Following Vox Media’s sale of Polygon to Valnet, many staff members were laid off, but two former guide writers, Ryan Gilliam and Jeffrey Parkin, are launching a new website dedicated to gaming guides: Big Friendly Guide, which can be found at bigfriendly.guide.
Gilliam shares that creating guides gives him a sense of fulfillment, saying, “It feels like I’m helping someone enjoy something that’s very important to me and I know is important to them.” He was determined to continue this passion even after his regular job ended.
Parkin adds, “I don’t want to sound immodest, but Ryan and I have become skilled at helping people play video games.” He emphasizes that their guides enhance the gaming experience and provide assistance with tasks, such as acquiring a giant horse in Zelda.
Big Friendly Guide aims to provide most of its content for free without any paywalls for the guides. However, Gilliam and Parkin plan to launch a Patreon, allowing fans to support their work and gain access to a Discord community. The site will host a free weekly podcast, along with a monthly subscriber-exclusive podcast where they will discuss future content plans.
Initially, the website will feature ads. According to their About Us page, “For now, we’ll run ads to keep the lights on.” Their primary goal is to foster a community that trusts their expertise and is willing to support the site financially. Gilliam and Parkin not only want to create guides for games they love but also hope to receive suggestions from the community to consider for future content.
The launch of Big Friendly Guide adds to the growing list of projects from former Polygon staff. For instance, ex-editor-in-chief Chris Plante has started the Post Games podcast, while former curation editor Pete Volk launched the PV Guide newsletter. These new ventures follow the emergence of other indie gaming publications like Aftermath and Game File.
Gilliam and Parkin maintain modest expectations for Big Friendly Guide. “We’re not trying to build a brand to sell it or anything,” Parkin states. “We’re not looking to get rich; we just want to keep doing what we love.”
