Tag Archives: Edge-Online

Former US Edge Online editor Kris Graft has taken on the roll of Content Director for the Independent Games Festival, and as Senior Contributing Editor for Gamasutra.

His main focus with the IGF will be expanding the judge panel and providing creative feedback on the event.

Graft’s contributions to Gamasutra will be daily.

Edge publishing director James Binns said today that moving control of Edge Online to the UK from San Francisco and installing a new editor and news ed would allow for “effective planning and more flexibility in news gathering”.

Former EIC Colin Cambell left the site on Friday, as did staffers Kris Graft and Rob Crossley. Campbell this morning posted an blistering view of the situation on his new site, GameBizBlog.

Here’s the Future statement in full. There’s a word there from Edge editor Tony Mott as well.

James Binns, Publishing Director of Edge, said:

“Any brand needs a strong, consistent voice across multiple media. We’re focused on developing the best quality content from the ground up that works well in print and online, and has a true global voice. That means effective planning and more flexibility in news gathering. The changes to the team that we’re making will put us in a stronger position to achieve this.

“As we wish three of Edge Online’s freelance contributors the best of luck in their next roles, we’re pleased to announce two full-time appointments for the site, both of whom offer cross-media skills and experience with the Edge brand. Alex Wiltshire, previously deputy editor of Edge magazine, moves into the role of editor, Edge Online, while Tom Ivan, an Edge Online veteran, becomes the site’s news editor.”

Tony Mott, Editor in Chief of Edge, added:

“Following our issue-200 print promotion and a period of consistent audience and traffic growth on our website, the Edge brand is in a great position, and our strategy for Edge Online – strengthening the core editorial team to work across print and web, while continuing to expand our network of reporters globally – will help us to maintain this momentum throughout 2009.”

Following this morning’s announcement that Edge Online’s entire editorial team has essentially quit, Future’s confirmed that Alex Wiltshire and Tom Ivan have been installed as editor and news editor respectively.

Wiltshire use to dep-edit Edge magazine. Ivan started his gaming life as a staff writer on CVG, and previously contributed to EO’s initially incarnation, Next-Gen.biz.

Congrats, chaps. Welcome to the war.

Former Edge Online editor Colin Campbell has posted a withering explanation of his reasons for leaving the site, saying that Future’s “fiddling with Excel spreadsheets is a poor defense against revolution.”

Campbell finished a notice period with Future last Friday, having resigned thanks to Future’s decision to bring control of Edge Online from the US to the UK. Writers Kris Graft and Rob Crossley have also quit.

“Edge Online’s new bosses claim they want to ‘integrate’ the online and print facets of the magazine,” said Campbell, writing on the newly-launched GameBizBlog.

“I believe this to be an error. Although the Edge voice ought to be maintained throughout all its activities, any attempt to reshape a dynamic daily website in the image of a monthly print magazine is conceptually and practically highly problematic.”

Future’s insistence on nurturing paper products, Campbell said, was a refusal to accept the truth of today’s games journalism.

“The story of the game industry is now being told via lightning fast websites and blogs of phenomenal competence and editorial quality,” he added.

“The days when giant print brands dominated the mediascape are over.”

You go, girl. Colin’s now heading up Intent’s business in the US, based in San Fran. And just in case you were wondering, pop stars, GameBizBlog “is not competing with anyone for advertising dollars”.

And this one, right here, has bells on it. Good luck with it, dude!

It all came about rather suddenly, first with a leaked post, then a confirmation that self same day, and now it’s happened: Edge-Online has launched.

Good luck to everybody involved from all us here at VG247.

By Mike Bowden