What the hell happened?

[TheNaut131]

Why does this site feel like it's devolved into the scribbling on the walls in Left 4 Dead games. Like, Jesus, the most views and comments on a discussion post around here is like 30. I did some RP stuff, left cause I realized discussing things on the internet with strangers was dumb to me, checked in every once and awhile to see if the things I liked had updated or not and suddenly...here we are.

And I.

AM.

LOVING IT.

This is so...new to me! Look at this place just putter on like this, it's so interesting. I've seen poultry posts around, practically using single word replies in threads! Those used to get you an immediate strike, now it's to be expected. Who is this site for now? Have you looked at the "weekly schedule?" I was typing this and thought "oh there are like 6 things still here that update" but I double checked and it's literally 2 shows run by Yahtzee, 1 DnD thing, and the other 3 are just the Escapist Twitch! WOW!

Just...amazing.

 

[CritialGaming]

Honestly this is the best straight gaming forum on the internet still. Too many of the other sites just have your post or your ideas buried within minutes (neogaf, reddit, etc) so I find it refreshing that we are a relatively small collection of people who talk about games and all that happens around it. WE don't all get along, but for the most part, we do have genuine discussions most of the time and it's great. it's the only thing I am ever on the site for.

Although I can't, for the life of me, understand how or why Yahtzee is still here. He must be making 90%+ of the ad revenue off this site because there is literally zero other content that appears here.

I wish they would open the site up for more community content. Reviews and articles written by Escapist members. Just anything that would provide the site some illusion of activity. (seriously there hasn't been a new game review written on the site in over 4 months. FOUR FUCKING MONTHS!)

 

[Kerg3927]

A big reason I'm here is because my work computer's filter blocks most gaming websites. But not this one for some reason.

Too many of the other sites just have your post or your ideas buried within minutes (neogaf, reddit, etc) so I find it refreshing that we are a relatively small collection of people who talk about games and all that happens around it. WE don't all get along, but for the most part, we do have genuine discussions most of the time and it's great. it's the only thing I am ever on the site for.

I registered at Neogaf about a year ago and it was never approved. I scan through the threads over there for gaming news. I am registered on Reddit. But for posting and discussion, I agree, this smaller forum is better. Although it does hit it's slow periods at times...

 

[Yoshi178]

Honestly this is the best straight gaming forum on the internet still.

yeah no. easyallies is way better imo.

even /v/ on 4chan is better than escapist forums and that really says something about this place.

 

[CritialGaming]

Honestly this is the best straight gaming forum on the internet still.

yeah no. easyallies is way better imo.

even /v/ on 4chan is better than escapist forums and that really says something about this place.

4chan? Seriously?

You know what. You're right Yoshi, you should go there for all your "Nintendo is the bestest thing ever" threads. Go have fun. Hope you use a Mac so you don't get the 4chan plague on your PC.

 

[Zombie Proof]

Honestly this is the best straight gaming forum on the internet still.

yeah no. easyallies is way better imo.

even /v/ on 4chan is better than escapist forums and that really says something about this place.

I love all of the different Easy Allies media. Their main podcast and frame trap are my go-to's for any and all gaming news and reviews. Their forums didn't really do anything for me though. It might have changed lately but around when they were first formed the air was so saccharine that I could almost feel my teeth rotting out. Hopefully it's changed since then.

 

[IceForce]

"What the hell happened?" The answer to this will always be "Gamergate happened."

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

It's called 'streamlining' and it's for your own good.

 

[Battenberg]

It's called 'streamling' and it's for your own good.

Can I get a definition on 'streamling' please, I am not familiar with this term.

And what happened is the site's been hemorrhaging content and members for a while now (hell even the news section doesn't get updates any more) so all that's left is a few people too stubborn to go elsewhere (hi there).
Lots of stubborn people + site owners who don't care = forums like this.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

It's called 'streamling' and it's for your own good.

Can I get a definition on 'streamling' please, I am not familiar with this term.

Huh...that was supposed to be 'streamlining,' but either the aggressive autocorrect struck again or tiredness is taking its' toll already. Or both.

Spoiler: Anyhow, a Streamling is like a single protrusion or component of the streamlined whole.

It will now be repaired...

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Unfortunately Defy Media started axing contributors left right and centre after they took over. Luckily there are enough die-hard users (and a few notable new arrivals) around here to keep both the mod and tech teams up and running. It's not pretty, and some folk who contribute their spare time unfortunately get singled out for flak, but basically stay out of Wild West and the forums operate much like they did years ago.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Hey, the sites doing pretty good now actually! We lost Gaming Discussion to spambots for a couple months there, but it's back in action once again!

 

[McMarbles]

I mean, if your definition of health is "Well, he's still on a respirator, but he's out of the coma!" then yeah, this site's extremely healthy.

 

[Zeraki]

I'm pretty sure 2014 is what happened.

That was around the time I stopped being a regular here just because of all the content creators leaving/getting fired and the forums turning into a flaming cesspit.

 

[Chaosian]

"What the hell happened?" The answer to this will always be "Gamergate happened."

While GG probably had a large part - especially in fracturing the community, I think the end had probably started before then. Since 2011 the Escapist has been slowly losing content, content creators, and staff. Extra Credits left due to mismanagement, Jim and Bob left for undisclosed (possibly GG related reasons), the old guard of the Loading Ready Run staff left due to high costs and low earnings, Lisa Foiles, old staff like Greg Tito and Susan Arendt, Miracle of Sound, and somewhat recently Critical Miss, among many others.
It's like bleeding out.

 

[DeffoNotAnAltAccount]

Gamergate is the popular answer but even that isn't entirely true. Gamergate happened and most sites survived. This one didn't because it tried to play every angle and lost big. Should've either just outright ignored Gamergate and pretend it wasn't happening or taken a hard opposition or support for it. The Escapist's efforts to cover it were pretty awful, most notably those developer interviews. Ask somebody if you want to know about it in more detail but it caused a ton of backlash towards the site, much of it deserved for glaring flaws. Anywho the site started getting a little gunshy and the site told content creators after a few of them (Jim Sterling in particular) took a side. Most didn't like that and it caused Jim (among a few others) to leave in September and October. Its all downhill from there with pretty much everybody of any quality getting fired. Pretty much everybody the site hired that was providing content outsourced from elsewhere and few new, unique projects were in the works. GoodBadFlicks did the one new show thanks to The Escapist's funding, one that he would post on Youtube, and there was a brand new comic but other than that nothing really new, just poached. Firings, firings, and more firings results to what you see here. No tech team, no content creators, no writers, no effort.

Jim and Bob left for undisclosed (possibly GG related reasons)

Jim was pretty clear. He didn't like getting muzzled and it inspired him to leave.

Bob was missing deadlines for a while and had started plans of his own to go elsewhere months before GamerGate happened so he was going to be fired eventually. That's what happens when you start missing most of your deadlines each week and cutting your video length to 60% of what it previously was.

 

[Yoshi178]

Honestly this is the best straight gaming forum on the internet still.

yeah no. easyallies is way better imo.

even /v/ on 4chan is better than escapist forums and that really says something about this place.

4chan? Seriously?

You know what. You're right Yoshi, you should go there for all your "Nintendo is the bestest thing ever" threads. Go have fun. Hope you use a Mac so you don't get the 4chan plague on your PC.

implying there isn't a crapload of Sony is the best thing ever threads there either.

 

[TheNaut131]

One amazing thing is that "this site is dead" posts are an actual percentage of threads opened. It's like a post apocalypse story with what's left of humanity slowly dying off and absolutely no hope to things to get better.

I know it's so...pressure-less

THERE ARE NO STANDARDS

I'M FREE

 

[gunningyoudown]

I think i stopped visiting this site as often back when LLR left almost entirely. When this site was in its prime i was on daily and loved the hell out of it. but over time everyone just kind of left and i wasn't much better. I mean real life also happened but thats just normal.
Sadly it had to become this. like all good things this to has ended