Comments on: 1UP, EGM, this sucks. Here’s a thought!

By: Riser Glen

Riser Glen — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:47:52 +0000

Posting because I have a bromance man-crush on Brilliam.

By: ethdem

ethdem — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:09:43 +0000

Looks like they took your advice!

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172403

By: brilliam

brilliam — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:06:00 +0000

Thanks, Angus.

I’m of the opinion that, despite this economic hellhole we’re in, games journalism is at an important and potentially lucrative impasse; the readers are growing, maturing, and getting jobs of their own. The Internet is making it easier and easier to engage in micropayment and online subscription. ITunes is a fantastic example of this.

1UP has (had?) a reputation of quality above and beyond that of most other sites– a pay model doesn’t seem that out of place. While many would flock to other sites, those who want the same quality product, from the voices and faces they trust, I might add (a great way to ensure sales), would probably stick around.

As it stood, the ‘casts and videos were a value-added service for a magazine subscription but you didn’t need the magazine subscription to enjoy the value-added stuff. Ridiculous. No wonder ZD failed so miserably.

By: Angus Fletcher

Angus Fletcher — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:10:16 +0000

You’ve really effectively absorbed the argot of gaming press folk now, the writing looks really relevant and hep. I’m not 100% on the idea that games journalism is going to be able to monetize in video and print. You talked about Wallpaper* and Wire, but design and music to me still seem less…temporal than games.

Lots of people play games to be sure, but trade pieces and product reviews strike me as more disposable than anything, that different methods need to be adopted to make it more viable. The problem with people who buy games all the time is that they get a really strong return on their investments in games, but magazines are to me like strategy guides, texts that are headed to the bargain bin.

I don’t have a solution to the problem, which puts you one step ahead, for sure, but hopefully the talented individuals who ended up getting the boot will find a new and exciting niche somewhere.

Fun read, confident voice.