Did the new layout affect your gamespot usuage?

I thought it was going to affect me more, but honestly, it didn't. in all honesty, the only thing I liked about the old site was the unions. but since (hopefully) those will be re-implemented as boards, I like the new design. very sleek and professional looking. has some bugs at the moment, but im pretty sure those will be ironed out in the coming weeks, and it will be improved upon.

for now, i have been using it less. but not because of the layout.

only two reasons im not posting here as much as i normally would:

1. there is no way to tell if a thread had new posts, or how many new posts. if ive read the thread.

2. most importantly, no way to go to the first unread post in a thread.

Two very simple things that can keep me away from a forum.

the only thing that kept me on this site until a few days ago was this thing, y'know, where people used to share what was "crackalackin'" with each other and latest headlines only for those games you were tracking, with timestamps and a "show me more" option and the commenting function still there and a bunch of other functions that could probably be the reason why it would go bonk! for several days. and now that it's more and more obvious that none of those features are going to be brought back, i don't know what to do here. i'm trying to sometimes post in the forums, but that's just not like Fuse and i feel that reaching a 25 post requirement for "new" users is going to take forever.

The forums could do with being the whole page i don't see the use of the table at the side makes the forums feel more of a comments section than a forum but that's minor. and does anyone care who the top posters are really??

My major concern was the home page, due to the layout being good to begin with, with the top stories/news in a slideshow, I just feel the home page has gone 1 step forward 3 steps back, the big picture with a story and then next it's all cluttered, so i'll be reading the news somewhere else.

i still feel the tabs at the top could of been better, i mean really a tab for games when were on a games website, i'd rather have a console tab which came down to each console and with their top news and reviews or previews for that day or week, i mean at the moment that tab is useless as the games on each console are multiplats and most have the same games. It's like they got in a room and went right the tabs at the top we need to change but what should we do, lets just put anything up their and leave it, to minimal esp when you have a news tab when your front page is full of news, might as well kept the tabs as they were and so we can get news on each console.

I pretty much use GS as much as I did before.

I'm now using IGN more though I still come here because I know people. If I didn't know some in the community this forum would hold no appeal to me and I'd leave entirely as many things that have been changed are not improvements at all. They're steps backwards. There's still no way to see new unread posts and it's difficult to keep track of threads.

I've also noticed that the boards seem to be a lot more dead than before the relaunch. Barely any new topics come up

I've been using it less, since Unions are gone and the site has been buggy. I've gotten used to the layout, but it just feels empty now with the lack of Unions and certain front page boards.

I rarely come here now since the new layout.. I check the forums, reply to one or two topics and get annoyed at how terrible it looks and slow it loads so I end up going elsewhere. Such a shame. GS was my main place to go.. and I've been trying to come check out the new layout and get used to it but the more I use it the more I hate it. I think I'll be going elsewhere.

The new site is affecting my activity a lot. Mainly because Fuse is gone, as well as most of my friends.

I've been using PCGamer and RPS for news. GS main page is a fucking mess.

TBH, I think I am going to leave the site for a month or two and come back when the grass is greener. It seems like there are just too many issues right now, and I come here to enjoy myself, not to be frustrated.

Just like a game that is released with hundreds of bugs, I will wait this one out until the next patch or 2 so to speak.

Basically this. Mind you, there are times I get frustrated w/ some things not working as they should, I actually like the new layout just fine--especially how freakin' spiffy our profiles look now, lol. I do kinda wish the 'Stacks' thing worked as it should b/c I am a bit annoyed that I can't tweak/update my collections and lists (w/o having to create new one, which I don't feel like doing right now) how I would like. Or that the boards section was fully fleshed out w/ all available boards (and union-like boards) and all, but I'm sure that's coming.

The only reason I come here now is to see what the hell is going on with Lists and such. I used that functionality a LOT and I'd love to see it come back. Until it does, I've really got no reason to bother with checking out the rest of the site when I can get plenty of that info elsewhere.

Yes, quite a bit.

There's a lot of simple forum mechanics that are missing, which is ridiculous as these should've been implemented from day one. A good handful of friends ended up leaving because there's no UCBs anymore. The site is so slow, it's a pain. I hate this "sleek" look every website goes for nowadays. The site also tends to make things and functions overly complicated. And of course there's the sig restrictions.

I don't know why I'm still here to be honest.

I used to come here only for the unions. now I check out the other forums meanwhile I wait for the "union boards" to be implemented (if at all).

Well I made GameSpot my primary portal into the world of video gaming, writing the odd blog and reviewing games and of course reading others reviews for different perspectives.

It seems I can still do this albeit the initial feel of the new layout is "way too different" for me ... but I'm being patient and hoping some of the old features will be re-implemented, like my scores for games I did not write a review shown on the game page and/or in my owned games list (or "stack", which presently is just a collection of box cover art without showing the version (ie PC, PS3, etc)) together with the version and the score I gave it.

I understand from the various forum that the new layout suits tablet owners ... well that's good, but I don't own one so I'm indifferent on that aspect ... all I know is that features I loved seem to have been removed/lost or presently hidden.

My visits are currently less frequent as it seems some things we loved ARE being re-instated ... my previous personal mail folders and content have returned in the last few days ... this is good. My previous "About Me" and BLOG intro are still AWOL.

Overall I was very comfortable with the "old" GameSpot layout WHEREAS the new version seems more like change for the sake of change ... it's the content that makes the site and the previous intuitive way of accessing that content presently seems lost amidst mesmerizing "tablet friendly" graphics.

For me its like someone decided to throw out every intelligent thought about the web design just to make something new for the sake of it being new.

Old layout gave us all the good information about a game at the very first glance. Now I have to swap over to the summery(why go to review directly?) scroll down half the page and then scour through a giant mess to get the info I want. Old layout was great, all the basic information you wanted right there at the top of the first page. Then I could choose where to go: reviews, videos, images etc. Now its all plastered together in a giant mess.

Windows with inportant information have a design that closely resembles advertisements, making me instinctively ignore them.

If things are not fixed, or we get the choice to go back to the old layout, I do believe I will be looking for an alternative. I used to use GS to quickly look up a game, get basic info like genre etc., review score, followed with a review if it caught my interest. Doing that now is too confusing and time consuming.

Example: Do a search for Skyrim. First thing you see is the Dawnguard review. I didn't want the addon, but the main game so I went back thinking I clicked a wrong link. I didn't. Ok clicked the link again, chose the summery tab(which is not large enough to display what it actually is, had to guess based on the url!! Major fail...). What you get it nothing like a summery. Its filled with useless information like Images, videos, Amazon adds, and news. The actual summery is in the lowest right corner with white text on black background looking so cheap that you think its an advertisement on first glance.

Seriously think you should hire someone with some basic knowledge of proper webdesign. Scrap the new design and go back to the old until you have something that is well thought through.

Edit: Forgot to mention how mind-numbingly slow the site is, but I reckon thats only a temporary issue. Did someone forget to counter in the effect of the new fancier graphics on the server load?

Edit2: Try Games, PC, new releases: #1 Sims 3 May 5 2009, #2 Cid Meier's Civilization V Sep 21 2010 and so on.... WTF?

Edit3: How the heck do I search games based on genre now? Say I wanted to look up highest scoring RPG games? Its like the site has completely gone away from being the "IMDB" of games and is now purely focused on lost of relatively uninteresting videos and news.

It hasn't impacted me much at all. I still come here and make blogs, read the headlines and comment like I always did. I guess the only thing that's different for me is it's more difficult to keep track of other users' blogs, but even then, I'm finding that to be minor.

i post alot less since without the old posting history i cant keep up the topics i posted in ( and the watch this topic cant replace my posting history from old gamespot )

I have found the new site to be very buggy and broken on firefox and just much slower overall. Will not be using the site much in the future unless it changes.

It reminds me a lot of Windows 8- functionality that make the most sense on tablets and phones being forced onto all platforms.

4/10

I've mostly used gamefaqs, just come here for my news and to update my gaming list. But with the site redesign sucking and stacks being absolute steaming piles of crap I've been coming here less and less.

Sticking it out patiently. Knew it was going to have it's fair share of issues to deal with, so I'm not surprised. I've found it fascinating to observe the community.

More feedback will make a difference. In CBS we trust?

The only thing I do on GS since they changed the site and destroyed my collection page is to come here and see what's new in the bugs forum.

I'm not sure why I am doing this really. I expect they are invested in their changes and feel they are great and that some of us just don't get it, etc. Denial is a very powerful thing. The only thing that will really generate a response is revenue loss. Maybe. So, I guess we'll see what happens here. Maybe most people think this is all just fine and maybe they don't.

Absolutely. My usage of this site has plummeted, and it's entirely because of the layout change. Not just the way it looks, but the way that essential functions of the forum just disappeared for no reason, and aren't showing any signs of coming back.

If the indicator letting you know what topics you've posted in, and how many new posts there's been since you last looked doesn't come back within the next couple days, I'm gone for good. I might even suicide my account by spamming hardcore porn gifs all over the place.

Been using this site since 2006 and will continue to do so, however I'm not a fan of the new layout.. I'm mostly using an iPad to come here most of the time and I'm having trouble getting the featured videos to run. I have to refresh the screen a few times to get the things to play. I'm also having to look harder to find the relevant news and features I usually read. Not really that much of an issue, suppose I'll get used to it eventually. Can't comment on the forum side of it because I rarely use it..

With the loss of Fuse I have almost completely stopped visiting the site.

i do not use this site nearly as much as i did prior to the change, but i didn't switch to another site. i really like the layout of the front page, but i am sorely disappointed with the user profile page. it's very difficult to navigate to what i'm interested in; also, what's the point of the "feed"? it seems not to update, and the stuff on there doesn't seem to be stuff i've tracked, or users i'm following (as of when i first looked at it, i could be wrong but i didn't get why that's there as opposed to my friends feed, which is useful to me). and why isn't there a time stamp on the feed items? since i am really busy and no longer check the site nearly as much as i used to, the time stamp becomes extremely useful.

also, the "what's crackalackin" is weird and cringe-worthy. if you're going to try to inject more personality into the site, it would be way cooler if it were more game-centric!

They destroyed a very fun, interactive community.Its very hard to track your friends posts and we dont get personalized updates about the games we are following...I mean, WTF???

It's a disaster IMO and I've been stopping by much less than I used to. Actually, the only reason I'm still coming back is in the hope they relent and change it back, LoL.............

I am disappointed in the layout myself. I definitely come less. It's harder to see what's new, many links just stopped to work. Structure of documents is so messy. Wanted to watch some trailer videos of Mass Effects 3, but they are all buried under a heap of videos just briefly mentioning the game. In reviews the good and bad points disappeared... :-(

And the site is slow like slug!

Basically what holds me here is habbit and a couple of my favorite shows like Reality Check and The Point.

Not really, because I've not been posting much lately anyways.

I dont even like comming here anymore, this new site sucks. If the few shows that I watch ever get canceled then I will be gone for good.

I used to use the 'Daily Updates' section to view every article, screenshot and review that had been added to the site, thus not missing anything and discovering new games and articles on a regular basis. Now that's gone I just sort of drift...hoping to spot something new that grabs my attention, but all I can see is the 'big' games being shoved down my throat (perhaps there is finally a legitimate reason to suspect advertising bias), no screenshots at all, and generally a horrible layout.

You've changed, GameSpot...

Nope. Site is too slow now and i dont find my way around at all. I mainly checked for 'new releases' and that seems to be totally bugged since it shows games from 2004

GS is horrible now, can't stand using it anymore

Likewise ... I haven't visited (and indeed posted to) the forums so much before and for the same reason ... wanting to know when the old and reliable features will be incorporated into the "new" GS.

I'm afraid I'm one of those who fall into the "just don't get it" category. "Stacks" ... seriously?

New Gamespot SUX BADLY

Now it is one of the worst sites, old gamespot was BEST!

Why does every thread now state the board name underneath. Waste of space.

Don't like this new web layout. I guess i could get used to it over time , but they would have to fix the lag first. Pages are slow to load and i have been getting random errors. Don't have this problem on the GT or GR websites.

I am definitely using the forums less than I used to due to missing features. I rarely use the rest of the website and have only watched one video since the relaunch and have yet to read an article about any game.

I find myself spending less time here due to the lack of basic features, all that have been mentioned in this thread already.

Oh yeah, the poll should have had an option of "I haven't left for a new website yet, but use GS less than I used to." option.

If it ain't broke don't fix it. I loved the old GameSpot, but this is making me very frustrated. I just visited IGN for the first time and I can't believe I'm about to say this... it feels better than GameSpot. The links take you where you actually want to go, the new games actually feature new games, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how to navigate through upcoming releases. WTH is going on here? Wasn't there a major change to GameSpot not long ago as well? Who's making these decisions? Someone should get fired for this. Just look at the poll, it speaks for itself, more than 60% of the voters are disappointed and more than 20% have completely stopped using GameSpot. Ain't no shame in going back to the old layout. Or at least bringing the old features to this new horrible layout..

PS: The heart loading thing is dope! But that's it..

this new layout is not all bad, but I liked the old one better. And pluss with this layout.. There are so many bugs. Almost everything I click on gets server error.
So i kinda want the old setup back. Was easy and good.

I only care about unions. After GS split from GFAQs, I had only the unions as something to be doing here when there wasn't some competition (greatest whatever) to have a go with. Even as trashy as the site has become, I can put up with it so long as the union returns as it was (regarding history). Even when no longer a union in the proper sense.

This... generally don't have a problem with the look of the site (though there are some redundancies and odd design choices), and for me, it's fairly stable and fast, aside from a 404 error here and there, but the lack of thread markers and unread post count is a major issue, making it hard to be active.

Yeah, and what's up with this "Posted by *user name and post count*" part above every post?

That information is already shown under your avy, isn't it redundant to show it twice?

I'm getting used to the new design and the changes. Front page is still way too cluttered. I don't get why the old games lists in ones account needed to be renamed "stacks". Confusing. Site is still as slow as it always was.

I like the new design. My issue has been lack of features. Forums are buried, blogs are strange to find, no more soapbox, and such. Many of the community features are gone and its hard to figure out where discussions are taking place. I was hoping for a community blog page where the newest blogs were displayed so users could find interesting stuff from others to check out. I think the design is great, but there needs to be more functionality.

So we dont have to scroll to the top just to go back to the main page.

I'm using it much less now.

I used to come mainly for the unions, while other main forums I checked are still either missing, or hidden away.

Dropping down to individual game forums they have put all formats together on the same board which just adds to the confusion when people are trying to share views or setup online events but get people from different platforms.

To be honest most of the time I have spent on GS in the last week or so has been checking this forum to see if any progress is being made to fix it.

I don't see any "game details" on any of the game pages anymore. no publisher\developer info, no game's homepage links. also, the new page layout looks like something designed to appeal to small children, like it may be a toys r us website.