Video game magazines are overpriced

One of my greatest joys in life used to be getting my EGM in the mail every month. Every ounce of video game info I got came from magazines. I would read them over and over until the next month's ones came out.

Then along came the internet. Print mags naturally can't keep up with instant information. Not to mention magazines keep increasing in price. It gets to the point where the only time I feel like I get my money's worth out of a gaming mag is when it has a really good demo disc. The downside is that magazines with demo discs cost several dollars more. We are paying several dollars more for a demo disc, i.e. a piece of advertising.

I think video game magazines are overpriced. Agree? Disagree?

Yeah all of these mags should go online ala IGN.:)

From what I've heard the mag market isn't doing too well these days, the recent deaths of GF,GR, GG,and NG are examples of this.

No one's buying them, even with the demo discs.

Most mags will go away within 5 years. The demo disc mags might stay around in a more limited form. I think publishers might move to putting magazine contents on the demo discs, then just selling the disc -- it's cheaper, plus they can pull off perceived "value" with a $5-$7 demo disc, like the Jampacks.

Interesting idea, Lhadatt, but a disc can't yet beat a paper mag for ease of use and convenient toilet access. Print mags will be around for a long, long time.

It's funny, subscribing to magazines (such as EGM) actually costs about half as much in 2003 as it did in 1991. Also, the circulation bases for mags like EGM, GI and GamePro have never been larger.

GameFan was the most expensive mag during its time.

Seems about the same to me. With a mag like EGM, even a one year sub costs like $1.50 an issue, which is worth flipping through on the can a few times. Even at full retail price, it's still around $5, right?
Specialty mags like GameFan were always more expensive, sadly they aren't around anymore.

On the other hand, we could have something like Cosmo or other women's mags where the price is cheaper (around $3 I think) but 75% is filled with ads.

Yeh, the magazines are way too overpriced...

Back home in my parents house in the attic I have a few boxes full of old game magazines. When I was a teenager I had far less money but I bought a whole lot more magazines. Nowadays you just don't seem to get full value for them - in part because the price and in part because, well, for the most part they're all pretty stinky. :p

In spite of that I would consider to subscribing to one though.... if it was not for the fact that they usually unjustifiably rape Canadians by bumping up the subscribtion fee an absurd amount. I won't support that.

*pulls 1991 EGM out of closet*

$23.95($34.95 in Canada and Mexico) for a year.

What's the subscription price today?

My point was that, for me personally, the value I get from a magazine has gone down considerably from the '80's/early '90's so even if they are the same price today, I don't get my money's worth.

I also don't see why magazines with demo discs should cost that much more. Aren't the companies paying to have their games on the discs?

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Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
I also don't see why magazines with demo discs should cost that much more. Aren't the companies paying to have their games on the discs?

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Considering how mind-wobblingly bad OPM is - I think I'd actually pay more to have the disc come w/o the mag. :p

Magazines are hurting so much because they've got nothing to offer. I get my news and reviews online.

It should be noted that Next Generation was doing just fine. Imagine killed it for no reason at all. National Review, a political mag, has 150,000 subscribers and they're doing just fine. Next Gen had around the same amount.

Game Players had 212,000 from what I last hear.

At least OPM is better than OXBM, aside from the higher price. :)

I've never liked most game magazines. Barring Next Generation, everything else was and is loaded with too much look-how-witty-we-are editorial garbage, and very little in the way of actual useful information. They usually even manage to fuck up interviews and turn them into wannabe comedy bits. All in my experience, of course.

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Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
At least OPM is better than OXBM, aside from the higher price. :)

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I've never picked up an OXBM since I don't have an Xbox yet... but if that's true I cannot imagine the horror.... I really can't... Bleargh...

Subscribe, damnit! It's what, $25 bucks for a year?

Yes, I remember that Gamefan was quite expensive, but it was soooo worth it.

I'll always take a magazine over a web site. Other than ease of use, the convenience of not having to sit in front of a PC, not having to download pictures, not having to click through an ad but rather being able to ignore it entirely, and just opening a magazine up to a random page and reading whatever I find make it a no-brainer.

I do wish we had a better selection to choose from, though. Magazine for 12-year olds or magazine for 16 year-olds. Or magazines bought and paid for by either retailers of console manufacturers. Decisions, decisions...

James

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Originally posted by BenT
Interesting idea, Lhadatt, but a disc can't yet beat a paper mag for ease of use and convenient toilet access. Print mags will be around for a long, long time.

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I agree

Sure theres tons of news and reviews Online

but when the toilet calls i grab a print mag

for ex i have the PDFs of GameGo! 2 i think ive read it maybe twice i know i read it at least once and maybe skimmed it a second time

now GameGo! 1 ive read unknown number of times because its a physical thing i can pick up and take with me

Nothing beats holding a true video game magazine in my hands, and staring at the layouts.

Gamefan 4 eva.

Really I think that, yeah the magazine industry is taking a hard blow from the greatness of the internet. Not just magazines are though, but a lot of books are being skipped out on because people can just read the stories from online on Adobe.

Cheats and tips from magazines? HAH! Gamefaqs covers that period fully. It's hard to compete with these sort of things, and really, I think I'd shoot myself if I were trying to make a game magazine company money.

I am a Referee for FIFA as a side job, and I usually look at the Sports magazines I get, on new rules and whatnot. I could look these up on the internet, all that goodness.

One thing though about the internet, sure you get more info and whatnot. Coupons, that's what I really haven't seen tons of on the internet. In a magazine there should be coupons, not to mention you get some special deals and whatnot if you subscribe.

I really can't say I think that the magazines are overpriced. Are they a bit high for my taste? Mainly, but do I say that they are charging beyond any reason, no I do not.

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Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
*pulls 1991 EGM out of closet*

$23.95($34.95 in Canada and Mexico) for a year.
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24.95 US for 2 years, if I'm not mistaken. (Second year is free.)

the current stock of videogame mags suck, and the internet does blow them out of the waterin terms of being up to date. However, the print mags can usually syphon out some of the BS rumors that plague net news from their mags before press.

One thing I enjoy in non Videogame mags, that I'd like to see in Game Mags, are their tech reviews, they'll generally give specs and comparisons to make their reviews more understandable to Joe Consumer.

The lame editorial jokes could be toned down alot, I feel like everytime I pick up EGM or Play that I'm at some high scholl kegger or reading a BBS or something completely informal. Since video games are now out of their infancy, I'd like game mags to follow suit.

Many magazines are priced high to make getting a subscription more viable when you see how much you'd save. Magazines show the home-subscriber numbers to companies to justify higher ad prices. They make more money from advertising than they do on sales anyway.

If it were viable, I'm sure they'd like to give mags away for free, and reap the benefits of the added advertising dollars.

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Originally posted by Thief~Silver
Cheats and tips from magazines? HAH! Gamefaqs covers that period fully.

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Heh, I've always wondered who the hell keeps buying Tips & Tricks...

I still like to read magazines

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Originally posted by Yamcha
Heh, I've always wondered who the hell keeps buying Tips & Tricks...

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Those who don't own a printer. God knows I love and adore GameFAQs (aside from most of their forums), but having to go back and forth to a computer when trying to figure things out can be annoying as hell.

Just saying.

EGM subsription = $65+.

Yes that's high.
Yes I'm stupid.
No, I won't resubscribe.

I liked magazines for the behind-the-scenes articles, not just the news bytes. I would have subscribed to Next Gen but the magazine kinda went poof, so whatev.

EGM was cool; they'd occasionally feature an article about "what went wrong," or "video-game history." The last few issues, however were kinda forgettable; nothing really substantial.

I still like magazines better than the web, though.

01. As someone else said, game mag prices are going down.


Also, mags have one thing going that online just cannot touch: You cant take your computer or IGN insider to the crapper with you. That alone makes at least one subscription worthwhile. I only have a subscription to one magazine (Wired), and Ive only subscribed to three others in my time (NextGen for like 3 years, GamePro for 1, NP for 2) but cmon, you need at least something to read when you're taking a crap. To me all the game magazines now suck post-NG so Wired is what does the trick for me.

Magazines are still more enjoyable than reading stuff on the web.

What's with people needing stuff to read while taking a crap?

Life is short. Shit fast.

EGM had a good thing going a couple of years ago when they interviewed game developers from the past. I remember they interviewed the guys that created Pac-Man, Tetris, Street Fighter 2 and Centipede. Those were awesome interviews that you couldn't find online.

Now it's all regurgitated crap from the Internet. While I can understand that not everyone has Net access and relies on the mags for their news and reviews, the mags need to stop being Internet on paper for five bucks.

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Originally posted by omfgninjas
EGM had a good thing going a couple of years ago when they interviewed game developers from the past. I remember they interviewed the guys that created Pac-Man, Tetris, Street Fighter 2 and Centipede. Those were awesome interviews that you couldn't find online.

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Eactly, that's what magazines need. Things that you can't get off of websites. More magazines should make sure that they have in-depth, monthly features that aren't found on the internet. That's the only way that they'll have anything to show against the internet.

Oh, and, omfgninjas, with your avatar I thought stibbons was back for a second.

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Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
What's with people needing stuff to read while taking a crap?

Life is short. Shit fast.

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I enjoy reading whilst sitting on the toilet, but that was a beautiful sig-worthy comment. I applaud while laughing.

I don't think they are overpriced.... at least for subscription anyway. On the rack, however, is alittle bit much.

I prefer magazines, but ever since NG, I haven't seen any worth paying for. PLAY magazine seemed sort-of like a spiritual successor to NG, with nice layouts and editorials, but, after some reading I realized how lofty and pretentious it is.

-and I don't know who thinks EGM is expensive...seems like I've been getting mine free for years.

whats up with EGM sending shit to stores but the people who subscribe dont get the free poster and what ever else may be put into the issue extra

I've had subscriptions to gaming magazines, for more than 10 years and will continue to do so. When I'm on the road or sitting on the shitter, it's nice to have a gaming magazine available, for perusal. I have kept every gaming magazine I've ever owned, going back to Compute magazine, which covered C-64 and Amiga games.


The one thing that's nice about having those magazines of the past, is that I can pull them out any time and take a look back at how gaming was percieved back then and how the industry looked. To do such a thing on the internet, would take looking through search engines and most of the stuff you find is rather limited. My gaming magazines however, provide an unequeled source of gaming history.


Are magazine too expensive? In some ways yes, but with a subscription the magazine is worth the price. Now if we could get current magazines, that provide inciteful content like those found in Gamefan or Next Generation, the price would seem more worthy.

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after some reading I realized how lofty and pretentious it is.

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I remember getting that impression from NG. There was an article criticizing RPGs and adventure games for not having fully realized character AI(for dialogue and memory and such) for the characters. At first I thought "yeah!", but thats really too much. And it seemed insulting as opposed to a musing about what the future may hold etc. I don't remember, just remember that I didn't like it. Was a good mag though. Actually, thats the one I read mostly for non-preview/review type information.


edit: I never got into checking gaming websites for news. Maybe a few looks at the TNL mainpage and thats it for me. Mags are fine.

I would like to hear Mr. VanStone's opinion on Magazine pricing, and there current state and future.

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Oh, and, omfgninjas, with your avatar I thought stibbons was back for a second.

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Ya never know...

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Originally posted by Shin Johnpv
whats up with EGM sending shit to stores but the people who subscribe dont get the free poster and what ever else may be put into the issue extra

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Ya know, I hear a lot of people complain about that but 90% of the time I do get the posters in my subscription copy. Weird.

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Originally posted by Shin Johnpv
whats up with EGM sending shit to stores but the people who subscribe dont get the free poster and what ever else may be put into the issue extra

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PSM (Pretty Shitty Magazine) is pulling this crap. Two issues in a row got a demo disc but my subscription issue didn't have one.

They won't get another $10 from me! :p

The discs cost money folks. You're getting a year of PSM for $12 and you expect to get discs on top of that? From a cost standpoint for the publisher, that ain't happening.

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Originally posted by Jeremy
The discs cost money folks. You're getting a year of PSM for $12 and you expect to get discs on top of that? From a cost standpoint for the publisher, that ain't happening.

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Maybe that's so, but as a subscriber you should be getting said bonus(s). I think PSM is shit though, so I can't say I care about that so much, it's just the principle.

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Originally posted by Jeremy
The discs cost money folks. You're getting a year of PSM for $12 and you expect to get discs on top of that? From a cost standpoint for the publisher, that ain't happening.

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Yeah, those free game demo's they recieved, cost an arm and a leg to burn on a $.25 disk and I'm sure that cost goes down in bulk.

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Originally posted by Shin Johnpv
whats up with EGM sending shit to stores but the people who subscribe dont get the free poster and what ever else may be put into the issue extra

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I've always gotten my free posters in the mail from EGM. Sounds like your mailman/woman is taking a little here and there.

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'd love it if they came with the stuff, but it won't happen. You should be rewarded for subscribing to their magazine and showing some sense of loyalty to their product, but you won't be.

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Originally posted by FighterX
I've always gotten my free posters in the mail from EGM. Sounds like your mailman/woman is taking a little here and there.

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the oens at work come in a plastic bag

mine have never come in a plastic bag and always have the adress label on the front cover

Personally i think the subscribers should get the bonus's more so than the people buying it at the store

I mean the poeple subscribing are your loyal fan base most the time

if your screweing them over thats just fucked up IMHO

I'm no Matt Van Stone, but I can tell you why magazines are over-priced (having been part of over six different ones).

Mags in the UK usually survive off newsstand sales. Which is why you'll see a mag, with fine shiny paper, clocking in at over 150 pages, with a free DVD on the cover. For Around $5. Yes, that's WITH the DVD! The mag in question is the damn fine PSW (PS World), and if you can find it, I suggest you check it out. It's a freakin' breath of fresh air.

In the States, newsstand sales are simply one method to get the almighty subscriptions (which is why paper quality is down, and price is up -- to FORCE you to subscribe). All magazines that have gone out of business in the US (including GF, GR, incite, etc) have mainly done so because of a lack of advertising which heads off operating costs. All the business methods (whether right or wrong) are made with the plan to grab as many subscribers as possible. Because once you grab subscribers, you have a larger and rock-solid readership for an audit, and can then charge $20K+ per ad page. Here's the best example:

Game Informer. In Dec 2000, it had around 200,000 subscribers. It was getting by. Now between that time, and Dec 2002, GameStop managed to push another (wait for it) 800,000 subscribers into reading the magazine, due to the offers it had ($10 for ten issues and store incentives). By my (wonky) calculations, it could then show all potential subscribers that it had hit a million, and this resulted in around $600K of ad dollars for the January 2003 issue. Imagine around that number, multiplied by 12 issues, and you've got a $5-6 million dollar a year mag. Minus staff and distribution costs.

Is it any wonder then, that GMR was launched (the EB version of Game Informer)? Are you shocked by the forthcoming Maximum Play (the GameCrazy version of GMR)?

The other method is what Dave is doing with Play. Which is minimal staffing, and therefore costs. I applaud this plan, as the low overhead means he only needs to shift 20,000-30,000 copies to stay profitable and he can do what he likes. Why? Because there are no "VP of sitting on their ass" to pay for, report to, or worry about.

Interesting, eh? Thought not.

Oh, and mad props to me for writing the "Game Luminaries" pieces of EGM. We stopped doing them for some reason. My favorite was Moru Iwatani, the Pac Man gent.

Cheers

Chiefy H

Very nice, thanks for the info.

Reality sucks, as usual. I want my idealized world of cheap magazines and good writing, without any of the bullshit that results from money issues. *dreams*

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Originally posted by Jimmy Carter
National Review, a political mag, has 150,000 subscribers and they're doing just fine.

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The political rags are (generally) not profitable. They are supported by institutions and wealthy donors.

Don't the companies use contracts to limit what the online sources can reveal so the print magazines break stories? If the print mags were to die, it might be in gamers' best interest.

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Originally posted by Chief Hambleton
All magazines that have gone out of business in the US (including GF, GR, incite, etc)

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If there is any magazine out there that absolutely needed to go out of business, it was Incite. In fact, if there is any magazine out there in which the editors needed to be burned at the stake, while the factory it was printed at was burned to the ground to cleanse the earth of the evil spirits that were housed within, it was Incite.

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Oh, and mad props to me for writing the "Game Luminaries" pieces of EGM. We stopped doing them for some reason. My favorite was Moru Iwatani, the Pac Man gent.

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This is the sound of no one caring.

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Originally posted by diffusionx
This is the sound of no one caring.

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Originally posted by me
EGM had a good thing going a couple of years ago when they interviewed game developers from the past. I remember they interviewed the guys that created Pac-Man, Tetris, Street Fighter 2 and Centipede. Those were awesome interviews that you couldn't find online.

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omfgninjas do you give a fig about who wrote them though?

And even if I was wrong... well I dont care anyway.

It was a good writeup though.

Just admit you are a jerk Diff. Every already knows you were wrong.

Admit it.

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Originally posted by Master
Just admit you are a jerk Diff. Every already knows you were wrong.

Admit it.

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Not a problem. I am a jerk.

:)