The Business: Dicebreaker's Death Was Inevitable

Pat is CONCERNED.

There is no such as a pillar of a scene that most people have never heard of. If you're not the equvalent of the New York Times, you're not that important.

That said, Pat is right to be concerned.

It is also a logical and inevitable consequence of commercialization. News is subject to the Network Effect. Network Effects are one big Win More feedback loop. Put a commercial aspect to that and it is no surprise that IGN bought out Dicebreaker's parent company and used that action to shut down those attacking allies of IGN like Sorcerors By The Sea.

Stupid British Toy Company can and would do the same if it had the chance; all you need as proof is that they turned their indie mag (White Dwarf) into the company house organ that is nothing more than company marketing- open propaganda.

This is what is going to keep happening because all of the commercial incentives reward it. That thing is Centralization. Network Effects and Revealed Preferences repeatedly show that most people only want a handful of choices. Make all of those few choices differ only on a superficial level and you can easily establish a mostly-stable cartel, especially if there is a hidden coordinating control behind the scenes (as mainstream media already is in the West).

There will be no viable replacement that operates on a commercial basis. Only those that do this on a non-commercial basis will remain able to operate in this now-vacated niches because all of the incentives oppose it. People must actively patronize such an independent operator, putting their money where their mouths are.

Which is what anyone thinking that they can fill that niche had better do: go directly to the audience for operational funds. Neo-patronage and merchandising; if Mister Metokur can defray his expenses that way, anyone can.