Humble Bundle and IGN Joining Forces

[prickly]

Co-Founder and CEO of Humble Bundle, Jeffrey Rosen, announced earlier today the company's "biggest bundle ever", the merging of his company with media giant IGN. "We chose IGN because they really understand our vision, share our passion for games, and believe in our mission to promote awesome digital content while helping charity. I can't think of a better partner than IGN to help Humble Bundle continue our quest", said Rosen. One consequence of the companies joining forces will be a new publishing initiative, but Humble Bundle will, it was claimed, maintain its independence going forward. A point reiterated by IGN executive VP Mitch Galbraith, in a conversation with Gamasutra today. But IGN, which reviews and critiques games, now owns a platform- albeit at arm's length- for selling them; a development that might strike some as creating the potential for future conflicts of interest.



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[Nuckles56]

I'm not sure I'm okay with that, I feel like humble bundle will loose what makes it great through this merger

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I'm not sure I'm okay with that, I feel like humble bundle will loose what makes it great through this merger

Me too Humble Bundle will lose its identity

 

[evernessince]

" But IGN, which reviews and critiques games"

Since when? They've been a gaming circle jerk company as long as I've known. Their reviews are the worst.

 

[Capitan Harlock]

10/10 idiocracy decision right there.
Why this people have a job and me not?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I think they just lost my business.

 

[ernorator]

pecunia non olet

 

[RejZoR]

Isn't this a bit of a conflict of interests? IGN reviews games and Humble Bundle is selling them? I don't want to go full GamerGate again, but this is why that s**t happened...Conflicts of interests, corruption and journo/dev collusions.

 

[scheilinkin]

So from now on you`ll be able to get those games only if you subscribe to IGN Prime ... I guess

 

[Vya Domus]

IGN is still relevant ?

 

[natr0n]

Network statistics

• 79 channels
• 174,525 videos
• 7,544,280,835 views
• 11,234,383 subscribers

Some stats from there youtube
IGN covers games, movies and entertainment it seems.

They are making major bank and then some

 

[dj-electric]

The purest is being consumed by the evilest.

It was good while it lasted, HB, but i lose a little bit more faith in humanity thanks to this.

Isn't this a bit of a conflict of interests?

IGN itself is a huge conflict of interests. They review games by companies that sponsor them

 

[GorbazTheDragon]

Here's a good comment I found on reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/767bnw/humble_bundle_acquired_by_ign/doc5gx3/

Spoiler

Just unsubscribed. If anyone is considering doing the same here's 2 reasons why you should:
1. IGN reviews games, and is supported by studios promoting games. This is already a conflict of interest, however by having a platform to sell games they cannot be considered unbiased. Not only will they be selling the same games that they're supported by but they will be promoting these games through their reviews. Imagine the 10/10 review with a sidebar ad for the same game and a link to purchase in the description. How could you trust that 10/10 score?!
2. IGN is a for-profit company incentivized by their stakeholders to turn a profit, that's their 1 goal. If the Humble Bundle was about bringing support to indie games while benefiting charities we can no longer trust IGN to continue that. Their main priority is keeping the shareholders happy by making money. Even if members of IGN's staff are really passionate about these indie games and charities they're going to work to benefit the people that give them a paycheck.

 

[Vya Domus]

Had anyone ever had any glimmer of trust in any of these big game reviewing channels in the first place? Seriously , let's not pretend we don't know who these guys are , IGN was exposed numerous times for such things in the past.

 

[RejZoR]

Had anyone ever had any glimmer of trust in any of these big game reviewing channels in the first place? Seriously , let's not pretend we don't know who these guys are , IGN was exposed numerous times for such things in the past.

Me and you not, but you have hundreds of millions of normies who don't know it better. They trust such reviewers. Times are changing and things are getting better by people trusting more independent pro-consumer reviewers like Youtube "superstars" AngryJoe and TotalBiscuit who are often very critical and not tied to anyone's ownership rights or bribes. But it'll take a while till this changes entirely.

 

[Regeneration]

I always liked the idea of Humble Hundle, never had the chance to get anything from there, but now I'll never will. Companies like IGN represent everything that is wrong with the gaming industry. Their reviews are biased IMHO, always kissing the publishers' butts, no matter what.

 

[AsRock]

Meh never have liked IGN, this mean IGN get all that personal info from people having humble bumble data now?.

Come to think about it i don't read or watch reviews no more i just watch a few video's of others play them and decide, been much more productive that way.

 

[Solaris17]

Great now my HB data has been sold to one of my biggest hated companies on the internet. I wish we were informed of this so I could have deleted my account. Not to mention im sure the game choices are going to blow.

Atleast this way if anyone is curious what HB will put on sale next you only need to look at what IGN gave a good review to the week prior.

 

[NTM2003]

IGN has always gave good movies bad reviews but still I only read it for new game announcement's and game reviews sometimes helps. as far as I know there only ones that have good streaming videos of E3 and comic con. sometimes I use YouTube or mixer on Xbox one.

 

[Frick]

The purest is being consumed by the evilest.

HB might have been pure for a short while at the start, but that ended pretty quickly.

And honestly I haven't seena good bundle from them in a long while anyway. And most of the stuff you buy there are Steam keys, and if not download them installers which you should anyway.

 

[Jermelescu]

9.2/10 worst decision ever by Humble Bundle - IGN

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Isn't this a bit of a conflict of interests? IGN reviews games and Humble Bundle is selling them? I don't want to go full GamerGate again, but this is why that s**t happened...Conflicts of interests, corruption and journo/dev collusions.

What do you expect from an industry full of failed journalists and high school dropouts that rely on industry sponsorships, hype culture, and rabid fanbases, Companies that show massive disdain towards their customers, customers whom eat that behavior up and beg for more, and who**s who will sleep around to get higher game scores?

The entire "video game journalism" industry is pathetic.