When did Joystiq launch and when did it shut down?
Joystiq soft-launched in April 2004 and formally debuted on June 16 of that year. AOL shut the site down on the 3rd of February 2015, after eleven years of operation.
Questions about Joystiq
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did AOL close Joystiq in 2015?
AOL closed Joystiq as part of a restructuring plan focused on stronger properties, video, and advertising sales. The site's readership had declined by at least 18% over the year before the closure.
Who founded Polygon after leaving Joystiq?
Chris Grant, Justin McElroy, and Griffin McElroy left Joystiq in January 2012 to co-found Polygon under Vox Media. Grant served as editor-in-chief of Polygon until 2019 and now serves as its publisher.
What was The Joystiq Podcast and when did it run?
The Joystiq Podcast was a weekly video game news and culture show hosted by Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, and Justin McElroy. It ran from 2007 until the original format ended in 2011, with successor shows continuing until the 16th of January 2015.
What happened to Joystiq's Massively blog after the site closed?
On the 10th of February 2015, the Massively team launched Massively Overpowered, an independent successor site dedicated to MMO coverage. It remains active as of 2025.
What gaming term did Joystiq coin?
On the 26th of January 2006, Joystiq coined the phrase "DS phat" to distinguish the original Nintendo DS from the later DS Lite. The nickname remained in informal use for decades.