1UP sold to UGO/Hearst. EGM gone. 1up show & podcasts gone. 40 1up/EGM employees gone

[hiryu]

Sooooo.....I guess this explains why there's been no new episode of 1Up FM?

1up FM is recorded the week before isn't it? I believe they were off last week.

[mosaic]

My condolences to everyone that's been told they're losing their job... or will be told so in a few months once the "happy lies" wear off.

I sincerely hate that EGM might be done for, just given it's history in the hobby. But this is probably good news for 1UP. Well, as good as can be had in this economy with a site formerly-owned by Ziff-Davis Media. UGO can't possibly run a site or magazine worse than ZD Media did the past 5 years or so... good lord, Ziff was once king of tech-magazine publishers... and they squandered it with greed...

And by they, I mean all of those nameless-to-us execs that thought going into insane debt was better than trimming dozens of overpaid execs. Seriously, you ever read one of Ziff's SEC filings? It was like the ending credits to a movie. What did they all do?! Why did they cost so much?!

Anyway, good luck 1UP people.

[TheJollyCorner]

EGM almost hit its 20 year anniversary. I was 9 when the first issue hit (and I bought it).

very, very sad. :(

[dexterslu]

more 1up - GiantBomb crew is always welcomed.

[MirageDwarf]

I really hope all staff remains and they get a chance to say whatever they want as they are use to so far.

That is what I like about 1up best.

[commanderdeek]

I have actually never heard of this Yugioh place before...

[Y2Kev]

Sounds like the 1up websites will be continuing, maybe a little downsizing. The print mag is dead then.

[BenjaminBirdie]

CEO email leaked http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21759

God damn, that does not sound good at all.

[ferricide]

God damn, that does not sound good at all.

internal emails never do!

[BenjaminBirdie]

Only out of character.

I'd like to see him do some music writing. He clearly has good taste.

[tanod]

God dammit

[Raxus]

internal emails never do!

Just short of telling the EGM guys they are fired.

[Crateman]

We saw it coming and now it right in front of us.

I just wanted to say to everyone at 1UP that you guys have my eternal support no matter what happens. Good luck and remember that everything has a reason in this life! I'm sure this change is going to be beneficial.

[Rlan]

CEO email leaked http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=21759

After a comprehensive process, this morning we completed a deal with Hearst Interactive, the owner and operator of UGO Entertainment. 1UP.com, MyCheats.com, Gamevideos.com, and Gametab.com will now all be part of the UGO Entertainment business. Many of our employees will travel with this business and become part of the UGO team. With this transaction happening, we have also made the decision to discontinue publication of EGM. The January 2009 issue will be the final issue of the publication. With demand for print continuing to decline amongst both advertisers and readers and the content being produced by 1UP no longer available for use in the publication, it simply did not make sense for us to move forward with this business any longer. We will continue to operate the Filefront business as a part of the PCMag Digital Network. In the coming months we will determine the best ways to leverage the scale and functionality of this digital property to expand our business position.

Is DL.TV part of the PC Mag network?

[cjelly]

Sounds like the 1up websites will be continuing, maybe a little downsizing.

Do you believe it?

When this stuff happens it's only a matter of time before they start merging it all together.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

EGM can redeem themselves forever if they release a 400 page epic as their final issue

[Valkyr Junkie]

I really wish EGM coulda gone out with a bang with a 20th anniversary celebration :(

[BenjaminBirdie]

internal emails never do!

Well, yeah, I mean, it sounds so dicey for so many people since the split is so deep. For anyone to transfer over to 1up, it's to a completely different company, and anyone left at ZD will have to find work in what sounds like a massively smaller resource pool. So really it doesn't sound like even one job is safe.

[maniac80]

I really hope all staff remains and they get a chance to say whatever they want as they are use to so far. That is what I like about 1up best.

Well when a company spins-off a division it doesn't necessarily mean big changes, and lay-offs. If 1-up was profitable division things should continue 'as-is', especially for the technical/writing side of things.

If 1-up on it's own is not profitable, then we can expect changes and slashing of non-profitable ventures along with employees working on them.

On another note, the 1-Up show could probably take more advertising a become profitable (if it isn't already), it's probably got a good audience that can support ad sales.

[AstroLad]

EGM can redeem themselves forever if they release a 400 page epic as their final issue

[YYZ]

I hope I don't forget to pick up the last issue. Probably a normal issue since there doesn't seem to have been much of a warning signal.

[MikeE21286]

God damn, that does not sound good at all.

lots of weird contradictions in there....

We thank our 1UP team members for their contributions and wish them the best of success into the future"

Many of our employees will travel with this business and become part of the UGO team.

[Zenith]

No one could claim they didn't see this coming. EGM is totally irrelevant, but 1Up might finally have enough money to fix their site and get gamevideos out of "beta".

[EnjoyIncubus]

RIP EGM.

this is fucking lame

[Hostile Paradox]

An excerpt:

After a comprehensive process, this morning we completed a deal with Hearst Interactive, the owner and operator of UGO Entertainment. 1UP.com, MyCheats.com, Gamevideos.com, and Gametab.com will now all be part of the UGO Entertainment business. Many of our employees will travel with this business and become part of the UGO team.

Many, not all. Some layoffs are obviously going to happen.

:( :( :(

[JCX]

This kinda sucks. When I used to be big into gaming magazines, I always that EGM was the best of them.

[Gig]

Damn, this sucks, I've been a subscriber for five years now, loved it a lot.

I hope everyone loses their job is a to get back on their feet.

:( :(

[Oxymoron]

Matt Chandronait Twitter: 6 minutes ago: NOW today sucks.

I followed his twitter to Stephanie Chopp's, who seems to work in gaming PR in some way (they seem to twitt back and forth quite a bit) and she had:

DAMMIT. Twitter is failing all over today AND one of my favorite editors was just laid off. *shakes fist* I'm against today!!!!!

:(

[Dante]

That Sucks :(

[Danthrax]

So if EGM actually is done (which sucks terribly by the way) what are other good gaming mags?

None. We just lost the last good one. =(

[DuckRacer]

^^^ Edge is really good, even though it's ridiculously expensive.

With this transaction happening, we have also made the decision to discontinue publication of EGM. The January 2009 issue will be the final issue of the publication. With demand for print continuing to decline amongst both advertisers and readers and the content being produced by 1UP no longer available for use in the publication, it simply did not make sense for us to move forward with this business any longer.

:(. Wolverine's crappy pixelated head will haunt EGM forever

[ghst]

Many of our employees will travel with this business and become part of the UGO team.

ominous.

[Mechar]

This really, really sucked. But ,to be frank, I saw this coming.
Has the latest issue started to hit subscribers yet? And if so, does it mention anything about the magazine shutting down?

[chase]

I hope these people find new jobs quickly. In some other industry.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

EGM can hardly be called good anymore.

It would be like if The Simpsons was cancelled and people were sad because "we lost one of the greatest television shows in history."

Not anymore, my friend.

[Abztract]

This makes me sad.

[Guy Legend]

Good bye EGM, you will be missed.

[colinp]

Well when a company spins-off a division it doesn't necessarily mean big changes, and lay-offs. If 1-up was profitable division things should continue 'as-is', especially for the technical/writing side of things. If 1-up on it's own is not profitable, then we can expect changes and slashing of non-profitable ventures along with employees working on them. On another note, the 1-Up show could probably take more advertising a become profitable (if it isn't already), it's probably got a good audience that can support ad sales.

The thing is a number of the people at 1up have been in print publishing for a long time, and when you take away their baby... This is a precedent we have seen before with gfw. And again there might be blogs and reassurances that things will stay the same, but obviously they wont. This will eventually change everything about 1up, the question is only how soon...

[Crateman]

Godspeed EGM. This is a sad day for gaming.

We'll never forget you! Thanks for everything.

In on the other hand:

I know there's nothing oficial... just don't kill 1UP.com!! :(

None. We just lost the last good one. =(

EDGE wants to have a word with you in the parking lot.

[xSL4INx]

This is terrible news. For the last 8 years I've subscribed to the magazine, it's always been the one thing I look forward to every month, knowing that it would be coming to me in the mail. Now that is gone, as well as a possibly the 1UP Yours podcast that I've really grown to love over the last year.

Damn, this is awful news....... :-(

[ferricide]

last issue is the godawful (sorry, art team) wolverine cover, sadly. that's on newsstands now and has been for awhile. go pick it up, kids!

[Jtyettis]

Where is UGOs HQ?

[aku08]

im an EGM subscriber, im really sad about this news. for me, there's still room for a good magazine reading, unfortunately, i guess not a lot of people share this view. sad day. magazines are dropping like flies. well, here's to hoping that 1up transitions well.

[gkrykewy]

Garnett Lee twitter (nothing but a "thanks" at the moment):
http://friendfeed.com/garnettlee?service=twitter

[GhaleonEB]

An excerpt: Many, not all. Some layoffs are obviously going to happen. :( :( :(

"Many" staying is another way of saying "most" are being laid off.

Horrible news. Sorry guys. :(

[FartOfWar]

Unsurprising, but super unfortunate that the staffers heard about this via leak rather than being told. Paidcontent.org: "Oops, our bad!" May you all land on your feet, my friends.

What Luke said.

[egocrata]

Surprised people don't know who Hearst was. Number one example of yellow journalism.

Both brainy and funny.

[Banana Kid]

Hey, a cover on the next game in the biggest-selling PC series of all time is better than a cover on a shitty movie tie-in. GFW got a better sendoff then EGM gets.

[arne]

I followed his twitter to Stephanie Chopp's, who seems to work in gaming PR in some way (they seem to twitt back and forth quite a bit) and she had: :(

To be fair, Forbes.com did a little of the laying off today too.

[mr stroke]

was EGM(not 1up) losing money?