Is the escapist going bankrupt?

[JoelChenFA]

Its now become public knowledge that a whole lot of content providers have not been paid for months, even years.

I am sincerely worried that escapist might be going bankrupt? Do you guys think we should start a fund raising drive?

 

[Soviet Steve]

No way, the escapist is too big to fail.

 

[SinorKirby]

No way, the escapist is too big to fail.

Not true at all. Interplay used to be a big name in gaming, and now they're practically dead due to financial issues. It can happen to any business, regardless of how "big" they are.

 

[Toriver]

No way, the escapist is too big to fail.

The Escapist is certainly not too big to fail. I could have understood having a donation drive to send Yahtzee to PAX if they needed the money AFTER paying their content contributors, but if it is true that not just EC, but other contributors have been bailing from The Escapist due to money issues, while The Escapist is raising money to send another one, whom I bet is paid pretty handsomely and always on time, across the ocean, that just doesn't ring right with me. I don't care how many views certain contributors have (and on full disclosure, Yahtzee is close to my LEAST favorite contributor to the site), you pay everybody the amount they're due if you promised it to them, and you pay them on time. Nobody should get extra special treatment before all your contributors get their minimum share for what they put in. AFTER that, fine, send Yahtzee to PAX on the company dime. But I've gotta say it's pretty low to give that special treatment to one contributor while indefinitely delaying even the minimum payment to others. If they can't afford to pay their contributors, then yeah, maybe they're destined to fail.

Though I also should say, what The Escapist did to help Alison of EC was understandable given her situation and EC's urgent need for funds. It was a legitimate emergency, and it was probably even commendable of The Escapist to help them in the way they did. However, had they paid EC what they were due on-time, there may have been less of a need to supply so much help in the first place.

 

[orangeapples]

I've also noticed that the community here has gotten smaller. It takes a lot longer to get replies on forum posts and they don't seem to be as much fun.

 

[likalaruku]

I was pretty pissed when Tokyopop went under, & I know it's because people were reading manga online instead of paying for books.

But The Escapist is different. They probably make most of their money off the ads, though they do have a store, thought it's devoid of DVDs.

 

[JWRosser]

I've also noticed that the community here has gotten smaller. It takes a lot longer to get replies on forum posts and they don't seem to be as much fun.

I think that may just be a general problem with forums though - I've been on a few such as MEMW and RTSC, both of which thrived for ages and then suddenly when quiet for ages, only to pipe up again (and then later on die, but that's irrelevant).

 

[ShindoL Shill]

I've also noticed that the community here has gotten smaller. It takes a lot longer to get replies on forum posts and they don't seem to be as much fun.

thats probably due to them coming here on the Extra Credits train and not stopping to look around here before it left. or leaving on the Extra Credits line Rage Train. um. yeah. train metaphors *****.
OT: well people havent been getting paid. the escapist is probably already close to becoming bankrupt. we are in a recession recovery period remember. but there have been a LOT more ads on ZP videos from Driver SF, AMD and Dirt so they might be struggling.

 

[Taldeer]

I won't dare to presume, but I really hope not. I think if worse comes to worst, there might be a change in format. Less video content, more article oriented perhaps?...

 

[Dabono]

No way, the escapist is too big to fail.

Not true at all. Interplay used to be a big name in gaming, and now they're practically dead due to financial issues. It can happen to any business, regardless of how "big" they are.

Istvan is referring to banks, which when things are well are businesses with profits and dividend, but when things go amiss are saved with tax payers' money.

 

[srm79]

No way, the escapist is too big to fail.

Not true at all. Interplay used to be a big name in gaming, and now they're practically dead due to financial issues. It can happen to any business, regardless of how "big" they are.

Istvan is referring to banks, which when things are well are businesses with profits and dividend, but when things go amiss are saved with tax payers' money.

Either way, he's still wrong though. There's no such thing as "too big to fail" in the video games industry. In fact, even the banks are having to face up to the prospect that they won't be bailed out if they fuck up again.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Well I have been getting a lot of server busy messages and stuff like that on certain threads lately alone with having a message without actually being sent one.

 

[Prince Regent]

I dunno, they always keep us out of the loop on things regarding the Escapist. I had to read on other websites that Extra Credits was leaving here and with other series that are discontinued it isn't even mentioned, they just stop.

I guess that was sortof off topic, but if The escapist goes bankrupt I expect it simply to be ofline one day without warning.

 

[FalloutJack]

Its now become public knowledge that a whole lot of content providers have not been paid for months, even years.

I am sincerely worried that escapist might be going bankrupt? Do you guys think we should start a fund raising drive?

The Escapist can't be helped. Know how I know? Because I actually TRIED TO at one point (long before the EC debacle) and they didn't do a damn thing with it. No implementation of my clever scheme in any form, no response to my email to the editor, nothing. The Escapist is far too clever to accept help from others.

So here I am, waiting for the world to end with a Dr. Pepper. The Escapist is bright star about to go super nova.

Additional: You know, these 404 errors I'm seeing do nooot inspire confidence...

 

[Aureli]

Have to wonder why they're advertising for new writers when they're struggling to pay the ones they have.

 

[J-dog42]

No way, the escapist is too big to fail.

Not true at all. Interplay used to be a big name in gaming, and now they're practically dead due to financial issues. It can happen to any business, regardless of how "big" they are.

Istvan is referring to banks, which when things are well are businesses with profits and dividend, but when things go amiss are saved with tax payers' money.

Either way, he's still wrong though. There's no such thing as "too big to fail" in the video games industry. In fact, even the banks are having to face up to the prospect that they won't be bailed out if they fuck up again.

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that before the big financial meltdown everyone was saying investment firms like Lehmann brothers were too big to fail and they did. He isn't actually suggesting The Escapist is too big to collapse. It's merely satire.

 

[deshorty]

Hmmm....lets see...when I look around the escapist, I only see ads for the shows that are ON the escapist rather than...idk games or products that gamers may want to buy. So yes, the escapist is going under and the only thing I'm worried about is, where will Yahtzee go?

 

[John the Gamer]

I think you shouldn't Jinx it like this.

Just wait and let them handle their problems.

 

[Gudrests]

Have to wonder why they're advertising for new writers when they're struggling to pay the ones they have.

New writers just breaking into the industry cost next to nothing and do not know how much they should be getting paid...older ones do. Kinda a thing that McDonald's and what not do....that's one of the many reason's kids work there and they fire them so fast.