IGN to shutter 1UP and Gamespy, announces layoffs

As gaming giant IGN switches directions and consolidates properties, layoffs have hit the gaming industry in the wrong places: blogging. Two of the gaming network’s biggest properties, GameSpy and 1UP, and entertainment upstart Ugo.com, are being shut down.

This news comes after the big sale earlier this month when IGN became part of the Ziff Davis, Inc. when the network was purchased by J2 Global. At the time, it seemed like a doubling of their properties to add them to PCMag, Geek.com, and Toolbox.com, but now only IGN.com remains.

According to Casey Lynch at IGN:

I also believe that just like the business that we cover, our best days are ahead of us. And that by combining the forces of IGN and our remaining 1UP and GameSpy compatriots, we can make the IGN of tomorrow better than it’s ever been. We will never forget the contributions of those who are no longer at IGN, but we will continue doing what we do best: talking about video games.

The industry could use some consolidation (as most industries could) with the influx of so many blogs popping up, but this wasn’t what we expected to make it happen.