Edge Online was a pretty good video game website as far as we've been concerned, a favourite memory being 'The Age of Steam' article being followed by Stardock CEO Brad Wardell's retort 'Why the Age of Steam May Not Last' -- that's as objective as you get. Today, then, we have some rather sad news: the editorial staff has quit.
The reason behind this modern-day mutiny is, as former editor-in-chief (EIC) Colin Campbell details in a blog, its publisher Future UK (who fund over 100 magazines including all the official gaming ones). This is why blogs are awesome.
"Back in December," writes Campbell, "I received a blunt email from a publisher at Future UK, baldly stating that control of Edge-Online had been transferred from our happy home in the San Francisco office, to an office based in the West of England, where Edge Magazine is produced.
This middle manager outlined some changes he wanted to make; in my view, a gumbo of old media thinking, rampant cost-cutting and ego-driven control mechanisms.
I resigned immediately, viewing his plans as a bad deal for the readers (most of whom live and work in North America) and for the future of Edge-Online. These past few months I have been working out an agreed notice period."
Kris Graft and Rob Crossley write the "vast majority" of content for the website and are given very high praise by Campbell, who says Future "did a really bad job" of convincing them to stay, so they didn't. The team's last day was Friday; the current print staff will be taking over online duties in the meantime.
These talented folks have happily found a better place to publish their works, however, contributing to various publications, including GameBizBlog, the one Campbell is writing from (and will continue to).
The former EIC has found his own niche, heading the US operation for Develop magazine's publishing house Intent. As a publication which prefers virtues like truth and fun to "ego-driven control mechanisms" and such things, Neoseeker is happy at the news.
More, Campbell has a message in light of this and what the new bosses want; we think of it as a manifesto for the future of the gaming community and its relationship with journalism:
"The story of the game industry is now being told via lightning fast websites and blogs of phenomenal competence and editorial quality. The days when giant print brands dominated the mediascape are over.
Most of us can recognize that the financial models of the past are now becoming entirely irrelevant; and that trying to view online as some extension of print is just plain wrong.
Game industry editorial is no longer something that is simply crafted by writers and consumed by readers. It is a conversation between the people who make the games and the people who play them. No amount of publishing horseshit about 'editorial pipelines' is going to change that. Fiddling with Excel spreadsheets is a poor defense against revolution."
Going out: "Though I work for Intent Media, a professional publishing organisation which strives to maintain success and profitability, right now this blog is not competing with anyone for advertising dollars (the job ads you see posted here are free). Right now we have no "traffic targets"; no overblown ambitions to reform the media landscape. Right now, we just want to be a part of the conversation and we hope you enjoy this as much as we do."
Godspeed.
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