Game mags

So what does everyone read nowadays? Good gaming publications are slim to none. EGM is about the only one I can think of that earns the titles "good" or "for the most part, enjoyable." I also get GameNOW, also via the free subscription promotion. It's hard to believe that they used to be Xpert Gamer/EGM2. I also subscribe to PSM for whatever reason. Oh yeah, because it's only $10. I’m starting to think that my yearly $10 could be better spent on rubber bands, paper clips, or other office supplies. Perhaps toothpicks. It's getting worse and worse with every issue. The layout changes and such… blech... it's like a fucking tabloid. "Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft in secret SEX scandal!" is what I imagine seeing on the cover. It used to be leagues better, back when they had the large Nihon Game Otaku section and Banzai Chibi Chan. Shame they thought he was "too kiddie" for the magazine. It's funny how they were the best selling PS magazine in America with the old layout and style, and now that they've gone ultra sleek and cold to "fit in with the PS2's futuristic icy look," they no longer hold that position. And the writing… bleh… it’s like they hold a contest to see how many gaming related writing clichés they can fill each article with. "If they can pull it all together, this'll be one game we can't wait to play!" "...we can't wait!" "We'll let you know the moment we get any more info!" "We'll just have to wait and see." "...we'll be some very happy gamers!" "We can't wait to see more!" "Be sure to look out for this one!" "We can’t wait for this one to come out!" "Keep your eyes out for this one!" "This one’s a no-brainer!" "We’re in for a wild ride!" "It’s a great time to be a PS (insert system number here) gamer!" Sentences like these finish up about 98.9% of their articles. Their "Mission Statement" really gets me. Actual excerpts: "PSM is the magazine for the gaming elite- the hardcore gamers that support and drive this industry. This is NOT a "mass-market" magazine. We don't focus on "fun for the whole family," or waste space interviewing movie stars that have nothing to do with games. That's just not what we're into." (Second paragraph follows) Mmk then, *turns page* "This framerate problem in INEXCUSABLE!!! It's not running at 60fps!! BAD! BAD game!" *turns another page* "New actress to become Lara Croft model!" The reviews mostly suck too, they attempt to be completely objective, and, in turn, end up spouting factual information about the game with no real impressions.

Bleh, sorry to rant on like this. I just needed to get this out of my system. My anger toward PSM has been building for quite some time now.

Just EGM. They're focused and with good ideas in mind (they should, considering how long they've been in the business) but everything they do gets bogged down by unfunny, juvenile humour and mostly bland writing.

Actually, my question is... if you're on the internet (and you are, because you guys post here...), what purpose do magazines serve at all?

The only ones I can think of being of any use are Famitsu, Arcadia, Dorimaga and the like. Even some of these stories are fully public before they ever reach your hands.

A decade ago, one of my greatest joys in life was reading gaming mags, mostly EGM until the mag went Ziff-Davis, then Gamefan. But nowadays, with the internet around, I don't find excitement in reading mags anymore. Unless a magazine comes with a really good demo disc, I don't feel like I got my money's worth. For the same price, I could have bought a used PC game instead.

Hahahaha! Everything you said about PSM is so true. It started going downhill YEARS ago.

I personally used to love getting Next Generation each month. My personal favorite magazine of all-time. I was distraught when it went down, even if people were saying the quality was slipping. It was still the best option out there.

I love print over the 'net for news anyday, and I've got nothing to read now. Bah.

Mm, good points. There is very little in magazines that one cannot get for free on the net. Hence I've only one subscription that I actually pay for.

Rob- glad to see you agree with me :) NextGen was pretty good. I enjoyed reading it. I agree with you about preferring to read news in print. You can get it earlier on the net, but reading it in print feels more special, 'specially if it's big news. It's a hassle to get on the comp and trudge through all the crap on the net.

Edge, and I like the games coverage in The Face and The Guardian Guide.

i agree with you 100% about what you said abour PSM. i'd also like to add that their humor is pretty lame. especially those pics of the staff making faces and saying some dumb shit. thats really stupid. i hate that mag. i cant believe absolute shit like that continues to exist and gamefan doesnt.

I miss the days of the colorful spreads in GameFan. There is still nothing on the net that is as aesthetically pleasing and filled with enthusiasm as those were.

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Originally posted by Rob
I personally used to love getting Next Generation each month.

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I get OXM now, and seriously considering not renewing my subscription. The net has the most up-to-date and "unbiased" player reviews. I learn more lurking in the forums than I do reading a print rag with month old info.

The Net is good for instant news and reviews (mostly for my stupid, ignorant customers), but for actually articles and stories (25 Most powerful in the industry, What went wrong with x games?, etc.),I prefer print.

Currently all I read is EGM. Am I the only one who enjoys their style of writing? Why is it that everybody finds their jokes juvenile? I find their jokes caustic and witty. Futhermore, they are way funnier than PSM.

C'est la vie. To each his own.

I miss Next Generation. Man, did they have articles.

Where the hell is the print industry going?

I mostly flip through older Gamefans, EGMs, and Game Players magazines. It's fun to go back and laugh at all the stupid predictions they made back in the day. :D Other than that, I stick with message boards to get news. I don't even bother with gamespot or IGN anymore.

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Originally posted by Briscobold
I miss Next Generation. Man, did they have articles.

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Yes, exactly, their articles were great.

Also, I think they took a different approach to news, which I liked. Net news is complete overkill ("Check out the disc art!," "New secret character revealed!," etc.). With mags, or at least the good ones, you get the essential info and some more "insider" content (no relation to IGN) that a real journalist would dig up. The only thing I couldn't count on with Next Gen is the info about more obscure stuff or more "old-school" stuff, like shooters. They were too "cutting edge" for that.

Also, NextGen's reviews were questionabe at best. Again, to each his own. Sometimes, however, when comparing their reviews against other magazines, it seemed as though the reviewer didn't play the game long enough to form a proper opinion (Tropico). I'm still bitter about that.

I never cared about their reviews, only the journalism. Not what I see on the net now-a-days.

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Originally posted by Ashod
I mostly flip through older Gamefans, EGMs, and Game Players magazines. It's fun to go back and laugh at all the stupid predictions they made back in the day. :D Other than that, I stick with message boards to get news. I don't even bother with gamespot or IGN anymore.

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Hehe, yeah, flipping through old mags is fun. And yes, PSM isn't funny at all. Many years ago when they were newer and Banzai was still around they had some wit, now it's all just stupid trash. I use the term "trash" because I feel it implies a lowbrow aura. Example: a picture of Dante leaping into the air with an elbow facing down and a caption that reads "Do you smellll what Dante is cookin'?!" You will find this "joke" in the dictionary under "lowbrow." I'm terribly sorry, but that is just not my concept of humor.

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Originally posted by Briscobold
Am I the only one who enjoys their style of writing?

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Yes, yes you are.

EGM's had some good stuff in the last few months.
GI is on a huge roll.
PSM is, well, they sure do have some nice screens...
Gamepro is... Well, PSM's screens are a great.
GameNOW is just shit.

Damn you Yoshi! Your blatant slight has offended my honor. Have at thee!

The only thing that makes PSM funny is the fact that they are a parody of a GOOD gaming mag.

No, PSM is so dumb it's still really, really dumb.

I miss Ultra GP.

Can't argue with that statement. They are the masters of the stating the obvious.
"Shinobi looks to be violent"- NO FUCKING SHIT

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So what does everyone read nowadays?

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Posts on message boards which contain paragraphs.

Anyway, I enjoy EGM and Game Informer is really picking up. Everything else is just blah.

The print industy died (for the most part) the day Gamefan went under back in December of 2000.
My only current subscription is to GI which I do not plan on renewing.
The only enjoyable part of GI for me is the classic gaming section, which I look at for nostalgia, and the sales gaming charts for the month prior. The reviews are laughable, as they dole out 9+ reviews for so many games. How is one to distinguish a truly AAA game from an average game based on their rating system. Anyways, I don't place to much stock in a mags reviews but I still find them funny. The rest of the mag is pretty lackluster, although I have to give them props for putting Maximo on the cover.

Next Generation was truly a great mag, until about 1999 when they went downhill faster than you can say "shitrag" 3 times.
I wouldn't wipe my ass with any of the pages in one of the mags in the last year or two. I was actually pleased that mag went under, it was like a professional athlete finally retiring after he continued playing a few years past his prime embarrassing himself all the while.

I don't care for Halverson's latest mag, its a step in the wrong direction from Gamers Republic. Although if your an anime fan, you may go for it.

Gamepro-no comment necessary.....

EGM-Was my bible in the first few years of its existence, but now I can't say much for it, although I did enjoy the spread they did on Maximo, & their interview with David Siller of Capcom America Studios or whatever it is called.

Like I said, the game mag business pretty much died the day Gamefan went belly up, to bad GameGo never had a chance to succeed, I still have my one issue that cost me what 25 bucks...?
Where the hell is ECM these days anyway, still outta the business I presume, or is he working for another pub with an alias...?

I decided I wasn't going to renew my subscription to PSM the moment they hired that retard who wears a mask. I can't explain it, but his obnoxious incognito existance rubs me the wrong way.

I still subscribe to EGM and GI. Why both? I like a second opinion, GI's classic section, and the fact that they actually ship the latest issue within a reasonable time period to the issue date.

*gets new EGM* Hmmm... September issue... *looks at calender which reads "July 28th"* Riiiiight....

I only read Play and flip through/slash read EGM in the store while I'm on break. I go to the net for my info anyway, but I like the fact that with a mag, if I want to reread a review or editorial, I can just whip it out. next Generation was one of my favorites, but as its been said, it started going downhill towards the end. Game Players was one of the few truly funny ones, but all the constant retooling killed it. Gamepro? Ummm...

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Originally posted by Briscobold
Currently all I read is EGM. Am I the only one who enjoys their style of writing?

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I like EGM. I think they do a good job being a middle of the road, jack of all trades mag.

I liked GameFan as well, but for the most part only for Shooters Alley, the Graveyard and whenever they'd review something unique. I couldn't stand their writing style.

I think I'm in agreement with most people in the thread. EGM was a masterful piece of work in the early days, with news and info you couldn't find anywhere else. I still go back and read issue 9, which had the first CES coverage I had ever seen at that point. The sheer number of games shown boggled my mind. But before even that, did anyone ever read Video Games and Computer Entertainment? Short on screenshots, but lordy was it loaded with articles. It was like reading a science journal compared to today's photo-intensive mags.

Next-Generation was king for a while too, as many others have said. I have from issue six all the way to the bitter end. I miss old days where I actually knew the names of all of the editors and journalists who worked on the mag. Now I'm stuck with the remainder of a subscription to PSM; Imagine switched me to that turd rag after NextGen died. Sigh.

So what do I read now? That's a tough one. Basically I read whatever mags my friends have around, since all I have is PSM until December when I am released. I don't really plan on subscribing to anything else. It's a shame, because I really like just sitting down on the couch and having a nice magazine to read. Despite my love of 'net news there's no substitute for holding a mag in your hands and reading printed words, heck even looking at the cheesy ads. And at least the ads in a magazine don't pop up in the middle of the article you're reading.

Next Gen never should've changed their logo and ditched the thick, glossy covers. That's what did it, I say.

I just miss the days of 300+ pg mags. God those were good. Next Gen was good but god damn, during the end they didn't even have 80 pages, the thing was way too thin. Also, and I know I might get crap for this, PCXL was the funniest god damn thing at the time. I don't ever remember busting a gut so hard just from reading a preview to a game. That was a comic masterpiece.

EGM & PLAY

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Originally posted by warnpro
I don't care for Halverson's latest mag, its a step in the wrong direction from Gamers Republic. Although if your an anime fan, you may go for it.

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Hrm... I'm not totally up on gaming mag news. What magazine does Halverson have a part in now?

As for the anime coverage... as an anime fan (or former anime fan?) I've thought the coverage of anime was a waste of time, not because it was a game magazine... that much is a given... but because it was all dubbed crap! :mad:

(For the record, my stance: Sub? Dub? Bleh. Raw Japanese!)