Digital Foundry (hereinafter referred to as Digital Foundry) is a media well-known for its game technology analysis. Its predecessor was a team founded by Richard Leadbetter, which rose to fame as part of Eurogamer. Its YouTube channel currently has 1.48 million subscribers and is a popular channel. The media has been committed to producing and publishing various technical analysis videos and articles.
Previously, Shumaoshe was affiliated with Gamer Network. In May 2023, it was acquired by IGN Entertainment (hereinafter referred to as IGN), a large American media company.
Therefore, Shumaoshe has also been operating under IGN. However, Richard reported on August 7 that the team had decided to go independent. According to him, independence has been the goal for many years, but under the system of ReedPop as the parent company, it cannot achieve independence by buying back the company's shares. However, IGN's acquisition made negotiations possible, and he proposed to IGN a plan to sell his shares. Richard called this the biggest expense in his life. He said that he personally could not afford the entire cost. Rupert Loman, the founder and former CEO of Gamer Network, also co-financed it as an investor.
Regarding the reasons for being independent at such a cost, Richard cited the drastic changes in the current game media industry. He explained that the current situation of articles relying on search engine optimization and the reduction of clicks caused by the AI summary function of Google search have caused large media to face unprecedented challenges. Shumaoshe chooses not to participate in this "game" and does not rely on exaggerated titles or thumbnails, but focuses on the substantive quality of the content. He said that in order to more clearly realize his vision of protecting the established brand and introducing the past, present and future of gaming technology at the forefront, he finally decided to become independent.
In the future, video release and live broadcast on its YouTube channel will continue. In addition, they are also considering adding collaborators to expand the scope of content, such as retro gaming videos that include real-life footage. At the same time, they are also recruiting supporters on Patreon (a foreign fan funding platform).