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"An Englishman, an American and an Australian…"
It sounds like the opening line from a gag, but is in fact the foundation on which IGN’s biggest innovation of the last 12 months has been built.
IGN First – our equivalent of a magazine front cover, with a full four-weeks of coverage dedicated to a single game – has now been running for six months and has proved hugely successful, with millions of people flocking back daily to get information that cannot be found elsewhere, on the games our audience cares about the most.
This would be nothing without the collaboration between our UK, US and Australian editorial teams. The IGN First for Forza Horizon 2 is a perfect example why. At IGN, editors work locally towards a global goal – to produce the best games content in the world. It’s a lofty ambition, I know, but I feel we’re achieving it because we work together. We draw on our collective expertise, which is why our Forza coverage was led by IGN’s racing game pro, who happens to be based in Sydney even though the game was created in the UK.
Since the game was developed in Leamington Spa all video production came out of the UK, and the US helped mastermind the entire project. Every piece of content was then shared with our partners around the world and translated into 16 local languages, giving our audience the best experience, no matter where they live.
Importantly, working collaboratively is a mantra that touches everything we do at IGN, not just First. Reviews are given to the editor best suited to cover a specific game, regardless of geographical location; our news teams hand the baton from one time zone to the next to ensure we don’t miss a thing. Recently, when we previewed Grand Theft Auto V on PS4, we divided the coverage across offices, with three editors each tackling a different aspect of the game. The article on the game’s first-person mode by UK Games Editor Daniel Krupa was read by over a million people in less than 24 hours. The video was watched in even greater numbers. Working together works.
That applies to publishers too – we continue to work closely with our industry partners in the UK, with our aim to offer a truly global platform that not only benefits UK readers, but sees our combined effort reach its true potential.
When IGN first started in the UK I wanted the English accent to be heard louder than those of our American colleagues. Now, in a time where IGN has evolved and is read by 56 million around the world each month, it’s not the accents that matter but our voice.
