Computer Gaming World is no more

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/02/go...zine/#comments

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Microsoft, the computer industry giant, and Ziff-Davis, the gaming-mag giant, just sent word that they've joined forces to rip the covers off all future issues of the seminal (and creatively titled) computer gaming mag, Computer Gaming World. In their place will be shiny, new Games for Windows: The Official Magazine covers.

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Computer Gaming World was the oldest gaming mag still around. I guess they will still be around but I expect this to be more than just a name change.

I read ap ost from Jeff Green somewhere that says it is essentially just a name change.

But honestly CGW isnt that good anymore. Since the time I last read it (3-4 years ago) and now (I recently subscribed), Ziff Davis raped it and redesigned it to be more in line with EGM. It still has good writers, and they pushed through a "no score" review system, but its ugly as fuck (just like EGM) and feels similarly cheap and throwaway.

I hate these official mags. They're so useless. Every time they come out the editors drone on and on about how they're all independent and shit and will just be using the official brand for "access" but they all become worthless PR mouthpieces.

I haven't read it in about 3-4 years either. Is Jeff Green still funny?

Yea, he's still good. The magazine's writing is generally solid, and it has a cool section on free games. But there's a lot more doofy stuff than I remember, and it doesnt feel sleek and professional anymore. It looks and feels exactly like EGM, the good writing kind of gets overshadowed by the schlocky look and thin-ish content.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

I hate these official mags. They're so useless. Every time they come out the editors drone on and on about how they're all independent and shit and will just be using the official brand for "access" but they all become worthless PR mouthpieces.

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It's sad how true this is. :(

The Dreamcast one was pretty good, though. THe writing wasn't all too well-done, but something about it made it seem far more independent than the normal official mags.

I like how CGW is adapting to the Internet world. Their reviews aren't reviews anymore as much as they're quotes from other reviews. They know they're not getting their word out there in time for it to matter since the Internet is instant, so they just cover the games from what people have already written and maybe throw in a few of their own comments. They also dropped their own scoring system and just give you a sample of scores from a few other places.

They've also seriously trimmed down the Preview type shit no one reads anyway to just being almost entirely interviews and editorials.

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Originally Posted by ChaoofNee

The Dreamcast one was pretty good, though. THe writing wasn't all too well-done, but something about it made it seem far more independent than the normal official mags.

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It was probably you being a fanboy. The magazine was as much a shill as any other.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

It was probably you being a fanboy. The magazine was as much a shill as any other.

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Then what about the part when they taught you how to disassemble and modify Samba maracas? Why the hell would Sega approve that?

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Originally Posted by ChaoofNee

Then what about the part when they taught you how to disassemble and modify Samba maracas? Why the hell would Sega approve that?

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Because Samba de Amigo sold about 50 copies so they didnt give a fuck.

John Davidson was talking about this on the 1up podcast (which is kind of entertaining because it's just four guys getting wasted and talking/cursing/ranting about games for 45 minutes). He said it's in their contract that they're fully independent, and free to criticize as they wish.

But with MS looking to position windows as a gaming platform marketed like consoles are (unified packaging, in-store demo kisks, etc.) they said it was a good way to get in with that.

And/or get paid. Whichever.

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Originally Posted by ChaoofNee

Why the hell would Sega approve that?

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We've all asked this to ourselves hundreds of times to the hundreds of dumb things Sega did. What makes you think their magazine was exempt from their stupidity?

Hah. Point taken.

ODCM made me laugh a few times. Anything made by the ex-Game Player crew was a rag with sometimes-interesting articles and juvenile humor. Taken as such, they were pretty fun to read. Game Player/Ultra Game Player was the funniest of the Imagine Media rags years ago, though I probably wouldn't find them as funny now.

Its a shame you didn't read PCAccelerator. Great magazine. Up there with Gamefan as my favorite.

I used to have a subscription to Computer Games Strategy Plus, I think they changed their name to just Computer Games a while back but they were the shit.

PCXL is trash, GameFan was trash, CGS+ was awesome. It might still be today, I haven't read it in forever. It's the last American (world?) PC mag worth a damn now, though. If it's good. Which I don't know. I haven't read it. I hope it is. PC Gamer is misery.