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Businesses Entertainment Games

IGN Purchased By News Corp. 58

Posted by Zonk from the another-win-for-murdoch dept.
The Inquirer has the news that, it's official, IGN has been purchased by News Corporation. From the article: "For those not in the know, sites under the IGN network include IGN.com, GameSpy, GameSpy Arena, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, 3D Gamers, Direct2Drive, GameStats.com and a handful of sites under the Vault and Planet networks. IGN and its network will all become part of News Corporation's Fox Interactive Media unit, according to a News Corporation press release. This move is part of News Corp.'s plans to increase its presence online and follows the acquisition of Intermix - which ran MySpace.com - and a college sports outlet Scout Media."
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IGN Purchased By News Corp. More

IGN Purchased By News Corp.

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  • Fox does it again (Score:5, Funny)

    by ValuJet ( 587148 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @09:30AM (#13509182)
    Just when you thought IGN couldn't get any shittier, fox goes and buys it. Does anyone take their game reviews seriously? Every time I read them the reviews seem like they are purchased from the companies that make the game.

    • Re:Fox does it again (Score:3, Interesting)

      by CoffeeJedi ( 90936 )
      well, it will be the same honest editorial quality, but now with tie-ins to this week's episode of 24! Synergy!

      i could see the following happening:

      Fox creates shoddy CGI animated feature that emphasises celebrity voices (from Fox shows) and crappy pop-culture references over story.

      Fox commissions video game based on new feature.

      Gamespy gives video game glowing review.

      Gamespy interviews celebrity voices for site, asking about voiceover work for game, making sure to quote celebrity saying that they're a "big

    • Re:Fox does it again (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I actually don't quite "get" the bashing of IGN reviews. Sure, their scores tend to be a little high, but they follow a consistent scale. The text of the reviews is, for the most part, detailed and informative and highlights any significant flaws even in high-scoring games. I remember when Doom 3 came out, IGN's review was a little late in appearing, but ended up giving a much more balanced review than the 10/10 and 0/10 reviews that everywhere else had thrown out within 24 hours of release.

      I'm not sure tha
      • I think the PC channel on IGN is fairly balanced because they don't get the attention that the console channels do, especially the PS2 and Xbox channels where most of the blatant review fiddling goes on.

        For example the rave reviews Halo 2, Knights of the Old Republic or San Andreas got. Halo 2 wasn't finished, neither was KOTOR2 and San Andreas had horrid slow down problems and terrible controls, yet they all got recommended as brilliant games without the flaws even being mentioned. Then there was their rev
        • Disagree with you strongly here.

          Halo 2 was, in my opinion, the best fps of last year. More varied than Doom 3, less pretentious than HL2 and less stupidly difficult than the later levels of Farcry. Sure, the ending was a let-down, but it takes a while to get there and the journey is as entertaining as hell. Plus, it actually has an interesting and unique art style, rather than just going for the spec-overload of the PC rivals.

          KOTOR is a superb game... one of the best RPGs I've played on any platform in the
          • Halo 2 was, in my opinion, the best fps of last year. More varied than Doom 3, less pretentious than HL2 and less stupidly difficult than the later levels of Farcry. Sure, the ending was a let-down, but it takes a while to get there and the journey is as entertaining as hell. Plus, it actually has an interesting and unique art style, rather than just going for the spec-overload of the PC rivals.

            Guess you didn't play The Chronicles of Riddick. Halo 2 also has significant frame drops in certain sections (li
        • Given the fact there's typically a three month lead to magazine printing, it's hardly surprising that they were reviewing unfinished games. That also means, for better or worse, they have to make some assumption about the bugs they may or may not run into being fixed before release. How stupid would they look complaining about a bug that didn't exist on the shipping version?
    • Yep, I'm sure the review for 24: The Game (stupid title) will be as impartial and fair handed as Fox News' coverage of George Bush's election campaign.

      Still I'm sure this won't stop IGN pimping Jessica Chobot on every page as though a girl who plays games is some sort of pull for readers (maybe it is if you're 13 and "like teh playstashun and boobies". I bet the IGN editors were really impressed with her journalistic abilities and hiring her had nothing to do with her having breasts and them having no socia

    • Re:Fox does it again (Score:3, Informative)

      by xtracto ( 837672 )
      Try Metacritic [metacritic.com] I find it very useful for game revies and scores. And it has also Films, DVDs, Music and Books.

  • I yearn for the day... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    When we will all be able to say in unison : "Don't blame me, I voted for Kang!"

  • omglol this is great! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Ender Ryan ( 79406 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @09:35AM (#13509227) Journal
    Now IGN's game coverage will be Fair and Balanced(TM)!

  • Hello Gentlemen (Score:4, Funny)

    by El_Muerte_TDS ( 592157 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @09:37AM (#13509251) Homepage
    All your sites are belong to us.

  • a logo is in order (Score:4, Insightful)

    by phoenix42 ( 263805 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @09:41AM (#13509276)
    Maybe /. need a Rupert Murdoch logo, for every time News Corp. buys some craptacular internet company.

  • Adventures in Digital BS (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Japong ( 793982 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @09:45AM (#13509316)

    Which is kind of an odd conflict of interest, seeing as Fox Interactive has a games division.

    As soon as the big media companies start buying out gaming sites, and gaming developers (I'm looking at you, Rockstar) - do you think we're still going to see all this BS reporting on the news about how "dangerous" videogames are hurting America? I somehow think there's going to be a whole lot of back-scratching going on, with games based on Fox's IP licenses getting good reviews, and games produced by Fox getting positive attention in the media. And so the circle of shit is complete.

    • What's really odd is that Fox Interactive was sold off in March 2003 (with all the game properties) to Vivendi Universal. It doesn't exist any more, unless Newscorp intends to recreate it.

      Trying to go to foxinteractive.com takes you to Fox's main website, where there is nary a mention of videogames at all.

      Dan
    • Yes, like that really works. Gamespot reviews were infamous (even the supposed reader reviews were a joke, well at least the first page), so people stop bothering to read them. IGN reviews were already pretty bad, so they had to buy game spy (whose reviews in turn started to deteriorate), so they had to buy 3D gamers (funny I don't bother with reviews from that site much any more either). As a result, a new online game site then forms and grows because the public demand is their for an honest and fair site

  • Oh great. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by vertinox ( 846076 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @09:46AM (#13509326)
    Another purchase and another merger... When was the last time you heard of someone selling off or splitting up a company?

    At this rate, we'll have one company that does everything by 2020.

    FoxMicrosoftWarnerGlaxol Corp Inc.

    "Where do we want you to consume today?"

  • For those not in the know... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bnderan ( 801928 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @09:54AM (#13509411)
    For those not in the know, sites under the IGN network include IGN.com, GameSpy, GameSpy Arena...

    For once, those not in the know are better off for it.
    • I was SO not in the know, that I assumed I was first submitter of this story just a few moments ago, a mere 6 hours after Zonk posted it. Had it been on the front page, I would have seen it. It was (appropriately?) hidden in the Games section.

      /used to have an active IGN account
      //switched to Gamespot

  • Nintendo (Score:4, Interesting)

    by peel ( 242881 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @10:04AM (#13509500)
    I wonder if/how this will affect Nintendos use of the Gamespy network for the DS. I'm sure they probably won't be too happy about having to get into bed with Fox. Who knows though.

    -peel

    • Re:Nintendo (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      How come? Have the two companies bashed heads over something before? (Genuine question - for all I know, they may well have).

      If not, I don't see any ethical compatibility problems. Both are big companies with a history of trying to build monopolies (and both cases, sometimes losing them through ineptitude) and draconian protection of characters/licenses they own from third party use.

      • Re:Nintendo (Score:2, Funny)

        by nmaster64 ( 867033 )
        Ok, your being ridiculous, shut up...

        Excluding the retarted comparison between Fox and Nintendo, I'm not quite sure either what to make of this move.

        Technically, I don't think this should affect anything. You still have the same people working the same jobs. Nothings really changed except that rich jerk stuck himself on the top of the totem pole.

        The only thing I see as an issue is the possibility of this guy not approving budgets towards the Nintendo Network plans. He's a rich prick and all he cares a

  • Brought to you by... (Score:3, Informative)

    by charlesbakerharris ( 623282 ) on Thursday September 08, 2005 @10:26AM (#13509696)
    ...the folks who reviewed Master of Orion III [ign.com] - a game that was so poorly done that you could literally start a new game, then do nothing but hit "End Turn" about 500 times, and win the game...

    They gave it 9.2 out of 10, including a subscore of 9.4 for "lasting appeal". Nice work, morons.

  • The inquirer has been wrong about what their sources say quite a few times, so until someone with more creditials shows that Newscorp has stakes it's flag in the ground of IGN declaring ownership, I'll file this in the rumor bin.
  • ARE belong to us...

    I wonder if O'Reilly can give Adam Sessler a run for his money... (Actually now that I think about it... they do look like they're related...)
  • Just wait until FOX is bought out by Microsoft. Microsoft is just itching to get into the broadcast industry and is making small headway, but once they buy a media company it will be over. And yes im aware of MSNBC but thats a parternership.
  • I like how Fox spent 500 million to buy out myspace and the site is still a buggy as can be. myspace's login system only works about 40% of the time. You'd think with a 500 million cash infusion they could get their site functioning at a decent level.
  • I moved my site off planetquake eight months ago because it was outgrowing it, but I also didn't like gamespy much. I hate to think how bad it will get now. Not just because of 'news corp', but when you're hosted on site X which is owned by Y which is owned by Z which is owned by A ... well, it's just a nightmare.
  • If News Corp. bought IGN, does that mean we'll quit seeing all these ads that completely litter the site? I don't mind a nice big banner for a movie or something, but IGN takes advertising too far.
  • sell out, to me oh yeah, sell out to me
  • IGN also runs Rotten Tomatoes, the movie review /news site. Fox makes, hmmm, movies. Maybe it isn't just about games...
  • Just what the site needed for some credibility (NOT). I usually see the spin corners on internet clips when they talk about events that never happened (Like Canada being in the Vietnam war - that was a good one).

    Should be interesting to see if they push their political agenda onto the games somehow. I for one will be a lot more skeptical on what is written there and it seems that I'm not alone in this.

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