The gaming journalism scene is a battlefield these days, and Aftermath is playing its cards right. Whenever a big-name gaming site gets hit with layoffs or shuts down completely, Aftermath sees a surge in subscribers. It’s like dominoes falling – one bad thing leads to another. For Aftermath, it’s a golden opportunity.
When Others Fall
This subscriber surge isn’t just a lucky coincidence. It’s a symptom of a bigger issue – traditional gaming news is on shaky ground. Traditional outlets are wrestling with money troubles, meddling corporations, and the struggle to survive in the digital age. Fans, tired of this media mess, are looking for a new home for their gaming news fix. And that’s where Aftermath steps in. They’ve become a safe haven for those disillusioned with the mainstream.
“Pretty grimly, anytime something bad happens to another video game website, for example, the Gamer Network layoffs, which we covered, that also led to an influx of new subscribers at Aftermath.”
– Nathan Grayson, Co-founder of Aftermath
A Lifeline for Gamers
Nathan Grayson, co-founder of Aftermath, shared some specific examples. When Gamer Network had layoffs, and Kotaku started pumping out guides instead of news, Aftermath’s subscriber base skyrocketed. Gamers desperate for a reliable source flocked to Aftermath.
“What happens is people say, “Damn! This really bad thing is happening to this website. What do I do? How can I support the content that I like, or how can I find a replacement?” And then other people say, “Well, there’s Aftermath. You should check that out.”
Unfortunately, bad things happening to other sites serve as an advertisement for us, which is weird, because it’s always fun to get new subscribers, but you also feel really bad for everyone else.”
– Nathan Grayson, Co-founder of Aftermath
Aftermath benefits from the misfortunes of others. But Grayson stresses that they’re not out to exploit anyone’s misery. Their ultimate goal is to build a solid foundation for independent gaming journalism, not to dance on the ashes of their competitors.
“Every time that a video game website has layoffs or goes under, people say, “Oh, you should subscribe to Aftermath.” And that serves as an advertisement for us. Not the kind that we enjoy because again, it comes at somebody else’s expense, and that’s never the goal.”
– Nathan Grayson, Co-founder of Aftermath
For Nathan Grayson’s complete insights on journalism and the gaming industry, read the full interview here.
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