IGN reveals plans for a year-long celebration to commemorate its 30th anniversary
Entertainment platform IGN is commemorating its 30 years with a year-long editorial initiative. This includes extensive interviews with prominent figures from the gaming and entertainment sectors, reviving the LA-based IGN Live event, and collaborating with Humble Bundle on retro-themed games and merchandise. IGN's parent company, IGN Entertainment, owns both Humble Bundle and GamesIndustry.biz.
The anniversary will feature themed installments of well-known IGN series such as Art of the Level and Art of the Scene. A new series titled IGN30: Icons will present detailed interviews with "key industry personalities from gaming and entertainment, exploring their activities in 1996, their perspectives on the technological evolution over three decades, and their expectations for the future," according to Justin Davis, Sr. Vice President of Commerce and Editorial at IGN.
Founded on September 23, 1996, the site initially emerged as N64.com, with early articles including one where Howard Lincoln, then-chairman of Nintendo of America, discussed a price reduction for the N64 to align with the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Originally under the banner of Imagine Gaming Network, a cluster of five sites managed by Future Publishing's US unit Imagine Media, it is currently operated by Ziff Davis through IGN Entertainment.
Peer Schneider, who became Editor-in-Chief in 1997 and now serves as EVP and Chief Development Officer at IGN Entertainment, expressed that the initial goal was to "go beyond monthly magazines with long lead times by delivering daily updates on N64, PlayStation, and Saturn."
Embracing platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and social media has allowed IGN to thrive as online user engagement has evolved substantially over time.