IGN Entertainment Reviews

I left because of the lack of journalistic integrity. What finalized my decision was when we were pushing out a review for The Last of Us Part II. Management didnt specify who did, but we got paid to give the game a 10/10 without playing it. I soon quit after. When I was growing up IGN used to be an eligible source of gaming news, they used to never leave their audience in the dark like this, but that time is gone. They dont care about the game, the gamers, just money. So take it from me, if you see a 10/10 coming from IGN, take it with a grain of salt, and that goes for other mainstream outlets such as Polygon or Kotaku, theres a pretty good chance what they are saying isnt true.

But even with all the intelligence, a lot of people just are not motivated enough. Proactiveness is often lacking, and why shouldn't it? There's not much reward for doing great work (and great work is consistent). Some people do amazing work, and are never recognized for it, even over 5 years. Ziff Davis, the parent company, often touts IGN's high profit margins, but those profit margins come at the price of paying IGN's staff poorly, and not pursuing advancement for employees. I often heard from execs that, "You sacrifice wages, because it's IGN," meaning that IGN is apparently so much fun and so chill that it's okay to pay people less than competitors. If that were true, your staff wouldn't be leaving for Twitter, Facebook, Google, Twitch, CBS Interactive, Pandora, and other equally fun places that pay very well. During my extensive tenure, I was routinely told I needed to prove myself before any advancement is offered. I did, in fact, prove it on multiple occasions, but it did not seem to be enough. Eventually, I left for somewhere much more fun that paid much better for half the hours. The location isn't the best for those commuting via BART or subway, but it's good for those using Caltrain. It's right next to AT&T Park, so expect long commutes via car during games.