FileFront to close

Sash · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:11

Long time gaming file download repository FileFront announced today that it will be closing its doors at the end of the month, marking another victim of the ongoing recession. Filefront is in its tenth year of operation.

“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,” reads the site’s farewell letter. “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,” continued the message before signing off, “Keeping gaming alive.”

While bandwidth costs have dropped steadily over the years, the recent events have forced FileFront to cease operations at the end of the month. FileFront was acquired by Ziff Davis Media Game Group in 2005. While UGO acquired Ziff Davis’ 1UP.com gaming property early 2009, FileFront stayed behind. With the sagging sales and support from Ziff Davis’ gaming group, FileFront saw harder times than ever.

Although the reliance on game-centric download service is decreasing, largely thanks to P2P technologies such as BitTorrent, destinations such as FileFront served the gaming community well.

One of the last major file services still in operation is the IGN-owned FilePlanet and the GameFly-owned FileShack. Both offer a paid-subscription account which for privileges such as decreased wait times and the removal of ads.

Source:http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/filefront-fileplanet-fileshack-game-downloads,news-30740.html

Is this an April Fools Joke?

I thought FileFront was quite a popular place?

If this isnt in the right place feel free to move it.

Shamikebab · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:15

Haven't used it in years.

eekfek · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:15

Farewell - We are suspending FileFront site operations indefinitely on March 30. Please see the following link for more information: Farewell

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.

[email protected]

shame, was a very handy site

bledd · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:17

damn

filefront > fileplanet

grudas · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:18

...

so many mods in there....

Phal · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:24

bledd. said:
damn

filefront > fileplanet

If that was true Im sure they wouldnt be going out of business

FrenchTart · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:35

Phal said:
If that was true Im sure they wouldnt be going out of business

A better business model/success doesn't always mean a better product.

I'll miss filefront..it was one of the least annoying game file hosting places :/

Phal · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:43

I dont find Fileplanet annoying really :/ but I do pay for a subscription

FrenchTart · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:45

Phal said:
I dont find Fileplanet annoying really :/ but I do pay for a subscription

There you go, then. I toyed around with a fileplanet sub for a while but couldn't really justify the (admittedly small) expense given that I use such sites perhaps once or twice every couple of months.

Phal · 26 Mar 2009 at 13:58

Aekeron said:
There you go, then. I toyed around with a fileplanet sub for a while but couldn't really justify the (admittedly small) expense given that I use such sites perhaps once or twice every couple of months.

Yeah... I think that a lot of the time, I think what a waste of money lol :s but Im generally bad with money and too lazy to keep cancelling and renewing as I want stuff so I just leave it going.

Over the years Ive had a fair few exclusive beta accounts from there so I dont mind too much. Used to get my WoW patches from there because the update bittorrent client was so poorly seeded.

I probably dont get my money's worth but thats life eh

hehe

Its also handy because you can give links to other people to download stuff too

Long as you dont install the Fileplanet download manager, you can copy the URL and give it to someone else. Long as they download it within a few minutes of you getting it then it works fine. Only works for one person too so you cant post it on forums or anything.

FrenchTart · 26 Mar 2009 at 14:01

Ah, that's rather cool. I'll keep that knowledge in mind for future stuff

bledd · 26 Mar 2009 at 14:07

i can't believe people actually pay for fileplanet. it's daft

linktoinsanity · 26 Mar 2009 at 14:10

I don't use this much anymore, but still a shame for it to be going.

Slogan · 26 Mar 2009 at 14:14

They're not giving people much time to get their stuff.

warnea1984 · 26 Mar 2009 at 19:32

Would have been nice if the filefront game mods had been put into torrents then I could have gone away and got all the patches and stuff.

A sad day in my books.

V4NT0M · 26 Mar 2009 at 19:48

Aekeron said:
I'll miss filefront..it was one of the least annoying game file hosting places :/

Indeed, I usually end up going there for demos/patches/mods because it has the least amount of red tape to get to a download.

Loki · 26 Mar 2009 at 20:39

Its a shame it's going because the d/l speeds were pretty good considering it was free. I guess thats why Fileplanet survive and Filefront goes to the wall.

I find Strategyinformer a very good alternative and the fact that they have UK servers means files can often be faster than Filefront.

Delvis · 26 Mar 2009 at 21:32

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat! No way!

I still regularly download from there as well!

....Bah....

There's always fileshack I guess....That's not so bad.

Alexrose1uk · 26 Mar 2009 at 21:35

Shame, a huge mod community use the place. A lot of good mods will likely dissapear due to this.

Talrinys · 26 Mar 2009 at 21:48

Delvis said:
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat! No way!

I still regularly download from there as well! ....Bah....

There's always fileshack I guess....That's not so bad.

Yeah i like Fileshack too, despite billing me for 3 months or so of mercury service that i didn't receive, and no responses to my request for a refund.