Games Domain
Encyclopedia
Games Domain was a video game website
founded by Dave Stanworth and based out of Birmingham, UK
. In the late 1990s, it was at one time mirrored in seven different countries and had a tumultuous history of being purchased by different corporations over its 11-year existence. It was active from March 1994 until March 2005. By 2002, the Domain was considered one of the leading gaming sites, with approximately 1.4 million users and 15 million page views per month. Games Domain also had two sister sites - Kids Domain, focusing on children's titles, and Console Domain, focusing on console games. The site's primary URL
s were www.gamesdomain.co.uk (UK) and www.gamesdomain.com (US).
The site's main areas were the GD Review, an online magazine which consisted mostly of staff reviews and previews of games, the Downloads section featuring game demos, patches, and shareware, and the Games Info section which stored FAQs and walkthroughs.
, at the time a successful new web portal, purchased Attitude Network in a $52.8 million deal in April 1999. By 2000, after acquiring games retailer Chips & Bits and Computer Games Magazine
publisher Strategy Plus, theglobe.com was considered the second largest online gaming network. However, like several companies from the dotcom era, the company went bust within 2 years. Theglobe.com sold these operations in August 2001 and continued with a reduced games division consisting of just Computer Games Magazine and the Chips & Bits mail-order service until the present day.
The site had been up for sale since July 2001, and would not find a home until October of that year. BT Openworld, the internet arm of British Telecom
purchased Games Domain to boost its online gaming division. BT launched a new service on the site called Games Domain Multiplay in November 2001, providing servers for online gamers at a price. It was unsuccessful, and within 16 months the Multiplay service was shut down.
In November 2003, BT sold Games Domain to Yahoo!
. The site would be integrated into Yahoo's Games channel
. During the Yahoo years, Games Domain was revamped visually and covered both console and PC games until Yahoo abandoned the brand and URL in March 2005.
staff and external "online" managers to produce downloads and online publications. Dave Stanworth held the system together from his Birmingham office with programmers and some staff writers, while Games Domain Review internet writers, from all over the world, showing talent and work ethic were promoted to section editors of various gaming categories, called "Zones", such as Role Playing Games (RPG), Strategy, Sport, Adventure and Action. Within Games Domain Review, under these Zone managers (editors) were various freelance game reviewers. Section editors had the job of coordinating game reviewers for their subcategory, and for writing monthly editorials as well as contributing game reviews. The initial philosophy of Games Domain Review was that a reviewer should complete the entire game, and write a lengthy, honest review, regardless of marketing influences. For this reason, Games Domain was initially considered unbiased in its reviews of various games.
Staff editors, responsible for their subcategories, were also involved in management decisions. Staff discussions were conducted via email, in a lengthy process which could
become intense. This form of management reflected the pseudo-anarchical style of earlier internet developments, and was reflected in nearly all decisions regarding the presentation of Games Domain to the public, including the award of excellence such as a gold or silver medal to a computer game. Such an award was discussed among all editors and management, regardless of the originating editor's opinion (who most likely reviewed the game personally) a consensus would or must be achieved. Endless debates were ignited via this system. Although entirely inefficient in most respects, the management system insured that game enthusiasts were, via debate and thorough peer review, themselves, providing readers with the optimal commentary on games and developments.
At the same time, when changes were deemed necessary due to marketing pressures such as the necessity for faster turn-around times, and then ultimately various acquisitions, the system proved inflexible and in-part contributed to both, first the high success of Games Domain at the peak of the dotcom era, and then the ultimate decline of Games Domain.
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
founded by Dave Stanworth and based out of Birmingham, UK
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. In the late 1990s, it was at one time mirrored in seven different countries and had a tumultuous history of being purchased by different corporations over its 11-year existence. It was active from March 1994 until March 2005. By 2002, the Domain was considered one of the leading gaming sites, with approximately 1.4 million users and 15 million page views per month. Games Domain also had two sister sites - Kids Domain, focusing on children's titles, and Console Domain, focusing on console games. The site's primary URL
Uniform Resource Locator
In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....
s were www.gamesdomain.co.uk (UK) and www.gamesdomain.com (US).
The site's main areas were the GD Review, an online magazine which consisted mostly of staff reviews and previews of games, the Downloads section featuring game demos, patches, and shareware, and the Games Info section which stored FAQs and walkthroughs.
History of ownership
In early 1998, Games Domain was acquired by The Attitude Network, who also hosted popular gaming site HappyPuppy.com. Theglobe.comTheGlobe.com
theGlobe.com was an internet startup founded in 1994 by Cornell students Stephan Paternot and Todd Krizelman. A social networking service, theGlobe.com made headlines by going public on November 13, 1998 and posting the largest first day gain of any IPO in history up to that date...
, at the time a successful new web portal, purchased Attitude Network in a $52.8 million deal in April 1999. By 2000, after acquiring games retailer Chips & Bits and Computer Games Magazine
Computer Games Magazine
Computer Games Magazine was a computer gaming print magazine. It was formerly Computer Games Strategy Plus, and before that, Strategy Plus, which had been founded as Games International in the UK in 1988. While its initial focus was on strategy games, it covered a wide range of game genres...
publisher Strategy Plus, theglobe.com was considered the second largest online gaming network. However, like several companies from the dotcom era, the company went bust within 2 years. Theglobe.com sold these operations in August 2001 and continued with a reduced games division consisting of just Computer Games Magazine and the Chips & Bits mail-order service until the present day.
The site had been up for sale since July 2001, and would not find a home until October of that year. BT Openworld, the internet arm of British Telecom
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
purchased Games Domain to boost its online gaming division. BT launched a new service on the site called Games Domain Multiplay in November 2001, providing servers for online gamers at a price. It was unsuccessful, and within 16 months the Multiplay service was shut down.
In November 2003, BT sold Games Domain to Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
. The site would be integrated into Yahoo's Games channel
Yahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games is the section of the Yahoo! website in which Yahoo! users can play games either with other users or by themselves. The games on the website are typically Java applets or quick Flash games, but there are others which require a download. Many of the games that require a download...
. During the Yahoo years, Games Domain was revamped visually and covered both console and PC games until Yahoo abandoned the brand and URL in March 2005.
Organization hierarchy and its Affect Mid Years
From the early start and through its development up until the point of the theGlobe.com acquisition, Games Domain used a combinatorial management system incorporating internal officestaff and external "online" managers to produce downloads and online publications. Dave Stanworth held the system together from his Birmingham office with programmers and some staff writers, while Games Domain Review internet writers, from all over the world, showing talent and work ethic were promoted to section editors of various gaming categories, called "Zones", such as Role Playing Games (RPG), Strategy, Sport, Adventure and Action. Within Games Domain Review, under these Zone managers (editors) were various freelance game reviewers. Section editors had the job of coordinating game reviewers for their subcategory, and for writing monthly editorials as well as contributing game reviews. The initial philosophy of Games Domain Review was that a reviewer should complete the entire game, and write a lengthy, honest review, regardless of marketing influences. For this reason, Games Domain was initially considered unbiased in its reviews of various games.
Staff editors, responsible for their subcategories, were also involved in management decisions. Staff discussions were conducted via email, in a lengthy process which could
become intense. This form of management reflected the pseudo-anarchical style of earlier internet developments, and was reflected in nearly all decisions regarding the presentation of Games Domain to the public, including the award of excellence such as a gold or silver medal to a computer game. Such an award was discussed among all editors and management, regardless of the originating editor's opinion (who most likely reviewed the game personally) a consensus would or must be achieved. Endless debates were ignited via this system. Although entirely inefficient in most respects, the management system insured that game enthusiasts were, via debate and thorough peer review, themselves, providing readers with the optimal commentary on games and developments.
At the same time, when changes were deemed necessary due to marketing pressures such as the necessity for faster turn-around times, and then ultimately various acquisitions, the system proved inflexible and in-part contributed to both, first the high success of Games Domain at the peak of the dotcom era, and then the ultimate decline of Games Domain.