FileFront suspending operations

[Nevermore]

I just saw this mentioned on another site and thought people here might be interested as an FYI.

Dear FileFront User:


We regret to inform you that due to the current economic conditions we are forced to indefinitely suspend the FileFront site operations on March 30, 2009. If you have uploaded files, images or posted blogs, or if you would like to download some of your favorite files, please take this opportunity to download them before March 30th when the site will be suspended.


We would like to give a warm thank you to all of you who have been part of the FileFront communities we have built together. Your support has had a meaningful impact for all of us here at FileFront. Again, we want to give you a sincere “thank you” for your support over the years and wish you all the very best.


Keep gaming alive,

FileFront Management and Team.

Contact_us@filefront.com

Link

[schild]

I hate all of those old school download services, so good riddance.

Adjust or die is the motto of the new webconomy.

[FatuousTwat]

What would an example be of a "new school" download service?

And I don't really get what there is to hate with filefront... Search for the file, click download.

[Sky]

Yeah, bittorrent is so much better! Because I want to hope that there are enough seeds for a simgolf patch rather than downloading it from a central download site.

Also, you just said webconomy. Don't make Thor send the hail again.

[schild]

What would an example be of a "new school" download service?

And I don't really get what there is to hate with filefront... Search for the file, click download.

Dropbox, Steam, all sorts of direct download type places. Places without waiting limits and such. Places you don't have to sign up for to use. Filefront was a convoluted mess just like ahlf the other places, it was poorly designed and they didn't bother changing with the times.

Also, you just said webconomy. Don't make Thor send the hail again.

Yes, it's fairly often the god of thunder rains hail on things.

[FatuousTwat]

You didn't have to sign up or wait with filefront... That's why I'm not getting the hate. It was probably the only one left of it's generation that didn't do that sign up and wait bullshit.

[Sky]

Yes, it's fairly often the god of thunder rains hail on things.

Thor is a storm god, thunder is just his big thing. I could've gone for Njörðr, but he's more of a sea storm god, I attribute land storms to Thor.

Also, what the twat said. Dropbox and steam are totally different things from filefront. The more tools in the chest, the better.

[schild]

I know filefront was different from dropbox and steam. I was talking from a design standpoint. Filefront was a big mess and they hadn't developed a good way to monetize on it or make it worth any amount of money. Their failure was inevitable.

[Stormwaltz]

You didn't have to sign up or wait with filefront...

This.

Schild's right, this was inevitable. Their model didn't have any way to make money. Every time I went there, I wondered how they could stay in business.

That said, this is going to suck for a lot of modders who distribute through them.

[schild]

You didn't have to sign up or wait with filefront...

This.

Schild's right, this was inevitable. Their model didn't have any way to make money. Every time I went there, I wondered how they could stay in business.

That said, this is going to suck for a lot of modders who distribute through them.

The modders should also be using dropbox and have it up on their own website.

Everyone should fucking use dropbox.

[FatuousTwat]

Dropbox is as slow as fuck for me 90% of the time.

[schild]

Dropbox is as slow as fuck for me 90% of the time.

That would somehow be your fault considering it uses Amazon S3.

[Mrbloodworth]

Not that it really matters to anyone here, but MMORPG.com now allows downloads of games from their site.

[Hoax]

I need a dropbox invite since apparently I must have it.  What do I need it for exactly?

[schild]

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=16340.0

I link all my images from my dropbox now. You'll probably like it. You like internet pictures and such.

[Azazel]

I find it very unfortunate, too.

Honestly, at this stage of the game though, it seems like the sort of thing that Google "should" do. Make a new, and more mainstream filefront-style download service.

[Sky]

I don't like having to install an app for web hosting, it's kinda odd. I don't like having to sync folders, I know how to upload, it's easy! I don't see how dropbox has a better financial model than filefront had, at least filefront could ad-bomb you.

The dwindling of traditional download sites is a bad thing, it's good to have easily-browsable collections of old patches, demos and mods.

[Krakrok]

They should turn over the domain to me since they apparently don't want it anymore. I'll make money with it.

[caladein]

I don't like having to install an app for web hosting, it's kinda odd. I don't like having to sync folders, I know how to upload, it's easy! I don't see how dropbox has a better financial model than filefront had, at least filefront could ad-bomb you.

Yes, but Dropbox is easier than opening up WinSCP.  If they go under for whatever reason I still have my webhosting with DreamHost and the files locally, but it's still so God damned easy.

[Samprimary]

Filefront business model:

1. Host everybody's shit for free
2. Make the downloads fast for free
3.
4. profit

[Tale]

4. profit

"... when someone buys us". The money for which has left this mortal coil. Dotcom bust ain't finished yet.

[fuser]

4. profit

"... when someone buys us". The money for which has left this mortal coil. Dotcom bust ain't finished yet.

But they won technically as ZD gobbled them up...

[FatuousTwat]

New announcement:

"After learning about Ziff Davis Media's plan to shut down FileFront at the end of March, the original founders of FileFront made the decision to buy it back from Ziff Davis Media.

We're happy to announce to the gaming community that as of today, April 1st, 2009, FileFront is a completely independent company again and is no longer part of Ziff Davis Media. All previously suspended services should be active and working again. We thank Ziff Davis Media for their cooperation and willingness to keep the site and community alive.

Due to the very unfortunate timing of this event and related announcements on March 24th and April 1st (April Fool's Day), we'd like to make it perfectly clear that:

1) The March 24th announcement about FileFront shutting down was NOT an early April Fool's joke and Ziff Davis Media had every intention of shutting down FileFront by the end of March.

2) This announcement about the original founders buying back FileFront from Ziff Davis Media is also NOT an April Fool's joke.

3) We're making this announcement on April 1st because the deal was completed today and we want to bring all services back online immediately.

4) We would NEVER shut down FileFront as an April Fool's joke.

5) We are happy to be back!

FileFront has existed in one form or another (originally as FileLeech and Voodoo Extreme's downloads) since 1997. In the last 12 years, FileFront has become the gaming community's most comprehensive and trafficked library hosting millions of files for thousands of games while requiring no registration and providing uncapped download speeds. We look forward to improving FileFront and serving the gaming community for years to come.

Welcome home. Game On!"

[NiX]

They should still make it look prettier and easier to use.

[schild]

Haha, the link led to an interstitial ad for me.

[Lantyssa]

There are ads for your interstitials?