Game Informer staff hit with layoffs
Several employees at Game Informer have found themselves without work.
allgamers.com
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Game Informer staff hit with layoffs
- Thread starter JORMBO
- Start date
allgamers.com
DrLight66
Neo Member
I have a free subscription through Gamestop that I get in the mail each month and I maybe flip through each issue for about 30 seconds and that's it. It's not that I don't care about game magazines anymore, it's that Game Informer is so bare bones that it's just a bad magazine. I miss the days when GameFan magazine would go into great detail on nearly every game they featured.
Last edited:
DunDunDunpachi
Patient MembeR
Game Stop ain't doing so hot, so it makes sense.
Imran Khan seemed to mostly handle boilerplate news releases and updates. In the age of internet, these legacy companies are less and less equipped to keep up with aggregate sites, forums/Reddit, Twitter, etc.
Imran Khan seemed to mostly handle boilerplate news releases and updates. In the age of internet, these legacy companies are less and less equipped to keep up with aggregate sites, forums/Reddit, Twitter, etc.
bobone
Member
I used to love their youtube content years ago. They had awesome people with great chemistry.
But then slowly all the people worth watching moved on to greener pastures; so I did too.
If they want to compete in this market they probably have to dump the actual magazine and pick up a business model like IGN, Gamespot, Giantbomb, etc.
But then slowly all the people worth watching moved on to greener pastures; so I did too.
If they want to compete in this market they probably have to dump the actual magazine and pick up a business model like IGN, Gamespot, Giantbomb, etc.
Punished Miku
Gold Member
Imran is the only real SJW there, at least publicly. I think he is possibly based out of San Fran unlike the rest which are in the midwest.
Suriel is a cool guy though. Always liked his stuff. Is Kyle the redhead? He's one of the main guys right?
For the record, everyone should watch their main podcast. Its great.
Suriel is a cool guy though. Always liked his stuff. Is Kyle the redhead? He's one of the main guys right?
For the record, everyone should watch their main podcast. Its great.
Last edited:
Petrae
Member
With GameStop taking on water fast, the chain is in cost-cutting mode. Fresh off of dismissing a 50+ district and regional managers, it was rumored that more job losses were on track for this week.
There may still be more coming.
While the chain’s closure isn’t imminent, it’s pretty much a given that it’s inevitable— and Game Informer is an asset under the GME umbrella, so it’s not immune to cost-cutting from its parent company.
EDIT: “Calls to unionize” in this case would be completely pointless, as the parent company’s financial troubles are clear and present. Game Informer isn’t keeping GameStop in business, and can be considered a non-essential asset. Hell, while I get the sadness involved with the layoffs, those remaining should be thankful that GME didn’t shutter GI completely. Their best move at this point is to start planning for the inevitable and looking for opportunities elsewhere.
There may still be more coming.
While the chain’s closure isn’t imminent, it’s pretty much a given that it’s inevitable— and Game Informer is an asset under the GME umbrella, so it’s not immune to cost-cutting from its parent company.
EDIT: “Calls to unionize” in this case would be completely pointless, as the parent company’s financial troubles are clear and present. Game Informer isn’t keeping GameStop in business, and can be considered a non-essential asset. Hell, while I get the sadness involved with the layoffs, those remaining should be thankful that GME didn’t shutter GI completely. Their best move at this point is to start planning for the inevitable and looking for opportunities elsewhere.
Last edited:
JSoup
Banned
AlteredForms
Banned
All Game Informer employees better have their resume ready. There have been plenty of video game publications that went under these last few years.
Petrae
Member
This isn’t necessarily GI’s fault, but rather a reflection on the state of its parent company... which is sickly at best right now.
I do agree, difficult as it may be for those remaining, that it’s time to freshen up those resumes and test the waters elsewhere. GameStop has no future, and I tend to doubt that there are many interested buyers in a legacy print magazine should GME try to spin off the publication.
DunDunDunpachi
Patient MembeR
I got their latest issue in the mail today (fortuitous) and there were several good articles. One was about speedrunner who played the Zelda/Metroid mashup. One article was about Brøderbund (Zombinis!) and their history. There was a lengthy article about
The topics they're covering are actually much better than what GI typically offers, and I've noticed this across several issues over the last year. I've been an on-and-off subscriber since 2009 and it's kinda sad to see them starting to explore some interesting gaming niches as they fade into irrelevance.
The topics they're covering are actually much better than what GI typically offers, and I've noticed this across several issues over the last year. I've been an on-and-off subscriber since 2009 and it's kinda sad to see them starting to explore some interesting gaming niches as they fade into irrelevance.
J-Roderton
Member
Paper magazines in general, man. C'mon.
The Snake
Member
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Looks like store staff have been slacking off on upselling memberships and GI magazine.
Get on it store staff. Stop fiddling with Funko toys and do the traditional thing like Radio Shack workers...... customer takes one step in the store and you hound them about an upsell.
Get on it store staff. Stop fiddling with Funko toys and do the traditional thing like Radio Shack workers...... customer takes one step in the store and you hound them about an upsell.
J-Roderton
Member
Is GI still a Gamestop add-on?
McHuj
Member
Anyone, no matter what the industry, should be looking for a job if their company or parent company in this case (Gamestop) is on the verge of collapse. You need to look out for you.
They moan about 'the industry' but write articles lambasting 'the industry' and when people who actually support 'the industry' stop reading their shite blog posts for the reasons above, they lament on fucking Twitter about how 'the industry' failed them. Fuck off. Grow a spine and go do an actual job like the rest of us and treat games as what they are: a pastime and not your route to a self important check mark. Christ almighty these people wind me up.
xool
Member
Holy shit just read last years news about Gamestops financials $673million loss, that's over two thirds of a billion dollars for maths nerds. Laying off a few deputy editors is going to fix that. Shit.
DrJohnGalt
Banned
I get my dead-tree GI mags thru my Gamestop membership. I enjoy flipping thru them and maybe checking out the upcoming features and more in-depth articles on the industry (not just about the games, but about the devs, distributors, sales numbers, etc), but I don't put much stock in their reviews.
Over the past few years they'd given up trying to be apolitical and have started to gently push a progressive agenda in their articles and opinion pieces (though admittedly without the malice of sites like Kotaku and Polygon).
I'll miss the mag (because it's only a matter of time before it goes away completely) more for collector reasons that content reasons.
Over the past few years they'd given up trying to be apolitical and have started to gently push a progressive agenda in their articles and opinion pieces (though admittedly without the malice of sites like Kotaku and Polygon).
I'll miss the mag (because it's only a matter of time before it goes away completely) more for collector reasons that content reasons.
xool
Member
The wikipedia article makes for interesting reading - looks like they've done nothing but acquire fail-trash businesses since 2010. Apparently part of their recent losses are "loss of value of acquired assets" (impairment of goodwill) to the tune of $964.2million .. lets call it $1billion. wtf - do they even own anything worth that much ?
I'll call it - business is being used as a dustbin by financiers (crooks) to dispose of trash assets from other distressed companies.
I'll call it - business is being used as a dustbin by financiers (crooks) to dispose of trash assets from other distressed companies.
Xaero Gravity
NEXT LEVEL lame™
I normally hate to see people lose their job, but Imran Khan is a self righteous cunt, so he doesn't get shit from me.
Petrae
Member
More job losses than just GI today.
The chain is permafucked, and no “restructuring” will save it. All upper management can do now is hope that the cost-cutting will be enough to attract a buyer.
The chain is permafucked, and no “restructuring” will save it. All upper management can do now is hope that the cost-cutting will be enough to attract a buyer.
Is there a magazine worth subscribing to for 15 dollars or less for gaming? I like to have a game magazine and popular mechanics in the bathroom for when I'm on the toilet. Don't like reading on my phone for some reason, I like a magazine.
While I hadn't spent money with lamestop for over 5 years now since I hate them passionately, I always kept the shitstop club thing because I liked having the magazine for the bathroom. Although I did get tired of them pretty much only covering the games that were the most popular and heavily advertised, but still it was a good time passer and relaxed my brain and bowels.
So is there any worth even subscribing to anymore?
While I hadn't spent money with lamestop for over 5 years now since I hate them passionately, I always kept the shitstop club thing because I liked having the magazine for the bathroom. Although I did get tired of them pretty much only covering the games that were the most popular and heavily advertised, but still it was a good time passer and relaxed my brain and bowels.
So is there any worth even subscribing to anymore?
MiyazakiHatesKojima
Banned
Last edited:
Mobile Suit Gooch
Grundle: The Awakening
zeorhymer
Member
I doubt it. They'll instead make tweets or write opinion pieces that the industry is gated and don't want to let journos code or some such nonsense.
Petrae
Member
That’s the safest assumption, yeah. GME has been floating the idea of having Pro memberships without GI, so it’s very possible that the remaining staff are on borrowed time.
The chain is not long for this world. I don’t even know that it makes it to Gen9 launch, though I think it’s still the likeliest scenario. Perhaps upper management finds a buyer before then, though I wouldn’t make a wager on that.
Cost-cutting for sure is going to continue, and it’s going to be painful across the board.
Heart_Attack
Member
Guess who got the ball rolling for the media to attack Ion Fury? Imran. He used his platform to voice Eras childish Outrage.
Scopa
The Tribe Has Spoken
I only listen to their podcast. I feel sorry for the others, but getting rid of Imran Khan was a smart move. He was a fucking cancer in that company. Clickbait writer, perpetually outraged and scraping the bottom of the barrel to manufacture controversy. Started ruining the podcast for me, I almost stopped listening.
Ironically he made a comment in the last podcast that he thinks he was blacklisted by a game company and he couldn’t understand why.
It’s because you are a cowardly, scumbag and a manchild Imran. Learn to code.
EDIT: I won’t be missing his marble-mouthed hot takes, that’s for sure.
Ironically he made a comment in the last podcast that he thinks he was blacklisted by a game company and he couldn’t understand why.
It’s because you are a cowardly, scumbag and a manchild Imran. Learn to code.
EDIT: I won’t be missing his marble-mouthed hot takes, that’s for sure.
Last edited:
Chittagong
Gold Member
ResilientBanana
Member
A plethora of YouTube channels are coming.
Anyone remember when “No Scans!” Was a thing? Now everything is leaked and all the reveals are digital.
Anyone remember when “No Scans!” Was a thing? Now everything is leaked and all the reveals are digital.
Last edited:
Ivory Blood
Member
Good. Riddance. He was the one who propagated ReeeEra in this ion fury debacle. Maybe he can ask for some free money from 3Drealms, I hear they are pretty generous this time of year.
ResilientBanana
Member
You know, I never thought about this before, but who would hire someone like this other than another news outlet?
He also led the charge against THQ Nordic:
The Industry Refuses To Hold Itself Accountable And THQ Nordic Proves It
THQ Nordic showed this week that we all move on and forget faster and faster.
www.gameinformer.com
Scopa
The Tribe Has Spoken
Normally I’d say Giant Bomb or
He’ll probably start a Patreon for idiots to give him money for nothing so they can listen to him mumble about the sand in his panties every week.
Catphish
Member
GameFan
S
SLoWMoTIoN
Unconfirmed Member
I don't care about them but people losing their job sucks. Hopefully they can get a job, not starve and save enough for the PS5 (700 dollars).