t's True: 1UP has Reached Its End

A message from the now-former editor-in-chief

The corporate version:

Today, Ziff-Davis announced that as part of a restructuring of its new property IGN Entertainment, three of IGN's smaller secondary sites -- namely, 1UP.com, Gamespy.com, and UGO.com -- would be "winding down." As is often the case with such reorganizations, some of 1UP's staff was laid off while others will be moving over to work as contributors at IGN.com. No timeline was given for 1UP's closure or if its servers would continue to run indefinitely.

The human version:

As of today, 1UP will be entering the sunset into which all former websites eventually must ride. This comes as huge disappointment for me -- not because I'm editor-in-chief of the site, but because I've been with it since the beginning. That's nearly 10 years of my life invested in this website through all its ups and downs... and ups... and dooooowwwwwns.

It's been a fantastic (almost) 10 years. Even in its most frustrating and even dispiriting moments (there were some pretty dark times before IGN bought us in 2011), 1UP has always been fueled by the sincere enthusiasm of everyone writing for the site. Dozens upon dozens of people have moved through the various doors of our assorted offices, and each of them brought passion and talent to their work. I'm proud to have been a part of something so much larger than myself, and to help guide it as gracefully as possible to its slow halt since taking over the role left behind by my predecessors, Sam Kennedy and James Mielke.

Read through the site's archives and you'll find some truly amazing content. In-depth interviews with legendary developers, insanely detailed explorations of the niche and obscure, brilliant coverage of the top news of the day. You'll find revolutionary video programs and trendsetting podcasts. Incisive reviews and comprehensive blogs. God, there's so much here we need to archive in case someone does pull the plug on the servers.

But most of all, 1UP has always been fueled by passionate readers. No, you guys are more than readers -- you're participants. You've called in for podcasts, shaken our hands at trade shows and conventions, flagged us down on the street, berated us in comments, and chimed in to express your own take on the topics of the day. 1UP has played a huge role over the years in changing the perception and nature of the gaming press from broadcast to conversation. And the outpouring of memories and affection today on forums, on Twitter, and in our blogs has only served to reinforce the impact 1UP has had on countless people. You guys are awesome.