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ziff-davis
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ziff-davis
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ziff-davis
videogames
Parents have no clue what their kids are playing
"About three in four parents of young gamers never or hardly ever touch the stuff," reports an Associated Press poll. That might explain why so many tweens wind up with Grand Theft Auto in their Christmas stockings. What They Like, a startup, aims to guide out-of-touch parents through today's media landscape. Helmed by the Ziff Davis-fleeing executives Ira Becker and John Davison, the company's first project, What They Play, is a resource for clueless parental units. You know, so they don't wind up buying the ultraviolent Manhunt 2 for their toddlers.
Ira Becker, a former executive at troubled tech-trade publisher Ziff Davis, has raised half of a planned $3 million in financing for his videogame-focused "online review and advertising" website, called What They Like. John Davison, a former editor at Ziff, is also involved in the startup. [PaidContent]
deathwatch
Ziff-Davis stanches cash hemorrhage, bleeds people for a change
More bad news for Ziff-Davis, the storied, and troubled, tech publisher: Two executives in its videogames group have left the company. General manager Ira Becker and editorial director John Davison announced they're departing to start a new venture, thought to be a family-oriented videogame site. Opportune timing considering Ziff's uncertain future. It's also sure to dampen any enthusiasm among potential buyers for the technology publisher's shrinking game portfolio, which have been on the block since late last year. Becker and Davison, you see, were responsible for the website 1UP.com, the only segment of the group that has shown consistent growth. Ziff-Davis has been trying to sell off its magazines (Electronic Gaming Monthly and Games for Windows) as well as 1UP.
Technology publisher Ziff-Davis continues to struggle financially. Second-quarter earnings fell 29 percent to $16.5 million compared to the previous year. [PaidContent]
deathwatch
Ziff-Davis doesn't pay its debt
Despite the recent sale of its enterprise group — a set of tech trade magazines including eWeek — vultures are circling technology publisher Ziff-Davis. Today it announced it was forced to forgo an interest payment on its $390 million debt. The skipped payment is permitted under its debt covenants, says CEO Jason Young, who expects Ziff will "be able to restructure our debt outside of the courts." Young, of course, would like you to think that the aging print publisher is remaking itself into a digital-media growth machine. But how many startups do you know have $390 million in debt — largely because of bets on print vehicles that have yet to pay off? More »
Revision3 COO David Prager, asked to confirm that Patrick Norton is leaving the Ziff-Davis-owned DL.TV to join his online-video company, answers with a silence that speaks volumes. [Twit.tv]
hires
Revision3's new face keeps it all in the family
More than one tipster tells us that Patrick Norton is leaving Ziff-Davis's DL.TV, and, after a brief paternity leave, joining Revision3. DL.TV, of course, was the brainchild of Jumpin' Jim Louderback, the former PC Magazine editor who's now Revision3's CEO. And before Ziff-Davis, Louderback and Norton worked together at TechTV, where Norton was the host of the popular "Screen Savers" show — the same show that later birthed Revision3 cofounder Kevin Rose's career. It's not a surprising hire, but it should answer any remaining questions about how crushingly insular the world of online video is.
Jason Young replaces Robert Callahan as CEO of Ziff Davis, the parent company of PC Magazine. [Business Wire]
open blinds
Valleywag conference correspondent ConFonz drops an item too juicy to run with names — for now. Which Game Marketing Conference attendee isn't playing fair?
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Open blinds: Player at the game conference
Valleywag conference correspondent ConFonz drops an item too juicy to run with names — for now. Which Game Marketing Conference attendee isn't playing fair?
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confonz
Valleywag's conference-going correspondent — or ConFonz, the name he's adopted for protection and lucrative merchandising ops — sends a multi-part report from the SF-hosted Game Marketing Conference. Why does ConFonz always get pushed out by dermatologists or dowagers?
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ConFonz at the Game Marketing Conference: gamers vs. little old ladies
Valleywag's conference-going correspondent — or ConFonz, the name he's adopted for protection and lucrative merchandising ops — sends a multi-part report from the SF-hosted Game Marketing Conference. Why does ConFonz always get pushed out by dermatologists or dowagers?
More »
