If you travel in gaming circles at all you've no doubt heard about the blow up yesterday at 1Up.com. They've announced a "merger" with the UGO Network, a network that -way back in the mists of time- paid me for the occasional column at the old Gamepen.com website. (Anyone remember their Gaming Therapy stuff?) I haven't been back to a UGO site since I stopped writing for them, which pretty much sums up what I think about their content. Unfortunately, instead of injecting their daily tripe with a lot of talented people, what they're doing with 1Up isn't a merger, it's a bloodbath (that has also swallowed EGM Magazine, which is being shuttered). Here's the list of 1Up.com staffers laid off yesterday:
Adrian Frieg
Amy Mishra
Amy Moran
Andrea Garcia
Andrew Fitch
Andrew "Skip" Pfister
Anthony Gallegos
Cesar Quintero
Christina Rosa
CoyLou Steel
Derek Chinn
Doug Parsons
Eric Ellis
Giancarlo Varanini
Greg Ford
James "Milkman" Mielke
Jason Bertrand
Jason Wilson
Jervilyn Jaramillo
Justin Frechette
Leslie Gelfand
Marci Yamaguchi
Matt Chandronait
May Tong
Meredith Stowe
Michael Donahoe
Monique Convertito
Ndubuisi Madu
Nick Suttner
Norris Boothe
Philip Kollar
Rey Serrano
Robert Bowen
Rosemary Pinkham
Ryan O'Donnell
Ryan Scott
Shane Bettenhausen
Simon Cox
Tammy Ross
Tipler Ubbelohde
I don't, obviously, know a lot of names on that list, but if you listened to their PC gaming podcast (GFW Radio/LAN Party) or the 1Up Show, you'll recognize several of them. For the first time I'm glad guys like Jeff Green, Sean Elliott and Sean Malloy got the hell out of there when they did. UGO has bought the brand and dumped everyone that made the brand what it was.
Hats off to everyone on that list and my very best wishes that you all land on your feet.
