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Press Reset: The Story of Polygon - financed by Microsoft for $750,000

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Wow they get tattoos, so edgy.

"I believe that... people are ready for it"

UGH Kill it with fire. Brooklyn, the game critic, the movie.
 

Geek

Ninny Prancer
Yes I know I'm a web developer myself, my site took 2 years but I'm just one guy.

Not a whole media company with untold millions.

Well, all told it should take about 6-7 months to get Polygon out the door. I don't think that's unreasonable when designing a layout and new tech from scratch while tech people are also concerned with other aspects of the Vox Media empire.
 

Gannd

Banned
What's funny is that I actually believe that when they say such stupid things, they are being sincere. They are so up their own butts that they cannot handle that they are grown men/women writing about toys.
 

Arnie

Member
Can someone tell me why this is such a risk, and what is particularly unique about it, other than ultimately shallow, aesthetic based quirks?
 
Yes, what a grand undertaking--to create the absolute most up-its-own-ass gaming site on the web. This is a good start.

That picture of Crecente is perfect. Never seen someone so in love with themselves.

It's a picture of Crecente from a party doing a face. So anyone who has ever done a face for a photo is sudden so in love with themselves that is sickening? Cool.
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
What was the last website that was going to blow the lid off of videogame journalism? That penny arcade sponsored site?

They're writing about videogames. Just give me something funny and informative, like Giant Bomb. That's all I really ask. But hoo boy this write up reminds me of "budding young game designer" Mielke. :p
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Considering they are a gaming website there was very little of them actually playing them. Not even a handheld on the train.
 

Gannd

Banned
Well, all told it should take about 6-7 months to get Polygon out the door. I don't think that's unreasonable when designing a layout and new tech from scratch while tech people are also concerned with other aspects of the Vox Media empire.


Media empire? Are you serious?
 

eznark

Banned
"We believe the time is right for a media revolution. ... We believe we can fix what's broken, and we've risked everything to prove it."

We believe there's no reason to believe any of that.

I think it's adorable that these kids think leaving one shitty job for another shitty job is "risking everything."
 
That's a lot of wankery.


Have they done anything to prove this wont be just another gaming blog like kotaku and joystiq?




Only difference so far is that Polygon has prettier video intro's.
 

Empty

Member
there's not really a story to tell yet is there. they started a website and used lots of capital to hire experienced people from other sites then did the same jobs as they did before but except now together and then.......

i don't really see how you justify making a documentary here.
 
What was the last website that was going to blow the lid off of videogame journalism? That penny arcade sponsored site?

They're writing about videogames. Just give me something funny and informative, like Giant Bomb. That's all I really ask. But hoo boy this write up reminds me of "budding young game designer" Mielke. :p

Penny Arcade Report is pretty fucking outstanding in terms of reporting on video games in a way that is actually interesting. I don't think it was ever pitched as blowing the lid off anything, but rather take a "games reporting is broken, we will try to fix it by writing really interesting stuff". I honestly don't see the fault in that.

And same with Polygon. We don't know what they plan to do, and if they do something like The Verge and the long-form stuff they published from time to time on /gaming, then they could be doing something really cool and more akin to what a magazine would do.

I want to see it before I slam it.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
Even if this site does "change everything" in gaming media, it's still only gaming media.

I hate to go into a kids these days old man rant, but it would be nice to see people actually do something of merit before they rain accolades on themselves. I know the internet makes it easy to self-promote but when you haven't done shit but self-promote... you haven't done shit.
 

GrizzNKev

Banned
I spent one night among a few of these people at a party during E3 this year.

GAF could not be more right. UGH I am never doing that again.
 

eznark

Banned
The Story ....what story?

Episode 1: The story of how they went to a thrift store and bought ill-fitting clothing and lensless glasses frames.

Episode 2: The story of slightly rephrasing a press release.

Episode 3: Deciding what review score to give a game based on developer pedigree

Episode 4: Podcast bitching about those children on NeoGAF who are jealous of your awesomeness

Episode 5: Getting fired, begging fans for money and giving your buddy said money to build a PC.
 

Grecco

Member
Considering they are a gaming website there was very little of them actually playing them. Not even a handheld on the train.



That is a hilariously good point. But you know getting tattos and looking all cool is edgy and hip. I cant wait to download the chip tune soundtrack!
 
Episode 1: The story of how they went to a thrift store and bought ill-fitting clothing and lensless glasses frames.

Episode 2: The story of slightly rephrasing a press release.

Episode 3: Deciding what review score to give a game based on developer pedigree

Episode 4: Podcast bitching about those children on NeoGAF who are jealous of your awesomeness

Episode 5: Getting fired, begging fans for money and giving your buddy said money to build a PC.

Episode 6: The Eventual Kickstarter
 

newjeruse

Member
The navel-gazing of this site is unbelievable. Are they still keeping a running tally on Twitter of how many Gamescom articles they print? That was...interesting. They seem extremely self-impressed.
 
D

Deleted member 47027

Unconfirmed Member
Wow, the comments on their site are unbelievable. What a crazy difference.
 

Arnie

Member
I'll ask again because I'm genuinely curious, what exactly are they doing differently that constitutes all this talk of 'taking huge risks'?
 

haikira

Member
Episode 1: The story of how they went to a thrift store and bought ill-fitting clothing and lensless glasses frames.

Episode 2: The story of slightly rephrasing a press release.

Episode 3: Deciding what review score to give a game based on developer pedigree

Episode 4: Podcast bitching about those children on NeoGAF who are jealous of your awesomeness

Episode 5: Getting fired, begging fans for money and giving your buddy said money to build a PC.

Episode 6: The Eventual Kickstarter

tumblr_m5lr3h5i511qfa4irc1.gif
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
Can I be in their video? Half their articles cite neogaf as the source so I'm basically a game journalist I think!
 

Coxy

Member
I didn't think games journalists' closed feedback circlejerk could get any more out of touch with reality but here we are.
 
D

Deleted member 47027

Unconfirmed Member
I'll ask again because I'm genuinely curious, what exactly are they doing differently that constitutes all this talk of 'taking huge risks'?

I have seen absolutely NOTHING that is a risk of any sort.
 
Friends (even angry friends), I'll save responding to most of the hate until you can see more of the video beyond the teaser and make up your minds from that, but one thing I would like to clear up:

For the several people yelling "WHY ARE YOU MAKING A VIDEO JUST FINISH THE WEBSITE" etc. -- We don't have video people coding and designing the website. Just like we don't have writers/editors coding and designing the website, which is why we're posting content on the Verge right now until the website is ready to go live. The creation of this documentary has no negative affect on resources in such a way as to delay or slow down the launch of Polygon.
 
D

Deleted member 47027

Unconfirmed Member
Friends (even angry friends), I'll save responding to most of the hate until you can see more of the video beyond the teaser and make up your minds from that, but one thing I would like to clear up:

For the several people yelling "WHY ARE YOU MAKING A VIDEO JUST FINISH THE WEBSITE" etc. -- We don't have video people coding and designing the website. Just like we don't have writers/editors coding and designing the website, which is why we're posting content on the Verge right now until the website is ready to go live. The creation of this documentary has no negative affect on resources in such a way as to delay or slow down the launch of Polygon.

It's okay, I don't think we're really all that worried about the launch.
 

Bumhead

Banned
I'm not ruling out that this is a very self aware joke, to be honest. I'd be a lot more comfortable with this if it was a tongue in cheek spoof.
 
I remember when I thought I wanted to be part of the gaming press.

Then I went to college and graduate school and grew up. Now this industry looks like a bunch of children.


It's okay, I don't think we're really all that worried about the launch.
I'm not worried about the launching of a web site. I'm just amazed at how silly this is.
 

KalBalboa

Banned
I'm not exactly jazzed about Polygon, but I'm taken back, a bit, by the universal distaste for this trailer here.

I mean, yeah, this is GAF and all, but it's striking to see nobody defending this trailer.


The way I see it, the doc was probably part of a funding/visibility deal with IE, based on the sponsorship. The goal of the site seems to be, by and large, novel and worth pursuing if not a little pretentious. I love Giant Bomb, Shack News, and some of the IGN guys, but I don't go to any of those sites for the reasons Polygon is claiming to incentivize me with. Giant Bomb is a succesfuly site for good reason, but I think the personalities are the real breadwinners for their traffic.

Polygon's biggest challenge will be finding an audience. Their preemptive podcasts, this promo-doc, and the announcements prior to launch are all seemingly part of a plan to engender interest. It sounds like another run at what 1up was going for only with a lot more risk being put on the table (this promo really wants that risk to be evident as shown by the mortgage signing and baby shots, yeesh). They're promising a lot and putting a lot of weigh on their own shoulders with every statement they put out (and this trailer is part of that message), so it's only natural that people on these boards are going to be more critical, I suppose.
 
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