What They Play was a video game-centric website aimed at helping parents learn about content in
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
, helping them decide what games their children should play. It was the first of several websites to launch under "What They Like, Inc.", other sites featuring books, movies and music followed.
History
The site was launched in 2007 by two former
Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis, Inc. is an American digital media and internet company. First founded in 1927 by William Bernard Ziff Sr. and Bernard George Davis, the company primarily owns technology-oriented media websites, online shopping-related services, an ...
members Ira Becker, executive vice-president of the Game Group, and ex-
1UP.com
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
writer and Senior vice-president of the Game Group John Davison. Davison announced his departure from Ziff in August 2007, with Becker's announcement soon following. The two raised over $3 million to fund the creation and launch of the site. The site was launched in beta in on November 12, 2007.
Acquisition
On September 24, 2009, the site was acquired by
News Corporation
News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Ne ...
. As of September 2011, the site no longer appears operational, and all links redirect to
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
.com or its affiliates. The site's
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account has been inactive since February 2011, though no official word of closure exists; it is unclear when and why the website shut down.
Format
The site contained a database of over 16,000 games divided by
console
Console may refer to:
Computing and video games
* System console, a physical device to operate a computer
** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device
** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...
, genre and
ESRB
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games in the United States and Canada. The ESRB was established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Asso ...
rating. The site employed a small editorial staff of seven to play and review games based on their content, but also allowed parents to leave comments and reviews under each game describing their thoughts on the game's content and/or their child's reaction to the game.
Parents could also submit an age-appropriateness rating, assigned on a scale from 1-17.
References
External links
Official WebsiteAndroid Game Reviews
Video game websites
American children's websites
Internet properties established in 2007
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