SYFY continues rebranding Sci Fi Wire becomes BLASTR.COM

As SYFY continues to grow it also continues to rebrand as Sci Fi Wire becomes BLASTR.COM . If you have been hiding under a rock Sci Fi Wire probably has been a center hub for Sci Fi news and information for the most part. Blastr will open up officially on July 15 which is tomorrow but if you go there today you will see it is already launched .

You can see the launch page here

SCI FI Wire was a great name when we came up with it during a two-minute hallway conversation in 1997. At the time, we were just finding news stories about sci-fi, fantasy and horror at traditional sites like CNN and Variety and collecting them in one place. Wire was a name that harkened back to old-fashioned news wire services, and when no one else was seriously covering sci-fi news online it got our point across nicely. “You will find sci-fi news here.”
Today, “Wire” feels old-fashioned and stodgy, only slightly better than if we were called SCI FI Telegraph. And there are now millions of sites that curate sci-fi entertainment news, so there’s no need for us to be shouting “Look! NEWS!!!! Over here!!!” Also, in the last few years we’ve grown well beyond news by adding things like the Bruce Campbell’s Soup Labels, the Image of the Day and the Periodic Table of The Empire Strikes Back. As we’ve tried out new stuff we’ve listened to your comments and kept track of what stories were most widely read, and it turns out people like fun stuff along with their news. Really, really, really like, as in it’s the most popular content on the site. ….
Continued at Sci FI Wire errrrrrrr Blastr.com

At brief glance it is already a better set up . The page loads quicker ( which is something I may be thinking about here also) and it has a host of features which include videos, guest blogging, images m a more interactive Facebook and Twitter experience, and the usual features and news area. Just the name seems a bit odd but then again a Rose by any other name is still a rose.

Official Press release.

POPULAR SCI FI WIRE EXPANDING AS BLASTR.COM
RECORD GROWTH CONTINUES WITH A NEW SOCIALLY CONNECTED SITE, A HOST OF NEW GUEST BLOGGERS AND REGULAR WRITERS, AND TREND-SETTING NEW FEATURES
New York, New York – July 14, 2010
“ Following a record-setting year featuring traffic growth of more than 50%, Sci Fi Wire, the premiere online destination for entertainment news about science fiction, fantasy and horror, is poised to get even bigger. Sci Fi Wire will relaunch as Blastr.com on July 15, expanding its scope from a news site to a daily curated smorgasbord of news, features, images, popular science, videos and guest bloggers, it was announced by Craig Engler, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Syfy Digital.
“Blastr.com is the next step in the evolution of Sci Fi Wire, which has grown from a site solely about news to a daily curated experience about all things related to science fiction, fantasy, horror and the imagination,” Engler said. “We’ve been testing new features and ideas, crowd-sourcing concepts with our readers and lining up some fantastic guest writers, all of which will culminate with the launch of Blastr.com on July 15.”
The new Blastr line-up will include:
* A series of guest writers starting with fan favorite actor Jewel Staite from Firefly and Stargate: Atlantis, and another Atlantis alum, actor and director David Hewlett
* A regular guest blog by well-known astronomer and Discover Magazine writer Phil Plait, who will write about the intersection of popular science and science fiction
* A regular feature where Syfy executive Craig Engler tells viewers who Syfy works behind-the-scenes and answers their questions
* A series of in-depth looks at popular trends, such as a “remake tracker” that keeps tabs on 135+ sci-fi, fantasy and horror TV and film remakes that are in the works, and the definitive list of “101 sci-fi things you have to do before you die”
* New social networking tie-ins that let Blastr visitors read and share stories on sites like Facebook and Twitter, and on devices like Android phones and iPhones.
The launch of Blastr will continue the momentum of record-setting growth Sci Fi Wire has enjoyed in the first half of 2010. In May, Sci Fi Wire capped three months of increases by reaching one million unique visitors for the first time in history. Then in June, Sci Fi Wire shattered that record by growing another 40% to reach 1.4 million unique visitors, along with a 31% increase in page views.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. Syfy. Imagine greater.