On Thursday this week, site for game developers Gamasutra is updating its name to Game Developer and relocating to gamedeveloper.com.
The old name has been in use for around 25 years, but the editorial team has decided to change it citing numerous “stories of sheer cringe.”
“A developer having to cite Gamasutra in front of government representatives to obtain funding; a teacher awkwardly telling new design students to check out this article on Gamasutra; a game industry reporter spelling out Gamasutra for an inquisitive Indian-American middle-schooler, pencil and notepad in hand. (That last example was of me.),” wrote Kris Graft, publisher of Gamasutra, formerly Editor-in-Chief. “On a more serious note, reporting on rampant industry sexism when our brand clings to a late-90s “LOL SEX” connotation is beyond the pale. Maybe this all doesn’t sound so bad here, but trust me, after years of cringe and awkwardness you realize just how overdue we are for a name change, and judging by Twitter responses from game devs, you’re all ready for the change too.”
As for the design of the new site, Graft promises “a more functional, modern website where editors have much greater flexibility to curate and organize content, and where readers can hopefully find the editorial they’re looking for more easily.”
The editorial content will be migrated to Game Developer over time. Alissa McAloon will be stepping in as the new site’s Editor-in-Chief.