Yep, Scrye Magazine bought Gaming Report. An FAQ, press release (repeated below), and farewell message from founder Dan Sivils (also repeated below) tell the full story. It remains to be seen whether this will have any significant effect on either party.
Scrye/Gaming Report press releases follow:
SCRYE Magazine Acquires GamingReport.com
Leading Web site of the hobby gaming industry to join F+W Publications
CINCINNATI-November 15, 2006-F+W Publications, Inc., publisher of leading adventure games magazine Scrye and adventure games industry trade magazine Comics & Games Retailer, today announced the acquisition of GamingReport.com, the leading Web site for news and reviews for the hobby gaming industry.
Since its creation in 1999 by Dan Sivils, GamingReport.com has provided hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide with news and reviews about role-playing games, collectible card games, and board games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Settlers of Catan. The GamingReport.com Web site is consulted numerous times daily by thousands of hobbyists and industry professionals alike. GamingReport.com will continue to operate under that name, complementing Scrye and Comics & Games Retailer.
“We are very excited to expand our offerings online with the addition of the top site for gamers,” said Jeff Pozorski, Publisher, Scrye. “By teaming the resources of the leading adventure games Web site and the leading magazines for gamers, we expect to greatly expand the services of all to the hobby.”
“GamingReport.com has become the source for breaking news and information on the hobby game industry, making the search for a new home that would continue this effort difficult. F+W’s focus, enthusiasm, and proven ability make them the best choice to continue my efforts,” said Dan Sivils, founder and former editor of GamingReport.com. “I am confident that F+W will take GamingReport.com to the next level while staying true to my original goal of keeping readers informed on game industry news and events in the best way possible.”
The acquisition coincides with the seventh anniversary of acquisition of Scrye magazine by Krause Publications, an imprint of F+W, in 1999. Since that time, through the efforts of an editorial staff of veteran gamers including Joyce Greenholdt and James Mishler, the magazine’s frequency has gone from quarterly to monthly and has spun off books and other publications about games. “We’ve greatly admired what Dan built in GamingReport.com,” said John Jackson Miller, editorial director of interactive media for F+W. “We’ll work to continue that reporting tradition, while at the same time providing many additional useful resources to its readers.”
Contact: James Mishler, P: 715.445.4612, ext. 657, E: James.Mishler@fwpubs.com
F+W Publications, Inc. is a leading publisher and marketer of books, magazines, and interactive media for enthusiasts. Founded in the early 1900s, the Company features more than 50 industry-leading magazines, from horticulture, writing, and fine art to active sports and graphic design. Bestselling books instruct and inspire hobbyists in core categories like writing, art, and collectibles. The Company also offers book clubs, consumer and trade events, and interactive media (including free and paid Internet sites, blogs, and streaming video), in complementary and core categories. www.fwpublications.com
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GamingReport.com Founder Exits
It has been almost eight years since I started GamingReport.com. In that time a lot has happened, both in the industry and to the site. I started GamingReport.com with one goal; keep the gaming enthusiasts and newcomers informed on Games, Game Events, and Hobby Game Industry News. There was very little online coverage back in 1999 and I knew it could be done without having to be a publisher, having something to sell, or have a bias affiliation. Since then I have been told by industry gurus that GamingReport.com is truly recognized as the premier online source for news on the Hobby Game Industry. I am proud of what the web site has become and want to see it grow into more. I’ve had so many ideas for expansion that I have lost count of them all. There is so much potential for this industry and the internet news medium in general that it pains me to make this announcement. I am leaving GamingReport.com.
Some of you that heard early that this news was coming already asked me why I am moving on. The answer is pretty simple, Time. The most important part of the site, the news, has been mainly done by myself. As some have suspected for many years “Damon White” is a pen name, although it didn’t start out that way. It was originally used as an individual’s login but that didn’t last long and the name turned into the site’s general author and my general login. I don’t actually remember why I kept it going at first, it just kind of happened. Some of the editors have used the login in the past but the majority of the time it was used by myself with the exception of when I was out of the office covering a show which I reported on with my Dan Sivils login. As you may expect handling the editing and posting of all the news has taken a huge portion of my time these past many years and I have found that I am falling short of giving my best effort. As some of you who know me personally already know, I feel that if I can’t give something my best effort I’d prefer not do it at all. The work just doesn’t sit well with me when I am not doing my best. The coming months bode more challenges for me both personally and professionally and I do not want the site or you, the readers, not to get my very best work. The GamingReport.com site means a lot to me and I don’t want it to suffer, or falter, due to my being sidelined or occupied with something else.
As the founder of GamingReport.com I have been involved in every aspect of the site since the beginning, but there have been several others that have participated in the success of the site. GamingReport.com has a phenomenal staff of reviewers since we started and the site has only benefited from their hard work. The Review team headed up by Marc Shayed has done a great job in keeping the reviews section humming along. Some of the team have been with the site since early on and I am happy to have been affiliated with them. Wayne Tonjes has also been a valuable asset to site with exceptional event coverage, editorial skill, and reviews. Ken Hite joined the site a few years ago and has been a great addition. Ken’s view into the game industry has been a valuable addition to the site and has expanded readership tremendously. And lastly but not least of all, you, our readers have had the biggest impact on the site as a whole. You have made the last 8 years worth it for me. Going to a show and being greeted in the hall by fans is one of things that kept me going all this time. I started this site to keep other fans informed on games and on an industry that had given me so many wonderful memories. I have been happy to give back to the industry and fellow fans by doing the site all these years.
With all this said, GamingReport.com is NOT disappearing into the internet abyss of old, dead sites. For the past 4 months I have been struggling to find someone that can pick up where I am leaving off and not only continue with the site, but make it better. I believe I have found them in the new owners, F+W Publishing. All of you may not know them by this name but by the names of many of their industry specific print magazines; Scrye, Comics Buyers Guide, and Comics & Games Retailer. They are taking over the site’s news and content while at the same time adding their expert journalistic skill making it better than ever. They will be adding new features and content for readers and it is my belief that they will keep the spirit of the site intact. Having run GamingReport.com since the beginning it is hard to leave, but having James Mishler and the rest of F+W take the reigns makes my decision much easier. They have big plans ahead for the site but also know to keep it firmly rooted in keeping readers informed with daily news without all the clutter that can overwhelm a website. Their dedication and hard work on Scrye, Comics Buyers Guide, and Comics & Games Retailer is fantastic and from talking with them GamingReport.com will be no different.
I have to be honest; it is difficult to let GamingReport.com go into someone else’s hands after such a long time. I have been logged in to the site everyday either by phone, laptop, or computer for almost the entire time it’s been in existence. I have always been on the look out for the latest gaming news it seems; 24/7/365. I can count on one hand the days I didn’t at least check in over the past seven plus years. Regardless, its time to go; I have a more difficult, and less fun, road ahead. I Thank You All, Gamer, Publisher, PR Rep, and Manufacturer, for giving me the opportunity to have so much fun and the challenge of doing what others could not.
Keep reading, the site will still be here; keeping you informed on all that is happening in the Game industry and on all the Games we love.
Dan Sivils