Author Topic: EGM is dead, 1up.com gets bought by Hearst and is an empty shell (Read 28934 times)

Tieno · « **on:** January 06, 2009, 06:16:35 PM »

Quote

1UP sold to Hearst, EGM magazine closes?

By John Davison, January 6, 2009

Media business website paidcontent.org posted a story this morning with the headline "Ziff Davis sells 1UP digital network to Hearst, shutters EGM" but has since removed the piece from its website. The original content of the text is still visible using an RSS reader, and it stated,

Looking to conserve its resources for its PC Mag Digital business, Ziff Davis Media has sold off the 1UP Digital Network, its collection of video game sites, to Hearst Corp., which will fold it into the UGO Entertainment division, the companies said. In conjunction with the sale, the related print mag Electronic Gaming Monthly will publish its last issue this month. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Since finishing up its Chapter 11 proceedings last summer, Ziff Davis has sought to devote more energy to building up the PC Mag online network. Before this, Ziff Davis' biggest step in the streamlining process involved the shuttering of PC Mag as a print product in November. As for Hearst's UGO, the addition of 1UP's sites is designed to further consolidate its efforts to build up content for gamers since Hearst bought the 11-year-old male-centric entertainment company in July 2007.

We tried to reach representatives from Ziff Davis for an official comment, but none was forthcoming. We'll continue to do some digging, and find out what might be going on - and whether the paidcontent story is, in fact, true.

Update: Sources have indicated that details will be forthcoming as to the validity of the story by tomorrow morning.

:'( Y2kev :'(

Quote from: Rlan

Repost for a new page:

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Update: Joy stiq has obtained the full list of 1UP / EGM staffers laid off in the wake of the ZD/UGO deal:

Adrian Frieg
Amy Mishra
Amy Moran
Andrea Garcia
Andrew Fitch
Andrew "Skip" Pfister
Anthony Gallegos
Cesar Quintero
Christina Rosa
CoyLou Steel
Derek Chinn
Doug Parsons
Eric Ellis
Giancarlo Varanini
Greg Ford
James "Milkman" Mielke
Jason Bertrand
Jason Wilson
Jervilyn Jaramillo
Justin Frechette
Leslie Gelfand
Marci Yamaguchi
Matt Chandronait
May Tong
Meredith Stowe
Michael Donahoe
Monique Convertito
Ndubuisi Madu
Nick Suttner
Norris Boothe
Philip Kollar
Rey Serrano
Robert Bowen
Rosemary Pinkham
Ryan O'Donnell
Ryan Scott
Shane Bettenhausen
Simon Cox
Tammy Ross
Tipler Ubbelohde

(If I'm banned for mentioning JStiq then so be it)

According to the staff page of 1up, that leaves:

Executive Group

Sam Kennedy (Site Director/Editorial Director)
Matt Leone (Sr. Executive Editor)

Reviews (Practically destroyed)

Justin Haywald (Reviews Assistant)

Previews (Left pretty much intact)

Thierry Nguyen (Previews Executive Editor)
Alice Liang (Previews Associate Editor)
Michael Grimm (Previews Intern)

News (In half)

Garnett Lee (News Executive Editor)

Features (Left Intact)

Scott Sharkey (Features Senior Editor)
Jeremy Parish (Senior Editor, Expanded Content)

Team Make EGM Awesome

All Gone!

Videos (Decimated, with crumbs left)

Cornelson Laut (Gamevideos Production Coordinator)
David Ellis (Gamevideos Associate Video Producer)
Peter Brown (GameVideos Video Intern)

Podcasts

Skip

PC Games

Galle goes

Community (Intact)

Tina Sanchez (Community Manager)

Cheats (Left intact)

Richard Li (MyCheats Senior Editor)
Ray Barnholt (MyCheats Staff Writer)
Mike Nelson (Staff Writer)

Copy Edit

(Gone)

DESIGN 1UP (Intact outside of Rey Serrano)

Mike Cruz (Online Designer)
Matthew Shirk (Art Contractor)
Travis Williams (Online Designer)

PRODUCTION (Left Intact)

Erick Meline (Production Manager)
Duong Nguyen (Senior Technical Producer)
Jade Kraus (Contract Producer)
Wilbert Mui (Junior Technical Producer)

TECHNOLOGY, IT OPERATIONS & QA

Michael Zacks (Manager of Software Engineering)
Dharmendran Kulangara (Senior Software Engineer)
Tim Leahy (Senior Software Engineer)
Erik Innocent (Software Engineer)

IT Operations

Robin Bandy (IT Ops)
Eric Faulk-West (IT Ops)

Quality Assurance

Terence D'Almedia (QA Engineer)

SALES

Brent Martyn (National Director Online Ad Sales and Promotions)
Nick Geist (Regional Sales Director, Bay Area NorthWest)
Jessica Reback (Senior Account Executive, Bay Area NorthWest)
Adrian Frieg (Account Coordinator, Bay Area NorthWest)
(Basically all of the East sales were canned, along with the VP and Director)

Audience Development

Jeff Bennett (Audience Development Director)
Adeel Arshad (Audience Development Coordinator)

AD Operations

Khoa Nguyen (Manager, Ad Operations)

Please note that their list tends to be pretty out of date. They still have Demian Linn who left in november up there.

Quote from: 666

(Image removed from quote.)

drew · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:17:41 PM »

hawhawhahwahhwhahwhhahahwhwhahhhwhahahwhwhahhahqwhwhahahwhhwhwahawhahwhwhahhwhawwwwwwwwww

y2kev · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:19:14 PM »

cleaning out my desk :'(

Tieno · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:20:17 PM »

Quote from: Kosma on January 06, 2009, 06:19:57 PM

Who the hell is y2kev for reals?

biggest shane fanboy

Vizzys · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:20:35 PM »

no more free egm

cool breeze · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:22:11 PM »

Mielke better start a new blog soon or Gilbert will be sad :'(

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:27:22 PM »

I'd love it if 1up writers like Shane or Mielke's new job is to serve coffee to the Hearst employees

archie4208 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:30:51 PM »

Fuck yes I won't be getting this shitty magazine in the mail anymore.

drew · « **Reply #8 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:34:13 PM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on January 06, 2009, 06:31:48 PM

This user is currently ignored.

Crushed · « **Reply #9 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:35:01 PM »

such an underwhelming end to such a long-running publication $:-\$

They better somehow pull together a goodbye issue. Like, something that rivals the thickness and content of their old magazines.

patrickula · « **Reply #10 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:36:25 PM »

I fucking knew they were gonna be stuck with Wolverine: The Movie Tie-In Game as their last cover

Mielke

TVC15 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:37:57 PM »

No, I want a 200 page interview with Bob of Bob's Game fame.

cool breeze · « **Reply #12 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:38:11 PM »

Quote from: Crushed on January 06, 2009, 06:35:01 PM

such an underwhelming end to such a long-running publication $:-\$

They better somehow pull together a goodbye issue. Like, something that rivals the thickness and content of their old magazines.

and finally reveal who the fuck Sushi-X is

y2kev · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:40:53 PM »

giancarlo varinini = kiss of death?

cool breeze · « **Reply #14 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:42:17 PM »

while I do feel bad for all those at 1up losing their jobs, I still want to contact this one obnoxious girl who said she wanted to work at EGM later in life and break the news. Dream Crusher perk!

Crushed · « **Reply #15 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:43:48 PM »

Quote from: swaggaz on January 06, 2009, 06:38:11 PM

and finally reveal who the fuck Sushi-X is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi-X

But seriously, let's see the first and last issues.

Has Mega Man 2 on the cover, is released presumably in mid-April, right after baby Crushed is born. Is therefore the greatest magazine of all time.

Close-up of ugly Hugh Jackman as Wolverine 3D model. Even he looks upset at this cover.

It's like a metaphor for the gaming industry as a whole.

cool breeze · « **Reply #16 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:44:19 PM »

Quote from: y2kev on January 06, 2009, 06:40:53 PM

giancarlo varinini = kiss of death?

isn't there, like, a herd of people who travel from place to place together and cause a meltdown? I know scooter is part of it

CurseoftheGods · « **Reply #17 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:45:10 PM »

Quote from: Green Man on January 06, 2009, 06:38:28 PM

I have a EGM sub that lasts until 2012, will I get a refund?

Did you pay for it? Even if you did, I don't think you would get a refund.

Quote from: swaggaz on January 06, 2009, 06:22:11 PM

Mielke better start a new blog soon or Gilbert will be sad :'(

Gilbert is probably refreshing James Mielke's blog obsessively for updates. :'(

y2kev · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:45:46 PM »

scooter, dana, and giancarlo all went from OPM to Gametap and then gametap melted down and now Scooter and Giancarlo are at EGM causing that to melt down

Diunx · « **Reply #19 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:55:26 PM »

The last EGM I bought had too human as a cover story, is probably the thinnest magazine in my house, my crappy college magazine has more content, they should have died a long time ago.

DJ_Tet · « **Reply #20 on:** January 06, 2009, 06:57:16 PM »

Suck if true. I grew up on this mag, I'm so old I remember when it was good.

It will be missed, it was beautifully bloated in it's heyday, growing to represent the 16 bit era in that way. The days of 200+ games a year and 300 page mags covering the industry are clearly way behind us.

CurseoftheGods · « **Reply #21 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:05:23 PM »

No one.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #22 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:08:58 PM »

well, they're buying the 1up "branding" so i'm sure they'll still do 1up podcasts, at least a couple a week

hopefully the website is restructured to not be such a poorly designed janktastic browser crasher

ferrarimanf355 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:12:35 PM »

Quote from: y2kev on January 06, 2009, 06:19:14 PM

cleaning out my desk :'(

I wish you nothing but the best.

See if Games Radar needs someone new to do shit.

ferrarimanf355 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:13:31 PM »

Quote from: Drewsy on January 06, 2009, 06:34:13 PM

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on January 06, 2009, 06:31:48 PM
This user is currently ignored.

(Image removed from quote.)

OH SNAP.

CurseoftheGods · « **Reply #25 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:16:48 PM »

Quote from: ferrarimanf355 on January 06, 2009, 07:13:31 PM

This user is currently ignored.

ferrarimanf355 · « **Reply #26 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:17:56 PM »

Quote from: CurseoftheGods on January 06, 2009, 07:16:48 PM

Quote from: ferrarimanf355 on January 06, 2009, 07:13:31 PM
This user is currently ignored.

(Image removed from quote.)

littlemathletics · « **Reply #27 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:20:35 PM »

UGO is fucking trash, seriously. I hope editorial stays separate.

ferrarimanf355 · « **Reply #28 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:21:22 PM »

Quote from: littlemathletics on January 06, 2009, 07:20:35 PM

UGO is fucking trash, seriously. I hope editorial stays separate.

Can't say I've been to that site recently...

Brehvolution · « **Reply #29 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:29:14 PM »

If they weren't such xfags, Sony wouldn't have pulled back so much of the ad revenue and all would have been well.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

lol

[close]

littlemathletics · « **Reply #30 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:34:51 PM »

Quote from: ferrarimanf355 on January 06, 2009, 07:21:22 PM

Quote from: littlemathletics on January 06, 2009, 07:20:35 PM
UGO is fucking trash, seriously. I hope editorial stays separate.
Can't say I've been to that site recently...

I wrote a couple of article for one of their sites once. Absolute pricks to deal with, and they're even more focused on page views and Digg-bait than 1Up.

cool breeze · « **Reply #31 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:36:11 PM »

gamevideos.com is completely dead, 1upshow and the crew behind it are jobless

1upyours, other podcasts, and crew are dead

tiesto · « **Reply #32 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:41:51 PM »

meh, sucks about the EGM news, and sucks for people losing their jobs, but the mag was no where near as good as it was back in the days of the 400+ page issue. I have a fairly large back collection of mid 90's EGM's too. Now if I can only get some of Gamefan from that era...

Crushed · « **Reply #33 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:46:04 PM »

Quote from: Green Man on January 06, 2009, 07:40:25 PM

We should get in touch with some of these 1up refugees and start a website. We can say whatever we want no matter how absurd it is and people will eat it up in order to be different from everyone else!

Maybe we could do this anyway without ex-1up employees.

We can call it Evilbore.

y2kev · « **Reply #34 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:46:16 PM »

skip and most of GV had been confirmed gone

cool breeze · « **Reply #35 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:48:14 PM »

the worst was that skip just came back to 1up after a personal leave

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #36 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:48:32 PM »

Quote from: swaggaz on January 06, 2009, 07:36:11 PM

1upyours, other podcasts, and crew are dead

:'(

Crushed · « **Reply #37 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:50:16 PM »

UGO: that site you know about, but is completely irrelevant.

Now ruining things for everyone else.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #38 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:50:30 PM »

Quote from: archie4208 on January 06, 2009, 06:30:51 PM

Fuck yes I won't be getting this shitty magazine in the mail anymore.

I still had three more years of free EGM's coming.

:'(

dammitmattt · « **Reply #39 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:53:31 PM »

God damn. I'll miss the site, but I'll REALLY miss the videos and podcasts. I travel a lot for work and they really help pass the time on the road. Now I'll have to move on to inferior shit with personalities that I don't yet care about.

Best of luck to everyone involved. I hope that you can find work quickly and that ZD is giving you some kind of severance.

cool breeze · « **Reply #40 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:53:41 PM »

Quote from: Crushed on January 06, 2009, 07:50:16 PM

UGO: that site you know about, but is completely irrelevant.

Now ruining things for everyone else.

I haven't even heard of ugo before today, and chances are I will never even visit the site. Take the url and fire all the staff? fuck you, ugo

y2kev · « **Reply #41 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:54:25 PM »

I don't know why UGO would buy 1up and axe all the writers. Well, actually, for the name. That would make sense.

Crushed · « **Reply #42 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:54:59 PM »

Quote from: Kosma on January 06, 2009, 07:53:53 PM

Hey guys I know EGM was some kind of US gaming institution but it was a shit magazine ffs. You people had subscribtions to this tripe?

To be fair, EGM gave out like 50 years worth of free subscriptions.

Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich · « **Reply #43 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:56:39 PM »

Quote from: distantmantra on January 06, 2009, 07:50:30 PM

Quote from: archie4208 on January 06, 2009, 06:30:51 PM
Fuck yes I won't be getting this shitty magazine in the mail anymore.

I still had three more years of free EGM's coming.

:'(

same here, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

dammitmattt · « **Reply #44 on:** January 06, 2009, 07:58:56 PM »

Quote from: Kosma on January 06, 2009, 07:53:53 PM

Hey guys I know EGM was some kind of US gaming institution but it was a shit magazine ffs. You people had subscribtions to this tripe? This suprises me really.

We all had free subscriptions....and you're missing the big fucking point here. 1up is being gutted....not just the mag.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #45 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:02:28 PM »

i thought for sure they'd keep some of the 1up staff, but i guess they really did just buy a domain name

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #46 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:02:42 PM »

Supposedly Shane is gone too.

:'( kev

Ninja · « **Reply #47 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:04:11 PM »

This is fucking disgusting. 1up is the only decent mainstream gaming site. UGO is utter shit. I will sorely miss those podcasts.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #48 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:04:22 PM »

at anyone thinking the 1up staff is just going to reform at giant bomb

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #49 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:05:50 PM »

Quote from: Eel O'Brian on January 06, 2009, 08:04:22 PM

at anyone thinking the 1up staff is just going to reform at giant bomb

you think they have the cash to support a bunch of new employee's? i was under the impression they were kind of boot strapping it as it is.

littlemathletics · « **Reply #50 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:06:46 PM »

Man, this is really fucked. If I know UGO, they're just going to replace the staff with people with less experience who'll accept lower pay to write top ten lists all week.

Fuckers.

CurseoftheGods · « **Reply #51 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:07:14 PM »

Quote from: fistfulofmetal on January 06, 2009, 08:02:42 PM

Supposedly Shane is gone too.

:'( kev

I think that was a joke.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #52 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:10:01 PM »

Quote from: fistfulofmetal on January 06, 2009, 08:05:50 PM

Quote from: Eel O'Brian on January 06, 2009, 08:04:22 PM
at anyone thinking the 1up staff is just going to reform at giant bomb

you think they have the cash to support a bunch of new employee's? i was under the impression they were kind of boot strapping it as it is.

that's exactly what i was saying

gerstmann and those guys pay for all their own shit

dammitmattt · « **Reply #53 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:15:50 PM »

Quote from: littlemathletics on January 06, 2009, 08:06:46 PM

Man, this is really fucked. If I know UGO, they're just going to replace the staff with people with less experience who'll accept lower pay to write top ten lists all week.

Fuckers.

The sad thing is that UGO misses the point. 1up was never IGN or Gamespot. It was special because of the people, the podcasts, and the shows. The name itself doesn't mean shit, and won't mean shit going forward without the people behind it.

cool breeze · « **Reply #54 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:21:23 PM »

apparently the people staying so far: David Ellis, Sam Kennedy, Scooter (UGO on deathwatch)

Shane was canned

Akala · « **Reply #55 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:27:56 PM »

I just went to UGO for the first time.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

And probably the last. It's

[close]

Ninja · « **Reply #56 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:29:28 PM »

I heard Shane quit before he got fired. Not sure though. This is awful.

cool breeze · « **Reply #57 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:30:07 PM »

James Mielke was fired

Gilbert :'(

y2kev · « **Reply #58 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:31:20 PM »

fucking SCOOTER?!?

cool breeze · « **Reply #59 on:** January 06, 2009, 08:33:16 PM »

ugo liked his ability to speak for hours without saying anything

News:

Author Topic: EGM is dead, 1up.com gets bought by Hearst and is an empty shell (Read 28934 times)