Right as LoadingReadyRun is getting ready for Desert Bus, so no Checkpoint for two weeks. I wonder if they will cover it when they get back 🤔
Someone please, please back up the old Zero Punctuation videos now, before something happens.
I stopped following The Escapist a couple months back when it started reminding me more and more of corporate media. ZP was fun because you could get Yat’s unfiltered opinion, rather than the almost undiscernable “good game, 7/10” opinion other game reviewers give. The Escapist shot themselves on the foot on this one, imo.
I’m out of the loop. Any reason given for leaving? I feel like I’ve watched ZP on and off since we got a family computer.
From what’s been posted on the discord and a couple of articles it looks like the escapist was bought out, and new management wanted a ton of video content (perhaps to align with the youtube algorithm of prioritizing channels that post multiple videos per day). New management then fired Nick, and the video staff in solidarity (and seeing the writing on the wall of the new direction of promoting low effort, frequent content over less frequent quality content) walked out with him.
I find this kind of funny-sad: The Escapist has often gone through these waves of being The Yahtzee Croshaw Channel to “We’re spinning up two other channels just so we can spread out all the stuff we’re making.” Remember that phase when every ZP started with a bumper about which shows are on which channel? Yeah they stopped uploading things to Escapist Movies and Escapist Live 2 years ago.
I was actually digging some of the newer stuff they were making, particularly The Stuff Of Legends and Cold Take, and doing Extra Punctuation in video form didn’t hurt either. Just as I was finally like “Hey Escapist is publishing some shows in addition to ZP that I’m kinda into” it all falls apart.
They announced they’re staying together as Second Wind Group, so hopefully the momentum just goes there instead
This is definitely the end of an era.