In a period marked by both acquisitions and mass layoffs from many of the giants in the entertainment industry, especially in the video game sector, the trend shows no signs of stopping. The latest news comes from none other than IGN itself, which recently announced the acquisition of a major media company in the industry, Gamer Network. This name might not be familiar to everyone, but it includes a series of renowned gaming sites and publications.
The news comes directly from IGN’s website with a statement on 21st May 2024, announcing the acquisition of Gamer Network by IGN Entertainment, or more precisely, by Reedpop. Specifically, the publications GamesIndustry.biz, Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun (RPS), VG247, and Dicebreaker. These are well-known names in the gaming industry, making this a significant and impactful news. But that’s not all; these publications are also associated with prominent names like Outside Xbox, Digital Foundry, and Hookshot, which operates with Nintendo Life, Pure Xbox, and others.
However, IGN notes that the acquisition did not include UK-based events such as EGX (formerly Eurogamer Expo) and MCM (Movie Comic Media) or the Popverse brand. Although with the acquisition of Reedpop’s publications, IGN also gains the rights to PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) and New York Comic-Con, two major industry events. Reminding that Reedpop had been seeking a potential buyer since late November 2023. There has been no statement regarding the financial terms of the deal, but it is certainly a substantial amount.
While this news is definitely positive for IGN, the rest of the industry and followers/readers are certainly not as pleased. One of the first reports mentions layoffs of key and important figures from each publication. This includes industry veterans like Brendan Sinclair and Stephany Nunneley-Jackson, managerial figures with over 10 years of experience at their (ex) respective sites. But these are just the ones who spoke out; Alice Bell, former deputy editor of RPS, tells a much larger story. Alice confirms that many employees working outside the UK have been laid off, including both front-facing and behind-the-scenes roles. This news comes shortly after Microsoft’s major layoffs earlier in the year and more recently Take-Two.
On one hand, we have the sad news of layoffs of important figures in the gaming journalism world. On the other the consolidation of various publications under one umbrella is seen with skepticism by many due to potential conflicts of interest and content integrity. Considering IGN now controls not only several journalistic publications and content creators but also has stakes in both small and medium development studios through, for example, Humble Games. Therefore, it will be important to keep an eye on the situation moving forward, hoping that the laid-off personnel can find new positions that match their experience as soon as possible.
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