Eurogamer

Last updated

Eurogamer
Official Eurogamer logo.svg
Type of business Subsidiary
Type of site
Video game journalism
Headquarters
United Kingdom
Founder(s)
  • John Bye
  • Patrick Stokes
  • Rupert Loman
EditorTom Phillips
Industry Video game industry
Parent Gamer Network
URL www.eurogamer.net OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
Launched4 September 1999;25 years ago (1999-09-04)

Eurogamer is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network.

Contents

In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. [1] [2] From 2013 to 2020, sister site USGamer ran independently under its parent company.

History

Eurogamer Expo 2009 Eurogamer Expo 2009.jpg
Eurogamer Expo 2009
Kristan Reed served as Eurogamer's editor from 2002 to 2008. Kristan Reed.jpg
Kristan Reed served as Eurogamer's editor from 2002 to 2008.
Tom Bramwell edited Eurogamer from 2008 to 2014. Tom Bramwell 2006.jpg
Tom Bramwell edited Eurogamer from 2008 to 2014.

Eurogamer (initially stylised as EuroGamer) was launched on 4 September 1999 under company Eurogamer Network. The founding team included John "Gestalt" Bye, the webmaster for the PlanetQuake website and a writer for British magazine PC Gaming World ; Patrick "Ghandi" Stokes, a contributor for the website Warzone; and Rupert "rauper" Loman, who had organised the EuroQuake esports event for the game Quake . [3] It became the official online media partner of the 2002 European Computer Trade Show. [4] Eurogamer hosts content from media outlet Digital Foundry since 2007, which was founded by games journalist Richard Leadbetter in 2004. [5]

In February 2015, Eurogamer dropped its ten-point scale for review scores instead highlight some games the reviewer felt particularly strongly with labels such as 'Essential', 'Recommended' or 'Avoid'. The change was driven by doubt about the score system's usefulness and its desire to be delisted from review aggregator Metacritic because of its "unhealthy influence" on the games industry. [6] [7] In May 2023, Eurogamer returned to scoring reviews, opting for a five-point scale due to them being "universally understood, simple to take in at a glance, and easily shared." [8]

In February 2018, Eurogamer's parent company, Gamer Network, was acquired by Reed Exhibitions, [9] a division of RELX. In September 2021, the community forum for Eurogamer closed, with the site recommending other platforms such as Discord instead. [10] In the same month, Eurogamer also launched a supporter program, offering readers an ad-free experience and access to paywalled content. [11]

In May 2024, the Gamer Network was sold to IGN Entertainment, a subsidiary of Ziff Davis. [12]

Editors

In January 2008, Tom Bramwell overtook the role of editor-in-chief from Kristan Reed, remaining in that role until he resigned in November 2014. [13] [14] Afterwards Oli Welsh served as editor for Eurogamer, [15] followed by Martin Robinson, [16] with Tom Phillips now being the current editor. [17]

Regional websites

Current

Eurogamer has several regional publications:

Former

Reception

Eurogamer has won several trade awards, including:

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References

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  5. "About Us". Digital Foundry. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
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