May 21st 2024.
In a surprising turn of events, it has been announced that IGN, a popular gaming website, has acquired the UK-based company Gamer Network. This acquisition also includes other well-known sites such as Eurogamer and GamesIndustry.biz. While this may seem like a reason to celebrate, it's important to remember the negative effects of consolidation in the gaming industry.
One of the main concerns with major acquisitions is the inevitable layoffs that follow. With the larger company taking over, there are often duplicated job roles and a need to cut costs, resulting in job losses for employees. This has been seen recently with the acquisition of Xbox and Bethesda, and now with IGN's purchase of the Gamer Network group of websites.
The Gamer Network has been up for sale for some time, after its previous owner ReedPop decided to move away from running it. This has led to the departure of several senior staff members in recent months, and unfortunately, many more have lost their jobs today.
The Gamer Network includes Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, VG247, GamesIndustry.biz, and Dicebreaker. It also has shares in Hookshot, the company behind popular sites such as Nintendo Life and Push Square. However, IGN will not have complete ownership of Digital Foundry, as it is privately owned and not part of the sale.
Alice Bell, the deputy editor at Rock Paper Shotgun, known for her insightful reviews of diverse games, has also been laid off. This news has caused quite a stir in the gaming community, with many expressing their disappointment and concern for the future of these beloved websites.
It's worth noting that Gamer Network was a family business until it was sold to ReedPop in 2018. Many predicted at the time that ReedPop was only interested in their live events, such as EGX and MCM, and this recent announcement confirms those predictions.
At the time of writing, most of the websites under the Gamer Network have not yet addressed the acquisition, but there are reports of immediate layoffs, including the managing editor of GamesIndustry.biz and the deputy editor of Rock Paper Shotgun.
The details of the acquisition, including the amount IGN paid and the number of job losses, are still unclear. However, this news is just another example of the media landscape in the UK for video games drastically changing, with only a small number of dedicated sites remaining outside of the control of American companies.
In conclusion, while this acquisition may seem like a positive move for IGN, it's important to remember the negative impact it can have on both employees and the gaming industry as a whole. Let's hope that this trend of major acquisitions and consolidations can be reversed in the future, for the sake of diversity and competition in the gaming world.
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