DPreview home page has lost its closing message and is posting new content with the release of the Nikon Z8 comes an article and video. Anyone got any ideas on what’s going on over there?
May 11, 2023
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If you look at Richard Butler’s comments on the recent Z8 articles and video, both on the site and on YouTube, it’s very clear that the site is now staying open but that he can’t disclose the how or why behind that yet.
My guess is that it’s in the process of being sold to a new owner, hence his inability to confirm until all the legal stuff is done etc.
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I just hope it won't wind up getting what I'm going to call imaging-resource'd - sold around for a few years, then nonchalantly shut down with no prior announcement or comprehensive archiving. But very good indeed on Richard and crew for fighting hard to keep the lights on.
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There's some hints.
Firstly, it had degenerated to no ads except Amazon - now it's no ads except one Amazon banner along the top.
Second, the ownership and copyright declaration had been to IMDb.com ( an Amazon subsidiary) - now it's Amazon.
A possible reading of these two is that DPReview has been separated out to a company within Amazon so that it can be sold as a unit. -
I would guess that if it was sold to someone else, it would take the flak away from Amazon for closing it. Six months time a new buyer could say it's just not working and shut it down. No archiving, no anything.
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Which begs the question, who might buy it?
I have absolutely no idea but I am all ears for some speculation...
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I've had a conversation with Andy Westlake (former TE DPReview) on that. He though there were a number of potential buyers and one he thought very likely. The photography business will still be here, and someone can make a bit of money out of something like DPReview, especially if they can put it into a portfolio and avoid adding fixed costs. My guess is that it would carry on with a couple of staff tops, just doing content and all the other functions would be rolled into the new owner's organisation. It would take some time for the new owner to do due diligence, because DPReview was a completely stand-alone site, so on first view wouldn't integrate well. It's possible that was a festering wound within Amazon, that DPReview didn't integrate fully into AWS.
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Well fwiw, some of the forums are still active.
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They will be, they are familiar and people know what to expect. If they keep running they'll get active again. The big question is whether whoever is the owners really wants to bother with the forums. DPReview management was always ambivalent about them.
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Why would anyone buy it with the expectation of shutting it down in six months? Any prospective buyer would do their due diligence and know the running costs etc. Its possible that it might just be a better and more profitable fit as part of someone else’s business.
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On its own I agree it probably wouldn’t be very attractive. But if Amazon were to bundle it with other parts of their organisation that they want to relinquish (remember they have to save a load of $ and staff) then it might be more attractive. But what the new buyer might want to keep or dispose of/shut down at a later date would be anyone’s guess.
Looks like a similar thing just happened to ImagingResource. -
It has happened before with businesses. Used as a way to take the decision away from a prominent company, so they don't look like the bad guy. And I said six months could, not would.
Your way is a possibility as well.
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As I was reading Richard Butler's comments in the same articles, I was thinking "Wow, RB is really feeling upbeat today, he's not his usual grumpy self." I'm taking it as a good omen.
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Its a little tin foil hat-ish, but Amazon could sell it to someone that on paper doesn't look like its them, but is really them. Seems far fetched over a blip on the radar for them, but they privately own a number of businesses that compete in the Amazon Marketplace to manipulate pricing and divorce themselves from being the discounting culprit. I really really don't trust them.
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Is this a subtle hint on their front page? 🤔
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You’ve been watching too much TV. lol
anyhoo… the sign says, Now Open.3.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS1200x900~sample_galleries/0809548205/9825883508.jpg
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A bit like Olympus and OM System
