Video game magazines vs. the internet

[Yoshi]

I consider them reference material.

You're such a nerd.

[Melf]

...and proud of it.

[Frogacuda]

I buy Retrogamer and Play every month. Everything else I stopped giving a damn about a long time ago. I enjoy Retrogamer because alot of the stuff they cover I had no idea existed back; Play because they cover alot of lesser known games that are damn good in depth, Halverson nutfest aside.

In defense of Play and Halverson: I don't think the merit of a magazine rests in how reliable it is as a guide for making purchasing decisions. It just has to be entertaining or interesting to read. Play is.

[gamevet]

IBTN. I did my Tom Kalinske and Ken Balthaser interviews by phone and transcribed them, simple as that. The Internet can do almost everything a magazine can do.

That being said, I use the term almost because, in retro gaming at least, magazines are more useful over the long term. If you look for articles and interviews published on websites from the '90s, a lot of them have been taken down or the website hosting them has gone under. If no one archived them, they're gone for good. A magazine is much longer lasting and can be scanned as often as needed.

That's why I trash my GI and EGM after reading them but archive my Retro Gamer, Sega Visions, Mega Play, and GF. I consider them reference material.

That's one reason why I still have all my issues of Gamefan, NG, ODCM, EGM and GI.

Dave's Sega Saturn page http://www.sega-saturn.com/ was a cool site, but now it's just a tombstone. There were several DC sites that finally pulled the plug around 2005. Most of the older consoles aren't covered that well, unless you go to site like yours or KLOV.

I still keep my more current issues of EGM and GI, because there will be a day when GC, Xbox and PS2 information will dry up like the Saturn.

[JefmcC]

I still have a complete collection of Next Generation. It's pretty much in mint/new condition.

That article with Bernie Stolar in the Superman suit is still a classic.

Most of my other magazines have found new/better homes.

[MarkRyan]

I subscribe to a number of car magazines, mostly because they were dirt-cheap subscriptions (something like $15 for three years). Though even if Car and Driver was a full-priced subscription, I'd keep that around. The quality of the writing in C/D is pretty damn awesome, and they've always got interesting articles that you don't find on typical news coverage sites. C/D's ability to maintain exemplary writing standards and knowledge, and still infuse loads of personality into its pieces makes it my favorite enthusiast magazine ever.

Likewise, I'd subscribe to EDGE if it were available in the US for a decent price (overseas subscription is something like $100+ a year). The writing's pretty good, though the opinions are a little weak and the zine is light on personality.

If Next-Generation were still around, I'd subscribe to that. Next-Gen.biz is cool, but the presentation and content of the old magazine made a much better read.

[FX]

I still have my complete collection of Gamer's Republic. Man, what a good magazine. I liked the format and pictures.

[Mikey]

Likewise, I'd subscribe to EDGE if it were available in the US for a decent price (overseas subscription is something like $100+ a year).

They have a US subscription service now. I think it's about 75$ a year.

[Brisco Bold]

You're such a nerd.

Hey I keep them as research material too.

Okay, so that's not saying much, but still.

[Ozzie]

I like something to read when I take a shit.

I bring my laptop to the shitter all the time.

IBTN. I do it all the time.

I've been getting EGM for free for a couple of years now thanks to bandit's thread. The last mag I think I subscribed to was the Official Dreamcast Magazine (which I thought was awesome).