The former editorial leadership of British publication VG247 have founded a new games brand, Respec, which they say will offer a new independent voice in an increasingly shrinking games media.
Respec is a news, reviews, and features site managed by former VG247 editor-in-chief and Eurogamer editorial director, Tom Orry, and former VG247 editor-at-large and RPG Site owner Alex Donaldson.
After a brief stint at Eurogamer, the pair left operator Gamer Network (which is owned by IGN Entertainment) earlier this year as part of a wave of editorial layoffs at parent company Ziff Davis.
Orry and Donaldson’s former site, the historic British publication VG247, was reportedly hit hard in the Gamer Network restructuring, losing virtually its entire editorial team (notably, the site seems to have stopped regular updates).
Orry, who also founded the British site Videogamer, says he almost left games journalism entirely after losing his role at Eurogamer this year, but ultimately chose to build a new site.
“We want Respec to be the kind of site that is rare these days under corporate ownership,” Orry wrote. “A site that has character, that leans on experience to celebrate what’s great about video games, but also isn’t afraid to lay down some hard truths.”
Donaldson said his experience running RPG Site convinced him that independent games media remains viable.
“RPG Site is now in its 20th year, and is how our Respec co-founder Mike and I know that fully independent sites can be successful – because we’ve done it. We own one.
“Indeed, that site was vital in figuring out what I wanted Respec to be – taking the tone, fun, and general madness we captured back on VG247 in its heyday and mingling it with the bootstraps structure and focus that has made RPG Site successful.”
According to data supplied to VGC by Press Engine last year, the global pool of game journalists declined by 25% in two years, with more than 1,200 journalists who regularly covered video games leaving their positions.
