GateWorld

GateWorld (also: GateWorld.net) is a popular reference, news and fan website on the various "Stargate" series, including "Stargate (movie)", "Stargate SG-1", and "Stargate Atlantis". GateWorld is currently the largest "Stargate" community site on the web and today includes an extensive show encyclopedia called Omnipedia, cast interviews, an online store, a forum, articles, reviews as well as a large episode guide, with transcripts and pictures. The site also features up-to-date news.

The GateWorld forum has more than 30,000 members. The record number of users online at the same time was 1,899 as of June 2008, a day after the final Season 4 episode of "Stargate Atlantis" aired. [cite web |url= http://forum.gateworld.net/index.php |title=GateWorld Forum |publisher=GateWorld |accessdate=2006-06-04]

History

GateWorld was inaugurated on October 22, 1999 as the STARGUIDE fansite that has changed addresses and servers many times since then. The site was developed by "SG-1" fanatic and recent college grad Darren Sumner to be an online community for the show "Stargate SG-1", similar to websites for other science fiction shows. Though the site focused on "Stargate", other parts of the site were devoted to other sci-fi series in the form of episode guides. It was during this time that STARGUIDE was given the new name GateWorld. [cite web |last=Juarez |first=Vanessa |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1200093,00.html |title=Summer TV: July 2006 |publisher="Entertainment Weekly" |date=June 2006 |accessdate=2008-06-04] [cite web |url=http://www.gateworld.net/site_history.shtml |title=Site History |publisher=GateWorld |accessdate=2008-06-04] The main site was completely redesigned in 2007 to coincide with the broadcast of "Stargate SG-1"s milestone 200th episode. [cite web |last=Sumner |first=Darren |url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/2006/08/introducing_gateworld_2.0.shtml |title=Introducing: GateWorld 2.0! |publisher=GateWorld |date=August 18, 2006 |accessdate=2008-06-04] With the cancellation of "Stargate SG-1", Gateworld announced its support for SaveStargateSG1, [cite web |last=Sumner |first=Darren |url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/2006/08/fans_rally_savestargatesg1.com.shtml |title=Fans Rally: SaveStargateSG1.com! |date=August 28, 2006 |accessdate=2008-06-04] a fan run campaign to get international networks and executives to show support for "Stargate SG-1" and to help get it back on the air.

Features

* Although the focus lay on the episode guides, it also started to include a large encyclopedia, news, reviews and a store. Now, even the cast and producers of Stargate have contributed to the site with extensive multimedia interviews, blogs, spoilers, and even live chats.
* The Gateworld Alpha Site is a site made by the creators of Gateworld. It was made in case of system problems with Gateworld, deeming it unable to connect to the site. On the site, it provides news on problems and updates on the site maintenance.
* In 2007, Gateworld launched its Creation Storefront merchandise section, where DVD's, Stargate Glassware, Apparel, jewelry, photographs, autographs, keychains, calendars and more are available to purchase.
* On Friday 4th January 2008, GateWorld launched a new service called GateWorld play, a stargate video service similar to YouTube. Plans are to update this new channel "seven days per week for the foreseeable future". [cite web |url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/01/introducing_gateworld_play.shtml |title=GateWorld introduces GateWorld Play |publisher=GateWorld |date=January 4, 2008 |accessdate=2008-06-04]

Reception

"The Province" called GateWorld "amazingly detailed". [cite web |last=Luba |first=Frank |url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=12108e5f-4ccc-4d67-aaf5-ca9f77edcc7e&k=25064&p=1 |title=Stargate secrets revealed at last |publisher="The Province" |date=June 17, 2007 |accessdate=2008-06-04] GateWorld.net is the winner of the 2007 SyFy Genre Awards for "Best Web Site". [cite web |url=http://stargate.mgm.com/news_detail.php?id=29 |title=Stargate takes SyFy Genre Awards |publisher=MGM |date=October 5, 2007 |accessdate=2008-06-04] It was also nominated in 2006. [cite web |url=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/syfyportal/message/1549 |title=SyFy Genre Awards Nominations |publisher=SyFy Portal Yahoo Group |date=June 19, 2006 |accessdate=2008-06-04]

The producers of the "Stargate" franchise are in good contact with GateWorld and have mentioned the website favorably in several audio commentaries. In 2004, Darren Sumner was invited to tour through the sets of "Stargate Atlantis" and to interview the members of the series' crew. Since then he and partner David Read make an annual pilgrimage to Vancouver, where the franchise is filmed, to visit the studio and interview the casts and crews of both shows for the Website. Producer Joseph Mallozzi stated in his blog:

I have always been a supporter of Gateworld and consider it the premiere site for Stargate fans online. In fact, I was the one who suggested to MGM Marketing several years back, that they look toward establishing some sort of working relationship with Darren and Gateworld. [cite web |last=Mallozzi |first=Joseph |authorlink=Joseph Mallozzi |url=http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/february-16-2008/ |title=February 16, 2008 |publisher=WordPress |date=February 17, 2008 |accessdate=2008-06-04]

References

External links

* [http://www.gateworld.net GateWorld]
* [http://forum.gateworld.net GateWorld Forum]
* [http://www.stargateomnipedia.com The Stargate Omnipedia]
* [http://www.gateworldalphasite.com/ GateWorld Alphasite]
* [http://www.gateworld.net/video/index.shtml GateWorld Play]