How a Game Magazine works

[MVS]

Inspired by the XBV thread and a misconception there.

General Info:

Cover: How is the cover decided? Well, EGM pretty much get's to pick and choose 1st, having the biggest circulation and all. Deals can also be made, such as "We'll give you x number of pages for the 1st cover on it". Cover is obviously very important, as people see that thing 1st.

Games: What's in on time, before the deadline. Usually, games are sent out en masse on one day, to all of the gaming magazines (same builds and such), unless it's the exclusive situation. Some times, companies will send PR people on a Trip around the country, and hit all the major mags and such. Pretty rare, and done if the game is very early and the company wants to limit access to it (they'll leave a PR asset disc for ScreenShots or a Build of it, if the game is more complete).

Generally, when a game is finalized, a company will send out 1-3 copies of it, along with extra materials. Nets and stuffed monkeys for Ape Escape, Shirts are very common, and so on.

Exclusives: Beyond the cover, things are negotiable. Companies want free pub and PR, mags want 1st look info. Getting an interview is easily done at E3, where people like Miyamoto, and teams and such have intervews set up throughout the day (or, in the latter's case, will do presentations with 6-8 journalists at the time).

Info: People talk, and even thought a PR contact is only going to be nice to get the free pub, sometimes they let things slip. Usually, you keep that under wraps, because that's the right thing to do. Sometimes, people talk too much, like Matt at IGN spilled the info on Link in SC2 far far too early. Guess breaking that info meant more than class, but I digress. You are told what people want to tell you, and the notion of 'journalists' is moot, there is no hunting down a trail of evidence to see what is what, you just get told what PR people want you to hear.

NDA's: Pretty rare, usually it's a situation of 'this game is embargoed online until X date, and print until X date', and that, along with the unspoken threat of 'fuck us over and you'll never deal with us again' is enough to keep things on the up and up. NDA's are usually done when going to a company, where you might see something and they, justly, want control over what you can and cannot say. I'd say an avg of 1-5 a year signed per editor.

Work load: Simpliest way to put it is 'do 400 words on this by the day after tomorrow' and so on. 400 a day is about a page, and, from what I hear, pretty standard on expected work.

Screenshots: You take them, via the computer, generally last, after the editorial deadline has arrived and the artists, busy doing layouts, have finalized them (leaving spots open for the shots).

PR Trips: =Perks, and such. Companies float almost the entire bill, and tailor it to the game. ATV riding for ATV Off Road Fury, Gun Shooting for a Gun Game or, one time, boxing against other jounalists for a Boxing game.

They pay:
airfare to wherever.
hotel room.
provide food.
show the game or whatever.
usually a good dinner/booze (always a plus).

You really only need money for expenses, or drugs. No, I'm not kidding about that last one, but, it's kept on the down low.

That's it, any questions?

[Jeremy]

Fantstic little piece there, Matt, thanks for the info.

[Shin Johnpv]

very interesting read

so what your bassicaly saying is no mag really FINDS OUT stuff

theyre told what to say when they can say and thats that

its not liek theyre going around calling PR people saying he paul what can you tell me about such and such
or theyre not wineing and dineing them with champagne, t-bone steaks, and expensive hookers to find out link is in SC2

it always seemed to me that info was released when the companies wanted it to be and thats that, never seemed to me anyway that people were finding out things they shouldnt


it always seemed to me like it was a pretty small industry in that everyone pretty much knows everyone else in it

[MechDeus]

How much time is given to play such-and-such game, or is it simply someone is handed some and told to have them all done within the next week or two?

[MVS]

Companies control info, that's how it is.

You think anyone is going to sneak into Capcom Japan and see what Mikiami is doing today?

Leaks happen, but are rare.

Originally posted by MechDeus
How much time is given to play such-and-such game, or is it simply someone is handed some and told to have them all done within the next week or two?

Depends, on game length and all.

Something like FF9, guy that wrote it up did it for 3 weeks. That's not common.

Game like SC or Tekken or RRV or PGR or Halo, maybe 2-4 days.

Game like SC5 or Rygar 1-2 days.

It's the EIC (Editor In Chief's) Discretion.

[Shin Johnpv]

Originally posted by mattvanstone


You think anyone is going to sneak into Capcom Japan and see what Mikiami is doing today?

*takes off ninja mask and puts grappling hook away*

ohhhhhh and i was just about to do that...........




and the extras sound nice i rememebr you told me you went to a track on one and drove a Viper you damn bastard

Originally posted by mattvanstone


Something like FF9, guy that wrote it up did it for 3 weeks. That's not common.

Eggo made me laugh alot with that review

i Miss eggo

[Omni]

Originally posted by MechDeus
How much time is given to play such-and-such game, or is it simply someone is handed some and told to have them all done within the next week or two?

Yah, what if a game is really long or something. I noticed in this issue of EGM that Shane reviewed like 3 RPGs in addition to a few other games, well over a month's worth of gaming, IMO.

I guess the fact that it's your job definitely helps alot.

EDIT: I now see that the answer has been posted. Sorry for my slowness in hitting the reply button.

[MVS]

Yeah, Omni, pretty much dependent on how long the game is.

Obviously, you would get more that 1 day to do FFX or something.

I actually got into a talk about this the other day with someone from the mag, the failing it seems, is that both of us would have done PSO for DC in 1-2 days, and given it a score of 80.

Knowing now, that after playing it for months solid, I would have given it a 95 at least, but, that's the double edged DB Saber (hah!) of time based work.

[thray-walsh]

Reviewing RPGs can be tough... it really requires extreme commitment, but since it's one of my favorite genres I often jump in front of the bullet. Recently, I was up till the wee hours chugging through SoA Legends and my Xmas break was more like a Xenosaga break. Hell, I even fell asleep at 2 am while playing Devil May Cry 2! Seriously though, it's all worth it.

[MVS]

Yup.

And, I'm sure you can add your thoughts here too dude, you're still in the game, where I'm 2 years out.