The Gamer's Quarter

kirkjerk · . Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227

I dunno if it matters much to folks here, but I was noticing that it seems like Game Informer is a much meatier magazine these days than EGM. I was going to give the latter a pass (even though I have my doubts about its 1UP-ish revamp) being the post holiday lull, but Game Informer had a lot more to it I noticed.

I dunno, maybe it's just those big logrolling articles about upcoming games (I am a big Star Wars fanboy afterall). And EGM does have funnier stuff at the end, though SeanBaby has never been as good as his old website NES days.

It kind of bugs me, because my perception is that Game Informer is a bit more of that Sony fan "hardcore" vibe, and I've been on the Nintendo bandwagon since the N64, or maybe the NES.

Semi-related note: the combination of a review of Crackdown, a preview of Mercenaries 2, and my recent love of Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, and then the GTA games and Mercenaries, might be finally pushing me to get an Xbox 360.
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dessgeega · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:07 pm Post subject:

i don't read any magazine but the gamer's quarter.
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Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

Isn't Game Informer owned by EBGames or something?

I don't really read game magazines much anymore but I'll pick up one every now and then if there's a special that looks interesting or they're covering a game I want to know more about. I do like that Game Informer has nice big screen caps though.
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kirkjerk · . Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227

simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

Game Informer absolutely skews Sony, and they're absolutely trying to sell you something. They also have zero tolerance for anything off the beaten path (Chibi Robo, 5.0; Steambot Chronicles, 5.5, etc.). I mostly skim it for the previews section since they tend to break upcoming games more than anyone else.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Man I remember when they couldn't give that magazine away fast enough...

..oh wait.
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Mister Toups · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:39 am Post subject:

Winged Assassins (1984) · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:24 am Post subject:

Australian PC Powerplay is the only print magazine I read. I've found it the best PC gaming mag out of all the the other ones I used to read.
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Especially as of two or so years ago!
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Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

I only ever buy Edge magazine. Though the recent issue's article on Metal Gear Solid 4 was underwhelming. Five pages of how peacenik a game is going to be? Don't care for that crap.

Still, the Bioshock article a few months back was as informative as I'd expected it should be, and then some.
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Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

dessgeega · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:51 am Post subject:

i'm supposed to have a subscription to game developer, courtesy of simon carless.

but i havn't gotten a single issue ;_;
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klikbeep · . Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 35

I dunno, guys. Really?

I mean, if you're looking for the hottest news direct from the source, nobody beats Nintendo Power. In every issue you'll find tips, tricks, interviews, and info you just won't see anywhere else! Preview junkies will flip over Nintendo Power's in-depth coverage of upcoming releases, and the monthly Nintendo Bootcamp (for hardcore only) will give you the edge you need to waste the competition.

But don't take my word for it -- if you subscribe to Nintendo Power now, you'll not only get huge savings of the newsstand price (and the envy of all your friends!), you'll get your choice of one of their Official Strategy guides. Every one is jam-packed with over 46 full-color pages of strategies, codes, and special techniques -- not to mention drool-inspiring game artwork, straight from the screen to the page.

So what are you waiting for? Get back in the game -- with Nintendo Power.

kirkjerk · . Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227

That sounds pretty awesome.
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Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

That sounds pretty blatant.
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kirkjerk · . Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227

I loved the stitched together maps Nintendo Power made back in the day.
(Heck, I made one for Dess' INVADER)

Of course, the semi-related black covered Nintendo Player's Guide's maps of Metroid likely
A. made me get an NES to supplement my largely superior C=64
B. turned me into the FAQ and guide-referencing wuss I am today
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klikbeep · . Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 35

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

If you care at all for Nintendo products, that is.
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klikbeep · . Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 35

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

Well, sure. My original comment was just to point out that you sounded like a billboard. I'm not saying Nintendo Power is bad, but it's a magazine that deals with a very specific range of products.
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klikbeep · . Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 35

dhex · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:54 am Post subject:

aren't magazine sources for entertainment inherently inferior to electronic sources; blogs and the like can aggregate out all the useful info and filter/mock the less useful gloss (the ziff davis effect, etc)?

the only exception i can think of is "the wire" but that's not a game mag.
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Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

Have you read an issue of Edge before, dhex?
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dhex · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:16 am Post subject:

i flipped through one at a barnes and noble, but it was something like 12 bucks.

i don't even subscribe to the wire (i buy it when someone is on the cover that i really like, since it's got a lot of ads and a lot of stories about music - like fransisco lopez style ultra minimalism, the evolution of two-step or british/white rappers in general - that i can't even begin to give a shit about.

free is a big hook, since i already subscribe to three magazines in my household (we get two more through a lame ass mediabistro deal).
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ryan · . Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Posts: 999

I get Hardcore Gaming Magazine free from hosting the online version, but I'm not really a fan. The writing is just ... not good. I do like their coverage of download titles (Arcade, VC, random PC stuff) and older material. The We Love Everything vibe is irksome, but not nearly the level of Play.

I actually like Computer Games Magazine and may be subscribing to it soon. A lot of the writers frequent Qt3, but I never gave the magazine a chance until I read my quasi roommate's copy. Pretty good stuff.

I have my old Next-Generations and PC Gamers in a box though, protected from their subsequent slides downhill or to nothingness.
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dessgeega · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:08 am Post subject:

ApM · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:23 am Post subject:

dessgeega · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:25 am Post subject:

i think some of my games have been included with pc powerplay australia.

so, pc powerplay australia.
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seryogin · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:39 am Post subject:

I like to read Edge. I just find it better than anything out there at the moment. It's got a real pretentious, NY Times Book Review tone to it. Which, well, if anything, is at least different.
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simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

antitype · . Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 292

Edge is about the closest thing to The Wire in the realm of videogame magazines. Buying them both every month would obviously be a bit a bit expensive (the Barnes & Noble here sells them for $8 and $10, respectively), but I like to pick them up when I can — usually when they've got a cover story, some articles, and/or a retro feature that I find interesting. I wish there were mainstream magazines of this quality in the US. The only really good one is the great catch-all: Wired. The only magazine I've got a subscription to (Game Informer doesn't count).

I also enjoy the PC Gamer UK magazine's robust polish (it really puts PC Gamer USA to shame (and I used to love PC Gamer so much, back when they were still including 3.5" disks for demos (there was something special about that, sort of like receiving a 7" vinyl single with a music magazine))), but it's $16 on US stands! I've bought it twice — once for the DVD full of demos and indie games, and once (more recently) for all the 2007 previews. The second DVD didn't work with my computer, so I don't know if I'll buy it again.
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Mike · . Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 7 Location: UK

I used to read Edge until I got completely fed up with it's condesending tone. I think comparsions with The Wire are entirely apt. I've been meaning to check out Games TM for a while now, although it seems to be quite short on editorial, with focus on big, eye grabbing pictures.

The best mainstream videogames magazine in the UK is Retro Gamer, no question about it, but i'm sure I don't need to alert anyone to this fact.

Best Videogame Magazine Award of All Time Ever however goes to the sadly deceased Gamefan. Yup, it was quite geeky and writtain in an often annoyingly informal manner, but the enthuseasm of the writers as well as the sheer scope of scenes covered was incredable. Sigh.
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Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

I used to subscribe to Edge until I got fed up with their inability to not completely fuck up delivery.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

dhex · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:04 pm Post subject:

Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

If "up to the minute" is relevant in terms of videogame "news", yeah.

It's not like people who go to a lot of movies subscribe to Variety (or maybe they do, I'd be surprised though).

And Game Developer is great, the only issue is managing to actually get a subscription. I lucked out in the sense that I'm "in the industry" so I can abuse that angle.

Lockeownzj00 · . Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 214

I subscribe to PC Gamer (USA). It doesn't disappoint, really. I've heard great things about UK, but PCG has satisfied me for years. It's not mind-blowing, but they're clearly knowledgable and I tend to miss a lot of PC news, so.

And the demo disks ain't half-bad.

antitype · . Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 292

The new one does have that awesome Hellgate: London intro cinema on it.
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Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

Oh yeah, PC Gamer UK is very much quality as well, though I haven't bought an issue in years.
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Lestrade · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:01 pm Post subject:

I would love to read Edge as it is the closest to my beloved Next Gen magazine as I'll ever get now. Unfortunately, the combination of delayed European game releases + delayed delivery to magazine stands here means that most of the content is just not relevant or interesting anymore by the time I see it.

I'd like to get it just for the covers. I'm glad at least one line of the Next Gen/Edge power team was able to keep the dream alive.

wourme · . Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 362 Location: Maridia

I've always wanted to read Edge magazine, but it's way too expensive to subscribe in the US. Is there any way to get it for less than $100? (Actually, it looks like it's closer to $150 now.) Game Developer and Retro Gamer seem like they could be decent, but I'd want to see an issue of the former before subscribing for $50 and the latter costs even more than Edge. I wish I could find any one of these at a local store to at least see what they're like, but no one has them where I live--not even the biggest bookstores or stores that sell nothing but magazines.

I thought GMR was pretty good. When it died, I tried Play for a while because it was the only affordable one that seemed to have any promise, but I gave up on it after a year.

I'm not sure any game magazine would appeal to me at the moment because there are simply no games at all that I'm looking forward to, other than maybe a new Silent Hill or something. Maybe there are some interesting ones in the works that I just haven't heard about (seeing how I don't really have a source of video game news other than these forums) but really, the new generation of consoles just seems to offer nothing so far.

I still have my old Nintendo Power magazines. I loved the maps that were actually drawn, not composed of screenshots. I was disappointed when they began using screenhsots with the characters in them--that just looks sloppy. I got Nintendo Power for several years before I owned a Nintendo system.

helicopterp · . Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia

I just started subscribing to Edge as of December. So far, I haven't had a problem with delivery. I think a good way of assessing Edge's quality would be to look at the review of Okami in Edge and compare it to the Okami review in Play. The difference is staggering. The former is arrestingly interesting (even after I had played all of the game that I plan to play, ever) and the latter is just pointless and impotently written.

I suppose I bring up that comparison because the comparison of those two reviews is what turned me on to Edge and made me dislike Play.

Edge's "Time Extend" feature has been great so far. This month is Super Mario Sunshine (a pretty good article that raised some points about the game I hadn't considered) and last month's Jet Set Radio retrospective was one of the better written pieces about a videogame I have ever read.

As far as news, though: yeah it's not very recent by the time it comes out.
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Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Before this thread, I had never heard of EDGE before. I still don't know what it is. I thought EDGE was the precipice of a cliff.
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dessgeega · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:22 am Post subject:

antitype · . Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 292

Lestrade · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:30 am Post subject:

Perhaps, but if a good portion of the magazine consists of things I already know, then reading said magazine just isn't an option for me. Also: yeah, it's $15.95 + tax here, which isn't casual reading pricing. I could buy an art-wank periodical for only $5 more!

kirkjerk · . Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227

SuperWes · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:57 am Post subject:

ApM · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:49 am Post subject:

I actually really like my copy of FILE Volume 1*. It's interesting to get into the head of the game industry circa fifteen years ago. Summary: It seems like developers were still pretty obsessed with the technology arms race, but were trying to push the limits of a lot of technology that wasn't graphics or physics. Like, there's an interview with Revolution, where they say their tech for Beneath A Steel Sky is way better than what LucasArts has, while at the same time recognizing that the impact the Virtual Theatre system has on the quality of the game is not huge. I find stuff like that really fascinating.

* In fact, I liked it so much that when my cat knocked my copy into the toilet, I bought it again ;_;