What's the story behind RPGDot shutting down and RPGWatch being born?
- Thread starter screeg
- Start date
- Joined
- April 12, 2009
- Messages
- 23,459
Wasn't there but I can tell you what I believe. RPGdot owner needed some $ fast and started plans to sell the site to a highest bidder. Site regulars couldn't possibly outbid big companies so a new site needed to be set - RPGwatch was born.
Under new owner, RPGdot became just a tiny shadow of it's former glory and ended up flushed in toilet. Former RPGdot owner is MIA, feeling nothing about former site base because, you know, life goes on, shit happens, what's important is he took care of his grandchildren.
Who was the new RPGdot owner dunno, but it suspiciously resembles EA takeovers.
Under new owner, RPGdot became just a tiny shadow of it's former glory and ended up flushed in toilet. Former RPGdot owner is MIA, feeling nothing about former site base because, you know, life goes on, shit happens, what's important is he took care of his grandchildren.
Who was the new RPGdot owner dunno, but it suspiciously resembles EA takeovers.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2009
- Messages
- 23,459
Ripper
Зичу Вам успіхів
- Joined
- November 8, 2014
- Messages
- 12,085
I don't know the shenanigans behind the scenes, but I remember the decay of RPGdot. People stopped posting, there were spam posts everywhere, and all the signs of a forum in its death throes.
The Codex used to be a great site back then, with some really sharp and interesting posters.
The Codex used to be a great site back then, with some really sharp and interesting posters.
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2014
- Messages
- 12,085
First Rendelius created BlinkingDot in summer 1999:
Rendelius:
Later BlinkingDot was renamed RPGDot, but still owned by Rendelius.
RPGDot grewed up very fast and with it the costs, Rendelius sold RPGDot to Jolt.
Jolt changed the UI, did a lot of advertising that slowed the site down and came up with other bad ideas.
The staff was not amused and Myrthos and most parts of the staff at that time created RPGWatch in 2006.
Many users followed and a few years later the abandoned RPGDot was dead.
Rendelius:
Here's the story why RPGDot once was called BlinkingDot
It started out as a small personal website on Xoom for a RPG project two friends of mine and I were doing (Legends of the Seers). It was meant to talk about the progress of the game. Because there wasn't much (the only thing we ever finished was my procedural landscape modeling and the display engine), I started to report about general RPG news as well. I moved the site to its own domain, and I named the domain after one of the "monsters" in the various Angband variants (dungeon crawls in ASCII, later with graphics): The Blinking Dot. I think when Garrett joined me in posting news (adding his great database of RPG games), we decided to change the name to RPGDot.
Blinkingdot, by the way, went online in Summer 1999.
Later BlinkingDot was renamed RPGDot, but still owned by Rendelius.
RPGDot grewed up very fast and with it the costs, Rendelius sold RPGDot to Jolt.
Jolt changed the UI, did a lot of advertising that slowed the site down and came up with other bad ideas.
The staff was not amused and Myrthos and most parts of the staff at that time created RPGWatch in 2006.
Many users followed and a few years later the abandoned RPGDot was dead.
Yea I didn't remember the details of who acquired rpgdot but i did remember it being acquired; having a crappy overhaul and then the folks who made it interesting (editors et all) left.
Vaguely I remember two sites being created one for rpgs and one for something else - mmo maybe but I can't remember the details since I only liked this one.
Vaguely I remember two sites being created one for rpgs and one for something else - mmo maybe but I can't remember the details since I only liked this one.
I don't even remember how I found my way here. I was posting on the Shadows board I think and someone mentioned people were moving away.
- Joined
- October 19, 2006
- Messages
- 2,469
I vaguely remember how Jolt tried to implement somekind of primitive censorship routine on the rpgdot boards. Didn't they ban the word "rpgwatch" so the new site would not be advertised on the forums and people wouldn't leave… Ofcourse like with all banned words and topics, people do tend to find ways to get around the censorship.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2006
- Messages
- 2,469
Some of them are still around, like Roqua.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 51
- Joined
- October 18, 2006
- Messages
- 3,201
In case anyone was wondering: I googled for good old Rend the other day when the news of the anniversary came up and found out that he is now a Whiskey Expert (Bernhard Rems... second entry from top). I guess that means he still has good taste
.- Joined
- Oct 18, 2006
- Messages
- 3,201
fragonard
Sentinel
Well, I think everyone with an Oct 2006 join date (the majority on this thread) are good candidates...me included.
Drithius
Magic & Loss
I only sporadically lurked on the Dot I was really into [re]playing Baldurs Gate back then, so I visited http://www.ironworksforum.com/ mostly
I was really into [re]playing Baldurs Gate back then, so I visited http://www.ironworksforum.com/ mostly 
Nukester
Sentinel
I used to visit RPGDot all of the time. If I had to guess I would say that searching for Daggerfall patches and discussions is what brought me there. I was a big time lurker though. Even here Im a big time lurker, except maybe in the currently listening to thread
I was a lurker on RPGDot and for quite a few months after the Watch was born too.
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2007
- Messages
- 7,313
I was also a lurker on the dot and then for a while here before joining.
I remember trying to figure out where everyone went after the dot forums started to die. I don't exactly remember how I found my way here but I'm sure glad that I did!
I remember trying to figure out where everyone went after the dot forums started to die. I don't exactly remember how I found my way here but I'm sure glad that I did!
Lucky Day
Daywatch
I used to comment on the RPGDot news quite a bit when you didn't have to register but I only registered when Mythros and Co. started this.
Although, boy I still miss that giant banner ad.
Although, boy I still miss that giant banner ad.