We know that, technically, print magazines and other outlets are our competition, but it still sucks hard when one of them closes. The print horizon is increasingly sparse, and we hate to see another stalwart pulled out of the skyline.
We know that, technically, print magazines and other outlets are our competition, but it still sucks hard when one of them closes. The print horizon is increasingly sparse, and we hate to see another stalwart pulled out of the skyline.
Reader Comments (49)
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:08AM (Unverified) said
Welcome to the age of the internet :(
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:10AM Uraeus said
Have to admit that the only print magazine about gaming I still buy from time to time is Edge. The rest just feels like a collection of the stuff I read about two weeks ago online.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:18AM samfish said
This is a big reason why print is struggling so hard, I think.Magazines are aggregators of old news. They need to switch focus and start breaking stories instead of telling me what I read last month online.
I don't know if that would save them, but it would potentially do a lot of good.
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I don't know if that would save them, but it would potentially do a lot of good.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:45AM Mez Jr said
The days of paper magazines breaking any important stories in their print version is getting more unlikely. The strength of print media currently is that they have premium talent, and premium resources. The primary way for them to take advantage of that is to provide what is not typically provided on the internet, in-depth reporting.
I really enjoy this site for news tidbits, same with autoblog, however i still buy car magazines, because they provide a more in-depth analysis. Printed news should be the same, the internet is great for finding out WHAT happened, but print should give the why and the how in greater detail.
Game magazines, unless they were getting early exclusives did not really seem to provide any relevant information now that we have the 'net.
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I really enjoy this site for news tidbits, same with autoblog, however i still buy car magazines, because they provide a more in-depth analysis. Printed news should be the same, the internet is great for finding out WHAT happened, but print should give the why and the how in greater detail.
Game magazines, unless they were getting early exclusives did not really seem to provide any relevant information now that we have the 'net.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 2:06PM EDay said
Even if the news os "old", does it really matter? What difference does it make in your life to find out about some new game from a site like this or in a magazine in a few weeks, when the game isn't coming out for another year? I subscribe to/buy three game magazines monthly, simply because I like not being tethered to a computer to read about new games.
And I have often seen Joystiq and Kotaku posting stories about new games from print magazines after they've hit the newsstand and subscribers mailboxes. Magazines still get the jump on new stuff. It's just not as often. But to me that is no reason t onot read them anymore. I find it easier to read from a magazine, and nothing is as portable as a magazine.
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And I have often seen Joystiq and Kotaku posting stories about new games from print magazines after they've hit the newsstand and subscribers mailboxes. Magazines still get the jump on new stuff. It's just not as often. But to me that is no reason t onot read them anymore. I find it easier to read from a magazine, and nothing is as portable as a magazine.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:12AM JoshHood said
The thing is, Future also publishes a number of other PS mags, including the Official one. It always seemed odd to me for the same company to publish official and unofficial mags (Future does the same for 360 and Nintendo).
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 1:21PM Captain Angus Beef said
I stopped subscribing to The Official PlayStation Magazine after a year or so since Rob took the helm and Chris Slate moved on to bigger and better things. In my opinion the magazine has gone to hell and some of the things I loved about PSM have disappeared.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:12AM mrmobius said
Now I feel guilty for stopping subscription to NGamer, it'll be the next to go probably. It doesn't seem justified to get the news a month after I can online though, and although they have good reviews for games, I can't deny that metacritic offers a vast ensemble of reviewers to compare and contrast.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:23AM BatHobbit said
It sucks that a legitimate source of video game news has shut down. It sucks that idiots are not reading print anymore because they stupidly believe internet sources are just as good. Internet sources are garbage. Anyone wanting serious news should go to the real media print, radio, and tv. . .
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:30AM StormEagle said
It's funny to me that you type a statement like that, yet, here you are.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:33AM thisredengine Tweet me said
Uh, "idiots" are probably not reading print because magazines cost money to buy (And if you don't opt for a subscription all those mags add up). Gaming news/reviews on the internet is free.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:35AM Macabre 13 said
LOL! You win Joystiq's most ironic comment award...
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:36AM StormEagle said
Also, I want to throw a little knowledge your way. Have you noticed that your "real" sources of information have been relying on the Internet for their information lately? Look at all the news stations, constantly getting feedback and updates from people's Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Also, if anyone needs to read a little more print, it's you buddy. I'm thinking something that teaches better grammar would suit you just fine.
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Also, if anyone needs to read a little more print, it's you buddy. I'm thinking something that teaches better grammar would suit you just fine.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:26AM whylekat said
The real problem is it's impossible for print to keep up. This months gamepro has 3 games on the cover they preview for fall release, meanwhile they all got pushed back to 2010.
The Internet can post it as soon as it breaks, but how can a magazine keep up? Recall the hundreds of thousands of issues and send out new ones half way thru the month??
Impossible. Print, sadly, is doomed. Only a matter of time.
The Internet can post it as soon as it breaks, but how can a magazine keep up? Recall the hundreds of thousands of issues and send out new ones half way thru the month??
Impossible. Print, sadly, is doomed. Only a matter of time.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:59AM Mayor West said
agree 110%. Sadly GameInformer will be the only one left after a while. And that's only because GameStop forces the subscription on people.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:30AM (Unverified) said
Why people continue to read print material in today's world still boggles my mind. And we certainly don't need a dozen or more magazines devoted to PS3, 360, or Nintendo, or gaming in general with the same news, same "official" screenshots, nearly identical articles, arbitrary review scores, and predictable editorials (often "advertorials"). When I see a several rows full of game mags at the grocery store, all promising the same "exclusive" articles about the same games, something's wrong. One or two (for competitions sake) well-written mags would be enough.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:32AM StormEagle said
Agreed. They should come out in longer spans. Maybe bi or tri monthly issues instead. It would certainly allow them a little more of a buffer when keeping up-to date and you wouldn't run into as many out of date articles.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 2:11PM EDay said
Maybe because some people like the portability of a magazine, like being able to get away from a computer screen or other piece of electronics to go outside and read about their hobby in the sun. Maybe they don't care if the news in a magazine is a few weeks old because, in reality, none of it actually matters. Game Z comes out in a year: what difference does it make if you learn about it today or in three weeks?
It boggles my mind that people rely on the World Wide Web for absolutely everything. Thanks, but no thanks. The web is nice and all, but I am not going to be 100% reliant on it for all my information.
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It boggles my mind that people rely on the World Wide Web for absolutely everything. Thanks, but no thanks. The web is nice and all, but I am not going to be 100% reliant on it for all my information.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 5:06PM (Unverified) said
Jimbotron:
Then buy a kindle. Or ffs, print out online sites and read them at your leisure. spending $4, 5, 6 on a magazine for information that is available for free is almost never a good buy.
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Then buy a kindle. Or ffs, print out online sites and read them at your leisure. spending $4, 5, 6 on a magazine for information that is available for free is almost never a good buy.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:32AM (Unverified) said
There was one time when Game Informer had news for me-that Microsoft's RRoD account was empty.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 11:04AM (Unverified) said
I was half asleep-hence the half-thought. I meant to say that print isn't quite dead, but it's getting there.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:32AM Uncle Jesse said
It is sad, but with websites that constantly update, there isn't a whole lot that these magazines can do to compete. They used to come with demo discs but even that is just offered online, too.
I remeber getting my new Nintendo Power magazines every month and being so excited... sniff... good times.
I remeber getting my new Nintendo Power magazines every month and being so excited... sniff... good times.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:36AM ThankMeLater said
Yeah man Tips & Tricks used to back the $hit back in the day. But now we can Google for cheats. Those were good times though.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:37AM thisredengine Tweet me said
Remember the Zelda and Mario World comics? Those who are growing up with the internet won't ever know the joy of receiving Nintendo Power in their mailbox every month back in the day.
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:43AM Uncle Jesse said
I always liked folding out a 3 page spread of the entire game level, showing the position of every enemy, upgrade, health item, etc. And of course, on the other side was a sweet poster!
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:41AM BatHobbit said
Currently I Get
Game Informer
Game Pro
Official Playstation Magazine
Nintendo Power
I also watch XPlay
A few months ago I decided to cancel my home internet service and use the money to subscribe to a number of periodicals (not just those listed above).
It doesn't make sense for me to have internet at home when I can just use it at school (like now). Plus I really have a hard time justifying having something as. . . useless as internet.
Game Informer
Game Pro
Official Playstation Magazine
Nintendo Power
I also watch XPlay
A few months ago I decided to cancel my home internet service and use the money to subscribe to a number of periodicals (not just those listed above).
It doesn't make sense for me to have internet at home when I can just use it at school (like now). Plus I really have a hard time justifying having something as. . . useless as internet.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:48AM ThankMeLater said
I used to have:
Game Informer
Game Pro
Official Playstation Magazine
PSU
Tips & Tricks
Until I got the internet
Reply
Game Informer
Game Pro
Official Playstation Magazine
PSU
Tips & Tricks
Until I got the internet
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 2:22PM Mayor West said
Yeah, but can you watch 2 Girls 1 cup on the internet at your school?
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Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:43AM Macabre 13 said
It's simply technological evolution.
I'm sure people cried when the telegraph got phased out too...
In time, websites will probably become obsolete as well, and we'll just receive information streaming directly into our brains!
... and somewhere along the line, kittens will cry...
I'm sure people cried when the telegraph got phased out too...
In time, websites will probably become obsolete as well, and we'll just receive information streaming directly into our brains!
... and somewhere along the line, kittens will cry...
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:53AM Accessgranted said
I'm glad I'm not the only one who loved reading gaming magazines. I loved Game Pro back when they still had those cartoon representatives of themselves and in Tips & Tricks those fill in the square pictures in the back that turned into something awesome I would stick on the fridge. I also used to get Playstation magazine (back in the ps1 days) and play the demo first then get back to the magazine like a week or two later. Ahhh nostalga... good times indeed! But nowadays GI tells me what I already know mostly... but I still enjoy their interviews and articles like how to make an rpg where they mash up ff7, mass effect, kotor, lost odyssey and more.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 10:59AM minerwilly said
I still miss Sinclair User & Your Sinclair .
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 11:11AM HardBoiled2009 said
i use to get official playstation magazine back then when the PS1 was out and in them were a demo disc and was in for a good read, but now those times are over. they need to have a magazine to give out demos again especially demos of games weather it's Disc related OR just plain PSN Games of demos that don't exist or will never exist in the PS Store like .... Penny Arcade Adventures ( which i always wanted too try but don't wanna buy something then end up not liking it at all )
jeeze come to think about it now. i think Sony needs to put those discs of demos you use to fin when you bought the PS1 system like back in the day.... ahhh fond memories .. i have the 4th one here and and mine came with the 7th one and i played the 8th one as well. their's probably reason they don't do it but i think it's great if they do to show abit more of the stuff that's for the PS3.
anyways feel bad for those who are in the UK and buy this magazine each month
jeeze come to think about it now. i think Sony needs to put those discs of demos you use to fin when you bought the PS1 system like back in the day.... ahhh fond memories .. i have the 4th one here and and mine came with the 7th one and i played the 8th one as well. their's probably reason they don't do it but i think it's great if they do to show abit more of the stuff that's for the PS3.
anyways feel bad for those who are in the UK and buy this magazine each month
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 11:14AM ai3rocks57 said
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 11:15AM jhowlett said
one thing i like about print is they can take me back in time easier. the ads especially.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 1:18PM Edward351 said
Print magazines can be successful, they just need to change the focus of their coverage. They need to make their editorial and analysis content more valuable than the review content. Give me something I can't get somewhere else and I'll buy it. You can do a gaming magazine with very little review content, I know it's digital but look at The Escapist.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 2:39PM BatHobbit said
I find everything I used to use the internet for I can do just as easily without it. I am informed by TV, Radio and Print, I shop at. . . actual stores (not that I ever shopped online very much). Honestly the one thing I cant do without the internet is argue with pro internet fanboys and make fun of them for being addicted to internet.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 7:11PM (Unverified) said
Dr. Egon Spengler, Ghostbuster, c.1984 "Print is dead..." Smart fellow.
Posted: Aug 13th 2009 7:46PM MrCassian said
I have nothing to say about the article, but I definitely hope they continue to model Lara Croft as they have been in the past few games. She's looking better than ever.
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