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{{Infobox Website
NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
| name = GameFAQs
| logo = [[Image:GameFAQsLogo.png|180px|The current GameFAQs logo.]]<!-- FAIR USE of GameFAQsLogo.png: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:GameFAQsLogo.png for rationale -->
| screenshot = [[Image:GameFAQs.png|300px|The GameFAQs home page during Character Battle V.]]<!-- FAIR USE of GameFAQs.png: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:GameFAQs.png for rationale -->
| caption = The GameFAQs home page during [[#Contests|Character Battle V]] in October&nbsp;2006. The day's match was [[Kirby (character)|Kirby]] vs. [[Luigi]].
| url = http://www.gamefaqs.com/
| commercial = Yes
| type = [[Video game|Gaming]]
| registration = Optional (required for contributing content and posting on the message boards)
| owner = [[CNET Networks|CNET Networks, Inc.]]
| author = Jeff "CJayC" Veasey
| launch date = [[November 5]], [[1995]]
}}
'''GameFAQs''' is a [[website]] that hosts [[FAQ]]s and [[walkthrough]]s for [[video game]]s. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and has been owned by [[CNET Networks]] since May 2003. The site has a large database of video game information and also hosts [[cheat code]]s, [[review]]s, [[saved game|game saves]], and [[credit (creative arts)|credits]] submitted by volunteer [[gamer]]s. The [[video game console|systems]] covered range from the 8-bit [[Atari 2600|Atari]] platform to the [[history of video game consoles (seventh generation)|latest consoles]], as well as [[personal computer game|computer games]]. Contributions are reviewed by the site's editor, Allen "SBAllen" Tyner.


The site hosts a large and active [[Internet forum|message board]] community. Every game in the site's database also includes an individual board for discussion or [[gameplay]] help. Many of the boards are shared between GameFAQs and [[GameSpot]], another CNET website. The site also features a daily [[opinion poll]] and related tournament contests.
NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOWN

GameFAQs was cited by ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2000 and again in 2004 as one of the most useful gaming sites on the [[World Wide Web|Web]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Jack | last=Schofield | title=Games watch | url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2000/may/11/onlinesupplement11 | publisher=[[The Guardian]] | id={{ISSN|0261-3077}} | page=11 | date=[[2000-05-11]] | accessdate=2007-08-06 | quote=SPOnG, the Super Players Online Gamesbase, would like to become to games what the Internet Movie Database is to films. Since the IMDb is one of the world's best websites, that would be useful, though GameFAQs might be a better place to start.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Rhianna | last=Pratchett | title=Web watch | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2003/feb/06/internet.onlinesupplement1 | publisher=[[The Guardian]] | id={{ISSN|0261-3077}} | page=8 | date=[[2003-02-06]] | accessdate=2007-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Sarah | last=Boseley | coauthors=Michael Cross, Tom Happold ''et al'' | title=Cream of the crop: 100 most useful websites | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2004/dec/16/onlinesupplement.shopping | publisher=[[The Guardian]] | id={{ISSN|0261-3077}} | page=22 | date=[[2004-12-16]] | accessdate=2007-08-06 | quote=GameFAQs lists game player-created walkthroughs, plus links to cheats, reviews and previews}}</ref> and the site has been positively reviewed by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,275310,00.html | title=Internet Capsule Review | date=[[2000-02-04]] | publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref> Additionally, GameFAQs.com is, as of [[2008]], one of the 200 highest-[[Web traffic|trafficked]] websites according to [[Alexa Internet|Alexa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?url=gamefaqs.com | title=Related Info for: gamefaqs.com | publisher=[[Alexa Internet]] | accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref>

==History==
GameFAQs was started as the ''Video Game FAQ Archive'' on [[November 5]], [[1995]].<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=42|title=About the Site|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref> Hosted on [[AOL|America Online]], it originally served as a [[mirror (computing)|mirror]] of Andy Eddy's [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] FAQ archive.<ref>Andy Eddy's archive was formerly located at ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/vi/vidgames/faqs</ref><ref name="qa">{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=6&topic=20696917|title=The Great GameFAQs Q&A|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2005-04-29]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref> The initial version of the site had approximately 10 pages and 100 FAQs.<ref name="radio">"Interview with Jeff Veasey" ([[2002-03-02]]). ''[http://web.archive.org/web/20020607073548/http://wxbh.net/gaming_files1.htm The Gaming Files]''. WXBH AM-1190 ([[Cobleskill, New York]]).</ref> In 1996, the site moved to its current domain at gamefaqs.com and changed its name to ''GameFAQs''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flex.net/~cjayc/|title=VGFA on flex.net|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-21| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010723115459/http://www.flex.net/~cjayc/| archivedate=2001-07-23}}</ref><ref name="about"/> At this time, GameFAQs listed less than 1000 FAQs and guides and was updated on an irregular basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/|title=Video Game FAQ Archive|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-04-09| archiveurl=http://www.gamefaqsarchive.com/index.php?pg=1216|archivedate=1996-12-23}}</ref>

During the following months, the site grew in content and in design; two different styles were introduced in early 1997 to accommodate the support of [[HTML element#Tables|tables]] in [[web browser]]s (or the lack thereof).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/home.html|title=GameFAQs (tables)|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19970218070909/www.gamefaqs.com/home.html| archivedate=1997-02-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/thome.html|title=GameFAQs (no tables)|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19970218070917/www.gamefaqs.com/thome.html| archivedate=1997-02-18}}</ref> Two key features of the site—the game search engine and the contributor recognition pages—were planned at this time.

===IGN affiliation===
In 1997, GameFAQs became an independent affiliate of the [[IGN|Imagine Games Network]] (IGN), leading to the placement of affiliate links on the [[home page]].<ref name="pink">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAQs home page|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-10-27| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19981212025143/http://www.gamefaqs.com/| archivedate=1998-12-12}}</ref> User contests were introduced during this period; the first monthly contest, which was held in 1998, received 253 entries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/c9810|title=October 1998: Select Fighter|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-29}}</ref> GameFAQs went through several design changes, including a pink color scheme,<ref name="pink"/> before arriving at the blue-colored layout that was used until 2004.

In November 1999, several changes occurred in rapid succession.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamefaqs.com/index.html|title=GameFAQs home page|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19991128113006/http://gamefaqs.com/index.html| archivedate=1999-11-28}}</ref> On November 5, a search box was added to every page, at which time the site was celebrating its fourth [[anniversary]]. On November 7, the message boards opened in a [[software release life cycle#Beta|beta]] testing mode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chris.insder.com/index.php?pg=426|title=Second Anniversary Karma Bonus|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2001-11-07]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041012075244/chris.insder.com/index.php?pg=426| archivedate=2004-10-12}}</ref> The "Poll of the Day" was introduced at the end of the month.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=1|title=Poll of the Day #1|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19}}</ref> These changes marked Veasey's increased concentration on the site, and it was around this time that GameFAQs became his full-time job.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamefaqs.com/announce.html|title=The Big Announcement|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=1999|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-05-26| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19991013083526/http://gamefaqs.com/announce.html| archivedate=1999-10-13}}</ref><ref name="davidson">{{cite news | first=Neil | last=Davidson | title=Stumped by a video game? Chances are Jeff Veasey can help | publisher=Canadian Press Newswire | date=[[2003-03-05]] | accessdate=2007-03-13}}</ref><ref name="cnet">{{cite web|url=http://chris.insder.com/index.php?pg=224|title=The Future of GameFAQs|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2003-06-03]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041012074034/http://chris.insder.com/index.php?pg=224| archivedate=2004-10-12}}</ref> Until this time, he had been working as a [[programmer]].<ref name="davidson"/> On [[August 9]], [[2000]], the site received one million hits in a single day for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAQs home page|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-03-13| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20000815053934/http://www.gamefaqs.com/| archivedate=2000-08-15}}</ref> By 2001, the "GameFAQs Chat" (an [[IRC]] chat server) had been launched;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAQs Community|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010401131103/cgi.gamefaqs.com/| archivedate=2001-04-01}}</ref> however, it was removed in May 2001 due to administrative issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAQs home page|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010512232132/http://www.gamefaqs.com/| archivedate=2001-05-12}}</ref><ref name="radio"/>

===2001–2003===
On [[January 9]], [[2001]], GameFAQs ended its association with IGN.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAQs home page|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010118211300/http://gamefaqs.com/| archivedate=2001-01-18}}</ref> To continue generating revenue, an advertising banner sold to non-profit organizations was placed on the top of each page. This lasted until [[CNET Networks]] became an official affiliate of GameFAQs; CNET ads ran on the top of the page and links to news articles from [[GameSpot]] were shown on the home page.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAQs home page|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010418154308/http://www.gamefaqs.com/| archivedate=2001-04-18}}</ref> In September 2002, the ad was moved from the horizontal [[page header|header]] to the vertical [[sidebar (publishing)|sidebar]]. This led to changes to the links on the side, as well as the creation of navigational links at the top of the screen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAQs home page|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-20| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20020922025120/http://gamefaqs.com/| archivedate=2002-09-22}}</ref> Contributions to GameFAQs continued to increase, and Veasey, as sole operator and administrator of the site, dedicated significant portions of his time to ensure that GameFAQs remained updated and successful.

On [[April 1]], [[2002]], Veasey changed GameFAQs to "GameFAX" as an [[April Fools' Day|April Fools']] joke.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamefaqs.com/|title=GameFAX|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-19| archiveurl=http://www.ksot.com/GameFAX.htm| archivedate=2002-04-01}}</ref> The site's colors were changed to green and black to imitate those of the [[Xbox]], with the intention of making users believe that GameFAQs was now dedicated solely to the Xbox, "the only system that matters." After clicking on any link on the main page, users were directed to the real GameFAQs home page. Nevertheless, Veasey reported receiving hate mail from users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=27283817|title= An important notice about the future of GameFAQs|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2006-04-01]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref>

===CNET acquisition===
[[Image:CNETNetworksSanFran.jpg|right|thumb|[[CNET Networks]] headquarters in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[California]]]]
On [[May 6]], [[2003]], [[CNET Networks]] (the site's long-standing affiliate and sponsor) [[mergers and acquisitions|acquired]] GameFAQs. The amount paid for GameFAQs and two other unrelated websites was [[United States dollar|US$]]2.2 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ccbn.10kwizard.com/xml/download.php?repo=tenk&ipage=2269604&format=PDF|title=CNET Networks SEC Quarterly Report|date=[[2003-08-05]]|format=PDF|publisher=CNET Networks|accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref> On [[June 3]], [[2003]], Veasey announced the merger to the users of the site.<ref name="cnet"/> He clarified that the user-submitted content (i.e. FAQs, reviews) remained under the ownership of the authors and was not (nor could be) sold to CNET; however, CNET acquired GameFAQs' rights to host them on the site. He assured users that GameFAQs would undergo no major administrative change and said, "The GameFAQs you see today is the one you'll see tomorrow."<ref name="cnet"/> This was true to a certain extent, as the only visible change over the next few months was the addition of a CNET [[page footer|footer]] to the bottom of every page. Additional changes included moving the site to new [[server (computing)|servers]] in [[California]].

From 2004 to 2006, GameFAQs witnessed further changes. In April and May 2004, GameFAQs implemented a large visual redesign,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chris.insder.com/newlayout/|title=New Layout/Boards Merger|publisher=GameFAQs Archive|accessdate=2006-09-20| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041009125141/http://chris.insder.com/newlayout/| archivedate=2004-10-09}}</ref> and the boards merged with the GameSpot boards to allow both communities to share the same game-specific boards (to the dismay of many GameFAQs users). To facilitate this, GameFAQs converted its board code from [[Active Server Pages|ASP]] to [[PHP]], and GameSpot dropped its [[Lithium Technologies|Lithium]] code. On [[April 11]], [[2006]], a new design was implemented and the GameSpot [[logo]] was added to the GameFAQs logo on the header of every page. This change was initially greeted with general disapproval by users on the message boards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=27814467|title=Survey says...|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2006-04-28]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-22}}</ref> To satisfy those who prefer the earlier layout, the old board pages have been preserved for certain users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=29712507|title=The v9 End of Life project|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2006-08-03]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref> Shortly after the redesign, Veasey began using the [[Smarty]] [[template engine (web)|template engine]] to generate many of the site's pages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=29230067|title=The first major code change is live... Whew!|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2006-07-12]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-22}}</ref>

===Veasey's departure===
On [[July 19]], [[2007]], Veasey announced that he would eventually be leaving the site. According to his announcement, Allen Tyner, who has been employed with the site since 2004, would take over as editor of GameFAQs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=36893099|title=The Long, Slow Goodbye|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2007-07-19]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-07-19}}</ref>

==Message boards==
The custom-made GameFAQs Message Boards, coded by Veasey, began operation on [[November 7]], [[1999]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/faq.asp|title=GameFAQs: Message Board Frequently Asked Questions|accessdate=2006-12-21| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20000510142945/http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/faq.asp| archivedate=2000-05-10}}</ref> Although the original purpose of the board system was to facilitate game discussion, other board categories have been added since the boards opened. Every day, approximately 20,000 [[Threaded discussion|topics]] and 200,000 messages are posted on GameFAQs' 50,000+ individual boards,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=30534588|title=Ask GameFAQs: How much?|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2006-09-13]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref> and as of [[November 7]], [[2006]], there were more than 100,000 accounts actively in use.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=31607751|title=Happy Birthday to Us... and to you!|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2006-11-07]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-11-17}}</ref>

Every game listed on GameFAQs has its own message board where both novice and experienced gamers can discuss game strategies and other game-related topics.<ref>{{cite book | last=Carless | first=Simon | authorlink=Simon Carless | title=Gaming Hacks | year=2004 | month=October | publisher=[[O'Reilly Media|O'Reilly]] | id=ISBN 0-596-00714-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite conference | first=Nick | last=Flor | year=2004 | month=July | title=The Architecture of the Symbol Engine in a Programmable Autonomous Business | booktitle=Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on E-Commerce Technology | publisher=[[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers|IEEE]] | pages=119–126 | url=http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/9218/29236/01319725.pdf?arnumber=1319725 | format=PDF | accessdate=2007-01-25 | doi=10.1109/ICECT.2004.1319725 | id=ISBN 0-7695-2098-7}}</ref> Since the redesign of May 2004, the game boards with enforced [[on-topic|topicality]] have been shared with the GameSpot community. Certain popular games may have additional boards for social discussion. Game-specific boards for certain older consoles do not have topicality rules and are often claimed for social discussion—these are referred to as "secret" or "dead" boards. Every system also has a general board for discussing [[hardware]] and upcoming games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/boardlist.php?category=3|title=System Boards|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-12-30}}</ref>

GameFAQs has boards made purely for the purpose of socializing ("Current Events", "Random Insanity" and "Poll of the Day" being the largest),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/boardlist.php?category=7|title=Social Boards|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-12-30}}</ref> some that cater to special interests (such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[Harry Potter]]'', or [[professional wrestling|pro wrestling]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/boardlist.php?category=5|title=Special Interest Boards|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-12-30}}</ref> and some purely for users from a particular region (e.g. [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]]/[[New Zealand]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/boardlist.php?category=6|title=Regional Boards|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-12-30}}</ref> GameFAQs also has boards for official announcements, contributor discussion, contest discussion, suggestions, and site help.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/boardlist.php?category=4|title=Site Boards|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-12-30}}</ref>

===Features===
Posts made on the message boards are mostly [[plain text]]. Some [[HTML element|HTML markup]] is used on the boards, including bold and italics tags.<ref name="boardhelp">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=18|title=Board Basics|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref> Unlike many message boards, GameFAQs does not allow tags for images, [[hyperlink]]s, or underlining. [[avatar (computing)|Avatars]] are not used, [[signature block|signatures]] are limited to two lines of text (160 characters total), and posts cannot be edited. Additionally, the forums use a [[wordfilter]] to prevent the use of certain vulgar words.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/tos.php|title=Message Board Terms of Use|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-10-01}}</ref> On some boards, topics are removed permanently after a having no new posts for a period of time. On other boards, they are locked and archived (a feature which was added in 2008). The length of time that a topic can remain inactive without being removed or archived depends on the number of posts on its board.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=19|title=Rules and Standards|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-11-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=6&topic=41276959|title=Game Board Archiving Active|author=Tyner, Allen|date=[[2008-02-07]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2008-03-07}}</ref>

GameFAQs users gain one "karma" for every day they visit the boards while logged in. As karma increases, new features become available, such as the ability to post more messages per day, visit high-level social boards, and view a post history page.<ref name="boardhelp"/> Registered users can choose between various stylesheets, search topics, and message display options.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/user/manage.html|title=GameFAQs: Manage Account (login required)|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-12-29}}</ref> Users can add favorite boards to a personalized list on the main boards page and can track specific topics (a feature added in 2006).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=20|title=Additional Features|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=6&topic=32250342|title=Topic Tracking|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2006-12-06]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-01-31}}</ref>

On [[June 20]], [[2007]], advertisements on message list pages were moved from the top of the page to the middle of the message lists.<ref name="ad_changes">{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=6&topic=36197238|title=Ad Changes|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2007-06-20]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-06-24}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, the ads were moved to the bottom of the message lists.<ref name="ad_changes"/> On [[October 8]], [[2007]], an "ignore user" system was launched for users above a certain level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=6&topic=38747194|title=Beta Ignore User System|author=Tyner, Allen|date=[[2007-10-08]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-11-08}}</ref>

===Moderators===
The message boards are managed by the site's [[forum administrator|administrators]] and [[forum moderator|moderators]]. Initially, Veasey was the only administrator and therefore had full control over the boards; however, more administrators have since been appointed. The two active administrators are Veasey and Tyner, who use the accounts "CJayC" and "SBAllen" (formerly "Sailor Bacon"), respectively.<ref name="about"/>

GameFAQs' moderators are volunteer users selected by Veasey and are responsible for keeping order within the message board community. Because of the size of the boards, the moderators do not patrol every board and topic. Instead, messages that break the site's [[Terms of Service]] can be "[[moderation system|marked]]" by regular users, which brings the message to the attention of the moderators.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=19|title=Rules and Standards|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-20}}</ref>

===Life, the Universe, and Everything===
"Life, the Universe, and Everything" (often shortened to "LUE") is one of the most well-known boards on GameFAQs.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} Its name is a reference to [[Douglas Adams]]' ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' series, and one of its earlier board numbers ([[Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything|42]]) continued the reference. Users on LUE refer to themselves as "LUEsers" and sometimes attach "LUE" to popular fads and events on the board, such as "LUEshi",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chris.insder.com/index.php?pg=388|title=LUE topic with many LUEshi's|date=[[2004-05-03]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-21| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041012075021/chris.insder.com/index.php?pg=388| archivedate=2004-10-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=2333|title=Poll of the Day #2333|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-03-08}}</ref> an [[ASCII art]]work which depicts [[Mario]] riding [[Yoshi]]. Since its creation, LUE has caused problems for the administration (such as forum invasions) and has since been made into a private board.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} On many occasions, Veasey has said he will never allow new users into LUE.<ref name="qa"/> As of [[August 16]], [[2006]], there are 17,205 accounts that can access LUE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=29969812|title=Ask GameFAQs: Errata?|author=Veasey, Jeff|date=[[2005-08-16]]|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-09-21}}</ref>

===Spinoff websites===
Due to the high popularity of the GameFAQs boards, many users have created [[spinoff]] forums based on the layout and general functionality of the GameFAQs boards. The first spinoff forum was the [[open source]] "GameFAQs Hell".<ref name="radio"/> Another spinoff is "LUElinks", a site originally created for members of LUE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.luelinks.net/register.php|title=LUElinks registration page|accessdate=2006-09-23| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050311085204/www.luelinks.net/register.php| archivedate=2005-03-11}}</ref> It claims to have over 11,000 registered users and 30,000,000 posts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://luelinks.net/stats.php|title=LUElinks&nbsp;— Stats|accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref> Unlike GameFAQs, it is not open to the public.

==FAQs==
All of the guides and walkthroughs on GameFAQs are contributed by volunteers.<ref>Mary-Kate and Ashley: Winner's Circle; ''[[The Times]]'' ([[London]]); [[July 1]], [[2001]]; Stuart Andrews; p. Doors.2 "Guides to completing thousands of video games, compiled by gamers worldwide"</ref> Most of the FAQs are not actually lists of [[FAQ|frequently asked questions]]; instead, they cover aspects of gameplay in the same way as [[strategy guide]]s, with walkthroughs, item lists, maps, and puzzle solutions. Nearly all of the FAQs hosted on the site are in [[plain text]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=28|title=Composing Your Guide|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref> though GameFAQs does also accept stand-alone images, such as maps, diagrams and puzzle solutions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=11|title=Images (Maps and other graphics)|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-01-01}}</ref> In addition to FAQs, contributors can also submit reader reviews, cheat codes, developer credits, game release data, game saves, [[screenshot]]s, and images of [[video game packaging|game boxes]].

When an author submits something to GameFAQs, it is screened by an administrator before being posted on the site.<ref name="submitted">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=31|title=After You've Submitted|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref> The author retains the [[copyright]] on the submitted material,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/?cat=29|title=Copyrights, Trademarks, and Plagiarism|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref> and his name is added to the site's "Contributor Recognition" section. GameFAQs agrees to host the guide only on their servers but does allow other affiliates to link directly to the guides (including [[GameSpot]], [[Yahoo! Games]], [[AOL]], and [[GameFly]]).<ref name="submitted"/>

GameFAQs features several ongoing contributor contests, including FAQ of the Month, Review of the Month, and numerous "FAQ [[bounty (reward)|Bounties]]", which reward contributors who submit FAQs for uncovered, high-demand games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/faqbounty|title=FAQ Bounty|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-03-18}}</ref> The FOTM and ROTM contests are generally picked from comprehensive, complete guides or reviews for new games. Winners are sent a [[Scrip#Gift certificates|gift certificate]] for an [[online shop|online retailer]], or can opt for a mailed [[Scrip#Gift certificates|gift card]] upon contest entry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/fotm|title=FAQ of the Month|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/rotm|title=Review of the Month|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-03-18}}</ref>

In 2004, [[Future US|Future Network USA]] published two commercial strategy guides with material from GameFAQs: ''The Ultimate [[Xbox]] Strategy Guide'' and ''The Ultimate [[PlayStation 2|PS2]] Strategy Guide''.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Ultimate Xbox Strategy Guide|author=Cohen, Corey (ed.)|publisher=[[Future US|Future Network USA]]|year=2004|oclc=60827530|id={{ASIN|B000E7URBQ}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Ultimate PS2 Strategy Guide|author=Amrich, Dan (ed.)|publisher=[[Future US|Future Network USA]]|year=2004|oclc=60579744|id={{ASIN|B000E7URPM}}}}</ref> These guides were composed of FAQs written by contributors on GameFAQs.

==Contests==
===User poll contests===
{| class="wikitable" align="right" style="margin: auto 1em"
|-
! Contest
! Winner
! Runner-up
|-
! Character Battle<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/c02sum|title=Summer 2002: "The Great GameFAQs Character Battle"|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]]
| [[Mario]]
|-
! Character Battle II<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/c03sum|title=Summer 2003: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle II|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| [[Cloud Strife]]
| [[Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)|Sephiroth]]
|-
! Best. Game. Ever.<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/c04spr|title=Spring 2004: Best. Game. Ever.|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]''
| ''[[Chrono Trigger]]''<!-- STOP! (HammerTime) Chrono Trigger was the runner up here, not Ocarina of Time&nbsp;— this is the BGE tourney, not the top 100 games list -->
|-
! Character Battle III<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/c04sum|title=Summer 2004: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle III|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]]
| [[Cloud Strife]]
|-
! Got Villains?<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/spr05|title=Spring 2005: Got Villains?|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| [[Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)|Sephiroth]]
| [[Ganon]]dorf
|-
! Character Battle IV<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref name="cbiv">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/sum05|title=Summer 2005: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle IV|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| [[Mario]]
| [[Crono]]
|-
! Tournament of Champions<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref name="cbiv"/></span>
| [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]]
| [[Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)|Sephiroth]]
|-
! Best. Series. Ever.<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/bse|title=Summer 2006: Best. Series. Ever.|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| ''[[The Legend of Zelda (series)|The Legend of Zelda]]''
| ''[[Final Fantasy]]''
|-
! Character Battle V<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/cb5|title=Fall 2006: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle V|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref></span>
| [[Samus Aran]]
| [[Solid Snake]]
|-
! Battle Royale<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=2566|title=Poll of the Day #2566|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref><ref>Note: Two different spellings were used—"[http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/cb5 Battle Royale]" and "[http://web.archive.org/web/20061117230714/http://www.gamefaqs.com/index.html Battle Royal]".</ref></span>
| [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]]
| [[Cloud Strife]]
|-
! Character Battle VI<span style="font-weight:normal"><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/cb6|title=Fall 2007: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle VI|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref></span>
| [[Tetris#Popular culture|L-Block]]
| [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]]
|}
Since 2002, GameFAQs has hosted annual (or biannual) [[tournament]] contests consisting of daily [[Opinion poll|polls]] in which visitors to the site choose between competing [[Video game character|characters]], games, or series, with the character contests being known as "Character Battles". Registered users can submit prediction [[Bracket (tournament)|brackets]], and [[prize]]s are awarded to those who score the highest. The contest polls are shown in place of or in addition to the regular Poll of the Day and have always been accompanied by an image depicting the entrants in the match. The entrants of the Character Battles change from year to year, with some characters being added and some being removed. In some years, previous winners were removed from the main bracket and competed in a separate contest (i.e., "Tournament of Champions", "Battle Royale").

The annual Character Battle has been the subject of two [[webcomic]]s—''[[Penny Arcade (webcomic)|Penny Arcade]]'' featured the Character Battle in their comic on [[August 23]], [[2002]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2002/20020823h.gif|title=''Penny Arcade'' comic|publisher=Penny Arcade|date=[[2002-08-23]]|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref> and Creative Uncut's ''Inside the Gamers Studio'' strip mentioned the Character Battle in their ninth comic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.creativeuncut.com/comic/whit009.html|title=''Inside the Gamers Studio'' comic|publisher=Creative Uncut|year=2003|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref>

The smallest margin between any two choices in a contest poll was three votes—this occurred in the four-way match between [[Alucard (Castlevania)|Alucard]], [[Liquid Snake]], [[List of EarthBound characters#Ness|Ness]] and [[Characters of Final Fantasy IX#Zidane |Zidane Tribal]] on [[September 22]], [[2007]], with the three vote difference between first-place winner Liquid Snake and runner-up Alucard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=2882|title=Poll of the Day #2882|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref>

===10 Best Games Ever===
During the 10-Year Anniversary Contest in 2005, GameFAQs users voted on the 10 best games of all time (and tried to predict what the top 10 would be). ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' was selected as the best game ever, followed by ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', ''[[GoldenEye 007]]'', ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'', ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', and ''[[Final Fantasy VI|Final Fantasy III/VI]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/top10|title=Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest&nbsp;— The 10 Best Games Ever|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref>

==Notes and references==
<div class="references-2column">
*'''Note''': This article uses posts to message boards as references. These posts are from the site's staff and thus can be contextualized as official announcements and regarded in the same light as announcements on a corporate website.
<references/>
</div>

==External links==
'''Official'''
*[http://www.gamefaqs.com/ GameFAQs]
*[http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/ GameFAQs Message Boards]
'''Unofficial'''
*[http://www.gamefaqsarchive.com/ GameFAQs Archive]&nbsp;— archive of topics and announcements
*[http://www.ksot.com/BoardsFAQ.html Secondary Boards FAQ]&nbsp;— information about the message boards
*[http://wikifaqs.net/index.php/Main_Page WikiFAQs]&nbsp;— a [[wiki]] with GameFAQs-related info
*[http://www.gamefaqscontests.com/drupal/ GameFAQsContests.com]&nbsp;— information about the user poll contests

{{CNET}}
{{featured article}}

[[Category:CNET websites]]
[[Category:Internet forums]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1995]]
[[Category:Online game databases]]
[[Category:Review websites]]
[[Category:Video game websites]]

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Revision as of 04:57, 6 April 2008

GameFAQs
The current GameFAQs logo.
The GameFAQs home page during Character Battle V.
The GameFAQs home page during Character Battle V in October 2006. The day's match was Kirby vs. Luigi.
Type of site
Gaming
OwnerCNET Networks, Inc.
Created byJeff "CJayC" Veasey
URLhttp://www.gamefaqs.com/
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional (required for contributing content and posting on the message boards)

GameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and has been owned by CNET Networks since May 2003. The site has a large database of video game information and also hosts cheat codes, reviews, game saves, and credits submitted by volunteer gamers. The systems covered range from the 8-bit Atari platform to the latest consoles, as well as computer games. Contributions are reviewed by the site's editor, Allen "SBAllen" Tyner.

The site hosts a large and active message board community. Every game in the site's database also includes an individual board for discussion or gameplay help. Many of the boards are shared between GameFAQs and GameSpot, another CNET website. The site also features a daily opinion poll and related tournament contests.

GameFAQs was cited by The Guardian in 2000 and again in 2004 as one of the most useful gaming sites on the Web,[1][2][3] and the site has been positively reviewed by Entertainment Weekly.[4] Additionally, GameFAQs.com is, as of 2008, one of the 200 highest-trafficked websites according to Alexa.[5]

History

GameFAQs was started as the Video Game FAQ Archive on November 5, 1995.[6] Hosted on America Online, it originally served as a mirror of Andy Eddy's FTP FAQ archive.[7][8] The initial version of the site had approximately 10 pages and 100 FAQs.[9] In 1996, the site moved to its current domain at gamefaqs.com and changed its name to GameFAQs.[10][6] At this time, GameFAQs listed less than 1000 FAQs and guides and was updated on an irregular basis.[11]

During the following months, the site grew in content and in design; two different styles were introduced in early 1997 to accommodate the support of tables in web browsers (or the lack thereof).[12][13] Two key features of the site—the game search engine and the contributor recognition pages—were planned at this time.

IGN affiliation

In 1997, GameFAQs became an independent affiliate of the Imagine Games Network (IGN), leading to the placement of affiliate links on the home page.[14] User contests were introduced during this period; the first monthly contest, which was held in 1998, received 253 entries.[15] GameFAQs went through several design changes, including a pink color scheme,[14] before arriving at the blue-colored layout that was used until 2004.

In November 1999, several changes occurred in rapid succession.[16] On November 5, a search box was added to every page, at which time the site was celebrating its fourth anniversary. On November 7, the message boards opened in a beta testing mode.[17] The "Poll of the Day" was introduced at the end of the month.[18] These changes marked Veasey's increased concentration on the site, and it was around this time that GameFAQs became his full-time job.[19][20][21] Until this time, he had been working as a programmer.[20] On August 9, 2000, the site received one million hits in a single day for the first time.[22] By 2001, the "GameFAQs Chat" (an IRC chat server) had been launched;[23] however, it was removed in May 2001 due to administrative issues.[24][9]

2001–2003

On January 9, 2001, GameFAQs ended its association with IGN.[25] To continue generating revenue, an advertising banner sold to non-profit organizations was placed on the top of each page. This lasted until CNET Networks became an official affiliate of GameFAQs; CNET ads ran on the top of the page and links to news articles from GameSpot were shown on the home page.[26] In September 2002, the ad was moved from the horizontal header to the vertical sidebar. This led to changes to the links on the side, as well as the creation of navigational links at the top of the screen.[27] Contributions to GameFAQs continued to increase, and Veasey, as sole operator and administrator of the site, dedicated significant portions of his time to ensure that GameFAQs remained updated and successful.

On April 1, 2002, Veasey changed GameFAQs to "GameFAX" as an April Fools' joke.[28] The site's colors were changed to green and black to imitate those of the Xbox, with the intention of making users believe that GameFAQs was now dedicated solely to the Xbox, "the only system that matters." After clicking on any link on the main page, users were directed to the real GameFAQs home page. Nevertheless, Veasey reported receiving hate mail from users.[29]

CNET acquisition

CNET Networks headquarters in San Francisco, California

On May 6, 2003, CNET Networks (the site's long-standing affiliate and sponsor) acquired GameFAQs. The amount paid for GameFAQs and two other unrelated websites was US$2.2 million.[30] On June 3, 2003, Veasey announced the merger to the users of the site.[21] He clarified that the user-submitted content (i.e. FAQs, reviews) remained under the ownership of the authors and was not (nor could be) sold to CNET; however, CNET acquired GameFAQs' rights to host them on the site. He assured users that GameFAQs would undergo no major administrative change and said, "The GameFAQs you see today is the one you'll see tomorrow."[21] This was true to a certain extent, as the only visible change over the next few months was the addition of a CNET footer to the bottom of every page. Additional changes included moving the site to new servers in California.

From 2004 to 2006, GameFAQs witnessed further changes. In April and May 2004, GameFAQs implemented a large visual redesign,[31] and the boards merged with the GameSpot boards to allow both communities to share the same game-specific boards (to the dismay of many GameFAQs users). To facilitate this, GameFAQs converted its board code from ASP to PHP, and GameSpot dropped its Lithium code. On April 11, 2006, a new design was implemented and the GameSpot logo was added to the GameFAQs logo on the header of every page. This change was initially greeted with general disapproval by users on the message boards.[32] To satisfy those who prefer the earlier layout, the old board pages have been preserved for certain users.[33] Shortly after the redesign, Veasey began using the Smarty template engine to generate many of the site's pages.[34]

Veasey's departure

On July 19, 2007, Veasey announced that he would eventually be leaving the site. According to his announcement, Allen Tyner, who has been employed with the site since 2004, would take over as editor of GameFAQs.[35]

Message boards

The custom-made GameFAQs Message Boards, coded by Veasey, began operation on November 7, 1999.[36] Although the original purpose of the board system was to facilitate game discussion, other board categories have been added since the boards opened. Every day, approximately 20,000 topics and 200,000 messages are posted on GameFAQs' 50,000+ individual boards,[37] and as of November 7, 2006, there were more than 100,000 accounts actively in use.[38]

Every game listed on GameFAQs has its own message board where both novice and experienced gamers can discuss game strategies and other game-related topics.[39][40] Since the redesign of May 2004, the game boards with enforced topicality have been shared with the GameSpot community. Certain popular games may have additional boards for social discussion. Game-specific boards for certain older consoles do not have topicality rules and are often claimed for social discussion—these are referred to as "secret" or "dead" boards. Every system also has a general board for discussing hardware and upcoming games.[41]

GameFAQs has boards made purely for the purpose of socializing ("Current Events", "Random Insanity" and "Poll of the Day" being the largest),[42] some that cater to special interests (such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or pro wrestling),[43] and some purely for users from a particular region (e.g. United Kingdom, Australia/New Zealand).[44] GameFAQs also has boards for official announcements, contributor discussion, contest discussion, suggestions, and site help.[45]

Features

Posts made on the message boards are mostly plain text. Some HTML markup is used on the boards, including bold and italics tags.[46] Unlike many message boards, GameFAQs does not allow tags for images, hyperlinks, or underlining. Avatars are not used, signatures are limited to two lines of text (160 characters total), and posts cannot be edited. Additionally, the forums use a wordfilter to prevent the use of certain vulgar words.[47] On some boards, topics are removed permanently after a having no new posts for a period of time. On other boards, they are locked and archived (a feature which was added in 2008). The length of time that a topic can remain inactive without being removed or archived depends on the number of posts on its board.[48][49]

GameFAQs users gain one "karma" for every day they visit the boards while logged in. As karma increases, new features become available, such as the ability to post more messages per day, visit high-level social boards, and view a post history page.[46] Registered users can choose between various stylesheets, search topics, and message display options.[50] Users can add favorite boards to a personalized list on the main boards page and can track specific topics (a feature added in 2006).[51][52]

On June 20, 2007, advertisements on message list pages were moved from the top of the page to the middle of the message lists.[53] Shortly thereafter, the ads were moved to the bottom of the message lists.[53] On October 8, 2007, an "ignore user" system was launched for users above a certain level.[54]

Moderators

The message boards are managed by the site's administrators and moderators. Initially, Veasey was the only administrator and therefore had full control over the boards; however, more administrators have since been appointed. The two active administrators are Veasey and Tyner, who use the accounts "CJayC" and "SBAllen" (formerly "Sailor Bacon"), respectively.[6]

GameFAQs' moderators are volunteer users selected by Veasey and are responsible for keeping order within the message board community. Because of the size of the boards, the moderators do not patrol every board and topic. Instead, messages that break the site's Terms of Service can be "marked" by regular users, which brings the message to the attention of the moderators.[55]

Life, the Universe, and Everything

"Life, the Universe, and Everything" (often shortened to "LUE") is one of the most well-known boards on GameFAQs.[citation needed] Its name is a reference to Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, and one of its earlier board numbers (42) continued the reference. Users on LUE refer to themselves as "LUEsers" and sometimes attach "LUE" to popular fads and events on the board, such as "LUEshi",[56][57] an ASCII artwork which depicts Mario riding Yoshi. Since its creation, LUE has caused problems for the administration (such as forum invasions) and has since been made into a private board.[citation needed] On many occasions, Veasey has said he will never allow new users into LUE.[8] As of August 16, 2006, there are 17,205 accounts that can access LUE.[58]

Spinoff websites

Due to the high popularity of the GameFAQs boards, many users have created spinoff forums based on the layout and general functionality of the GameFAQs boards. The first spinoff forum was the open source "GameFAQs Hell".[9] Another spinoff is "LUElinks", a site originally created for members of LUE.[59] It claims to have over 11,000 registered users and 30,000,000 posts.[60] Unlike GameFAQs, it is not open to the public.

FAQs

All of the guides and walkthroughs on GameFAQs are contributed by volunteers.[61] Most of the FAQs are not actually lists of frequently asked questions; instead, they cover aspects of gameplay in the same way as strategy guides, with walkthroughs, item lists, maps, and puzzle solutions. Nearly all of the FAQs hosted on the site are in plain text,[62] though GameFAQs does also accept stand-alone images, such as maps, diagrams and puzzle solutions.[63] In addition to FAQs, contributors can also submit reader reviews, cheat codes, developer credits, game release data, game saves, screenshots, and images of game boxes.

When an author submits something to GameFAQs, it is screened by an administrator before being posted on the site.[64] The author retains the copyright on the submitted material,[65] and his name is added to the site's "Contributor Recognition" section. GameFAQs agrees to host the guide only on their servers but does allow other affiliates to link directly to the guides (including GameSpot, Yahoo! Games, AOL, and GameFly).[64]

GameFAQs features several ongoing contributor contests, including FAQ of the Month, Review of the Month, and numerous "FAQ Bounties", which reward contributors who submit FAQs for uncovered, high-demand games.[66] The FOTM and ROTM contests are generally picked from comprehensive, complete guides or reviews for new games. Winners are sent a gift certificate for an online retailer, or can opt for a mailed gift card upon contest entry.[67][68]

In 2004, Future Network USA published two commercial strategy guides with material from GameFAQs: The Ultimate Xbox Strategy Guide and The Ultimate PS2 Strategy Guide.[69][70] These guides were composed of FAQs written by contributors on GameFAQs.

Contests

User poll contests

Contest Winner Runner-up
Character Battle[71] Link Mario
Character Battle II[72] Cloud Strife Sephiroth
Best. Game. Ever.[73] Final Fantasy VII Chrono Trigger
Character Battle III[74] Link Cloud Strife
Got Villains?[75] Sephiroth Ganondorf
Character Battle IV[76] Mario Crono
Tournament of Champions[76] Link Sephiroth
Best. Series. Ever.[77] The Legend of Zelda Final Fantasy
Character Battle V[78] Samus Aran Solid Snake
Battle Royale[79][80] Link Cloud Strife
Character Battle VI[81] L-Block Link

Since 2002, GameFAQs has hosted annual (or biannual) tournament contests consisting of daily polls in which visitors to the site choose between competing characters, games, or series, with the character contests being known as "Character Battles". Registered users can submit prediction brackets, and prizes are awarded to those who score the highest. The contest polls are shown in place of or in addition to the regular Poll of the Day and have always been accompanied by an image depicting the entrants in the match. The entrants of the Character Battles change from year to year, with some characters being added and some being removed. In some years, previous winners were removed from the main bracket and competed in a separate contest (i.e., "Tournament of Champions", "Battle Royale").

The annual Character Battle has been the subject of two webcomics—Penny Arcade featured the Character Battle in their comic on August 23, 2002,[82] and Creative Uncut's Inside the Gamers Studio strip mentioned the Character Battle in their ninth comic.[83]

The smallest margin between any two choices in a contest poll was three votes—this occurred in the four-way match between Alucard, Liquid Snake, Ness and Zidane Tribal on September 22, 2007, with the three vote difference between first-place winner Liquid Snake and runner-up Alucard.[84]

10 Best Games Ever

During the 10-Year Anniversary Contest in 2005, GameFAQs users voted on the 10 best games of all time (and tried to predict what the top 10 would be). Final Fantasy VII was selected as the best game ever, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Chrono Trigger, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Smash Bros. Melee, GoldenEye 007, Metal Gear Solid, Halo: Combat Evolved, and Final Fantasy III/VI.[85]

Notes and references

  • Note: This article uses posts to message boards as references. These posts are from the site's staff and thus can be contextualized as official announcements and regarded in the same light as announcements on a corporate website.
  1. ^ Schofield, Jack (2000-05-11). "Games watch". The Guardian. p. 11. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2007-08-06. SPOnG, the Super Players Online Gamesbase, would like to become to games what the Internet Movie Database is to films. Since the IMDb is one of the world's best websites, that would be useful, though GameFAQs might be a better place to start. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Pratchett, Rhianna (2003-02-06). "Web watch". The Guardian. p. 8. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2007-08-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Boseley, Sarah (2004-12-16). "Cream of the crop: 100 most useful websites". The Guardian. p. 22. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2007-08-06. GameFAQs lists game player-created walkthroughs, plus links to cheats, reviews and previews {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Internet Capsule Review". Entertainment Weekly. 2000-02-04. Retrieved 2007-01-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Related Info for: gamefaqs.com". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
  6. ^ a b c "About the Site". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-30.
  7. ^ Andy Eddy's archive was formerly located at ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/vi/vidgames/faqs
  8. ^ a b Veasey, Jeff (2005-04-29). "The Great GameFAQs Q&A". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b c "Interview with Jeff Veasey" (2002-03-02). The Gaming Files. WXBH AM-1190 (Cobleskill, New York).
  10. ^ "VGFA on flex.net". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2001-07-23. Retrieved 2006-09-21.
  11. ^ "Video Game FAQ Archive". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 1996-12-23. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  12. ^ "GameFAQs (tables)". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 1997-02-18. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  13. ^ "GameFAQs (no tables)". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 1997-02-18. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  14. ^ a b "GameFAQs home page". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 1998-12-12. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  15. ^ "October 1998: Select Fighter". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  16. ^ "GameFAQs home page". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 1999-11-28. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  17. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2001-11-07). "Second Anniversary Karma Bonus". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2004-10-12. Retrieved 2006-09-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Poll of the Day #1". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  19. ^ Veasey, Jeff (1999). "The Big Announcement". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 1999-10-13. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
  20. ^ a b Davidson, Neil (2003-03-05). "Stumped by a video game? Chances are Jeff Veasey can help". Canadian Press Newswire. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ a b c Veasey, Jeff (2003-06-03). "The Future of GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2004-10-12. Retrieved 2006-09-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ "GameFAQs home page". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2000-08-15. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  23. ^ "GameFAQs Community". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2001-04-01. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  24. ^ "GameFAQs home page". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2001-05-12. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  25. ^ "GameFAQs home page". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2001-01-18. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  26. ^ "GameFAQs home page". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2001-04-18. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  27. ^ "GameFAQs home page". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2002-09-22. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
  28. ^ "GameFAX". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on 2002-04-01. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  29. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2006-04-01). "An important notice about the future of GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "CNET Networks SEC Quarterly Report" (PDF). CNET Networks. 2003-08-05. Retrieved 2006-09-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ "New Layout/Boards Merger". GameFAQs Archive. Archived from the original on 2004-10-09. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
  32. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2006-04-28). "Survey says..." GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2006-08-03). "The v9 End of Life project". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2006-07-12). "The first major code change is live... Whew!". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2007-07-19). "The Long, Slow Goodbye". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-07-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "GameFAQs: Message Board Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 2000-05-10. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
  37. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2006-09-13). "Ask GameFAQs: How much?". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2006-11-07). "Happy Birthday to Us... and to you!". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-11-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ Carless, Simon (2004). Gaming Hacks. O'Reilly. ISBN 0-596-00714-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  40. ^ Flor, Nick (2004). "The Architecture of the Symbol Engine in a Programmable Autonomous Business" (PDF). Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on E-Commerce Technology. IEEE. pp. 119–126. doi:10.1109/ICECT.2004.1319725. ISBN 0-7695-2098-7. Retrieved 2007-01-25. {{cite conference}}: Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (|book-title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  41. ^ "System Boards". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  42. ^ "Social Boards". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  43. ^ "Special Interest Boards". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  44. ^ "Regional Boards". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  45. ^ "Site Boards". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  46. ^ a b "Board Basics". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
  47. ^ "Message Board Terms of Use". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-10-01.
  48. ^ "Rules and Standards". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  49. ^ Tyner, Allen (2008-02-07). "Game Board Archiving Active". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  50. ^ "GameFAQs: Manage Account (login required)". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-12-29.
  51. ^ "Additional Features". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-30.
  52. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2006-12-06). "Topic Tracking". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-01-31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  53. ^ a b Veasey, Jeff (2007-06-20). "Ad Changes". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-06-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ Tyner, Allen (2007-10-08). "Beta Ignore User System". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-11-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  55. ^ "Rules and Standards". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
  56. ^ "LUE topic with many LUEshi's". GameFAQs. 2004-05-03. Archived from the original on 2004-10-12. Retrieved 2006-09-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  57. ^ "Poll of the Day #2333". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
  58. ^ Veasey, Jeff (2005-08-16). "Ask GameFAQs: Errata?". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-09-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  59. ^ "LUElinks registration page". Archived from the original on 2005-03-11. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
  60. ^ "LUElinks — Stats". Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  61. ^ Mary-Kate and Ashley: Winner's Circle; The Times (London); July 1, 2001; Stuart Andrews; p. Doors.2 "Guides to completing thousands of video games, compiled by gamers worldwide"
  62. ^ "Composing Your Guide". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-10-26.
  63. ^ "Images (Maps and other graphics)". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  64. ^ a b "After You've Submitted". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-10-26.
  65. ^ "Copyrights, Trademarks, and Plagiarism". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2006-10-26.
  66. ^ "FAQ Bounty". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  67. ^ "FAQ of the Month". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  68. ^ "Review of the Month". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  69. ^ Cohen, Corey (ed.) (2004). The Ultimate Xbox Strategy Guide. Future Network USA. OCLC 60827530. ASIN B000E7URBQ. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  70. ^ Amrich, Dan (ed.) (2004). The Ultimate PS2 Strategy Guide. Future Network USA. OCLC 60579744. ASIN B000E7URPM. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  71. ^ "Summer 2002: "The Great GameFAQs Character Battle"". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  72. ^ "Summer 2003: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle II". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  73. ^ "Spring 2004: Best. Game. Ever". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  74. ^ "Summer 2004: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle III". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  75. ^ "Spring 2005: Got Villains?". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  76. ^ a b "Summer 2005: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle IV". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  77. ^ "Summer 2006: Best. Series. Ever". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  78. ^ "Fall 2006: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle V". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  79. ^ "Poll of the Day #2566". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  80. ^ Note: Two different spellings were used—"Battle Royale" and "Battle Royal".
  81. ^ "Fall 2007: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle VI". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  82. ^ "Penny Arcade comic". Penny Arcade. 2002-08-23. Retrieved 2006-12-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  83. ^ "Inside the Gamers Studio comic". Creative Uncut. 2003. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  84. ^ "Poll of the Day #2882". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  85. ^ "Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest — The 10 Best Games Ever". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-09-23.

Official

Unofficial

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