GameTap fires editorial department, Read and Watch sections to shut down

by Alexander Sliwinski { May 28th 2008 at 3:45PM }

GameTap is shutting down its relatively new editorial department and the entire staff has been given a couple of weeks notice. GameDaily reports that GameTap's Read and Watch sections, which are less than a year old, had a strong stable of veteran industry writers, but those sections will now be dismantled and integrated into the site's actual game pages.

GameTap VP Rick Sanchez writes on the community boards that the service has been happy with the editorial team, but has decided to focus on the company's main business, which is its game catalog. Details are still lacking about what the new vision for GameTap is, but being an all-purpose mega-site with games and news to rival Gamespot or IGN is obviously not it.

Update: We've placed GameTap's official statement on this issue after the break.

"GameTap is a brand that has established itself as a valued destination for the online gaming community. It is that community that we want to focus on more strategically and serve in the most effective way possible. Therefore, we are shifting GameTap from being a game portal to exclusively a gaming service with greater emphasis on GameTap's growing library of more than a thousand titles."

- Paul Condolora, senior vice president, digital for Turner Broadcasting's Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media group

Tags: breakingnews, gametap, pink-slips

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Marty @ May 28th 2008 3:59PM

So now the editorial staff writes only glowing positive things about the games, since their work will go on the actual game pages.

Publishers didn't want negative reviews written on a site which is supposed to sell their games, or what?

syrik zero @ May 28th 2008 4:13PM

Layoffs are sad

LaughingTarget @ May 28th 2008 4:59PM

There are just too many more reliable people that write game reviews that don't do it as a profession. Why pay someone when you can get someone else to do it in their spare time?

ScottG13 @ May 28th 2008 5:04PM

How can that Justin McElroy still have a job!?!?

Aceinthehole @ May 28th 2008 5:20PM

I think Marty has it right -- and Laughing Target has it dead wrong.

I've been reading more and more the pressures the gaming industry is putting on reviewers to give them great accolades, even when their game fails to live up to expectations. The corporate language used just reeks of bad baloney.

As for using outside sources, no self-respecting business does that because they lose editorial control (with exception of subscription wire services). And corporations tend to go nuts when they can't pass a policy on down to the lowest guy on the ladder.

I think in the end, the people who really lose out will be the customers and users. But hey, as long as they're making a profit, who cares?!

Mr Khan @ May 28th 2008 5:57PM

It always bothered me, for some reason, that GameTap was trying to expand to become their own self-run media hub

I suppose that's just the wave of the industry, that specialized web-sites can't compete, but I felt that GameTap should be about the games

Either way, bad news for journalistic integrity, which really seems to be taking a beating.

They really need to do something about the rampant corruption, though. Some sort of catch-all solution, though i can't think of one

Chase @ May 28th 2008 6:03PM

A "catch-all" solution? Video game journalist union.

Courtney @ May 28th 2008 7:00PM

Actually, this makes a lot of sense from a business perspective. How many people fire up Gametap to read news? I don't. When I launch Gametap, it's to play a game. I almost never visit the website. For its business model, I think it makes a lot more sense to put resources into improving the overall service and acquiring more games.

Cal @ May 28th 2008 7:45PM

wait this means that Dana Jongaward and Scooter of ye old official playstation magazine got fired AGAIN? There's no justice.

Futuramaguy42 @ May 28th 2008 8:50PM

Think on the bright side, now they will have more money so maybe we can get more good games.

Zoinks @ May 28th 2008 10:52PM

Maybe now they can afford to license some 64-bit compatible emulation software.

Luis B. @ May 29th 2008 1:08AM

it seems that game journalists are having a hard time keeping their work nowadays.

GreyFox @ May 29th 2008 1:04AM

Only when they're honest unfortunately.

t_m @ May 29th 2008 7:21AM

I like gametap. But honestly, I only realised a few weeks back that they even HAD any editorial content!

Sucks for the guys getting fired... but it was a dumb idea by whoever even tried doing it in the first place. they should stick with being a games (and video) platform.. and boost the community elements rather than try and pointlessly duplicate the millions of other review sites.