Before being a regular (albeit kinda unknown) at Destructoid, I used to be a very big community member in a site called DS-Play. After a bit, I got promoted to editor and later on, moderator. The site spread into a network and because of this, its traffic decreased and died. Needless to say, it hurt me how a place I put so much effort into became dead because people couldn't be bothered to write a different URL.
Now, the site's admin is trying a sort of comeback. I need to know if older people like the destructoid community like these layouts. The sites can be found here:
DS-Play
Wii-Play
360-Play
PS-Play
Retro-Play
Gr00pz
Gr00pz is a site where you can create your own mini-site with a blog, forums, chat, etc.(mainly for clans and guilds).
Anyway, opinions on the layout?
p.s. Before flaming, please note I didn't ask anyone to sign up.
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Could be genuine interest but probably more because I'm the admin of retro-play.
But the wii,360 ones are great.
Retro- play is a fucking technicolour marvel. My favourite one
GR00PZ is a nice idea, looks good enough
But the ps3 site is awful, bare and desolate, but I belive these sites are early-build, so they'll probably improve,
so far good work, tell the guy/gal to keep it up!!
BTW,are you gonna become a mod on the site?
looks great
I feel a little biased because I dig Dtoids design and my criticism on your site mock-ups would be to move those latest members and latest posts off to the side and fill up some of that dead space, kinda like Dtoid has.
At first, I found the retro site color palette abrasive, but it has grown on me. It has the most "character" out of all of them.
It would be nice to have links to the other sites in the network tho. So is the aim for these to be personal blogs specific to the console?
Also, and this is more of a personal nitpick probably, but I would think for a network the titles of menu items should be similar. For example, right now it says "Xbox 360 News" and "Xbox 360 Chat" while on the Playstation site it says "News and Reviews" and "Chat." I'd make them match personally.
I'm not really sure if I will go back as staff. I ditched the dying site because of internet serious business problems with some of the other staff and community (basically banned someone everyone like because he posted penis pics and harrassed the newbies and the community turned on me). Would be glad to do it, though.
@spitfire
the bottom part clutter is actually something i had talked to the admin about...he said he thought that too and the news widget would be eliminated since the news can be seen on the box at the top
the sites will have links on the top, these are just beta designs so by the end it will all be linked. the sites ARE personal blogs with forums and chats specific to each site (and therefore, its console) and also some chats that join the whole network (a user on retro play can enter the chat there and talk to a user on ps play, for example).
since the sites will be very closely linked, creating an account in one site creates it on all of the others.
@cbebop007
yes, that will be on the final sites. the admin was working on them and decided to try out different stuff on different sites and at the end make them all the same. Yes, I know it's a strange way to do it but I don't argue with him.
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Thanks to everyone who commented. Forums will be the main thing in those sites so if you find Destructoid's a bit lacking (sorry, guys ), I'd be glad to see you there.
The admin panel is fantastic too, may I add.
There will be a lot more sites in the near future aswell (around 20 - 30, all on different topics) with .com domains, availible to create your subsite from.
-Sarge (360P, WIP and DSP Admin)