A lot’s been happening behind the scenes these past few months, but MrLipid and I are slowly moving toward the eventual takeover of Four Fat Chicks from our beloved Jen and Orb. Everyone on the staff will remain, and we certainly hope that everyone in our fine community will remain, too!
For now, the biggest change is the new front page. FFC now functions like a blog, encouraging more regular posting of news, editorials, short reviews, first impressions and other fun stuff. For those of you who head straight to the forums, this may be reason to check out main site content more often. We hope to update on a pretty regular basis.
Let me answer some questions to get us started.
- But I liked the old FFC. Why are you guys changing everything? It’s nothing personal, I assure you. MrLipid and I are just taking the site in a new direction, while still remaining faithful to all that made Four Fat Chicks great: the wonderful community, the relaxed atmosphere, and the terrific discussions. As to why we went to a more bloggy style, it’s because it makes it a lot easier for us to post new content faster… and new content means more visitors, something both MrLipid and I desire.
- Are you going to change the name of the site? Both you and MrLipid are dudes. We are indeed both dudes, and comparatively slender ones at that. We have heard a variety of suggestions for new names, some of them true classics: Four Fat Chucks, Four Fat Dicks, and many more. But no, this site’s been around for a long time and we rather like the off-kilter name.
- Can I write for FFC? We’ll be reaching out to a number of people over the next few months, starting with trusted long-time members of our community, to fill writing positions. If you’re interested in writing for us, email me at steerpike@fourfatchicks.com with a query and (if possible) a sample.
- So are you guys still basically a games review site? Yes and no. Games are still a central focus, but we’re encouraging the staff to write about whatever they want to – mass market entertainment, movies, music, whatever. We will still do reviews, but also plenty of other stuff. In general, though, FFC is a games site that now also covers our other various interests.
- Are the forums staying open, even though there are blog comments now? They sure are. Our forums are the place this community gets together, and we’d never change them. It’s easier to comment on a blog post, and we encourage that, but for other discussions, keep on using the forums.
I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I can think of right now. So I’ll get emotional instead.
Jen and Orb have been the face and heart of this site since 2001. I personally joined as a staff writer in 2002, and contributing to this site has become one of the most important things I’ve done – both from a personal fulfillment perspective and in terms of my professional career. Throughout it all the team that created the site had our backs and never let us down. When the time came to turn the lights off, MrLipid and I just couldn’t allow it to happen. All good things must come to an end, sure… but not this good thing, at least not as long as we’re able to prevent it.
Here’s to hoping FFC has meant as much or more to you as it does to me. Keep on visiting, keep on posting, and tell your friends what they’re missing out on.
–Steerpike