GameSpot

GameSpot is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition to the information produced by GameSpot staff, the site also allows users to write their own reviews, blogs, and post on the site's forums. It has been owned by Fandom, Inc. since October 2022.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2004, GameSpot won "Best Gaming Website" as chosen by the viewers in Spike TV's second Video Game Award Show,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> and has won Webby Awards several times. The domain GameSpot.com attracted at least 60 million visitors annually by October 2008 according to a Compete.com study.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

In January 1996, Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein quit their positions at IDG and founded SpotMedia Communications.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Wired">Template:Cite magazine</ref> SpotMedia then launched GameSpot on May 1, 1996.<ref name="Wired" /> Originally, GameSpot focused solely on personal computer games, so a sister site, VideoGameSpot, was launched on December 1, 1996.<ref name="Wired" /><ref name="Navarro">Template:Cite web</ref> Eventually VideoGameSpot, then renamed VideoGames.com, was merged into GameSpot.<ref name="Navarro" />

On January 6, 1997, SpotMedia and publisher Ziff Davis announced a $20 million agreement allowing the publisher to run content from Computer Gaming World and Electronic Gaming Monthly on SpotMedia's websites.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> By the following month, Ziff Davis's substantial financial infusion enabled GameSpot to grow to 45 employees.<ref name="Wired" /> Upon the May 11, 1998 launch of Ziff Davis's cable channel ZDTV, a program by GameSpot was projected for a mid-summer release,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and would premiere as GameSpot TV on July 4.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 1999, PC Magazine named GameSpot one of the hundred best websites, alongside competitors IGN and CNET Gamecenter.<ref name="pcmagtop100">Template:Cite journal</ref>

On July 19, 2000, CNET announced its acquisition of ZDNET, putting GameSpot and Gamecenter under the same parent company.<ref name="eurocnet">Template:Cite web</ref> That December, The New York Times declared GameSpot and Gamecenter the "Time and Newsweek of gaming sites".<ref name="nytimescenter">Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2001, GameSpot was spared from a redundancy reduction effort by CNET which shuttered Gamecenter.<ref name="chronicle1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="registergc">Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2005, GameSpot adopted a new design similar to that of TV.com, now considered a sister site to GameSpot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> GameSpot ran a few different paid subscriptions from 2006 to 2013, but is no longer running those.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="signup">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2008, GameSpotTemplate:'s parent company CNET was acquired by CBS Corporation, and GameSpot along with CNET's other online assets were managed by the CBS Interactive division.<ref name="cbs">Template:Cite web</ref>

A new layout change was adopted in October 2013.Template:Citation needed

CNET was sold to Red Ventures in October 2020.<ref name="redventures-acquisition-prnewswire">Template:Cite web</ref> Two years later, Fandom acquired GameSpot, along with Metacritic, TV Guide, GameFAQs, Giant Bomb, Cord Cutters News, and Comic Vine from Red Ventures.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="fandom">Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2023, 40-50 employees were affected by a round of layoffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> More layoffs at GameSpot took place in January 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

International history

File:E3 2011 - Gamespot stage (5831894480).jpg

The GameSpot stage at E3 2011

GameSpot UK (United Kingdom) was started in October 1997 and operated until mid-2002, offering content that was oriented for the British market that often differed from that of the U.S. site. During this period, GameSpot UK won the 1999 PPAi (Periodical Publishers Association interactive) award for best website,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was short listed in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> PC Gaming World was considered a "sister print magazine" and some content appeared on both GameSpot UK and PC Gaming World.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the purchase of ZDNet by CNET, GameSpot UK was merged with the main US site. On April 24, 2006, GameSpot UK was relaunched.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In a similar fashion, GameSpot AU (Australia) existed on a local scale in the late 1990s with Australian-produced reviews. It ceased in 2003. When a local version of the main CNET portal, CNET.com.au was launched in 2003, GameSpot AU content was folded into CNET.com.au. The site was fully re-launched in mid-2006, with a specialized forum, local reviews, special features, local pricings in Australian dollars, Australian release dates, and more local news.Template:Citation needed

Gerstmann dismissal

Jeff Gerstmann, editorial director of the site, was fired on November 28, 2007, as a result of pressure from Eidos Interactive, a major advertiser; Eidos objected to the 6/10 review that Gerstmann had given Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, a game they were heavily advertising on GameSpot at the time.<ref name="GiantBomb" /><ref name="kotakuGameSpot" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Both GameSpot and parent company CNET initially stated that his dismissal was unrelated to the review.<ref name="gsso">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cnetofficial">Template:Cite web</ref> However, in March 2012, the non-disclosure agreement that forced Gerstmann to withhold the details of his termination was nullified. Not long after, Giant Bomb (a site Gerstmann founded after leaving GameSpot) was being purchased by the same parent company as GameSpot, and that they moved their headquarters into the same building. As part of this announcement, Gerstmann revealed that the firing was indeed related to threats of Eidos pulling advertising revenue away from GameSpot as a result of Gerstmann's poor review score, which was confirmed by GameSpot's Jon Davison.<ref name="GiantBomb">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="kotakuGameSpot">Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable staff

• Greg Kasavin – executive editor and site director of GameSpot, who left in 2007 to become a game developer. He became a producer at EA and 2K Games. As of 2021, he was working for Supergiant Games as a writer and creative director.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Jeff Gerstmann – editorial director of the site, dismissed from GameSpot on November 28, 2007, for undisclosed reasons, after which he started Giant Bomb.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the announcement of the purchase of Giant Bomb by CBS Interactive on March 15, 2012, Jeff was allowed to reveal that he was dismissed by management as a result of publishers threatening to pull advertising revenue due to less-than-glowing review scores being awarded by GameSpotTemplate:'s editorial team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Danny O'Dwyer – video presenter of GameSpot, founded crowdfunded game documentary company Noclip in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Chris Wanstrath – web developer of GameSpot who left in 2008 to start GitHub, which became the world's largest host service for software code.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018 he sold GitHub to Microsoft for $7.5 billion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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See also

• GameSpot Game of the Year awards

External links

• Template:Official website
• GameSpot UK (archived)
• GameSpot Belgium (archived)
• GameSpot France (archived)
• GameSpot Germany (archived)