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[pje122]

I can't recall if this blog is considered a banned site or not, but if it is and we're not allowed to post things from it I guess a mod can go ahead and lock this up. Anyway...

Multiple sources in and around Ziff Davis Media have told ******* that UGO Entertainment is on the verge of finalizing a deal to buy parts of Ziff's 1UP Network, including 1up.com, GameVideos.com and MyCheats.com.

The sources, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the talks, confirmed to ******* that the companies were in "very advanced talks" regarding the sale of many of Ziff's popular gaming web sites. 1UP Network editorial staff were reportedly informed of the potential sale in an all-hands meeting Tuesday and UGO executives will reportedly be flying out to meet with the Ziff staff as soon as Wednesday. Few details of the potential buyout plan are known at this time, but UGO reportedly plans to keep the Ziff sites operating independently as separate entities with their own branding, rather than subsuming them fully into the UGO Entertainment Network.

Our sources also report that UGO has little to no interest in purchasing either Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine or FileFront.com, two wavering pillars of Ziff's increasingly shaky Game Group. Ziff has had particular trouble selling ads for upcoming issues of EGM, suggesting that the February issue might be the final one for the long-running magazine, our sources reported. This adds credence to recent reports that Ziff may be looking to transform EGM into an online-only property. Ziff has been looking for a buyer for the beleaguered Game Group for at least two years.

UGO Entertainment started off in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online and currently attracts over 35 million unique monthly visitors to its general lifestyle portal at UGO.com. In July of 2007 the UGO Network was acquired by mega-publishing conglomerate Hearst Corporation. The network's current properties include GamingTarget.com, GameCheats.com and RPG-focused site GameBanshee.com, as well as celebrity-focused sites like At Pictures.

http://www.*******.com/2008/12/10/exclusive-ugo-in-high-level-talks-to-buy-1up-egm-not-part-of-d/

 

[Zombie James]

No EGM?

 

[Kyoufu]

I can't click on that link.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

I'm one sad panda

 

[probune]

I can't click on that link.

Obviously the web site isn't a bunch of stars. It's Joystick. With a Q.

 

[pje122]

I can't click on that link.

Yeah, no shit. I'm sure you can figure it out though...

 

[I AM JOHN!]

I hope not. UGO sucks.

Lest we forget, though, Stiqjoy has a way of spouting bullshit that never comes true on a level worse than Rumortaku.

 

[Y2Kev]

This is serious...uh oh...

 

[border]

If EGM dies, does than mean Shane goes with it? Or does he belong to 1Up?

 

[AgentOtaku]

This is crazy news ....I will admit though, I'm not really a fan of EGM anyway =/

 

[I AM JOHN!]

If EGM dies, does than mean Shane goes with it? Or does he belong to 1Up?

1UP. The only people who might be made redundant if EGM isn't bought are Greg Ford (EGM's managing editor, though he's probably going to take Jen Tsao's position now that she's gone anyway), Giancarlo Varanini (senior editor, whatever that means), Michael Donohoe (senior writer, so he'd probably be kept), and EGM's art team.

 

[miyamotofreak]

Uh-oh. These are the same dudes who hired Wombat (from CAG) for their blog. Now, Wombat's my boy and all but that man cannot write. I have no idea why 1Up hasn't been bought yet (with or without EGM). Isn't it Ziff's only profitable group?

 

[miyamotofreak]

1UP. The only people who might be made redundant if EGM isn't bought are Greg Ford, Giancarlo Varanini, Michael Donohoe, and EGM's art team.

I feel bad for the art team (GFW).

 

[chespace]

If EGM dies, does than mean Shane goes with it? Or does he belong to 1Up?

Technically, all EGM editors are a part of the 1UP network, and in a recent restructuring, everybody works on everything so there's no separation of an online staff vs. a print staff other than the print art stuaff.

This is pretty crazy news. Good luck to everyone at Ziff.

 

[Calcaneus]

If EGM dies, that's about it for print mags in NA. It would really suck.

I hope if it does come to them having to shut the mag down, I hope the staff have enough time to put out a great final issue. I wouldn't want another GFW situation.

 

[soldat7]

UGO? I don't think I've ever heard of them...

 

[adg1034]

I hope if it does come to them having to shut the mag down, I hope the staff have enough time to put out a great final issue. I wouldn't want another GFW situation.

Yeah, especially with the way Mielke's been running EGM since Shoe left. The design is better, the content seems to be better, and I think that should be rewarded with some real closure.

 

[voltron]

This seems like positive news to me. Hopefully the deal goes through and everyone there can sleep a little easier (assuming no lay-offs).

 

[ZealousD]

UGO? I don't think I've ever heard of them...

They actually have less traffic than 1up, but they don't do too badly themselves. About on par with Eurogamer and better than some other sites like Gamekyo, Gamersyde, or Gamasutra.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

EXCLUSIVE INSIDER INFORMATION ABOUT EGM'S LAST ISSUE!!!

Spoiler

A twenty-page Bluray Bungalow spread, beginning with a foreword by Milky about how they buy all their Blurays and you internet assholes have no right to run your mouths off because you don't know shit.

 

[Corran Horn]

UGO? I don't think I've ever heard of them...

http://www.ugo.com/

I remember them being popular awhile ago....

 

[kenta]

If EGM dies, that's about it for print mags in NA.

Game Informer, dude

Regardless of what you think of their reviews, they're an undeniably heavy hitter

 

[Azar]

Play is still around too, right?

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Play is still around too, right?

Yeah, though they have really limited circulation. Do they even distribute everywhere in the Continental US? I occasionally see it at home in New York, but I've never seen a single issue of Play in Boston. You awake, Shidoshi?

Magazines, not flyers.

 

[Firestorm]

Game Informer, dude

Regardless of what you think of their reviews, they're an undeniably heavy hitter

Magazines, not flyers.

 

[kenta]

Magazines, not flyers.

LOL

Man

lol

I get it

I see what you did there

Classic stuff

man

 

[TJ Spyke]

Hey, I love GI's Retro section and they do have some great article (their cover story a few months ago on Batman: Arkham Asylum was awesome),

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Hey, I love GI's Retro section and they do have some great article (their cover story a few months ago on Batman: Arkham Asylum was awesome),

Because they actually managed to cover a game that's coming out in the near future for once. That's the problem with GI - they focus so hard on exclusive reveals that they write these long cover stories on games when there's practically no fucking game to write about.

 

[miyamotofreak]

Magazines, not flyers.

They were so harsh with their holiday scores, I don't know how many people can say that.

 

[kenta]

Because they actually managed to cover a game that's coming out in the near future for once. That's the problem with GI - they focus so hard on exclusive reveals that they write these long cover stories on games when there's practically no fucking game to write about.

Well I'd much rather read a hot exclusive reveal including whatever scraps of information I can get my hands on, as opposed to a pamphlet half filled with ads that only covers the games I've been listening to the exact same writers talk about on podcasts for months prior

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Well I'd much rather read a hot exclusive reveal including whatever scraps of information I can get my hands on, as opposed to a pamphlet half filled with ads that only covers the games I've been listening to the exact same writers talk about on podcasts for months prior

You obviously do not read the cover stories then.

Also, ads only make up a third of the magazine (half and quarter-page ads included). I know this from a science project I did (read: a thread I never got around to making about how horrible Future magazines are). :\

 

[kenta]

You obviously do not read the cover stories then.

Also, ads only make up a third of the magazine (half and quarter-page ads included). I know this from a science project I did (read: a thread I never got around to making about how horrible Future magazines are). :\

I don't have a subscription, no, and I obviously don't read cover stories for games I don't care about, but the cover stories I have read seemed to be just fine so I'm not exactly sure where you're coming from, that's all

But really this isn't the place to quarrel about GI, we need to be concerned with losing Shane and Milky

 

[Zep]

I used to post at the UGO forums...Mainly for Dreamcast stuff. Man, the disappointment when World Series Baseball 2k1 came out. Haha.

 

[GhaleonQ]

Boo. Wrong. No. Disgusting.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

If 1UP gets bought, I don't think Milky, Shane, or most of the other Ziff guys are going anywhere unless UGO decides to do something drastic like move the game group to their New York offices or starts to really mettle with the content of the 1UP Network. If anything, I think the only people at risk of losing their jobs are EGM's art team and the three people "specifically dedicated" to EGM (though they'd probably be moved around, as Greg Ford will probably move up and take Jen Tsao's position, Donahoe can be a staff writer for 1UP, and GC could become Features Editor since they still haven't gotten anyone to replace Shawn).

Slightly off-topic but vaguely related: where is Skip?

 

[CHRP718]

poor EMG

 

[jacobs34]

If 1UP gets bought, I don't think Milky, Shane, or most of the other Ziff guys are going anywhere unless UGO decides to do something drastic like move the game group to their New York offices or starts to really mettle with the content of the 1UP Network. If anything, I think the only people at risk of losing their jobs are EGM's art team and the three people "specifically dedicated" to EGM (though they'd probably be moved around, as Greg Ford will probably move up and take Jen Tsao's position, Donahoe can be a staff writer for 1UP, and GC could become Features Editor since they still haven't gotten anyone to replace Shawn).

Slightly off-topic but vaguely related: where is Skip?

I was wondering the same thing, haven't seen him around these parts in a while. Perhaps he's gone into mourning given how terrible the Packers are this year.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Not only hasn't he been here in a while, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't been at 1UP. I think Garnett's been editing and producing 1UP Yours for the past month (or, at least, I think so, cuz of all the weird Garage Band music they've been using).

EDIT: oh wait, he was on yesterday. He just hasn't been posting since the end of October.

 

[fin]

That sucks. I remember the days of 300 page monster EGMs during the Playstation and N64 days. Opening the plastic in the grocery store while my mom shopped. I would just sit there and read it the whole time, in front of the magazines. I'd read Gamepro and EGM2 but I had to choose one to eventually get a subscription, which my parents paid for, the Canadian price was at least double than the US price. I chose EGM, I've tried to keep most of them. I must have over a hundred issues at my parents house. I even got my tattoo mocked in a letters section!

But I let my subscription run out, and I've been buying my issues at the news stand for the last 4-5 years. Trying to do my part. Good luck, although I don't really care for all the new editors at Ziff, it'll still suck not having an new EGM to look forward to...

 

[I AM JOHN!]

fin why is your Powdered Toast Man flying backwards? D:

 

[bistromathics]

GhaleonQ is not on board.

 

[Brobzoid]

1UP. The only people who might be made redundant if EGM isn't bought are Greg Ford (EGM's managing editor, though he's probably going to take Jen Tsao's position now that she's gone anyway), Giancarlo Varanini (senior editor, whatever that means), Michael Donohoe (senior writer, so he'd probably be kept), and EGM's art team.

bad times to be in print for art people. :\

 

[bistromathics]

That sucks. I remember the days of 300 page monster EGMs during the Playstation and N64 days. Opening the plastic in the grocery store while my mom shopped. I would just sit there and read it the whole time, in front of the magazines. I'd read Gamepro and EGM2 but I had to choose one to eventually get a subscription, which my parents paid for, the Canadian price was at least double than the US price. I chose EGM, I've tried to keep most of them. I must have over a hundred issues at my parents house. I even got my tattoo mocked in a letters section!

Pics or GTFO!

 

[border]

I used to post at the UGO forums...Mainly for Dreamcast stuff. Man, the disappointment when World Series Baseball 2k1 came out. Haha.

That game was actually pretty good, as I recall. I remember that people were pissed that the fielding was semi-automated, but the pitcher-batter battles were pretty awesome.

 

[cartman414]

This sounds like the cnet thing all over again.

 

[Doc Lobster]

That's the problem with GI - they focus so hard on exclusive reveals that they write these long cover stories on games when there's practically no fucking game to write about.

Absolutely, absolutely spot-on. Did Halo: Recon (oh, right...it was renamed after they printed) ODST have any in-game screens? How can you trust speculation about a game without any concrete look at what it is?

Game Informer, dude

Regardless of what you think of their reviews, they're an undeniably heavy hitter

What, in the 12 year-old, people-that-like-to-read-unfathomably-vague-stories-about-games demographic?

 

[Blast Processing]

Yeah, especially with the way Mielke's been running EGM since Shoe left. The design is better, the content seems to be better, and I think that should be rewarded with some real closure.

Perhaps not the best choice of words.

Spoiler

That's some good black humor, the (unintentional?) double entendre.

 

[xintin]

Game Informer, dude

Everytime I see GI, I can't help but think of what John Davison said on 1upYours: Did you really want it, or did you just take it because they pushed it on you?

We need a save EGM fundraiser immediately ;.;

 

[Tieno]

Technically, all EGM editors are a part of the 1UP network, and in a recent restructuring, everybody works on everything so there's no separation of an online staff vs. a print staff other than the print art stuaff.

This is pretty crazy news. Good luck to everyone at Ziff.

Then there's also a lot of redundacy/overhead when they seperate 1Up from EGM.

 

[voltron]

Then there's also a lot of redundacy/overhead when they seperate 1Up from EGM.

You trying to start a board-wide panic? Therell be mutiny in the streets!

Spoiler

I have no idea if that makes sense