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IGN immediately lays off every non-UK person at their newly bought sites, including some key members like deputy editor Alice Bell (aftermath.site)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by Carighan@lemmy.world to c/games@lemmy.world

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Welp, this didn't take long.

It's especially interesting that they laid off a lot of people who were the only ones in their particular job, leaving entire jobs uncovered. I suspect this comes right before shutting them entirely or doing it all "with AI" 🤮.

Sad in particular about Alice Bell. She was fantastic, and it always felt like she kept the site going through all the shit of recent years. Plus being the driving force behind their podcast (the Electronic Wireless Show) of course also spells doom for that one though I hope that like Indiescovery they go rogue and run it independent of the site.

Bleak times. Fuck IGN.

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[-] p5yk0t1km1r4ge@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

The recent layoffs at the company have been swift and impactful. Notably, several unique positions were affected, leaving entire job functions uncovered. This move suggests a potential restructuring or shift towards automation using artificial intelligence, which is concerning.

In particular, the departure of Alice Bell is deeply regrettable. Her exceptional contributions were instrumental in maintaining the company's operations during challenging times. Additionally, her leadership in the Electronic Wireless Show podcast was pivotal. It is hoped that, similar to Indiescovery, the podcast team will continue independently to preserve its value.

These developments paint a concerning picture of the company's future.

[-] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago

I'd say this is the perfect time to start a really regular and dedicated games review site. They have to start somewhere and if you're trusted and good then you'll get a following.

[-] Ashtear@lemm.ee 3 points 3 months ago

It's tough. A long-standing rule of video games media--even well before web publishing--is that reviews don't pay the bills. Hype gets clicks, as do guides now that independent guide writing has waned.