Well, it's been nearly a week since we launched Joystiq PlayStation, the spiritual successor to PS3 and PSP Fanboy. It's been an exciting time for us, but understandably, there's been a bit of confusion and anger amongst our most loyal readers. So, while it is bit self-centered, I thought my first editorial should focus on the site, and our direction moving forward.Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the launch were the technical glitches, as expected as they were. I don't know much about web technology, but even I can assume that having to merge two separate databases (PS3 and PSP Fanboy) into one site, while being able to replicate content from any other Joystiq site, is a daunting challenge. All things considered, I'm incredibly grateful to our main programming man, Justin Glow, for making all of this possible.
However, there were a few things that just didn't work until later in the week -- every day we went without crucial features was another day I'd worry about lost readers. All of us understand PSP owners don't necessarily want to read PS3 news, and vice versa. If only we had the platform filters, RSS feeds, and URL redirects work at launch. All of us here wanted the transition to go as smoothly as possible. It took a while, but we're finally there. Going to PSP Fanboy, for example, takes you to our PSP-only news. The RSS feed for that tag will only show PSP stories (there was a weird, inexplicable, migraine-inducing glitch earlier in the week). Less than a week after the site relaunch, I can comfortably say almost everything is working as it's supposed to. I think that's impressive!
Some of our readers have sent in e-mails and comments, worried about the site's former community and editorial direction. While some of the e-mails have been ... less than polite, this feedback helps us refine the direction we want to take the site. This is still a work in progress, and I think we're already doing a better job of choosing which multiplatform stories appear on the site. Yes, there have been some unfamiliar faces on the PlayStation site, but they're all knowledgeable writers of our systems. In fact, writers like Xav and David, have been dying for a chance to write for non-Xbox and non-Nintendo platforms. I think their enthusiasm is quite evident.
This column is just the latest effort on our part to make sure you can become a closer part of the Joystiq family. The new format will take some time to get used to, but I think it helps the writers pursue stories that they're genuinely passionate about. The hope is that we'll be able to provide you more thorough features in the future, by reducing the amount of time our writers spend on writing the same stories over and over again across multiple sites.
I'm thankful for all of you that have managed to stick with us during this transition. I'm very proud of this new site design, and I do believe this second week will run much more smoothly. I welcome all your feedback on what you thought of week one so far. If you're disappointed, let us know how we can adapt to make things better. If you're satisfied, you should also let us know what you liked. Our goal has, and always will be, to provide you a fair and thorough look at PlayStation gaming news.
Coming this week:
- Killzone 2 -- the review you've been waiting for
- DC Universe Online -- an updated preview
- Watchmen -- first impressions of the upcoming PSN game
- Prototype -- updated impressions from New York Comic Con
- Uncharted 2 -- Sony's next big game, and we're checking it out!
- ALSO: a first look at a brand new, never before seen PSP game
