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IGN Closes TeamXbox

W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
http://features.teamxbox.com/xbox/2619/TeamXbox-is-Closed/p1

It is with a heavy heart, a weary mind and trembling hands that I type this post, announcing IGN's decision to close TeamXbox as a part of a larger effort to close all portal websites dedicated to specific games (such as GTA Hood). The closure is effective this Friday, August 17th. TeamXbox has had a tumultuous history, falling in and out of the graces of its faithful fans over the years. I have had a chance to be a part of the site staff for the last year and a half, almost two years, and when I was given the news this past Monday it was like a punch directly to the sternum. Many questions swirled around my head when I first heard this, but at the end of the day this is IGN's final decision and there's nothing I can say or do to change that. Jeff, Joshua and I have posted our last reviews each for the site, and they are posted up on the Triple-X below the main feature image on the site. That is how things will stay when the site is switched off on Friday. The forum is not going away per se, but will remain in its current state.

I have had such a blast working at TeamXbox. I have made some great friends with my fellow staff members, and had an opportunity to work with and interview many leading developers and publishers in the course of my tenure here, an opportunity I truly never thought I would have in a million years. I reviewed some ridiculously fantastic games, and I reviewed some games that made me almost lose faith in game development.

I speak on behalf of the TeamXbox staff, past and present, when I say thank you to each and every one of our readers who supported us over the years. The site would have been literally nothing without you all. Thank you for coming into the comments sections with your flame-retardant suits on, ready to hotly debate the latest review or piece of gaming news that was posted. Thank you for being active on the forums, making it at one time the best and most popular Xbox-centric forum system on the whole of the internet.

Thank you as well to any member of the video game development or publishing community who takes the time to read this. Quite literally without you all and the relationships that you have had with us, TeamXbox would have never gotten off the ground so many years ago. I was excited each and every time I got a chance to interface with any of you about your latest products. Thank you for your contributions to this hobby, no, this passion of mine, and for inspiring me to go out there and pursue writing about this medium.

My former boss on the site, Rae-Michelle "Sparky" Langdon, reached out to me with her thoughts as well, which I've included below.

It's with a heavy heart that I learned about the closure of TeamXbox. I worked with IGN's Community Sites for a number of years starting in 2005, and made my way over here to TXB in 2009. In the three years at this gig I wore many different hats. Whether it was attending the Assassin's Creed Revelations Preview Event or taking over to NextWeek as Lead Editor, I always had something to do here at TXB.

It was never about the prestige or being a member of the gaming press but always as part of the community. I spent hours surfing the TXB forums, chiming in when I felt I had something to add and most of all reading what you guys brought to the table in terms of discussion. Never in any other online forum have I seen such a broad range of opinions but also personalities. Heck, some of you like Wolf_ even started writing for the site.

It was a really unique and eye opening experience to take Team Xbox, from the shambles it was in, with a front that hadn't been updated in months to something that had new content every day and reviews of some of the then biggest games.

At the heart of it all, it was always about interacting with the readers and making sure they had interesting and relevant content each and every day.

God speed TeamXbox!
Rae-Michelle "Sparky" Langdon
Former Lead Editor

So again... Thank you. Thank you all for everything. I don’t know what the future has in store for me personally, but I’m sure if you look out for me you’ll see me around the web. I just can’t shake the video game bug - I’ll keep writing about it in some facet. But for now, it’s time to lay TeamXbox to rest. So long; thanks for the memories.

Jesse Lord
Editor-in-Chief
TeamXbox
Click to expand...
 
After IGN wrote that Sony-fellating piece about the Vita yesterday?

CONSPIRACY
 
Not being harsh, but I never understood having an Xbox-specific site when your own site does Xbox stuff. More in-depth coverage I guess?

I do hope everyone there that got cut finds a job quick. I'm sure they will.
 
Blast from the past.

Can't blame IGN though as I suspect the clicks dropped off dramatically in the past few years.
 
TeamXbox was in traffic freefall once they laid off or transferred all paid staff, which happened in March of 2010. This isn't super surprising, but it's very sad.
 
Sad face

This is also the end of the first Xbox fan site msxbox.com (we, speaking historically, merged into TeamXbox)

It was run by skeleton staff after shockwave left, basically a portal... A shell of its former self

Back in the day, I fought to emulate neogaf to help strengthen the audience but... It just was never meant to be, sadly

Iirc open_mouth_ was the founder of msxbox (sol537)
 
Sad and predictable. I went there a little to see what more hardcore Xbox fans thought years ago. When I read they got sold to IGN, I knew it was the beginning of the end. Sometimes news can't pay for itself.
 
Genesis Knight said:
TeamXbox was the shit for OG Xbox stuff.

Now it joins PlanetDreamcast in the heavens.
Click to expand...

I wrote for PlanetDreamcast back in the day. It's kind of a trip that people remember that site.
 
I too was on for 5 years and change, with Speevy and company. Oh the memories. Dad, BlueNazareth, Garp, Shockwave, TFX,.....
 
wow man.

I quite enjoyed that place back in the OG Xbox days. Their multiplatform board was surprisingly nice. And even when I wasn't enjoying it, I at least respected the enthusiasm of the fanbase they built. Is it really possible that they stopped being profitable as a website? They used to be hugely popular.

Xdrive05 said:
I too was on for 5 years and change, with Speevy and company. Oh the memories. Dad, BlueNazareth, Garp, Shockwave, THX,.....
Click to expand...
The golden age of Speevy!
I remember Dad. Remember Superdud?
 
True Teamxbox story:

I made a comment about how I wished I had an Xbox (the original one) to go along with my Gamecube. Keep in mind this was a joke.

Garp bought me one. Just went out and bought me an Xbox.
 
IGN had pretty much abandoned it anyway, the forums have been plagued by spam bot attacks for a while now, there were a couple of times i went into the GXD section and the entire front page was filled with spam posts.
 
Used to lurk on their forums back in 2005.

I was looking for system wars threads for my own sick entertainment.
They kept talking about this really shitty forum called "Neogaf" that was full of Sony fanboys.

I checked it out, and I never turned back. (though for completely different reasons)

Haven't visited TXB for years.
 
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