The Escapist (magazine)

Infobox Website
name =The Escapist



caption = Cover for "The Escapist"'s first issue: "Gaming Uber Alles"
url =http://www.escapistmagazine.com
commercial =
type = Video game website
language = English
registration =
owner = Themis Group
author = Themis Group
launch date = July 12, 2005
current status =
revenue =

"The Escapist" is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it is edited by Julianne Greer, and was first published on July 12, 2005.cite web
url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=10085
title=Themis Group Launches The Escapist
author=Themis Group
publisher=gamesindustry.biz
date=July 12, 2005
accessdate=2006-11-13] The Escapist, which claims "print-quality writing" [cite web
url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/content/about
title=About the Escapist
publisher=The Escapist (magazine)
accessdate=2006-11-13] , runs weekly with a main edition published on Tuesday; originally, a weekend extra edition was published on Friday. [cite web
url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/07/the_escapist_escapes_from_pseu.php
title=The Escapist Escapes From Pseudo-Print Chains
publisher=GameSetWatch/CMP
date=July 13, 2006
accessdate=2006-11-13] Each issue addresses a particular theme related to gaming culture. It is free and only available online.

History

The premiere issue featured pieces from well-known gaming-community authors including Jerry Holkins (a.k.a. Tycho Brahe), Kieron Gillen, and John Tynes. Following issues included work by Tom Chick, Allen Varney, Jim Rossignol and other top writers from in and outside the game industry, including a four-part piece by leading game designer Warren Spector. The editor, Julianne Greer had not been invovled in the gaming industry before The Escapist, and had a background in marketing and new media. According to Themis, by late 2006 the website had 150,000 monthly readers.cite web
url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4027&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=4
title=Gaming's Top 50 Journalists
publisher=Next Generation Magazine
date=October 17, 2006
accessdate=2006-11-13] The website MMORPG.com noted that the webzine had become the "flagship brand" for Themis, which runs other websites and ventures related to the gaming industry, with the reputation of "a widely read and highly respected form of game journalism" and "paying writers top dollar".cite web
url=http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm?loadFeature=669&bhcp=1
title=Support company thrives as the MMO giant grows
author=Dana Massey
publisher=MMORPG.com
date=May 19, 2006
accessdate=2006-11-13]

On July 9, 2007 the site relaunched with a completely new design, which also saw the end of the weekly PDF issues and a shift in layout to one more similar to other websites.cite web
url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/editors_note/786-Editor-s-Note-Pens-Paper-and-Pretzels
title=Editor's Note: Pens, Paper and Pretzels
author=Julianne Greer
publisher=The Escapist (magazine)
date=July 9, 2006
accessdate=2007-09-28] Although the weekly topic and publish schedule was retained, new regular content additions included more game reviews, editorial articles, conference coverage, and a relaunch of [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/shoot_club Shoot Club] by Tom Chick. The most notable new feature added is [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation Zero Punctuation] weekly, animated video reviews narrated and drawn by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw. Croshaw's work first appeared on YouTube, before he was hired in August 2007 to produce video reviews for "The Escapist". His reviews led to a four hundred percent increase in the Escapist's traffic. [citeweb|url=http://newteevee.com/2008/01/24/zero-punctuation-equals-millions-of-views|title=Zero Punctuation Equals Millions of Views|accessdate = 2008-02-07|work = NewTeeVee]

Video Series

The Escapist hosts a number of ongoing video series, most of which pertain to videogames.Some of these include:

*Drawn By Pain
*de-rez
*Zero Punctuation
*Unforgotten Realms
*Videogame Theater
*Kung Fu Grip

Awards

In May 2008, The Escapist won the Webby Award and 2008 People's Choice Award for Best Video-Game Related Website.

References

External links

* [http://www.escapistmagazine.com The Escapist (magazine) - Homepage]
* [http://www.urealms.com Unforgotten Realms Homepage]