Today, GameStop shut down Game Informer, the longest-running gaming magazine in the US that had been going for 33 years.
The company cruelly and unceremoniously reportedly told staff that they would all be let go early Friday morning and that they would receive severance packages.
According to a report from Kotaku on the closure, the news came while at least one staff member was away on a work trip while this is happening, and another former staff member on Twitter confirmed that the announcement of the closure was posted to Twitter without any of the editorial staff’s knowledge and before everyone had been informed of what was going on.
“After 33 thrilling years of bringing you the latest news, reviews, and insights from the ever-evolving world of gaming, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Game Informer,” the statement began.
“From the early days of pixelated adventures to today’s immersive virtual realms, we’ve been honored to share this incredible journey with you, our loyal readers. While our presses may stop, the passion for gaming that we’ve cultivated together will continue to live on.
Thank you for being part of our epic quest, and may your own gaming adventures never end.”
Game Informer began its journey that would wind-up helping to define coverage of video games for years to come all the way back in 1991. Then in 2000, it was purchased by GameStop, a company that has been running itself into the ground for years.
Having a bad parent company however didn’t stop Game Informer from continuing to publish some of the best games coverage in the history of covering games. It continued to publish a physical magazine along with a website for far longer than most places that solely covered video games.
To see it be shut down is a huge loss for games media and a sad day for the games industry at large.
GameStop has yet to publish any further statement on the closure beyond what was published to the Game Informer Twitter account, though it’s important to note that this closure comes in the same week that GameStop’s chief executive officer Ryan Cohen is faced with a lawsuit to the tune of $47 million for insider trading.
Source – [Game Informer, Kotaku]