Humble Bundle has been Acquired by IGN

Media giant IGN announced today that it has acquired Humble Bundle, the company best known for selling packs of indie games at pay-what-you-want prices. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

[2pacalypsenow]

RIP Humble Bundle, we had a good run.

[Bga22]

End of the road.

[Soulst0rmer]

7.9 "Too much of a good thing" - IGN

[Sono421]

This is terrible, I only just found out about the site last month and IGN just had to come along and ruin it for me...

[freshslicepizza]

I expect future titles to have higher review scores on average now.

[2600Thunder]

Yup IGN is corrupt as hell.

[PlayStation_5]

Everything IGN touches turns to shit.

[alexgibson]

Any evidence? Sounds like you're just on the IGN-hate bandwagon.

[Nightmar3Demom]

Well, all good things must end I guess

[Movefasta1993]

I just brought the borderlands goty,borderlands 2 goty and adventures of van hel collection bundle for under £4 from there,I might never see a deal like that again:(

[FallenAngel1984]

I don't know how I should feel about this development

[shuvam09]

Ideally you should be feeling bad...
I don't know of one likable person there...
Ever since EasyAliies entered the scene, IGN has become irrelevant in terms of game reviews to me...
I do visit the site once or twice a week to check out on news though...

[SinkingSage]

They had Daemon Hatfield, that guy was likable.

[agent4532]

This is bullshit all good customer driven companies bought off by corporations. Bleh. This will hurt humble bundle in the long run.

[Xenophon_York]

IGN was decent back twenty years ago. Been particularly horrible since the game site decided to be a multi-entertainment reporting source instead of Imagine GAMES Network.

[edeprez]

Yeah, IGN was the place to be back in the day. Now its a bunch of tv and movie garbage, and not so good videos, just nothing left to hang around for. Plus most of their talent has left them.

[2600Thunder]

Yeah, like many I was actively online when it was IGN vs Gamespot and they were both great back then. Then the ad traffic measurements and sponsorships from publishers came; according to Peer Schneider they needed the money. That's when everything changed along with the introduction of click bait we all know so well.

[Xenophon_York]

2600Thunder—

That's basically it. Once big bucks started pumping through the Internet seventeen or so years ago gaming sites starting seeing so much green a lot of the genuine passion croaked. Add to that the gobbling of of these sites by major media outlets and here we are.

[Tapani]

Corporations my ass. This is small time business buying a small time business.

The normal definition of "corporations" and everything "large and evil" about them is a bit different than a few million dollar business buying another a few million dollar business.

I meet bigger businesses daily, and I'm living in an insignificant country economy-wise. Might be big for gamers and in their world, but I can assure these online media outlets are not terribly large in any measurable revenue-parameter.

I loved the idea of humble bundle though, and I thought it is very strange that it was sold. Goes against their nature to benefit. Oh wait, maybe it is exactly what it was made for, to be sold once enough money was gained. Nothing humble about that, though.

[Null1980]

Tapani, you do know that IGN is part of a larger Publishing & Internet company, Ziff Davis. Revenue over $215 million a year with 1200ish employees. It's part of a corporation.

edit- that $215 million was REVENUE. Their net worth is estimated at $1.9 Billion as of 2015. You work with bigger companies worth more than $1.9 Billion every day? Okay.

[Petebloodyonion]

@Tapani You should check IGN parent company Ziff and Davis a subsidiary of J2global inc.
http://www.j2global.com/
They are far from a small time company.

[Tapani]

OtterX and Pete,

You are right!! You proved me wrong! I was drunk, and didn't do my homework before my comment. Apologies!

[PhoenixUp]

Will all hell break loose with this acquisition?

[Christopher]

So, anyone else feel that a company who makes money off of reviewing games and advertising them is now going to own a company that sells games is a bit of a conflict of interest or is that just me?

I know they say they'll remain separate, but c'mon, that's not rain, you're peeing on me.

[phoenixwing]

I had the same thought. Only not with the peeing stuff xD

[dirkdady]

Not to play devils advocate but isn't humble bundle usually older games sold in a packaged price i.e. Games that have already been reviewed?

If ign was the developer there is a direct conflict but the question is would ign ever be in a position to know if a game they review would eventually come to humble bundle ahead of time? Then I think you can make a case what's to stop them from giving a game a higher score to boost bundle sales down the road.

[conanlifts]

@dirkdaddy, they have a full digital store that sells new games. The deals are an extra to their digital store.

[Eilers]

@sd11 but steam also has those games and almost every other game store. Or are you talking about Humble Originals? nobody reviews those I think they are lower than indies.

[derkasan]

I bet that's why Humble Bundle was testing the waters with that Shadow of War bundle. Seems disingenuous when most of the profit went to WB IIRC.

[Christopher]

*** but steam also has those games and almost every other game store. Or are you talking about Humble Originals? nobody reviews those I think they are lower than indies.***

Scenario
---

Indie dev: hey, we've got a new game, any chance you can talk about it, preview, and review it?

IGN: good to hear. Hey, any chance you'll sell your game on our storefront?

Indie dev: I guess so...

IGN: good, glad to hear that...

[TheColbertinator]

Yup. Hence why Gamestop bought Game Informer and Shacknews

[Scatpants]

Since many of their reviews seem bought off already it shouldn't change things much. Also Humble Bundle mostly sells somewhat older games so a review scheme wouldn't really help them unless they're planning on changing their business model somehow.

[TheColbertinator]

RIP Humble Bundle

All hail Bundle Stars

[conanlifts]

Oh no. Lets hope they do not break it.

[Razzer]

Wow. Did not see that at all.

[WeAreLegion]

Well, it was fun while it lasted. :( I hope someone creates a new version of it.

[franwex]

Oh well. I just deleted there spammy ass emails.

[Skuletor]

Guess we probably won't be getting those free games every now and then now, hopefully we still do though.

[NotanotherReboot]

frickin awesome news

[UCForce]

That's bad new. IGN is going to hurt them in long run.

[Xenophon_York]

"Terms of the deal were not disclosed..." Or, in other words, IGN paid-what-it-wanted to.

[MazeRunner]

RIP Humble Bundle

[Profchaos]

As long as it still serves its primary purpose (donating a portion or all of its sales to charity's) I'm good with it

[2600Thunder]

IGN is corrupt as hell. Bye HB, it's been fun.

[ClanPsi1]

Look on the bright side: From now on the "Humble Tip" slider's going straight to 0%, which means more money for charity!

[_Q_]

Ill be cancelling with HB monthly(yeah I know "big deal") . I dont support IGN.

[Gwiz]

The other day I was thinking about buying a bundle,well not anymore.

[bluefox755]

IGN is garbage.

[PlayableGamez-]

IGN will steer HB in the right direction.
Great acquisition from a great company.

[Miacosa]

I wonder if IGN will recuse themselves from reviewing any game that would be sold through Humble Bundle as there would definitely be a conflict of interest.

[Cyro]

I'll wait and see how this turns out before judging. I mean Blizzard is owned by Activision but it hasn't turned to shit, maybe this will be similar.

[DrShoe]

Blizzard is shit though, just because the fanboys think Blizzard can do no wrong, doesn't mean the rest of us are blinded as they are.

[Cyro]

I mean Blizzard isn't worse than Activision. I'm not saying all they do is right but they're definitely not the same.

[DrShoe]

Rest in Peace, Humble Bundle! You were the one that were going to change the world. Now IGN will rape all the good will and leave you an empty husk :(

[ziggurcat]

"Too much humility 4.7/10 - IGN"

[Nodoze]

Well there goes that one.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

WHAT