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| *'''Current Events (CE)''' is the oldest social board on GameFAQs. | *'''Current Events (CE)''' is the oldest social board on GameFAQs. | ||
| *'''Another Place (AP)''' is a GameFAQs Social Board created when LUE's user level requirement went up to 31. AP is commonly seen as just as bad as LUE, as the topics there are usually quite similar to those made on LUE. | |||
| *'''Message Board Help''' is the unofficial complaint forum of the boards. If a user feels something is wrong with the moderation system/staff or possibly a board error, it is usually reported here. This board was named Questions and Suggestions until the Karma system was introduced. After that, all suggestions and petitions have gone to Site Suggestions. | *'''Message Board Help''' is the unofficial complaint forum of the boards. If a user feels something is wrong with the moderation system/staff or possibly a board error, it is usually reported here. This board was named Questions and Suggestions until the Karma system was introduced. After that, all suggestions and petitions have gone to Site Suggestions. | ||
Revision as of 17:08, 9 February 2004
GameFAQs is a popular gaming website that has given gamers the chance to find help (through "FAQs" and "walkthroughs") for their favorite games since November 1995. It was started and is maintained by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey. It has a large database of video games, perhaps one of the most complete in the world. The systems and games range from the 8-bit Atari days to the Next-Gen consoles of today. The huge amount of FAQs, cheat codes, and reviews are all submitted by dedicated gamers just trying to help others with their knowledge. Even the site owner contributes plenty. If you ever have a question on a game or need some extra help or even have something to share, come to GameFAQs and the community will listen to you.
Along with the large database of FAQs, codes, and reviews, it also contains one of the largest message board communities on the web. Every single game on the site has its own board to discuss the game or ask questions or answer them about the game. All FAQ, code, and review contributors automatically get a message board account to waste plenty of time posting at.
History of GameFAQs
GameFAQs was started on 5 November 1995 by Jeff Veasey. At that time it was called the "Video Game FAQ Archive". It was hosted by AOL and was a clone/spin-off of a popular FTP FAQ Archive.
By December 1996, the site was still young, which the appearance and content showed. The site contained less than 1000 FAQs and guides, combined over all systems. The site also focused on the 7 popular systems of the time - arcade games, the Sony Playstation , the Sega Saturn, the Nintendo 64, the 3DO, the Sega Genesis, and the Super Nintendo. Other systems were also listed. The site was very basic and was not updated on a regular basis.
By early 1997, GameFAQs had a new look. In fact, it had two different looks. One was customized for browsers that supported frames and the other was made specifically for browsers with no support for frames. The color scheme used white and black and blue. The content, however, was beginning to grow. By April, the site had 1301 files and codes for over 800 games. New features were introduced that would shape GameFAQs - features such as user requests for information, a search engine, recognition for contributors, and others.
By late 1997, GameFAQs was beginning to take shape. It moved out of AOL servers by this time and was partnered with Imagine Games Network (IGN). Jeff Veasey was hard at work on GameFAQs now. It is assumed that this is when GameFAQs became Veasey's full-time job. Until this time, he had been working in either the radio field (unconfirmed report) or with computer programming/web programming (radio interview). GameFAQs made it through two years and a new aspect of the site began - contests. There were only two winners of the GameFAQs Second Birthday Contest out of 1000 entries, but it was a start.
Throughout 1998, GameFAQs had the same idea. Veasey continued to work on the site and put new FAQs and codes up. In late 1998, the site got another overhaul. Still under IGN, GameFAQs added links to other IGN sites. The content of the site wasn't changed much, but Veasey always kept the users informed of what was going on. There were frequent updates to the site, even if they weren't contribution updates.
In late 1999, GameFAQs had another overhaul. The sidebar and tables on the homepage that show top games were added. The color scheme was also changed to blue and white, but it wasn't exactly the same. GameFAQs was still under the flag of IGN.
In November 1999, things happened quickly. On the 5th, the a quick search box was added to all pages. The site also celebrated its fourth birthday. On the seventh, the message boards opened as a Beta and a Poll of the Day would be put up at the end of that week. Now, the site begins to change from a FAQ archive to one of the best gaming help sites on the internet.
Things on GameFAQs slowed down over the next few months and years. The GameFAQs chat went Beta, but didn't last long due to administrative issues - it was simply too hard to control.
2001 was the next year of changes for GameFAQs. The site left IGN. To make money, a banner was placed on the site that was sold to non-profit organizations. This was changed by May of 2001, when CNet Networks began affiliating themselves with GameFAQs. Also in May 2001, the Chat feature was completely shut down.
In September of 2001, another change was made to GameFAQs, because of advertising changes at CNet. The ad was moved from the top of the page (horizontally) to a vertical position in the sidebar. This also led the way to navigation of systems at the top of the screen. Changes were also made to links on the side, minimizing them and placing more links in "index" pages in subsections.
Today, GameFAQs is fully owned by CNet Networks. Jeff "CJayC" Veasey is responsible for working on the main site - e-mails, codes, FAQs, reviews, saves, game data, coding, and updating the homepage. CNet has hired Bethany Massimilla to administrate the GameFAQs message boards and lead the moderators. CNet also supplied new (and faster) servers for the entire site. Although the changeover between the site being run by one man to the site being owned by a company and split into two sections was rough (technical errors, downtime, lost e-mails, and other problems), things have gone for the best.
Today, GameFAQs is the number one site for free help with video games on any system. Anyone can find (without having to sign up), FAQs, guides, images, codes, game saves, reviews, and game data from GameFAQs. Anyone can also find links to the partners of GameFAQs (mainly GameSpot). Registering for the site opens up the message boards (both gaming and social) and the ability to contribute something. All for free.
GameFAQs Culture
- Life, the Universe, and Everything (LUE) is a GameFAQs Social Board created to give the registered message board users a break from gaming and let them talk about whatever they want. LUE has been very controversial in GameFAQs History, and is often viewed as one of the worst boards on the site. Discussion today is usually about offensive topics, such as sex. LUE is also home to many fads, including "y helo thar", which was said on a recent live television show. From January 1st to January 15th there was a sign-up for LUE, and people that haven't signed up aren't allowed to visit the board anymore.
- Current Events (CE) is the oldest social board on GameFAQs.
- Another Place (AP) is a GameFAQs Social Board created when LUE's user level requirement went up to 31. AP is commonly seen as just as bad as LUE, as the topics there are usually quite similar to those made on LUE.
- Message Board Help is the unofficial complaint forum of the boards. If a user feels something is wrong with the moderation system/staff or possibly a board error, it is usually reported here. This board was named Questions and Suggestions until the Karma system was introduced. After that, all suggestions and petitions have gone to Site Suggestions.
- Site Suggestions is the official petitioning board, very few ever pass, however if they do it usually is a new special interest board.
- FAQ Contributors is the board for all the FAQ writers to talk about common interests. This board has been split to better categorize the discussions on it. It is now composed out of three boards: General, Help and Critiques and Social.
- Review Contributors is the board for all the review writers to talk about common interests. This board has been split to better categorize the discussions on it. It is now composed out of three boards: General, Help and Critiques and Social.