Gaming Target

Gaming Target
Web address GamingTarget.com
Commercial? Yes
Type of site
 Gaming
Registration Free
Owner Matt Swider
Created by Matt Swider
Launched February 17, 1999
Alexa rank
 negative increase 704,091 (April 2014)[1]

Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.

History

When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. The site began using the GamingTarget.com domain and opened a Dreamcast section on September 9, 1999, the same day as the DC's North American launch.

Various redesigns and server outages would plague the site in 2000 and in early 2001 it went offline to undergo a complete revamp. The new Gaming Target went live on May 15, 2001 and the site has been in continuous operation ever since. In addition to the new design, sections were added for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and GameCube. A section devoted to the Xbox would open in October during the run-up to that console's November launch.

In September 2002, Gaming Target was redesigned again and became an affiliate of UGO. This deal allowed UGO to syndicate articles from Gaming Target on UGO's Games channel.

In late 2004, the site underwent another redesign (still used today) and opened sections covering the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. In May 2005, during the build-up to E3, Gaming Target added sections for the PC, N-Gage and the next-generation Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. Finally, in June 2006, the Retro channel was opened, providing coverage of retired console, handheld and PC games.

During its first seven years of operation, Gaming Target has created a database of over 1,500 reviews. By 2006, ranked as the 27th largest review archive by GameRankings.[2] In addition to reviewing current games, Gaming Target also publishes articles that delve into the history of games and gaming. The website's "Video Game Librarian" series[3] details a pilot program of how video games and gaming-related media enhance library collections while serving people's tastes.

Controversies

Gaming Target has been involved in controversy in the video game community on two separate occasions. First, it tried to decode the release date of the Wii game console from a cryptic Nintendo press release.[4][5] While their guess of October 2 was ultimately wrong, it spurred much discussion, with some enthusiasts responding with supporting evidence and others responding with release date theories of their own.[6] However, some analysts scoffed at the idea that the press release actually contained any coded information at all. [7]

In 2006, the website published a satirical article showcasing how to use the "Kreate a Fighter" option in the video game Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.[8] The article includes instructions on how to insert noted anti-video game attorney Jack Thompson into the game. Citing a contempt charge the lawyer received from a Florida judge, the article calls him “the most violent man in America, ergo, perfect for Mortal Kombat.”[9] Thompson responded by sending a letter to Midway Games demanding they cease and desist selling Mortal Kombat: Armageddon based on his claim that the game was illegally profiting from his likeness. The incident was widely reported in the mainstream and gaming press. Midway chose not to respond to Thompson's allegation.[10][11][12]

References

  1. ↑ "Gamingtarget.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  2. ↑ Game Ranking: Site Statistics
  3. ↑ "The Video Game Librarian". Gaming Target. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  4. ↑ Snow, Blake (2006-07-25). "Press release decoder says Wii to launch October 2". Joystiq. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  5. ↑ "Nintendo's fourth quarter release calendar". Gaming Target. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  6. ↑ Reimer, Jeremy (2006-07-25). "Nintendo slyly hints at Wii release date". ars technica. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  7. ↑ "Today’s Nintendo Wii Launch Rumor: October 2nd". Play Feed. 2006-07-25. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  8. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (2006-10-26). "Thompson starts another fight as Bully issue simmers". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  9. ↑ "Mortal Kombat Armageddon: Kreate A Fighter Kraziness". Gamingtarget.com. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  10. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (2006-10-26). "Thompson starts another fight as Bully issue simmers". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  11. ↑ The Inquirer: Mortal Kombat nicked my image
  12. ↑ "Slashdot: Jack Thompson vs. Mortal Kombat". Games.slashdot.org. Retrieved 2013-12-18.

External links