Ben-DutkaYes, the time has come.
I have to assume that most of you have seen the handwriting on the wall for some time, though I never stopped working. The bottom line is that due to other obligations, I can no longer continue at PSX Extreme, even in a part-time capacity.
For those of you who don't know, this brings a very long tenure to a close. I've been at PSXE for nearly 10 years and in those years, I have produced news, previews, reviews, features, interviews, newsletters and more. I even did a PSXE show in the short-lived PlayStation Home theater, did some videos for YouTube, and ultimately, there are in fact over 25,000 pieces with my name on them at this site. Obviously, it will feel very weird not putting up articles on a daily basis, especially at night (though in truth, I won't miss it that much). 😉
Budget has been a problem for a long time, which prompted me to look elsewhere some years ago for other opportunities. Even though I found those opportunities, I always found a way to keep PSXE going on a daily basis. But now that I've embarked on a very challenging new full-time venture – I'd rather not go into details at this time, though I will say it is not related to video games – I realize I have no time left to spare. As much as I've enjoyed keeping the PSXE name going, I just don't have the time and frankly, I have to say I don't have the will, either. My interest in the gaming community has waned considerably in recent years, as many of you probably already know.
I still love games and I'll still play them, and I'm willing to bet I'll be more likely to chat about them online when it's no longer a job. And as there are many members still here who have been with us since the start (amazingly enough), I have suggested that someone, perhaps one of our volunteer writers, set up a forum somewhere so the PSXE community can still meet. Speaking of those volunteers, they have free reign to continue to post pieces here, so it's not like the site will be completely dead overnight. However, the owner has made it clear that if there's another chink in the archaic armor that is this site's system, he's just going to shut it down.
I will try to do a Week in Review, or something of that nature, on weekends, just to drop in. And I'd like to see that forum or community off-site, if one should exist. But as of Monday, I'm officially done; this also means the Facebook and Twitter pages will unfortunately languish as well, and there will be no more newsletters. There's really nothing else to say, I guess. I could reminisce and address specific things, from the good to the bad, but the truth is, I just don't care enough anymore. I don't mean I don't care about all the readers who made the site possible over the years; I just mean I've, well…I don't like this term but maybe "burnt out" is indeed accurate.
All I can say is thank you and though I'm moving on, and I have little interest in being involved in anything gaming-related from a business standpoint, I will always remember my time here with melancholy wistfulness. I may feel disconnected and very much removed from it now but PSXE, and this industry, has been a very big part of my adult life. Reminiscing is good every now and then, but let me add that constantly looking back does us little good and in fact, can be downright harmful. With that said, I have my sights firmly fixed on the future and if any of you happen across my path, I'll likely slow to give you a handshake, even if it's only virtual. 😉
Goodbye, goodbye. I have no more words.
Well. Daym.
This feels like the end of a chapter in gaming for me. Wanted to see those official FFXV and Kingdom Hearts 3 reviews.
Best wishes.
#getThatMoney so we can keep gaming.
I wanted to see that FFXV one too. It would have been glorious. This is, indeed a huge ending chapter not only gaming but in part of my own life. I found this place at a hard time and made it a second home.
Know exactly how u feel, World
Thanks Duke *hugs* 🙂
I know we had our disagreements, but you will be missed. Good writing provokes thought and debate, and you offered both in spades.
Best of luck in your new ventures.
Thank you for everything sir!!!
Thanks for the memories Ben and everyone else. This was the only site I came to and now I don't think I will go looking anywhere else. It's all gotten too icky out there. This was the last bastion of folks that were folks who also happened to be gamers.
I also was accepted here by many, allowed to write here, review here, taken on to review elsewhere, and have garnered more interest for my writing because of this place and Ben.
It will not be the same without commenting at night, then checking the next day to see if anyone had started a convo with me every day. Or coming back here after a dark time away with personal sorrows to find like minded friends as I have no real life friends who play games. As we toss up a few things here and there (I may too) and things wind down to the inevitable death I want you all to know I've loved and enjoyed you all, even those I did my best to bloody and beat over the head on silly points in gaming that pale in comparison to what unites us.
But I didn't cry when we were all together at the top of the mountain and I will not cry when I look back up at it alone.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 4/29/2016 11:27:11 PM
Hugs all around.
Ben, you did good.
ditto Banky 🙂
It's a sad day for sure. I've been coming to this site for YEARS, and while I may not post much on this site anymore I still feel very much connected to this site and community.
Luckily I have befriended many through the PSN and I hope that we can still game together and reminisce about the good 'ol days.
Good luck Ben, and THANK YOU!
Ben,
Thank you for all that you've invested and the sacrifices made along the way. It was PSXE that brought me back to console gaming back in '08 and I've enjoyed your pieces along the way.
That said, I hope you get the break that you deserve. Your articles and reviews will be terribly missed, yet know all too well the importance of closing one chapter to begin anew.
Thanks again, man. You made PSXE a unique and refreshing experience.
This was my home for playstation news for the past decade. I loved all the content you put out Ben, and I'll miss reading your reviews. They were the best on the internet as far as I am concerned. Happy trails, brother.
agreed
Same here.
This has been my homepage for a long time lol
I can't tell you how long I've been visiting (maybe 2007?), but I've always enjoyed this website. I can't quite put my finger on it but it's more of a community than anything else. The articles brought people together to discuss and provoked that discussion. Something that missing from other websites. That's all thanks to you Ben.
Farewell, and good luck in your new adventures.
I think that's around the time I came around 2007, 2008. I had suffered an issue and after , found myself with nobody and nothing and somehow decided to see if there was anything about new games on the internet (hadn't even considered the possibility there could be daily news on gaming before) after sifting through a few of the fanboy run sites and being disgusted I found this place and people… like me!
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 4/30/2016 12:07:07 AM
Couldn't agree more World.
I don't remember how I found this site, but I think it was from the newsletter. And how I started getting that, I have no idea.
It was that blue ps3.
Seriously world I was at the same point in my life, things were hard and it was about the same year. I think all of us came here around the same time. 2006-07 some where around there.
Wow most of you came here around 2007 too?
@frylock: Haha I remember those red and blue PS3 giveaways. Those were right after the comments section started and I think actually brought a lot of people here.
@bigrailer: I started getting the newsletter for some reason in 2006 sometime. I know it was before PS3 launched. But I didn't sign up for anything and have no idea why I started getting it. Maybe that's why everyone came here around the same time.
Last edited by mk ultra on 4/30/2016 5:22:35 AM
That blue PS3 was the shiznit!
Funny how many of us came here while down in the dumps. And BikerSaint fell to poverty during our time here then made a comeback. So many things have happened.
I've been coming to this site for about 8 years I think. Now where will I turn to? I enjoyed the community here as well as the news which was tailored to my interests. I'll miss it for sure. Thanks for everything!!!
I'll miss… Well it was fun acting immature here sometimes, you know, the boobs and everything, just for the youthful experience that connects so deeply to gamers. Why not defend that spirit we all have in our heyday if only for the experience to be the one to keep it alive?
In short, losing a place to play.
Thanks for the good times! Also good work.
That's a shocker but I truly understand Ben. Been coming to this site for several years to get my PlayStation news and honest reviews. I wish you the best my friend!!!
damn it ben. I gave up all my other gaming websites for you. You will not be forgotten. You've been with me along time. Since before my daughter and my wife. This is a sad day. With that said, Good Luck… An Thank You!! We had a good run, pal.
I know there are many things i've called you out on, argued, or disagreed with but i still always loved coming here because you always seemed to have a similar mindset. The last couple years you have seemed different, but you were still like a friend that is fun to converse or debate with. I hope you have as much success as you can handle in your new adventure and hopefully it brings you emotionally back to the Ben of the past, the one that most of us loved to interact with. The fact that you lasted this long without truly burning out or succumbing the the negative side of the internet shows that the force is strong within you, now go and get it back.
I have visited this site for a very long time and will feel almost lost without it. So hopefully those that have picked up the baton as of late will keep the honor to Ben and this site going for a long time to come, if not i don't know where i'll go to talk to like minded gamers. This site with all the contributors over the years has felt like true oasis.
To those that have left comments over the years use have been just as, if not more important to keeping this a place where critical thinking still existed and even flourished. So much so that this place almost feels unnatural, in a good way. And hopefully it continues on for a long time.
To anyone here my PSNid is Rogueagent01 (same as handle) and would be honored to add use to my friends list, whether we play together, talk, or do nothing with each other at all just know use will have a spot permanently reserved on my friends list. Just remember to please mention this site in the request so i do not make a mistake and deny the request.
Good luck Ben, i have a feeling that getting away from this will be a good thing in the long run for you, and unfortunately we will have to learn to survive without you but know you will be missed.
Hope use don't mind i started a PSXextreme community on the PS4 and used a couple images from the PSXextreme facebook page.
Created it just in case things go bad, at least then some of us can keep in contact and pass the word on if/when we get a new home.
If use have any issues with this let me know and i'll make any changes needed.
I never commented here, but was here everyday for the last 5 years odd reading the comments and articles. Felt this was the only site without all the pretentious bells and whistles…
Wow. This is a shock. There will now be a huge hole in my life. However, it sounds like this is what is best for you. So, good luck Ben! Maybe we can game sometime now that it is just for fun. Thanks for the years of information, entertainment, and the blue PS3 (which I still use but mostly just for Netfix.)
So YOU won MY Blue PS3 ! … Lol.
Good luck to your new venture ben, in my eyes you were the best in the buisness regarding gaming news, reviews etc, you will be greatly missed.
I'll miss ya Ben. I found this site back in 2007 through a junk email using my ps3 web browser. I got hooked and made it one of my bookmarks on the ps3 lol. It's been a fun and unique ride. I can't believe it's the end but I'm happy that you've moved on to something better. Congrats on your new venture.
Thanks Ben for all your time and effort,and your good reviews.All the best wishes for your future!
Good luck with your new ventures Ben, and thank you.
I've been coming here since the PS2 days and will be sad to see this place go. I remember when the comments section started, when Arnold and Shadow were still around, and World had a picture of, I assume himself, with a katana. I haven't always been on top of leaving comments often, but I read most articles and comments daily, and this truly was a special site that will surely be missed by myself and I'm sure many others.
It would be great if we could keep this community going somehow. My PSN ID is EuRoRaT if anyone wants to add me.
Dude! end of an era. it's a shame to lose you, you're one of the good ones. Best of luck to you with all your future endevours.
Also you're really getting me the James Taylor. Damb you!
I haven't commented on here in some time as life issues and health have kept me away, but upon seeing this article I couldn't help but stop and say goodbye and thank you.
No other site has kept me coming back and even though I've been quiet for some time, I've still used this site to keep me informed.
I understand that life is always forward moving and am glad to hear that you have found something new when you felt something new was needed, much luck and a thousand thank you's Ben. Obviously, you will be missed.
Welp cant say i saw this coming but man it feels like a end of era's this year. First Gametrailers now Psextreme. Though i'm not that really liked around here i always checked out this place. I never really cared what people thought about me.
R.I.P Psextreme. Its been fun.
Last edited by TrueAssassin86x on 4/30/2016 7:40:47 AM
If it makes you feel better I don't have an opinion on you either way… so your not hated by all.
Well this is sudden…
Its a shame but best luck to your new venture.
It's hard to try and put things into words. I'd be lying if I said I saw this coming. If anything I figured with more people contributing lately you'd be in a more relaxed position to keep the site going. This was the only site I checked regularly for gaming news and it was one of the first I found when I started getting interested in even looking for news in the first place. Even if I didn't always agree you're one of the few reviewers I genuinely trust and respect. It's so weird to think about you're articles stopping so suddenly. I've never been a very active commenter, but I did very much enjoy the community here. Sad to see you go Ben, best of luck with your next job.
That's really too bad, PsxE for sure has been my favorite gaming news site for many years now, and reading many intelligent, interesting articles & reviews by you Ben, but good luck with whatever is next for you!
I don't really play many games online, but it would still be nice to keep in contact with some of you guys I've been debating & arguing with over the years, so if anyone wants to add me on PSN my PSN ID is BG808s. Also if you game on Steam you're welcome to add me on there as well, my Steam user name is Evil Ash.
Hope this site finds a way to keep going somehow!
Last edited by Crabba on 4/30/2016 8:47:51 AM
Ben, you Will be missed.
Thank you for The years, The disscussions,and psxextreme.
Farewell sir
BEN THANK YOU!! AND GOOD LUCK!!
Wow this is crazy. I remember finding this site back when the Playstation blog was first founded and it had a link in the off-site suggestions section and it was to this website. In all these years I never really posted but I would always read everyone's comments. Kind of being creepy I guess. This site was pretty much like a everyday ritual for me to get news. Going to be weird looking and find it on another website. I don't want to go!
Best of wishes to you Ben