abrupt and shocking to me. I’m sorry to see these guys lose their jobs, GT closing down is a loss to the industry.
Brandon and Ian are great editors and a testament to the craft. Thank you to both of them as well as Daniel, Kyle, Brad, Ben, Don, Michael and Elise (she got out early to join The Know on YouTube) for all of your hard work. It’s been greatly appreciated.
I’m hoping Jones can rally the troops and get something going on YouTube.