PSINext

Infobox Website
name = PSINext



caption = PlayStation Insider Next-Generation
url = http://www.psinext.com/
commercial = Yes
type = Gaming
registration = Free
owner = E-mpire Ltd. Co.
author = Several
launch date = 1998
current status =
revenue = Tower and leaderboard

PSINext.com, or "PlayStation Insider Next-Generation", is a multimedia videogame news Web site currently owned and operated by E-mpire Ltd. Co. Covering the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable videogaming platforms, it is a part of a network of sites under E-mpire, Nintendo Now and the latterly-founded Xbox Evolved amongst them.

History

The Web site was founded by Scott R. Mraz and partner Andrew Watt in 1998 as PlayStation 2 Insider, at the wake of the unveiling of the PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System. As October 2000 saw the PS2 launched, the Web site dropped the name and donned the PlayStation 3 Insider appellative in its stead.

PSP Insider

Things would remain relatively quiet until 2002, when a new name would be appended onto the Insider umbrella, PlayStation Portable Insider. The project began as a fan site on Tripod.com, in response to the pictures that had been circumambulating the Internet, speculative of a PSP, created by future staff member Josh. Andrew spoke to Josh about the two sites merging, and after offering the project a domain and a private account of its own, it became a reality, in September 2003, when the two formed PSINext.

Downtime

On 4 February 2005, the main page on the domain led to a screen that informed viewers the site was closed. Forum-goers dismissed it as bigger plans for the site, or legal issues, or some sort of a hacking attempt that had been foiled.

Purchase by E-mpire

Later that year, the Web site was purchased by E-mpire and became a part of its videogame news network.

Message boards

PSINext is known for its active message boards, and is one of the more respected centers for PlayStation-related discussion. Founded in 2001, the message boards were first powered by the phpBB engine, and consisted originally of six distinctive categories treating of different topical paths, and various subcategories subjective to the topic set forth by each:

* "Welcome To The Insider Message Boards"
** "Rules and Announcements"
*** Message Board Rules and other Announcements.
* "PlayStation 3"
** "PS3 Discussion"
*** Discuss all things related to the PlayStation 3.
** "PS3 Games"
*** Discussion of upcoming PlayStation 3 games.
* "PlayStation Portable"
** "PSP Discussion"
*** Discussion of all things related to the PlayStation Portable.
** "PSP Games"'
*** Discussion of upcoming PSP titles and related information.
* "PlayStation 2"
** "PS2 Discussion"
*** Topics related to the PlayStation 2.
** "PS2 Games"
*** Discuss PlayStation 2 games and related topics.
* "Other Systems (Xbox, GameCube, PC etc.)"
** "News and Discussions"
*** Discuss everything related to other gaming systems.
* "Insider Community"
** "Everything Else"
*** General Discussion.
** "Help, Suggestions and Bug Tracking"
*** Help us improve! Everyone is encouraged to share their ideas regarding PSINext. Site, forum, and any other issues may be posted here.

General Mood

The forums are acknowledged for their members' quick response to pressing issues in the gaming world, and its lackadaisical, easygoing ways. They are such an interactive venue, that some viewers admittedly go directly to the forums, ignoring the main site completely.

Purchase in 2004

With E-mpire's acquiring of the main site, the message boards continued as they were a while, to be ultimately changed into what they are today, sitting alongside E-mpire's array of forums, including the Nintendow Now, Xbox Evolved, and Rap Arena forums, which together have over 1.5 million posts. Currently, the forums have roughly 24,000 members.

Member Opposition

With the message boards' being changed, the idea had been discussed many times within the forums, and came up, albeit off-topic on occasion, with striking regularity. Longstanding forum-goers worried that the forums would lose their traditionalistic and offhand, homey charm, whilst others pushed for the move eagerly. Near the end of 2004, it was resolved that they would merge with E-mpire's other properties; and PSINext's 3,000 members joined E-mpire's 10,000.

Site editors

*Notes:
**(E) betokens the editor-in-chief
**(F) betokens PSINext founders
**(D) betokens departed editors

*Carl Bender
*Jon Blake (D)
*Brandon Carlson (D)
*Daniel Cauble (F) (D)
*Bob Chance
*Jonas Engdahl
*Matt Hall (F)
*Brian Kennedy (D)
*William Kirk
*Jeremy LaMont (E)
*Daniel M. Mitchell
*K. Parashar
*Daniel Regnitz
*Dustin Rudzinski
*Trevor Tabaka (D)
*Zohair Talmis
*Andrew Thornton (D)
*Phillip Tucker (D)
*Chris Vavra
*Jim Webb

Trivia

* The original PSP Insider Web site began as a free hosting account on Tripod.com, and later came to be cognised as a part of PSINext in moving to a domain.
* Neither of the original founders maintain the site concurrently.
* The PSINext message boards, before the site's having been acquired by E-mpire, were stand-alone, and later became a part of the [http://forums.e-mpire.com/ Forums.E-mpire.com] domain.

Notes and references

June 1, 2007: PSINext seems to be down once again. For the past couple of days e-mpire.com has been down for unknown reasons.

June 4, 2007: E-mpire.com is back online. The downtime caused by poor hosting. The problem has been fixed.

External links

* [http://psinext.e-mpire.com/ PSINext]
* [http://www.e-mpire.com/ E-mpire Ltd. Co. Online]
* [http://forums.e-mpire.com/ Forums.E-mpire.com]