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How Did Gaf become such a Staple of the Video Game Industry?

F

Flying_Phoenix

Banned
Aug 28, 2008
13,373
6
0
Today is more or less my anniversary of being a member at NeoGAF. And while really enjoying this site I always have wondered how this site gained its current status?

This site is pretty much the premiere video game message board of the industry. Gaming journalists post on it, developers post on it, analysts post on it, etc.

Not only that but many journalist, developers, and the like refer to Gaf in the media. Sites like IGN refers to GAF in their Podcasts, Jaffe brought upon Gaf during an interview with GameTrailers, XSEED stated that they look solely at Gaf when deciding to pick what games to localize, Capcom looked to Gaf to find quotes of user satisfaction during a press conference, etc. And I'm not even a gaming media junky at all, these are just some things I've come across from time to time. I mean how often do you see similar things involving Gamespot, IGN, or GameFAQS?


Not to sound like a stereotypical obsessive internet nerd, but I'm just curious how GAF got this status of being the online staple of the gaming community. I tried doing the research myself because when I don't know something it drives me crazy, but all I could find was information at Wikipedia.

So yeah how did GAF come so far? What was the "journey" of it all?
 
F

Firestorm

Member
Feb 2, 2006
33,832
0
0
Vancouver, BC
nuggetbridge.com
Gaming Age Forums.
Used to be the forums for this site: http://www.gaming-age.com/

They don't have it up anymore, but you'd have been surprised at the Past Contributors list. A lot of writers went on to work at large outlets and never stopped posting I guess. At least that's my theory. And once something gets big, it just keeps getting bigger. It could also be the layout (just one large forum).

Sure as hell isn't intelligent discussion anymore!
 
B

Brannon

Member
Jun 7, 2004
13,501
0
0
It didn't really become big until I came into the picture.

I don't know how much you know about me (I'm an expert), but...

















Let me have my moment.
 
N

[Nintex]

Member
Jun 21, 2005
18,889
5
1,560
32
The Netherlands
www.n1ntendo.nl
There are some famous GAF members and GAF is a source of alot of rumors and news, but I guess GAF went 'mainstream' when Geoff and friends talked about it on the bonus round.

Also sales became more and more important for all the console fans and GAF is a great source for that too. The account approval gives NeoGAF some kind of feeling of exclusivity.
 
J

jump_button

Banned
Dec 24, 2007
5,097
0
0
:lol most so call gaming news sites get 99.99% of news here and funny pics of cats? who dont like a good funny pic of a cute cat?
 
S

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
Dec 15, 2008
39,509
0
730
34
nowhere
www.neogaf.com
GAF is, without a doubt, the best gaming forum on the internet. Although there isn't much competition.... considering most other forums are filled with topics like "XBOX is 4 FAGS!!!". At least when compared to places like FAQs and IGN GAF is a pretty intelligent and interesting place.
 
D

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member
Firestorm said:
Sure as hell isn't intelligent discussion anymore!
Click to expand...

:lol I've been here for something like 8 years.

It never was.

Actually, it kind of is, there's just bullshit all the way through as well. lots of news and tidbits and interesting stuff comes up all the time though.

Plus photoshops are gold.
 
S

SolarPowered

Member
Feb 17, 2009
25,573
0
0
This forum does have its little bouts of crazyness, but I've come to realize what a steaming piece of crap the internet is outside of GAF when it comes to videogame news. The trolls, and misinformed run rampant everywhere, and it drives me insane. Most of my friends are also similar to real life trolls. GAF is the only form of VG media that is worth anything to me at the moment(as a forum).

:lol
 
Z

Zeliard

Member
Apr 23, 2008
34,712
0
0
36
jump_button said:
:lol most so call gaming news sites get 99.99% of news here and funny pics of cats? who dont like a good funny pic of a cute cat?
Click to expand...

The mystery of lolcat's appeal, finally solved.
 
B

Blizzard

Banned
Jan 23, 2008
36,025
0
0
Flying_Phoenix said:
Not to sound like a stereotypical obsessive internet nerd
Click to expand...
BAD NEWS

I don't really think most developers pay much attention to the forum. I do think people inflate its importance. On a positive note, it has a barrier to entry and people sometimes get removed so that limits discussion, even if it does not necessarily mean discussion will be intelligent.
 
J

Johann

Member
Jul 6, 2008
2,417
0
750
I think Gamefaqs has more registered industry members but GAF's strict TOS and love for theatrics make it stand out.
 
DR2K

DR2K

Banned
Jun 6, 2009
22,189
54
1,095
34
Houston
Believe it or not, collectively, this is probably the least biased and most reasonable gaming forum out there.
 
L

LazerRanger

Member
Mar 7, 2009
531
0
0
I'd also like to know as I havin been an avid lurker for nearly two years and tried to join 6 months ago to be approved about 2 months ago.
I first came here from a link from another forum and then after a while i realised that all of their stories were coming from here so I thought why not get it from the source :D
 
M

Micromegas

Member
Mar 12, 2007
1,846
0
0
There's the usual mixture of internet forum bs, but there's also no shortage of top-flight insight and analysis going on here too.

Neogaf: Straight from the horse's mouth.

Believe.
 
O

OnPoint

Member
Jun 4, 2007
24,216
1
0
www.indiegames.com


I blame the news. We get news so quickly.
 
Y

Yoritomo

Member
Dec 5, 2008
3,570
0
765
It was inevitable that people would transition from usenet to forums over some period of time once the web took hold.

I just came here recently when wondering where all the people from the rec.games.video.* days 12 years ago went.

Doug Erickson
Victor Ireland
Shidoshi
Marty Chinn

etc...

Good to see they're all alive and well.
 
I

InsaneZero

Member
Jul 25, 2008
3,960
0
0
First EviLore said "LET IT BE SO" and it was so. The board was then a haven for all gaming enthusiasts alike, including journalists and company employees. It was a good time.

Then God himself descended upon the board and cursed it with junior members for being more awesome than heaven. In doing so, he scattered its members across the reaches of the internet. Some even to the vast expanse of the fabled "real world", cut off from the essence of the GAF.

In an epic battle that would later be known as Ragnarok (Not Online), the administrators and moderators battled the invading forces that would try to disrupt the remaining members into a fanboy-induced riot. The scale of this war was unprecedented, and news of the GAF began to permeate into the mainstream gaming media. Finally, the final blow was struck after a fifteen hour attack animation sequence where the heavens were split in two. The world was amazed by the art direction, although later historians would debate whether or not the final strike was rendered in-game or FMV.

The epilogue of this event left so many gamers bewildered that nobody was able to come to a rational agreement. Instead, they decided to make something up and put it on Wikipedia to avoid any more senseless topics.
 
Burger

Burger

Member
Jun 9, 2004
9,306
582
1,720
42
United Kingdom
The fact that there are 2 forums.

Gaming, and Off Topic.

You go check out gamespot, IGN, whatever. It's been fragmented into a million sub-forums. Separate sub forums for separate countries, women and men forums, every genre of music has a separate forum.

I don't understand why community managers, forum administrators ever think that this is a good idea. It's impossible for users to keep up with shit, and confusing as to which forum they should visit for the relevant info (shit is Röyksopp under electronic or pop?).

Gaming and Off Topic. A photography board should have Photography and Off Topic. You could argue that Something Awful works, but the reason I visit GAF is purely because there are 2 forums, and they change by the minute.
 
riskVSreward

riskVSreward

Member
Jan 31, 2008
5,717
33
1,180
The gaming internet world is like a box of chocolates. GAF is the creamy nougatty one, the rest are filled with black licorice and durian.
 
F

Falafelkid

Banned
Mar 26, 2007
179
0
0
Cologne, Germany
nintendo-revolution.blogspot.com
Flying_Phoenix said:
Gaming journalists post on it, developers post on it, analysts post on it, etc.

Not only that but many journalist, developers, and the like refer to Gaf in the media. Sites like IGN refers to GAF in their Podcasts, Jaffe brought upon Gaf during an interview with GameTrailers, XSEED stated that they look solely at Gaf when deciding to pick what games to localize, Capcom looked to Gaf to find quotes of user satisfaction during a press conference, etc.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't overstate the relevance of this forum to professionals. Most people here are still enthusiasts. Sure, there's Jaffe and some PR people. Anyone else, though?
 
T

Tempy

don't ask me for codes
Feb 6, 2005
13,695
1
1,285
It's because all the other forums are WORSE.

I credit the moderation (most of the time).
 
A

adelante

Member
Dec 28, 2005
6,413
0
880
I wouldn't overstate the relevance of this forum to professionals. Most people here are still enthusiasts. Sure, there's Jaffe and some PR people. Anyone else, though?
Click to expand...

Are you forgetting DENNIS DYACK?

Then there's CliffyB and...hmmm can't think of anyone else off the top of my head.
 
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