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 eurogamer.net
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
Launched4 September 1999;24 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

Euorgamer has won several trade awards, including:

Related Research Articles

<i>Quake III Arena</i> 1999 video game

Quake III Arena is a 1999 multiplayer-focused first-person shooter developed by id Software. The third installment of the Quake series, Arena differs from previous games by excluding a story-based single-player mode and focusing primarily on multiplayer gameplay. The single-player mode is played against computer-controlled bots. It features music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly founder Bill Leeb.

Tom Hall is an American game designer best known for his work with id Software on titles such as Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Commander Keen. He has also been the co-founder of Ion Storm, together with his friend and colleague John Romero. During his years in the company, Hall designed and produced Anachronox and was also actively involved in the development of Deus Ex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GameSpy</span> American video game company

GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1999 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for Quake, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameSpy brand to other video game publishers through a newly established company, GameSpy Industries, which also incorporated his Planet Network of video game news and information websites, and GameSpy.com.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabe Newell</span> American businessman (born 1962)

Gabe Logan Newell, also known by his nickname Gaben, is an American businessman who is the president and co-founder of the video game company Valve Corporation.

Eidos Interactive Limited was a British video game publisher based in Wimbledon, London. Its games series included Championship Manager (1992), Tomb Raider (1996) and Hitman (2000). Domark was founded by Mark Strachan and Dominic Wheatley in 1984. In 1995, it was acquired by software company Eidos. Ian Livingstone, who held a stake in Domark, became executive chairman of Eidos and held various roles including creative director. Eidos took over U.S. Gold in 1996, which included developer Core Design, and merged its operations including Domark, which created publishing subsidiary Eidos Interactive. The company acquired Crystal Dynamics in 1998, and owned numerous other assets. In 2005, parent Eidos was taken over by games publisher SCi. The combined company, SCi Entertainment Group, which was briefly renamed Eidos, was itself taken over by Square Enix in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumo Digital</span> British video game developer

Sumo Digital Ltd. is a British video game developer based in Sheffield and the principal subsidiary of Sumo Group since 2017. The company was founded in 2003 by four former members of the management team of Infogrames Studios and, as of 2023, employs more than 1100 people in 16 studios. The developer's model has been described as work for hire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Splash Damage</span> British video game developer

Splash Damage Ltd. is a British video game developer specialising in multiplayer first-person shooter video games. The studio is best known as the creators of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

<i>Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis</i> 2006 table tennis simulation video game

Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis is a 2006 table tennis simulation video game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. The game is a realistic simulation of the sport table tennis, with the main objective to make the opponent fail to hit the ball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eidos-Montréal</span> Canadian video game developer

Eidos Interactive Corporation is a Canadian video game developer based in Montreal and part of Embracer Group. The studio was founded by Stéphane D'Astous in 2007 under SCi Entertainment. It became part of Square Enix Europe in 2009 and CDE Entertainment in 2022.

<i>Joe Danger</i> 2010 video game

Joe Danger is a side-scrolling video game incorporating elements of racing and platform games, and is the first game developed by Hello Games. The player controls the eponymous daredevil and navigates time-limited courses, aiming to complete enough objectives to continue to further rounds. Joe Danger is presented in a lighthearted way, with emphasis on stunts and maintaining speed.

<i>VG247</i> Video game blog

VG247 is a video game blog published in the United Kingdom, founded in February 2008 by industry veteran Patrick Garratt. Its current Editor-in-Chief is Dom Peppiatt. In 2009, CNET ranked it as the third best gaming blog in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bossa Studios</span> British video game developer

Bossa Studios Limited is a British video game developer based in London. It is known for its comedic, physics-based games Surgeon Simulator and I Am Bread.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamer Network</span> British digital media company

Gamer Network Limited is a British digital media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other video game businesses. Its flagship website, Eurogamer, was launched alongside the company. It began hosting the video game trade show EGX in 2008. ReedPop acquired Gamer Network in 2018 and sold it to IGN Entertainment in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curve Games</span> British video game developer and publisher

Curve Games Limited is a British video game publisher based in London, founded in 2005 by Jason Perkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inkle (company)</span> English video game company

Inkle is a video game development company based in Cambridge, United Kingdom that specialises in interactive narrative, i.e. text-focused computer video games. They have created games such as 80 Days and Sorcery!, a recreation of Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! gamebook series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Nod</span> French video game developer

Don't Nod Entertainment SA is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in June 2008, it started development on Remember Me (2013). Because of its poor return on investment, Don't Nod entered "judicial reorganisation" in 2013. With the help of French agency funding, it developed Life Is Strange, whose successful release raised Don't Nod's industry status. It began third-party publishing with Gerda: A Flame in Winter in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EGX (expo)</span> Video game trade fair

EGX is trade fair for video games organised by Gamer Network and held annually in the United Kingdom and Germany.

PCGamesN is a British website with articles about PC gaming and hardware.

<i>Video Games Chronicle</i> Video game website

Video Games Chronicle is a British entertainment website covering video games published independently by 1981 Media. Led by editor-in-chief Andy Robinson, the team consists largely of former Computer and Video Games staff. Launched in May 2019 in partnership with Gamer Network, VGC sought to blend professional and mainstream publications to complement the works of other video game websites. The website received five million monthly readers and seven million page views as of December 2020, and has been twice nominated for Media Brand of the Year at the MCV/Develop Awards.

References

  1. Bowden, Mike (20 October 2008). "Loman on EE2008: "Our biggest inspiration is probably the Penny Arcade Expo"". VG247 . Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  2. "This Is What Video Games Are: A Dispatch From A Crowded Gaming Expo". Kotaku Australia. 10 October 2013. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. "EuroGamer opens!". Eurogamer. 4 September 1999. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022.
  4. Schofield, Jack (29 August 2002). "Live from ECTS..." The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  5. "About Us". Digital Foundry. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  6. Calvin, Alex (23 February 2015). "Why Eurogamer ditched review scores". MCV/Develop . Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  7. Welsh, Oli (10 February 2015). "Eurogamer has dropped review scores". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023.
  8. Phillips, Tom; Tapsell, Chris (10 May 2023). "Eurogamer reviews are changing". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  9. Frank, Allegra (26 February 2018). "PAX organizer acquires USgamer, Eurogamer and more". Polygon . Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  10. Plunkett, Luke (16 September 2021). "Please Stop Closing Forums And Moving People To Discord". Kotaku . Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  11. Welsh, Oli (28 September 2021). "Support Eurogamer to view the site ad-free - and much more". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  12. Dring, Christopher (21 May 2024). "IGN Entertainment acquires Eurogamer, GI, VG247, Rock Paper Shotgun and more". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  13. Martin, Matt (14 January 2008). "Bramwell steps up to editor role at Eurogamer.net". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on 23 August 2022.
  14. Yin-Poole, Wesley (28 November 2014). "Eurogamer vs Tom Bramwell". Eurogamer.
  15. Eurogamer staff (17 August 2010). "The Eurogamer Staff". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  16. "Editor's blog: I'm leaving Eurogamer at the end of the year". Eurogamer.net. 26 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  17. Phillips, Tom (28 April 2023). "Hello from Eurogamer's new editor-in-chief". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  18. Bramwell, Tom (4 August 2006). "Eurogamer.de announced". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  19. Bramwell, Tom (18 August 2008). "Eurogamer Benelux launches!". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  20. Gibson, Ellie (21 May 2008). "New Eurogamer Portugal site launches". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023.
  21. Loureiro, Jorge (1 March 2013). "Eurogamer Network é agora Gamer Network" [Eurogamer Network is now Gamer Network]. Eurogamer.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  22. Gibson, Ellie (25 June 2009). "Eurogamer Denmark launches". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  23. Eurogamer staff (25 October 2007). "Eurogamer France launches!". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  24. "La fine di un bel viaggio". Eurogamer.it (in Italian). 4 November 2022. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  25. Göransson, Andréas (11 December 2016). "Eurogamer.se lägger ner – tack för att du läste" [Eurogamer.se closes – thank you for reading]. Eurogamer.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  26. "PC Zone heads roll call of winners at Games Media Awards". MCV. 15 October 2010. ISSN   1469-4832 . Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  27. "GMA 2011: Eurogamer takes Best Website award fifth year running". MCV. 27 October 2011. ISSN   1469-4832 . Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  28. "All the winners from the Games Media Brit List". MCV/Develop . 18 May 2018. ISSN   1469-4832. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  29. Taylor, Ivy (18 May 2018). "Eurogamer scoops multiple awards at first-ever Games Media Brit List". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  30. Wallace, Chris (13 May 2022). "Announcing the winners of the 2022 MCV/DEVELOP Awards!". MCV. ISSN   1469-4832 . Retrieved 2 November 2023.