The new Electronic Gaming Monthly has brought back Dan "Shoe" Hsu and Demian Linn to the publication in some capacity. Hsu, the former editor-in-chief of EGM, who left his role of editorial director at 1UP before the great UGO cataclysm and started Bitmob earlier this year, will assist in generating content for the revamped publication. Linn, another co-founder of Bitmob and the former reviews editor at EGM and executive producer at GameVideos, will assist in "overseeing the reporting and writing of news and other content for EGM's network of properties."
Hsu and Linn will not leave their roles at Bitmob for EGM and, as far as we can tell, neither will have a designated editorial role at the new publication. It appears that for the time, Bitmob will merely assist in producing content for EGM. Check out our interview with EGM publisher Steve Harris for more on the EGM rehabilitation plans
Source -- Dan Hsu and Demian Linn join EGM [EGM]
Source -- Full Circle: Bitmob joins EGM [Bitmob]
Reader Comments (33)
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:17AM datniceguy said
Oh the memories. =D I remember buying EGMs just to read guides on games I didn't even own.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 11:57AM Nate Addison said
In regards to EGM my memories of joy come from Sean Baby.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 12:00PM cbarrentos said
Seanbaby is the most awesome person in gaming journalism EVER.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 1:17PM (Unverified) said
Same here. I still have some old EGMs with a Mortal Kombat II combo and fatality guide and an issue with a Sonic & Knuckles guide in it.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:20AM Erron Kelly said
Writing for EGM and covering E3 were my two goals when I decided I wanted to be a games journalist. E3 died and so did EGM and I thought to myself "Well, shit."
But then E3 came back, and now EGM is on the rise again. My goals are back in play, and that makes me a happy camper.
Reply
But then E3 came back, and now EGM is on the rise again. My goals are back in play, and that makes me a happy camper.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:21AM Gate Stormer said
I miss the old school EGM. SO MANY memories of that magazine as a kid. In the late 80's-early to mid 90's I bought almost every issue of it. Of course back then w/ out the internet, it was the go to magazine for gaming news. I would drool over all of the awesome 16 bit (& 128 bit) goodness that was contained w/ in it's pages, wishing that somehow...someday I would have the money to buy a 3DO, Turbo Grafx-16, & Neo Geo.
From what I recall, they had some pretty awesome covers too. If I'm not mistaken, there was a pretty awesome Chun-Li cover.
Reply
From what I recall, they had some pretty awesome covers too. If I'm not mistaken, there was a pretty awesome Chun-Li cover.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:30AM MGarvey said
Oh man! I remember this magazine very fondly. I'm happy that it's coming back from the grave to reclaim it's rightful place on the throne. Don't worry EGM...GamePro and Game Informer were only keeping your seat warm. They knew that you would return from your hiatus!
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:32AM KaneRobot said
Hsu coming back normally wouldn't fill me with a lot of hope since the magazine turned into an annoying, we're-wittier-than-you snarkfest under him, but as long as Harris is in charge I'll maintain some hope. At least the magazine was respectable under him.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:32AM CaptainProtonX said
I miss glossy, shiny paper imprinted with the future fantasies of games to come.
ho-hum...
No offense, Joystiq. You are spiffy too.
Reply
ho-hum...
No offense, Joystiq. You are spiffy too.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:37AM likedamaster said
No offense to anyone, and as a fan of the early EGM to me it became the worst magazine ever and so it died and should, in my opinion, stay dead.
No thanks, Game Informer and OXM is my choice of magazine these days.
Reply
No thanks, Game Informer and OXM is my choice of magazine these days.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:57AM CaptainProtonX said
Game Informer?
SERIOUSLY? I haven't touched that shit since my last membership to the Funcoland Club.
Reply
SERIOUSLY? I haven't touched that shit since my last membership to the Funcoland Club.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 10:10AM Granger said
Game Informer and EGM were practically the same magazine during the last four years of EGM's life. The only reason to pick one over the other is which one you weren't already getting for free. They were both pretty decent.
OXM has always been putrid trash. Arguably the worst layout in game magazine history. They cycled staff like crazy, it was hard to keep up with the style of the magazine with all of their inconsistent editorials and opinions. I miss XBN, that was a classy console specific magazine.
Reply
OXM has always been putrid trash. Arguably the worst layout in game magazine history. They cycled staff like crazy, it was hard to keep up with the style of the magazine with all of their inconsistent editorials and opinions. I miss XBN, that was a classy console specific magazine.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 11:14AM (Unverified) said
I used to get OXM for the demo discs, and now I just keep it out of habit I guess. What's on the demo disc is usually a month or two old. The editorials are always massively retarded and it falls into the usual journalistic trap of "all previews must be positive even if it's obvious trash". I find the reviews are generally accurate, though, and I am still using the L4D premium theme that came on one of the discs.
Game Informer usually has cool exclusive previews but that's about it. Makes good toilet reading material and it's cheap so hey whatever.
I really miss GMR, though. IIRC it was basically EB's version of Game Informer, but not stupid.
I didn't read EGM for a long time before they finally sputtered out, because most of the editors I liked (Shoe, Crispin, etc) had left. Last I saw they were using the same stupid letter-grade review system 1up used and there were no longer multiple reviewers per game. I always thought that was the best feature of EGM, really. Multiple perspectives on the same game can be intensely helpful. If you see 9, 9, 6, 8.5, you can read the 6 and see what they thought was bad about it. If that particular issue would irritate you as well, you would know to pass on it.
I know this is long and nobody's going to read it, but seriously, what's up with the "always positive previews" thing? Joystiq is just as guilty of it as every other press outlet. Why hype games that are obviously going to be bad? It certainly doesn't help their reputation from a gamer's standpoint. My only guess is that if they don't act enthusiastic about it, they'll be blocked from seeing future games or other games from that publisher. Honestly, I'd like to read a preview where instead of "there were slight framerate issues but they have plenty of time to work that out before release!" they write "The game was a slideshow at times and there's no way they can tune the game enough to make it good before release. Give this stinker a wide berth."
There were positive previews for Vampire Rain. Seriously.
Reply
Game Informer usually has cool exclusive previews but that's about it. Makes good toilet reading material and it's cheap so hey whatever.
I really miss GMR, though. IIRC it was basically EB's version of Game Informer, but not stupid.
I didn't read EGM for a long time before they finally sputtered out, because most of the editors I liked (Shoe, Crispin, etc) had left. Last I saw they were using the same stupid letter-grade review system 1up used and there were no longer multiple reviewers per game. I always thought that was the best feature of EGM, really. Multiple perspectives on the same game can be intensely helpful. If you see 9, 9, 6, 8.5, you can read the 6 and see what they thought was bad about it. If that particular issue would irritate you as well, you would know to pass on it.
I know this is long and nobody's going to read it, but seriously, what's up with the "always positive previews" thing? Joystiq is just as guilty of it as every other press outlet. Why hype games that are obviously going to be bad? It certainly doesn't help their reputation from a gamer's standpoint. My only guess is that if they don't act enthusiastic about it, they'll be blocked from seeing future games or other games from that publisher. Honestly, I'd like to read a preview where instead of "there were slight framerate issues but they have plenty of time to work that out before release!" they write "The game was a slideshow at times and there's no way they can tune the game enough to make it good before release. Give this stinker a wide berth."
There were positive previews for Vampire Rain. Seriously.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 9:43AM Mr Khan said
Not entirely sure what to think about it. From what little i read of it in it's later years, it seemed to have lost its way rather badly (and i more actively read it around 2000-2002, so it didn't take them long for the quality to drop like that), getting the old staff back on board could be as much a program for failure as for success.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 3:33PM Brother Unit No 4 said
EGM definitely degraded over time, but back when I first read it, it was the most amazing thing ever. To be honest, I prefer reading VG mags over websites like IGN or Gamespot. I still love Joystiq though.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 10:13AM (Unverified) said
I was an early adoptee of EGM at issue 3. Subscribed many times over the years, but gave up on it over a decade ago or more. I found the reviews lacking in detail and the attitude was overwhelmingly apparent. No matter how fancy the design was or how glossy the stock was, the mag became too slick. I agree with others on here, as the mag died for a reason; it didn't cease publishing because it was doing great.
There's a reason why GI is still around - yes they're part of the Gamestop empire, and obviously having that kind of clout behind them allows them to break stories that even the internet hasn't featured in most cases. In the age of the internet, you've got to bring it that much harder in a print magazine and GI does so, without (as far as I can tell) taking pressure from the game companies over bad reviews. I mean, who's going to pull their product out of Gamestop over a bad review? Answer: No publisher in their right mind.
Reply
There's a reason why GI is still around - yes they're part of the Gamestop empire, and obviously having that kind of clout behind them allows them to break stories that even the internet hasn't featured in most cases. In the age of the internet, you've got to bring it that much harder in a print magazine and GI does so, without (as far as I can tell) taking pressure from the game companies over bad reviews. I mean, who's going to pull their product out of Gamestop over a bad review? Answer: No publisher in their right mind.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 10:23AM (Unverified) said
I bought two copies of their final print issue. One to read, and one to sit on a shelf in the bag.
But I still prefer Game Informer.
Reply
But I still prefer Game Informer.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 10:48AM (Unverified) said
Hmmm, I had a subscription when they ceased. I think that year had just started. Wonder if it will automatically pick back up again? Or am I still as screwed as I was then when they didn't buy out the rest of my subscription......
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 11:51AM Jawmuncher said
What about seanbaby?
If he's not back i'm skipping this revival.
Reply
If he's not back i'm skipping this revival.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 12:36PM JoshMilewski said
With EGM not around anymore, nostalgia is starting to kick in and I'm really starting to miss the magazine.
I just really want to hear some concrete details on their plans for its revival.
Reply
I just really want to hear some concrete details on their plans for its revival.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 1:19PM dcfortythree said
does anyone know if john davidson or garnett lee has appeared on any podcasts since leaving WTP and 1up? thanks!
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 1:27PM Funkmaster General said
I apologize for this in advance.
While I think this is great news, while scanning the headline I read "Husker Du join EGM Now."
Now THAT would be some juicy news.
Reply
While I think this is great news, while scanning the headline I read "Husker Du join EGM Now."
Now THAT would be some juicy news.
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 3:19PM MNeko said
EGM improved a LOT after Steve Harris sold it. Ziff-Davis brought credibility to the magazine, replacing the poor writing and insincere enthusiasm with detailed reviews and insightful articles about the latest industry developments. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to Steve's return.
Reply
Posted: Dec 2nd 2009 4:21PM (Unverified) said
You got to be crazy! When steve was in charge we had huge phone book sized issues covering all the news, previews, reviews,tips, tricks and more! All the articles were color coded so you could find the previews or reviews for the console you owned.
When Ziff Davis took over then magazine shrank to a itty bitty thin magazine and no longer kept everything organized with color coded! Worse yet even with the smaller size they had more ads!
Sendai Publishing Group FTW!
Reply
When Ziff Davis took over then magazine shrank to a itty bitty thin magazine and no longer kept everything organized with color coded! Worse yet even with the smaller size they had more ads!
Sendai Publishing Group FTW!
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.
Featured Stories
The most popular posts
in the last 7 days
- Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 217 comments
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 150 comments
- David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
- Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 94 comments
- Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 91 comments











