What was the Escapist like before the ZP explosion?

[PAGEToap44]

A friend showed me a ZP video back in 2008. Then I watched another, and another, and another, and some more. Then I decided to join the site and discovered the wonderful forums. Before that, I had no knowledge of this site.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Aw, now I feel left out for not ruining the site. I RUIN EVERYTHING TOO!

... Awww! But damnit, you know you make awesome things just awesomer!

A friend showed me a ZP video back in 2008. Then I watched another, and another, and another, and some more. Then I decided to join the site and discovered the wonderful forums. Before that, I had no knowledge of this site.

That was pretty much me, too. Mate from uni played ZP vids after anime showings, so I decided to check it out, did so for a couple years, to see the rest of the content, then joined at the start of the year to add a new level of douche to the internet.

 

[Squarez]

We didn't even have forums for a long time. When the magazine first launched, it was the magazine and nothing else. Everything else came along later - and "ruined" The Escapist, by the way, according to many fans at the time.

The change from PDF to online magazine "ruined' The Escapist, adding forums "ruined" The Escapist, adding Yahtzee "ruined" The Escapist, and most recently, adding Jimquisition "ruined" The Escapist.

People only say the last thing because Jim is a massive misogynist bell end.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

You made everything infinitely better.

<3

[

... Awww! But damnit, you know you make awesome things just awesomer!

.

Awesome things are awesome!

 

[Trivea]

Yeeep. I came here because of ZP. I didn't actually join the forum for quite some time, however - I've been lurking since the middle of '09 - but eventually the topic titles in the righthand corner caught my eye enough to make me join.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

We didn't even have forums for a long time. When the magazine first launched, it was the magazine and nothing else. Everything else came along later - and "ruined" The Escapist, by the way, according to many fans at the time.

The change from PDF to online magazine "ruined' The Escapist, adding forums "ruined" The Escapist, adding Yahtzee "ruined" The Escapist, and most recently, adding Jimquisition "ruined" The Escapist.

STOP RUINING THE ESCAPIST THEN!


Well... that was both intresting to hear, and somewhat satisfying knowing that even The Escapist was afraid, and still is, of change. (well the community)
I never knew the history of the escapist, and i'll take your word for it, what you being the senior editor and all.

 

[Jinjiro]

Also I shall sit in my 'special' chair and say that Unforgotten Realms brought me here.

Same here. Is your special chair big enough for me as well?

If you bring cookies!

 

[Bobbity]

Not a clue. I know that the forums weren't added until quite a while after the website began, but I only discovered this site myself after someone linked the DA:O ZP review on the Bioware forums.

 

[RaNDM G]

I joined to comment on a Dead Rising 2 preview.

 

[Frizzle]

You made everything infinitely better.

<3

[

... Awww! But damnit, you know you make awesome things just awesomer!

.

Awesome things are awesome!

You really do bring a nice touch to the site, man. There was that one chick that had that name I can't remember. She was talented, but it wasn't much of a show. You, however, are a great entertainer even though you don't dance around in your videos. (can you dance?) The fact that it's just you is pretty cool too.

I wish you success here, and anything else you set out in.
Full disclosure, I haven't bought any of your music (yet?) because I actually haven't bought music in like.. 4-5 years. Haven't pirated it either, I just make ludicrous use of good old fashioned radio. There are one or two songs of yours that I do feel I'll pick up at some point!

Cheers.

P.S. I also do not like Jimquisition. I watched the first 2 or 3 episodes, and yeah. No.

OT! (finally): I came here after youtube made me watch ZP here, and i lurked for a bit before signing up. Site has come a LONG way from that point, and they've mostly been really good changes.

 

[Sucal]

Speaking of which how come no one has blamed March Mayhem for ruining the site yet. That gets more whining about the kinds of people coming to the site than anything else. And its funny to me because its why I made an account, in that way I helped ruin the site. Yay me!

March mayhem is completely awesome, how could it ruin the site

 

[Sucal]

You made everything infinitely better.

<3

[

... Awww! But damnit, you know you make awesome things just awesomer!

.

Awesome things are awesome!

I'm sorry, but your just too popular now. Your ruining the site, bringing in all the hipster music fans who only pretend to like the games to look cool. We shall now dub you the Anti-Yahtzee, responsible for bringing calm, polite discussion, rather then topic long flame fests....

 

[Joe Deadman]

The change from PDF to online magazine "ruined' The Escapist, adding forums "ruined" The Escapist, adding Yahtzee "ruined" The Escapist, and most recently, adding Jimquisition "ruined" The Escapist.

Aw, now I feel left out for not ruining the site. I RUIN EVERYTHING TOO!

You could always switch to pop music then you can "ruin" The Escapist too >.

Well Susan really covered everything up there and I wasn't around back then so... yeah :/.
Also unlike everyone else I turned up and stuck around for de-rez... and Zero Punctuation (curses!).

 

[Ushiromiya Battler]

I remember lurking around here when Yahtzee didn't have his theme music...
And since then I've been coming back every week for his reviews.

I guess I just decided to stop lurking one day and actually join the site.

 

[Susan Arendt]

im afraid i have no idea. About the oldest thing i remember was that Yahtzee didn't have his own theme song. I think they had some shows, about the only one i remember was de-rez.

That was after Yahtzee.

We didn't even have forums for a long time. When the magazine first launched, it was the magazine and nothing else. Everything else came along later - and "ruined" The Escapist, by the way, according to many fans at the time.

The change from PDF to online magazine "ruined' The Escapist, adding forums "ruined" The Escapist, adding Yahtzee "ruined" The Escapist, and most recently, adding Jimquisition "ruined" The Escapist.

People here aren't still like that are they? I don't remember people saying Jim out right ruined the Escapist. I remember that a lot of people openly criticized the style and basically said the videos were shit not that it ruined the website.

Oh, sure. Got plenty of emails and PMs when he first started up about how he was ruining our good name, if we keep him "everyone" will leave in protest, etc, etc, yadda yadda. The really amusing thing is we got those exact same kinds of emails, nearly word for word, when Yahtzee first started. I couldn't help but chuckle, really.

We still get a few emails like that from time to time, but they've mostly dropped off.