Gaming Magazines (Printed)

[Angelspit]

Do you still read gaming magazines (PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, etc.)? Are they still relevant in the 2000s?

[vdupuy]

I know I don't. I used to be subscribed to CGW way back when, but today you can find all of that and then some online. IMO anyways.

Vincent

[Corribus]

Never did and definitely never will, considering that previews, reviews and just about everything in between are found for free on-line. One wonders if eventually print magazines will ever stop completely, except for doctors' offices.

[theLuckyDragon]

I occasionally buy Level Magazine, the best Romanian gaming magazine, depending on what free game it gives in the respective month. For example, last year I got Syberia and The Longest Journey this way. If the game isn't interesting, I don't buy the magazine, because I can find reviews and previews on the Internet.

edit: I guess Corribus is right in wondering how much longer this kind of magazines will last. Good thing that Level has a strong online community.

[ThunderTitan]

I used to. But i kinda quit a few month ago, it became rather pointless after i got rid of dial-up.

But it was a mag that offers full old games, and if see one that i think worth it i'll buy it. I just won't collect it anymore.

@Corribus:
There are enough differences to make them competitive.

[Gaidal Cain]

I occasionally buy Swedish PC gamer, if it's about several games I'm interested in and I need to spend the time. One could however use the exact same arguments against basically any kind of printed work- magazine, newspaper or book. It's just much easier and comfortable to read several articles you're really interested in and a few you're only mildly interested in in a magazine than only the former on a computer screen.

[DaemianLucifer]

I read them when I manage,but I never buy them.Too expensive,and I dont really care about oppinions of others.And why should I when theres always a crazy friend that buys every single one

[asandir]

i only have a quick look when i am in a newsagents and i see something on the cover i like, but don't think i've ever bought one at all

[Caradoc]

I started getting Computer Gaming World back when it was called the Strategic Review. It was really the only way to find out about RPGs, since this was before the Internet. It also covered war games and miniatures. It was not so expensive (this month they announced a +reduction+ on the single issue price to $5.95. .ouch), so I kept renewing until at some point they decided to upgrade me to a life subscription.

It has a couple of good features. They have some industry coverage and previews, and there's a pretty good hardware section. The reviews used to be good, but now not so much. The best part is a regular feature called Tom Vs Bruce where two guys play a game and make funny comments as they go along.

But you can save your $$$. If anything interesting comes along I'll tell Angelspit and he'll post it here.

[Kalah]

I read them if I come across one while I'm waiting in my doctor's waiting room, or to get my hair cut. Never bought one...

[jeff]

Well I bought a 2-year subscription to CGW last summer from a kid selling for a local charity. I had let my previous subscription lapse a couple of years before as there were no games being released that saw myself buying. Not much has changed; Heroes V is the first game I have bought since Wizardry 8, MM9 and Winds of War. It does have good info on computer components from the gamer’s viewpoint, but not a lot else for me as 99% of the games they talk about are of no interest to me.

[asandir]

I am also quite picky in my gaming choices jeff, time is my enemy and hence i generally only buy anything HoMM, or any of the few other fanchises i know and like (or if something looks really awesome, GoW style - no not grumpy old wizard either!!!)

[jeff]

I am also quite picky in my gaming choices jeff, time is my enemy

Me to, I'm older than I care to admit and may have only a few more gaming years left, mainly because a lack of games I'll play which is causing a rapidly dimishing interest in gaming. I still hold out hope for a MMX before I hang it up.

[asandir]

im not older than i care to admit, but 30 does have it's responsibilities and these eat up way too much time!!

[St0rmB0lt]

I subscribe to Computer Games Magazine (>CGW imo), Electronic Gaming Monthly, and Game Informer, i recently unsubscribed to Official Xbox Magazine cause i don't have a 360. I have these mags, cause you can't bring a computer in the bathroom (well a laptop i guess...).

[theLuckyDragon]

I have these mags, cause you can't bring a computer in the bathroom (well a laptop i guess...).

And that's why gaming magazines will survive!

[Derek]

Do you still read gaming magazines (PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, etc.)? Are they still relevant in the 2000s?

I really don't think that they are relevant nowadays.

The truth is, most of those magazines that you mentioned really do not go into much depth regarding the games that they are discussing. If I want simple opinions about a game then I'll just go to GameFaqs and read comments there. I find most gaming mags to be no better than that, and this is why I avoid them like the plague. Short articles, lackluster analysis and poor writing skills all contribute to these mags being trash, more suited for other uses in the bathroom rather than reading. I've only found a handful of sites that deal with videogames/interactive entertainment in an intelligent manner, and they are a far better source for information than these magazines that you mentioned.

[Caradoc]

The problem that the game magazines face is publication lag. They have to have their finished copy to the printer 60-90 days before the issue hits the stands and in that time a lot can change. Readers would like to see reviews at the time a game comes out, but at the time the magazine is written, the game isn't finished.

They also seem to think that they can only write about a game one time -- or maybe twice if they do a 'preview' article. I suppose this is because they do not want to confuse readers. But what they miss is the indepth coverage that readers want. At least I would -- if there was a magazine that had a monthly column on Heroes or CIV, I would probably buy it.

Which brings me to the other point. Magazines exist to sell ads. And this means they have to feature the games that advertise there, and to present them in a way that the publisher will want to buy more ads in the future.

Of course, on the internets there are plenty of free magazines that do not suffer from the publication lag that the printed mags face. However, these do not have the budget to pay writers, artists, editors, etc. so they are limited in what they can offer. One of the most impressive things about CH is how much good content it delivers with virtually no budget.

Magazines pay a big price to travel through the newstand channel. Someday someone may figure out how to make money on the internet, but if you go by the experience of Slate and Salon, that time may still be a long way off.

[Orfinn]

I did buy gaming magazines before but realized it was a waste of money.

[Gaidal Cain]

The problem that the game magazines face is publication lag. They have to have their finished copy to the printer 60-90 days before the issue hits the stands and in that time a lot can change. Readers would like to see reviews at the time a game comes out, but at the time the magazine is written, the game isn't finished.

They must be having really crappy printing services then. 60 days is just insane. It doesn't even take more than a month between a game goes gold and it hits the shelf, and that's including time for writing the manual.