Current Events > The Long, Slow Goodbye

(+) Yeah! (+)

When I first started GameFAQs in 1995, I didn't have a clue as to what would lay ahead. I didn't create the first FAQ-writing community (that was USENET), I wasn't the first to gather them all in one place (that was Andy Eddy and the Brawl Archives), I was just the first to try to make a navigable web site out of them. A weekend of work on AOL, and it all began.

The first few years were full of steady growth, and by the summer of 1999, I was ready to take the plunge. I quit my "real" job, and turned to working on GameFAQs full time. The ability to focus on the site allowed me to create the message boards, and almost four years after the original site was launched, the boards went live, and ended up driving the site to a huge amount of popularity.

By 2000, in the middle of the first dot-com boom, I was more than happy to ride that huge wave of advertising. I saw several compatriots sell off their sites and retire in luxury, and I was happy for them. I saw several others sell off their sites for shares in a private corporation that was going to be big except that it wasn't, and I was sad for them. Me, I just wanted to ride the wave for as long as I could.

And "as long as I could" hit right around the Spring of 2003, when I was working 80-hour weeks, getting little sleep, and having to deal with the usual rigors of running a one-man business. It was about to finish me off, and there was no way I could continue to keep going the way I was; that's what led me to sell the site to CNET in the summer of 2003.

Times with CNET were much better, almost perfect, but not quite. We've had plenty of good times and bad. We fixed old problems, and created new ones. Some major mistakes, and never enough make-up to make everybody happy. But, if you look at our traffic growth since CNET took over, it's hard to say that anything is too terribly wrong the way things are going.

The next year, GameFAQs got its second full-time employee with Allen "Sailor Bacon" Tyner, who has been indispensable in picking up what I couldn't keep going. He's actually got my dream job, staying behind the scenes, never getting in anyone's way, and being there every time I needed him. Which wasn't often enough, as I still, 11 and a half years later, tried to do everything by myself.

Last year, at E3 2006, I got the first big feeling that the world was starting to move on without me. I didn't just feel like I was one of the oldest people there; I was reminded of it constantly. Flashes of "No way that kid's 18" and "This music's too loud" and "Get off of my lawn" flew through my head. In the GameSpot booth, as I still knew and talked with some of the usual crowd, I couldn't help but notice that I was feeling even older. Many of them were years younger than me, and I found I had just had less in common with them than I had in years past.

When I got back to the hotel, I looked in the mirror and said to myself, "Are you really going to still be doing this when you're 60? Or, much less, when you're 40?"

And so, as the Summer of 2007 rolls around, I feel like it's time for GameFAQs to move on, and I'm the one holding it back. Or is that vice versa? GameFAQs was never truly my site, or CNET's site, but your site, as it belongs primarily to its contributors, and how they choose to contribute shapes what GameFAQs is today. I was the first glue that held this conglomeration together, but glue wears out, and I do too.

And so yes, today, I am announcing my eventual departure from GameFAQs.

I say eventual, because this isn't a two weeks notice, but it is the first step in my stepping aside to let this train move on with out me. I like my exits slow and subtle, fading out slowly until there's nothing left. I don't want anyone to actually notice the true day I leave, and I want things to keep running just they are today, just not by me.

A lot of changes have already happened over the past few years, but most folks probably didn't notice. Allen already handles over half of the daily submissions onto the site, and he'll be taking over the rest as the new Editor of GameFAQs. Allen has been with GameFAQs almost from the very beginning, first as a contributor, then as a moderator, and then as my Associate Editor. He's proof that hanging out on gaming websites can actually do good things for your career. I had Allen picked out ages ago as someone I wanted to work with, and if I've got to hand over the reins, they couldn't be in better hands.

Most of the work on the GameFAQs boards has long been in the hands of our volunteer moderation staff, and of course that isn't going to change. For the administrative end of things, I'm hoping that there will be a dedicated GameFAQs boards administrator to take over in time, although Allen will be taking the lead there for now as well. GameSpot also already has a full data team designed to handle those kinds of submissions to the game database we already share, and I'm sure they'll be happy to have me watch over them to make sure that they can handle my own current daily queues with the same level of craftsmanship.

Where does that leave all of you? Well, this site was never about people helping GameFAQs, or people helping me, but gamers helping gamers. I've written my own guides for the site over the years, and it was never about any kind of reward except knowing that I made gaming even more fun for whoever read my guide. I hope that's why most of our contributors do the same, and that hasn't changed, and won't change. The boards aren't being dismantled, nothing is shutting down, and I doubt the large majority of the site's visitors will notice a thing.

So, what happens to GameFAQs? Again, not a lot. People didn't come here for me, and I certainly hope nobody leaves for me. I have nothing but good feelings for CNET, who, through all our joint successes and goofs, have been nothing but good to me, and who have listened to me when I've wanted to keep the current directions of GameFAQs going to where they are today.

And what happens to poor little old me? Well, like I said, I'm not disappearing overnight. There are a several projects out there that I simply haven't had the time to implement that I want to go live before I go: Screenshots, for one. I've also promised some changes to how reader reviews work on the site, and I want to make sure that the Character Battle is good to go for everybody next month. My goal is to slowly make myself obsolete, something most tech workers dread, but something I plan to welcome with open arms.

And so, the long goodbye begins. This is not the end of me, and definitely not the end of GameFAQs, but it is the beginning of my end. I've raised you well, GameFAQs. Now go, make me proud. *sniff*

Jeff "CJayC" Veasey
Founder, GameFAQs

my namea jeff

So...."I'll be gone one day, so start missing me now." That's pretty much what I got from this.

farewell

"it is the beginning of the end."

When i fiwst stawted gamefaqs in 1995, i didn't have a cwue as to what wouwd way ahead. I didn't cweate the fiwst faq-wwiting community (that was usenet), i wasn't the fiwst to gathew them aww in one pwace (that was andy eddy and the bwaww awchives), i was just the fiwst to twy to make a navigabwe web site out of them. A weekend of wowk on aol, and it aww began.

the fiwst few yeaws wewe fuww of steady gwowth, and by the summew of 1999, i was weady to take the pwunge. I quit my "weaw" job, and tuwned to wowking on gamefaqs fuww time. The abiwity to focus on the site awwowed me to cweate the message boawds, and awmost fouw yeaws aftew the owiginaw site was waunched, the boawds went wive, and ended up dwiving the site to a huge amount of popuwawity.

by 2000, in the middwe of the fiwst dot-com boom, i was mowe than happy to wide that huge wave of advewtising. I saw sevewaw compatwiots seww off theiw sites and wetiwe in wuxuwy, and i was happy fow them. I saw sevewaw othews seww off theiw sites fow shawes in a pwivate cowpowation that was going to be big except that it wasn't, and i was sad fow them. Me, i just wanted to wide the wave fow as wong as i couwd.

and "as wong as i couwd" hit wight awound the spwing of 2003, when i was wowking 80-houw weeks, getting wittwe sweep, and having to deaw with the usuaw wigows of wunning a one-man business. It was about to finish me off, and thewe was no way i couwd continue to keep going the way i was; that's what wed me to seww the site to cnet in the summew of 2003.

times with cnet wewe much bettew, awmost pewfect, but not quite. We've had pwenty of good times and bad. We fixed owd pwobwems, and cweated new ones. Some majow mistakes, and nevew enough make-up to make evewybody happy. But, if you wook at ouw twaffic gwowth since cnet took ovew, it's hawd to say that anything is too tewwibwy wwong the way things awe going.

the next yeaw, gamefaqs got its second fuww-time empwoyee with awwen "saiwow bacon" tynew, who has been indispensabwe in picking up what i couwdn't keep going. He's actuawwy got my dweam job, staying behind the scenes, nevew getting in anyone's way, and being thewe evewy time i needed him. Which wasn't often enough, as i stiww, 11 and a hawf yeaws watew, twied to do evewything by mysewf.

last yeaw, at e3 2006, i got the fiwst big feewing that the wowwd was stawting to move on without me. I didn't just feew wike i was one of the owdest peopwe thewe; i was weminded of it constantwy. Fwashes of "no way that kid's 18" and "this music's too woud" and "get off of my wawn" fwew thwough my head. In the gamespot booth, as i stiww knew and tawked with some of the usuaw cwowd, i couwdn't hewp but notice that i was feewing even owdew. Many of them wewe yeaws youngew than me, and i found i had just had wess in common with them than i had in yeaws past.

when i got back to the hotew, i wooked in the miwwow and said to mysewf, "awe you weawwy going to stiww be doing this when you'we 60? ow, much wess, when you'we 40?"

and so, as the summew of 2007 wowws awound, i feew wike it's time fow gamefaqs to move on, and i'm the one howding it back. Ow is that vice vewsa? gamefaqs was nevew twuwy my site, ow cnet's site, but youw site, as it bewongs pwimawiwy to its contwibutows, and how they choose to contwibute shapes what gamefaqs is today. I was the fiwst gwue that hewd this congwomewation togethew, but gwue weaws out, and i do too.

and so yes, today, i am announcing my eventuaw depawtuwe fwom gamefaqs.

i say eventuaw, because this isn't a two weeks notice, but it is the fiwst step in my stepping aside to wet this twain move on with out me. I wike my exits swow and subtwe, fading out swowwy untiw thewe's nothing weft. I don't want anyone to actuawwy notice the twue day i weave, and i want things to keep wunning just they awe today, just not by me.

a wot of changes have awweady happened ovew the past few yeaws, but most fowks pwobabwy didn't notice. Awwen awweady handwes ovew hawf of the daiwy submissions onto the site, and he'ww be taking ovew the west as the new editow of gamefaqs. Awwen has been with gamefaqs awmost fwom the vewy beginning, fiwst as a contwibutow, then as a modewatow, and then as my associate editow. He's pwoof that hanging out on gaming websites can actuawwy do good things fow youw caweew. I had awwen picked out ages ago as someone i wanted to wowk with, and if i've got to hand ovew the weins, they couwdn't be in bettew hands.

most of the wowk on the gamefaqs boawds has wong been in the hands of ouw vowunteew modewation staff, and of couwse that isn't going to change. Fow the administwaitive end of things, i'm hoping that thewe wiww be a dedicated gamefaqs boawds administwaitow to take ovew in time, awthough awwen wiww be taking the wead thewe fow now as weww. Gamespot awso awweady has a fuww data team designed to handwe those kinds of submissions to the game database we awweady shawe, and i'm suwe they'ww be happy to have me watch ovew them to make suwe that they can handwe my own cuwwent daiwy queues with the same wevew of cwaftsmanship.

whewe does that weave aww of you? weww, this site was nevew about peopwe hewping gamefaqs, ow peopwe hewping me, but gamews hewping gamews. I've wwitten my own guides fow the site ovew the yeaws, and it was nevew about any kind of wewawd except knowing that i made gaming even mowe fun fow whoevew wead my guide. I hope that's why most of ouw contwibutows do the same, and that hasn't changed, and won't change. The boawds awen't being dismantwed, nothing is shutting down, and i doubt the wawge majowity of the site's visitows wiww notice a thing.

so, what happens to gamefaqs? again, not a wot. Peopwe didn't come hewe fow me, and i cewtainwy hope nobody weaves fow me. I have nothing but good feewings fow cnet, who, thwough aww ouw joint successes and goofs, have been nothing but good to me, and who have wistened to me when i've wanted to keep the cuwwent diwections of gamefaqs going to whewe they awe today.

and what happens to poow wittwe owd me? weww, wike i said, i'm not disappeawing ovewnight. Thewe awe a sevewaw pwojects out thewe that i simpwy haven't had the time to impwement that i want to go wive befowe i go: scweenshots, fow one. I've awso pwomised some changes to how weadew weviews wowk on the site, and i want to make suwe that the chawactew battwe is good to go fow evewybody next month. My goaw is to swowwy make mysewf obsowete, something most tech wowkews dwead, but something i pwan to wewcome with open awms.

and so, the wong goodbye begins. This is not the end of me, and definitewy not the end of gamefaqs, but it is the beginning of my end. I've waised you weww, gamefaqs. Now go, make me pwoud. *sniff*

jeff "cjayc" veasey
foundew, gamefaqs

I close my eyes, I just can't sleep
Where have you gone again, my sweet?

SocialistGamer posted...

When I first started GameFAQs in 1995, I didn't have a clue as to what would lay ahead. I didn't create the first FAQ-writing community (that was USENET), I wasn't the first to gather them all in one place (that was Andy Eddy and the Brawl Archives), I was just the first to try to make a navigable web site out of them. A weekend of work on AOL, and it all began.

In retrospect it's supercool that he didn't claim he was first.

Loads of people do and it's always annoying.