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IGN Purchased By News Corp.
The Inquirer has the news that, it's official, IGN has been purchased by News Corporation. From the article: "For those not in the know, sites under the IGN network include IGN.com, GameSpy, GameSpy Arena, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, 3D Gamers, Direct2Drive, GameStats.com and a handful of sites under the Vault and Planet networks. IGN and its network will all become part of News Corporation's Fox Interactive Media unit, according to a News Corporation press release. This move is part of News Corp.'s plans to increase its presence online and follows the acquisition of Intermix - which ran MySpace.com - and a college sports outlet Scout Media."
Just when you thought IGN couldn't get any shittier, fox goes and buys it. Does anyone take their game reviews seriously? Every time I read them the reviews seem like they are purchased from the companies that make the game.
When we will all be able to say in unison : "Don't blame me, I voted for Kang!"
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
All your sites are belong to us.
For those not in the know, sites under the IGN network include IGN.com, GameSpy, GameSpy Arena...
For once, those not in the know are better off for it.
Excluding the retarted comparison between Fox and Nintendo, I'm not quite sure either what to make of this move.
Technically, I don't think this should affect anything. You still have the same people working the same jobs. Nothings really changed except that rich jerk stuck himself on the top of the totem pole.
The only thing I see as an issue is the possibility of this guy not approving budgets towards the Nintendo Network plans. He's a rich prick and all he cares about is getting richer, despite how completely uneccesary it is. So, when the GameSpy division writes the budget and he sees it, there's a small chance the following scenario pans out:
"What is this crap!? 1 million dollars towards the Nintendo Wi-Fi project? Why the @#$% are we paying these Japanese pansies?"
"Sir, those are the costs for R&D to develop the GameSpy Arcade software for the DS and Revolution. Nintendo is covering advertisment and dispursement costs. Their budget goes well into the tens of millions. This project is huge."
"Well then let them pay for it themselves!"
"Sir, this collaboration has brought in an entirely new market to GameSpy. Our user base has multiplied three-fold. Also, premium memberships for our PC services are on the rise too. In the long-run, this will be one of our most profitable projects..."
"I don't care about your long-term projections! I want lots of money right now! I only bought this company so I could soak for what it's worth over a couple years and then retire on more money that I will ever have a use for! Now go get me another victim to feed my cannabalistic appetite! Preferably a baby!"
Murdoch: Corporate-leech & baby-eater
(Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't know where that came from, but it was funny. In all fairness, there's just as good a chance that this is good news for the IGN network and it's users, because it brings in more money to the network as a whole. As long as the corporate pricks keep their minds out of the gaming portion, and let the gamers do their jobs, it'll be fine... But even if it does work out for the better, Murdoch will still be a cannibal.