http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/57081
Well, that is unexpected.
Interesting.
The GameFly-related acquisition I’ve been expecting was more along the lines of, “Netflix acquires GameFly”
Huh. This reminds me a lot of when GameTap started an editorial arm, and staffed up.
That didn’t end well.
Fucking fuck fuck.
I’ve been visiting Shacknews daily for over 10 years, this does not bode well :(.
I’ve been there for… 12 years I think? My account says I joined in September 99 but I knew the older versions before that.
I’m sort of depressed by the news. I know its dumb but its sad to see this happen.
I don’ get why Gamefly is interested in the shack. At least gametap it made some sense but this? Shacknews had a pc focus and gamefly has nothing to do with pc gaming.
Shack hasn’t had a PC focus for a long time now, but they have certainly been granting the PC a greater share of coverage than a strict market share breakdown would indicate is justified. That’s something I’ve appreciated.
I’m truly happy to see Steve, Maarten, and the rest of the Shack crew rewarded for their years of hard work, but I can’t escape the feeling that an era has ended. Of the really old school action PC gaming sites along the lines of Stomped, Thresh’s Firing Squad, Quakeholio, Voodoo Extreme, and the like, are any still operating independently? I can’t think of any.
Blues News has a deal for ads with UGO but is still independently owned by Blue. At least that’s what he told me recently on his discussion boards.
Evening Reading
Steve Gibson Feb 03, 2009 8:12pm CST
I really do love you guys. For serious.
Wtf got into Steve?
GameFly Acquires Shacknews
by Shack Staff Feb 03, 2009 8:15pm CST
Oh. Bummer it’s not April. Hope that sudden burst of brotherly love was pecuniarily induced.
Good for him. I hope he cashed out. Nice guy.
Chris Morris covered it at Forbes.
Beyond the short-term benefits, though, the Shacknews acquisition could set up GameFly for the future, as game companies move toward a digital distribution business model.
Currently, GameFly operates on the model that brought Netflix (nasdaq: NFLX - news - people ) to prominence. Users can rent up to four games at a time and keep them as long as they like, returning them in a prepaid envelope. Digital distribution, however, is becoming a more viable (and cost efficient) way for publishers to deliver content, and consumers are quickly embracing. By establishing a large, loyal community, GameFly could be setting the stage to make that transition in the coming years.
GameFly management downplays this, saying it purchased Shacknews solely because of the site’s reputation and content. “We don’t have a five-year plan, per se,” says GameFly Co-Founder Sean Spector. “We tend to look six or 12 or 18 months out because things change so fast in our space. … I think in the gaming category, there’s a large need for quality content. Shacknews fills that need, delivering great news and features and a vibrant community. We can leverage a lot of things we have internally, like our infrastructure and resources, and help expand it.”
Shacknews founder Steve Gibson will be leaving the site. Maarten Goldstein, Gibson’s business partner and former co-owner, will stay involved for at least the short term. The rest of the site’s staff will remain.
Digital distribution, however, is becoming a more viable (and cost efficient) way for publishers to deliver content, and consumers are quickly embracing. By establishing a large, loyal community, GameFly could be setting the stage to make that transition in the coming years.
This makes not the slightest shred of sense.
I didn’t even realize those old sites still existed.
Bring back Stomped !
Ditto.
It was the only Quake news site I stuck with after the first year, back in 1996-7.
A bit sad, but I guess it’s no surprise, given that Steve is now older, married and hasn’t really been that into the community for a long time.
Of course, the big question is if the site will get worse because of GameFly, or posters complaining about GameFly.
Me too. I wondered why when GameTap did it. They asked themselves that same question around a year later.
Personally I’m a Blue’s man. If Heaslip gives it up, I don’t know where I’d go for my daily PC gaming news.
yeah, this sucks. I’ve visited there off and one for going on 10 years. Pretty sure the site will go to shit within a year.
My account says 2002, but I’m pretty sure I read w/o signing up for a few years before that. I had a Mercury sub all this time mainly for support and … because it wasn’t fileplanet.
Guess I can stop that subscription now … :/ As much as I don’t want to be a doomsayer or anything, I cannot see how this is a good thing for the Shack (from the users’ viewpoint of course) in any way.
I actually hosted the shack for a couple of years back in the dotcom days, from 1998-2000 or so. Unlike myself, Steve took it seriously, made it through the dotcom crash, and built up a community that’ll outlast his separation from the site. Gamefly bought that community, not the frontpage. Possibly the fileshack backend too. I dunno, that was after my time. I like to think of him living on a private island now with his profits. Like I said, nice guy.