At E3 last year, CNET announced plans to create an online “alliance” of game sites to complement its Gamecenter website (full disclosure, yours truly writes for Gamecenter and CNET in a freelancer capacity). This network, similar to the groups maintained by UGO, IGN and, until recently, GameFan, paid amateur fansites a small fee per 1,000 impressions in exchange for carrying banner advertisements. Gamecenter worked hard to woo industry giant Stomped.com and a handful of other mostly decent sites into their fold.
That's why it came as a surprise when CNET announced they would dissolve the Alliance as of February 1st 2001. Putting the livelihood of several webmasters in question. And what does Gamecenter's Joshua McCloskey reveal during a recent Gamespy interview (http://www.gamespy.com/news/january01/gamecenter/)?
“The Gamecenter Alliance had achieved both its primary and secondary goals, which were to increase traffic to Gamecenter, and to promote independent Web sites that offered high-quality gaming editorial. We will now be able to re-dedicate resources from the Alliance directly back into Gamecenter, thus making Gamecenter more profitable in the future.”
Yes indeed. They used people's hard work and livelihood to promote themselves and now, to hell with them, eh? What's even more surprising is how people are reacting to this statement. McCloskey isn't the Devil here and Gamecenter isn't evil. It's a business. Businesses are amoral. They exist to use people to gain power and money. The remarkable thing here isn't that Gamecenter/CNET used these websites, it's that they admitted it so readily. It would be like GM admitting it laid off people so it could have big bonuses for its Chairman. Here's a hint to the outraged: If you run a site on UGO, IGN or any other “network”… the owner of that network is doing the exact same thing to you that Gamecenter did to its Alliance. Unless you control the means of production, you're being used. Stick that in your Favorites folder and click it!
Gathering of Developers recent calendar reveals they are working on Myth III: The Wolf Age, developed by a company called Mumbo Jumbo (Bungie is now a subsidiary of Microsoft and GoD owner Take Two owns the rights to their Myth, Marathon and Oni properties). The game will be a prequel and will focus on the warrior Connacht and his struggle against the Myrkindia and those butt- (and crotch) kicking Trow.