1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

[Shawn Zipay]

Ziff Davis has officially sold the entire 1UP network to the Hearst Corporation. UGO.com, a unit of the Hearst Corporation, will assume control over 1UP in the near future.

After a comprehensive process, this morning we completed a deal with Hearst Interactive, the owner and operator of UGO Entertainment. 1UP.com, MyCheats.com, Gamevideos.com, and Gametab.com will now all be part of the UGO Entertainment business. Many of our employees will travel with this business and become part of the UGO team.

With this transaction happening, we have also made the decision to discontinue publication of EGM. The January 2009 issue will be the final issue of the publication. With demand for print continuing to decline amongst both advertisers and readers and the content being produced by 1UP no longer available for use in the publication, it simply did not make sense for us to move forward with this business any longer.

We will continue to operate the Filefront business as a part of the PCMag Digital Network. In the coming months we will determine the best ways to leverage the scale and functionality of this digital property to expand our business position.

As noted in the letter sent to Ziff Davis employees, EGM's last issue is the January 2009 issue. The publication certainly had a great 19 year run.

However, it is now known that many employees have been outright fired during this transition. Upwards of 30 employees of Ziff Davis have been fired, leaving just a very few remaining to make the actual transition to UGO.

Kotaku makes note of some of the more notable ex-employees of Ziff Davis.

According to twitter posts, GAF posts and phone calls to MTV, around 30 staffers were let go today, including Skip Pfister, Ryan O'Donnell, Philip Kollar, Jay Fresh, Cesar Quintero, Nick Suttner, Anthony Gallegos, Matt Chandronait, Shane Bettenhausen and former EIC James Mielke.

Also cut were most of the Gamevideos.com team, as well as production of the 1UP Show.

So much for that statement of "many" employees moving to be part of the UGO team.

[eldri]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

:/ very sad news. so few physical publications left. EGM was one of the best.
hopefully things work out for everyone being affected negatively by this merger...

[[IG]MajGen.EssFerret]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

Physical publications aside, the people in that list are the producers and talent of a lot of the online content. I listen to/watch most of their podcasts on a weekly basis. I would think that this would either leave a void in the market for gaming podcasts or we will see these people start up their own gaming podcast venture.

[imported_Will]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

/sigh. Its a total shame that things like this are ending because of the economy.

[[Expletive Deleted]]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

EGM gone, GFW gone. Who's next? PC Gamer? Maximum PC?
I do think that it's possible that there were too many magazines to sustain all of them. When four different gaming magazines have L4D reviews running at the same time, most people are only going to buy one of them.
The sad thing is, I had a subscription to GFW that got converted to a sub for EGM when GFW died. I guess I kill magazines the same way I kill forum threads. :skullbones:

[FPS[SONIC]]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

I really don't think it is the economy. Sure, the financial crisis is putting pressure on folks and businesses. History shows us that entertainment expenditures actually increase during financial turmoil. IMO there are other more pressing factors, such as the shift to console gaming and the rampant cheating, exploiting, griefing involved in PC MP gaming coupled with the economic factors.

IMO PC gaming in general has been on the decline for at least a year if not two years. This financial situation came along as part of the whole package and not the cause.

The loss of the magazine is not related to gaming. It is about advertizing revenue. As readership of print publications declines, the advertizing rate does to. I don't know if you've noticed, but many, many magazines have stopped publication and even the NY Times has stated that they are considering stopping the press in favor of electronic distribution.

Times are changing and we're here for the ride.

[Obsidian Spire]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

I don't know if you've noticed, but many, many magazines have stopped publication and even the NY Times has stated that they are considering stopping the press in favor of electronic distribution.

Times are changing and we're here for the ride.

Punny. I agree, there are too many game organizations doing the same things for an audience that will continue to flock towards free sources of information. I never read EGM, but it is sad to see an option leave stands. Especially because it had almost reached its 20th anniversary. This was just harsh.

[Carlos]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

Goodbye EGM.

Sad news for those employees.

[[21CW]HIVictim]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

It always baffles me when they fire the whole staff behind the company they just purchased. Those people made the company that you just bought out. Without them you would have never had a desire to own that other company. Obviously they did something right.

[RubyEclipse]

Re: 1UP Sold to UGO - EGM is done, Mass Firings Ensue

It's really unfortunate; companies all around are scaling down.

I actually met a couple of the 1UP guys from the podcasts, they were really cool people and I hope things turn out well for them. They've actually started doing more podcasts over at Rebel FM, and I'd encourage anyone who loved their work to check out that site and see what they're up to - those guys are most definitely still kicking!