Board 8 > SBAllen has resigned as Admin.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Didn't Cybershell post here way back, or did my brain make that up?

foolm0r0n posted...

quoting posts

OK that is the one thing I'll say was actually a decent add and wasn't here in 2007

Lopen posted...

The funny thing is everyone basically agrees with me that the site should have evolved. Where people disagree with me is me saying SBAllen doesn't deserve thanks for it. (And he doesn't whether it was his fault or not nothing changed)

Yes this
I don't understand why people are against Lopen here.
Let's look at the fact - this site is dying slowly but surely. GameFAQs administration didn't do enough to change that and it's a fact.
Now you might say that this site could have died years ago under worse administration and that can also be true, but I dunno, I feel like GameFAQs had the potential to rise and get much bigger and more popular.

The main problem is probably how to make people care enough to write FAQs....people no longer care about this kind of stuff anymore, especially not if money isn't involved (I have no idea if writing FAQs now earn money or not)

But maybe the solution for that would make it that instead of just one person writing a FAQ, then make it like a wiki - "everyone" can edit a FAQ (with the same anti-abuse rules that wikis has)
Would that work? no idea, but maybe

as i said, i am 99% sure the site literally attempted that exact idea and it flopped

I applaud him for his tenure and his work to keep this site running. I am disappointed at the lack of contests over the past several years. Sadly, there'll probably be no other contests going forward.

So many people live in a bubble and don't know what happens on the rest of GameFAQs outside of the single social board where they spend 100% of their site time.

Like, I definitely feel like a lot of this is people not paying attention to things SBAllen did try and focusing only on the boards - which, while definitely significantly updated from a QoL perspective over the years - are still very retro/2000s internet.

All this talk about wikis and stuff? I went and looked this stuff up:

The site added the Collaborate FAQs/Game Wiki (it got a name change) back in 2011. Got the name change to Game Wikis because that's more or less what it was in 2012. However, by 2014 it was announced they were being phased out because there wasn't much interest in them.

Video Walkthroughs were attempted likely to try and get a foot in the door of how Youtube guides were taking off. Think the site even briefly was hosting everything itself before, again, adoption wasn't high enough to justify bearing that cost and it transitioned to better support for Youtube videos being posted.

MyGames I think was clearly an attempt to see if any headway could be made on something like backloggery or a games-version of My Anime List. It's still around but idk I feel like it never picked up as hoped either but idk for sure.

Answers was a big addition and is perhaps the one that has stood the test of time, though I do feel like it's a bit redundant with the boards but it still gets some traffic.

Like... stuff was clearly happening (and not for a second am I pretending this is an exhaustive list lol) and I do think you can see a clear attempt to see if GameFAQs could capture the success of various trends in gaming through the early 2010s but people didn't buy in - either they had the other places that did it first or maybe like me they like the retro text-based way the site is and that's actually the appeal.

And going through that little trip down memory lane (well mostly the announcements and Team GameFAQs board lol) reminds me that I'd also like to thank SBAllen for all he did and tried to do during his tenure even if things didn't always work out as expected or perhaps hoped.

Luster Soldier is now 1 step up in the succession line for running Gamefaqs

Yesmar_ posted...

I've always been a big proponent of the theory that not purging the boards prevented a lot of conversation and community engagement, and I while I still think that's a factor, it was many different things. Looking back on it, the big drop off started in mid-2010, which is exactly the time that smartphones took off. Would a GameFAQS app have helped? Maybe.

That drop-off began in 2010 and is still in progress even today.

It was interesting reading this reddit thread and seeing what outsiders think of the site.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/17alwk4/gamefaqs_owner_sballen_is_stepping_down_from_the/

SBAllen kept this site alive. This alone is a feat; to expect this site to flourish like it did in 2007 is exhibiting a lack of understanding of how the internets work. Do you expect Gen Z to be using Facebook just the same, because that's what you used when you were their age? Oh wait, no, that's "an old people site" to them.

Let's go over why this site started declining:

• Young people wanting to have "their own generation's" sites
• Gen Z coming of age with YouTube already having boomed and Wikis becoming more of a thing
• A dropoff of maturing users who started to find spouses and procreate
• Games becoming easier without guides; as games moved away from puzzles and complicated sections, there became fewer parts where guides were needed. There was also that games started displaying your next objective without details on how to complete it, which was a nice QoL improvement.
• A lack of features such as avatars, GIFability, space accounts, private messages, etc. until long after they were the norm, which drove younger traffic to other sites; the lack of an app didn't help

The only one that was the fault of the site's management in the slightest is the last one, and part of it was just the way this place was coded. Some of those were difficult to implement - particularly the space accounts, which messed up the code. I think Allen, Dev, Krystal (remember her?), Zoop, etc. all recognized that if they wanted to add those features, they would have to completely recode the site. That's a long, arduous, expensive project that would only serve to have a userbase revolt. Because people don't like change, even if the change makes major improvements. So Dev went to work to try to integrate them into what was already there, which caused a delay.

Does this make sense? Allen didn't want a mass exodus of people angry that the site "freshened itself up." When we rioted because of the fuzzy "5 minutes ago" timestamps and the breadcrumb navigation that was too different, they put them back in as an option quickly to placate us. What would have a full redesign done?

So I appreciate Allen actually listening to us and wanting to keep the existing userbase happy while trying to grow the site. But most of the factors preventing that growth weren't things in his control. He did what he could.

Mobilezoid posted...

It was interesting reading this reddit thread and seeing what outsiders think of the site.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/17alwk4/gamefaqs_owner_sballen_is_stepping_down_from_the/

even the title is so funny

allen the owner

Sucky news and I guess the final nail in the coffin. Surely only a matter of time when and not if the site closes

Mobilezoid posted...

It was interesting reading this reddit thread and seeing what outsiders think of the site.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/17alwk4/gamefaqs_owner_sballen_is_stepping_down_from_the/

I like how this thread has a ton of people saying how they actually like text guides

The "videos linking to text based guides linking to videos" thing has legs even today imo you just need to integrate everything. Throw in wikis and google sheets and stuff too-- just make all the information linked up. People still want easily searchable info.

I wonder what Gamefaqs actually costs and it's feasible for a wealthy person to buy or if the value is in corporation only zone at the moment.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

The only one that was the fault of the site's management in the slightest is the last one, and part of it was just the way this place was coded. Some of those were difficult to implement - particularly the space accounts, which messed up the code. I think Allen, Dev, Krystal (remember her?), Zoop, etc. all recognized that if they wanted to add those features, they would have to completely recode the site. That's a long, arduous, expensive project that would only serve to have a userbase revolt. Because people don't like change, even if the change makes major improvements. So Dev went to work to try to integrate them into what was already there, which caused a delay.

This is what people who aren't programmers actually think because people like SBAllen harp about how difficult these features are.

Like space accounts should be the easiest thing in the world if you know what you're doing. It is not some sort of "ya gotta overhaul all tha codez" gremlin.

The fact is none of the admins who took over after CJayC had any technical knowhow and it became painfully obvious when things were implemented and difficulties were explained. Which if that's not a skill they have fine but don't pretend like it's not something dozens maybe even hundreds of users from this site couldn't do, you know?

This is exactly the time and place

At best SBAllen was a corporate pawn that was overruled by his overlords.

At worst he was incompetent and unmotivated and let the site die.

I just don't see why we should celebrate him. GameFAQs is dying because it's become increasingly irrelevant then fandom was able to buy it for pennies, hooray!

I just remembered back in 2020, Allen added a whole comprehensive catalog feature for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I can't remember anything like that being done for one singular game before. Unfortunately I didn't find it to be as convenient to use as other websites that got created for it, but it was still cool that he made the attempt, and trying to scoop up some of that massive Animal Crossing audience was a pretty smart idea. AFAIK, he kept adding to it with every update the game got.

wonder what Gamefaqs actually costs and it's feasible for a wealthy person to buy or if the value is in corporation only zone at the moment.

I dont think GameFAQs as an individual entity is a thing someone could buy, its too entangled with Gamespot at this point.

were a subdomain, we dont get priced individually

gamefaqs can die for multiple reasons

pinning sballen as the main reason and ignoring context is just rhetoric

Lopen posted...

This is exactly the time and place

At best SBAllen was a corporate pawn that was overruled by his overlords.

At worst he was incompetent and unmotivated and let the site die.

I just don't see why we should celebrate him. GameFAQs is dying because it's become increasingly irrelevant then fandom was able to buy it for pennies, hooray!

Then don't

MoogleKupo141 posted...

I dont think GameFAQs as an individual entity is a thing someone could buy, its too entangled with Gamespot at this point.

were a subdomain, we dont get priced individually

Well with the GameSpot baggage too I guess point remains

MoogleKupo141 posted...

I dont think GameFAQs as an individual entity is a thing someone could buy, its too entangled with Gamespot at this point.

were a subdomain, we dont get priced individually

I guess you'd probably have to buy GameSpot in order to buy out GameFAQs as well, as GameFAQs is on a GameSpot subdomain.

An interested buyer can specifiy they're only interested in GameFAQs, and whatever private equity firms own Fandom would decide whether or not the price would be worth the trouble. Though the only person who'd conceivably be interested in doing that would be a rich GameFAQs user seeking the ultimate passion project.

UltimaterializerX posted...

Time and a place and this isnt it.

Yeah, hundreds of Palestinians were murdered in Gaza this week. Is SBAllen really what we should be talking about?

conspicuously neither Allen or Lopen have commented on the Gaza situation

Thorn posted...

Like, I definitely feel like a lot of this is people not paying attention to things SBAllen did try and focusing only on the boards

I see what you mean but it doesn't really make sense that fandom and other wikis got so popular at the same time that gfaqs wikis failed.

It's not that people didn't want wikis, it's that gfaqs didn't implement them right. Fandom especially has super strong SEO on all their wiki pages, which is the main thing that makes a source the primary source. But gfaqs always wanted to do everything themselves from scratch with who knows what kind of inefficient software process, so they ended up behind everyone else, with worse tech and worse accessibility. There was never a real attempt to be THE place for game wikis.

Mobilezoid posted...

It was interesting reading this reddit thread and seeing what outsiders think of the site.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/17alwk4/gamefaqs_owner_sballen_is_stepping_down_from_the/

I wonder if that dude in the comments is the real CJayC.

That Reddit account was created 2 months ago, I sort of doubt it.

I also don't think CJayC would associate himself with GameFAQs anymore.

people kept engaging with Lopen after he started talking about L Block? that's crazy

Lopen posted...

This is exactly the time and place

At best SBAllen was a corporate pawn that was overruled by his overlords.

At worst he was incompetent and unmotivated and let the site die.

I just don't see why we should celebrate him. GameFAQs is dying because it's become increasingly irrelevant then fandom was able to buy it for pennies, hooray!

You are being too harsh though :|
Like I understand the criticism but the tone is out of place

When Nanis calls you out for being too harsh, well...

MoogleKupo141 posted...

conspicuously neither Allen or Lopen have commented on the Gaza situation

Well yeah, Lopen has yet to find a hill that he can be the sole standard bearer for.

Thanks, Allen

HanOfTheNekos posted...

Well yeah, Lopen has yet to find a hill that he can be the sole standard bearer for.

I'm hardly the only one saying this site did a lot wrong and squandered opportunities I'm just the only one willing to ascribe any of the blame to Allen for it. Easier to just blame evil corporations for it despite Allen directly commenting on site features and presumably being responsible for something. Makes you feel better.

Lopen posted...

I'm hardly the only one saying this site did a lot wrong and squandered opportunities I'm just the only one willing to ascribe any of the blame to Allen for it. Easier to just blame evil corporations for it despite Allen directly commenting on site features and presumably being responsible for something. Makes you feel better.

No, you're just the one that has literally 0 tact. It's a topic about a guy leaving a job after 20 years, it's not the place to air the grievances that you've clearly been stewing on for a long time.

Lopen posted...

I'm hardly the only one saying this site did a lot wrong and squandered opportunities I'm just the only one willing to ascribe any of the blame to Allen for it. Easier to just blame evil corporations for it despite Allen directly commenting on site features and presumably being responsible for something. Makes you feel better.

Nah, none of us feel good about this.

But yes, you are the only one willing to dump all the blame at his feet.

Nice scumslip there, Lopen.

##vote: Lopen

End of an era

@SBAllen Were you ever working out of the CBSi office in SF at any point? I was briefly visiting that office for a meeting years ago, saw the GameFAQs logo, and I've been wondering ever since

This site is like a 1998 Toyota Corolla. Solid, reliable, but unspectacular.

Over the years people have tried to upgrade it or "pimp" it out or whatever. Sometimes things like a new stereo are good. But other things like rims, body kits, whatever just don't work...because it's still a Corolla.

Now it's 2023 and that Corolla is still puttering along. And it still works because anyone using it 25 years later doesn't want it to be anything else. It ain't a BMW, it ain't a F150, it's a low maintenance car that will go until it literally dies.

I'm not sure my tortured analogy really worked, but my point is that we love the site for what it is, despite it being vintage. If all the shit people have talked about had happened, well, it wouldn't be this site anymore. Sure, I'd love some more Contents, but I get the business reasons that couldn't happen. Other than that, I'm perfectly fine with where the site is.

In a weird way I think you put it perfectly. I was going to mention something about how if the site had upgraded and changed too much it would have lost a lot of its charm.

And for what it's worth, I for one still use text guides from time to time.

Not having this website, and specifically this board, to visit every day would probably be a net positive in my life at this point, but I'm nowhere near ready to live in that world. I value this community too much and it has certainly positively shaped much of my life in many ways I probably can't pinpoint

It's fun to think about how we're a charming underdog community, sure, but this entire board only exists because of a popularity contest that hasn't happened in years because of a decline in popularity.

What if we had the same charm of forums and text guides and also some modern stuff that kept popularity high enough for yearly contests? Would you really dislike that?

Oh man.

Respect to Allen, you've done great stuff over the years. Kind of sad to see the site "officially" dying by the day.

What's there to say?

Thank you for sticking with us all these years.

Things didn't always go smoothly and God knows we must have been a handful back when we were argumentative teens (Hopefully most of us are a lot better now!), but overall I'd say we had a lot of good times.

I don't think someone should be celebrated or consoled for leaving a job for 20 years that they did poorly.

Imagine going to a message board where people were wishing Donald Trump well in droves because the United States hasn't sunk yet and because people were claiming all the good things he wanted to do were overruled by congress or corporate interests or whatever. You'd feel a need to say "no he had some power and he was a terrible president"

Im not saying Allen was as bad as Trump, just referencing a leadership figure that did a poor job and that the board can understand and dislike. He's probably more like Hoover or something eddv would actually know the proper presidential analogy for a do nothing president that led the country into bad stuff by just sitting around when changes needed to be made.

Anyway I digress. This isn't "oh that Lopen he's such a contrarian"-- I'm actually mad here and dislike that people are thanking the guy for helping sink a part of my childhood. I loved this site back in the day. And when CJayC left that was the beginning of the long drawn out end. Is it fair or accurate to blame Allen for everything? No. But I damn sure don't like seeing everyone thank the guy because "aww he left a job after 20 years it's so sad." His paychecks for years of phoning it in are more thanks than he deserves. He isn't solely to blame, but he did not do a good job, and while you're saying I'm blaming him too much, I know you're not blaming him enough based just on things he has shared with us and being savvy enough on web design to know "no, putting a heart on the boards should not be that hard." I know he had a lot of control over the site direction and features added and stuff-- I am not blaming him for us getting sold to fandom or merging with gamespot or dumb ads or whatever. I am blaming him for our site being a relic of the mid 2000s (which indirectly caused our sale and such because the site has no value and is easily scooped up by predatory businesses like fandom). And I think that's a fair thing to blame him for. He clearly had some input on features and helped implement them, slowly and sloppily as they were. I do think I could have directly done a better job than him with my decent knowledge of web and database programming and drive to actually add function and flair to the site, and I think dozens of other users here could have done a better job than me still because while I am capable and have done web design in the past, I don't do that stuff for a living and I'm sure many people here actually do. But me asking "I wonder if it could be purchased" isn't just an entirely aimless hypothetical question. I would legitimately like to see someone do it, because I do think a LOT of people could do a better job than SBAllen.

I'm sad to see GameFAQs go but Allen getting his life vest and bailing after grinding this ship against an iceberg for 15 years? Yeah, no, fuck right off man. If he quit in 2008 we'd very possibly be in a better spot now. And that's a gamble I'd personally want to take over what we got.

Yes, we get you don't think he deserves any gratitude. You've made your point by now. There's nothing more to add now.

Other people want to express gratitude, so just let them. We all know your stance on it.

I am certain that if GameFAQs had become a modern website almost none of us would be here