• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Does anyone buy gaming magazines anymore?

80% of the things I read in gaming magazines were already out on the internet. The other 20% exists of interviews, previews and exclusive reviews which I can read a day or two after the magazine hits the streets.

Why waste 7 bucks?
 
Moofers said:
I get Game Informer because of my gamestop reward card. I actually asked them if I could have them not send it to me, but in the end it was easier to just accept it.
Click to expand...

I thought there was a digital version option?

Anyway, Game Informer for 'quality reading time.'
 
Used to get Retro Gamer but that kinda turned to shit after long enough. I get PC Gamer sometimes (which I really like), but mostly I've packed magazines in, sadly. Oh, GamesTM is a good read now. Used to suck pretty badly but they've really stepped up their game in the last few years.
 
Blunt said:
I used to buy Retro Gamer, from the first issue too, but dropped it after they did a special about the Metal Slug games a few years back and the author of the article had a huge rant about how he personally disliked MS3 and people who were fans of it were stupid. Completely unprofessional and I was done with the magazine if they wanted to print opinionated trash and not "just the facts ma'am".
Click to expand...

Dissing Metal Slug 3? Yeah I'd fire him for that.
 
Well, I still buy Edge, but now from Zino instead of physical.

Internet is there but...
Comments written in 30 seconds < Editorials in magazines

It's not exactly "fresh" off the press anymore, but I read them like how I used to read fiction for fun. Its the same way how I started reading EGM even though I did'nt had a single gaming device back then.
 
I just have a GameInformer subscription, thats it. I did have Nintendo Power, but since I don't own a 3DS and won't have a Wii U for a long while, didn't see the point to keep getting it.
 
I subscribe to GamesTM - I've been buying it since issue 30something and it's great value for the amount of content - 180 pages an issue, the features are in-depth and mostly interesting, and the retro section is well done.

I buy the odd issue or two of Retro Gamer if the games covered interest me, and back before the Wii launched I used to buy Revolution magazine. It was great at the start - lots of content, nice price, and each issue came with two free mini magazines - one for DS coverage, and one for retro. Eventually though they scrapped the mini mags, then relaunched the magazine to appeal to kids, then finally cancelled it altogether. Sad considering how good it used to be at the start.

I subscribe to PC Gamer too, it's a good read now that they've increased the page count and finally, FINALLY got rid of the useless demo disc and focussed on providing DLC or free games via codes instead.

Since I got an iPad a few weeks ago I've been looking around for games magazines formatted for iPad too. Besides the iPad versions of Future/Imagine titles (which are just glorified PDFs as far as I know), there's a few designed specifically for the iPad:

PXL - Monthly, first issue free, then $1/69p an issue or $10/£6.99 for a 12 month subscription
Atomix - Monthly, free
EGM Digital - Monthly (I think?), free

I just wish EGM would get a retina update!
 
If I know I'm going to be taking a trip, I buy a few magazines. Generally it's Game Informer since it's the cheapest one, but occasionally the official magazines for Nintendo and Playstation.
 
Coppertracks said:
Dissing Metal Slug 3? Yeah I'd fire him for that.
Click to expand...

It was the Rev. Stewart Campbell, who is quite honestly one of my favourite videogame journalists, and has been since the Amiga Power days. The Metal Slug piece was contentious, sure, but it was an opinion piece and for what it's worth, I kind of agree with the main point he made; Metal Slug 3 sacrifices gameplay flow in favour of pace-stopping gimmicks. I much prefer Metal Slug X. They're both great, though.

I just found the "backlash" to be a little bit on the unpleasant side, personally.
 
I have three current subscriptions. Retro Gamer, Games TM and Gaminformer.

Games TM and Gameinformer are dumbed down sensationalist shit, which usually passes for clickbait. Edge is a worthless buy now that everything is online.

Retro Gamer is the only one I will keep buying. It's easily the best games mag around.
 
I still do. I bought the May issue of Nintendo Power recently. I'm going to subscribe to Nintendo Power and Game Informer in the future, partly because of the nostalgia and enjoying holding and reading physical magazines. (this applies to books as well)
 
LamerDeluxe said:
retrogamer66.JPG


Because of win.
Click to expand...

You sir are awesome.

Although I don't really buy/sub to any magazines anymore, I just go to Barnes and Noble and read 'em. Easier on the wallet.
I'd actually sub to Retro Gamer, but it's like $100-120 for a full year.

Blunt said:
I used to buy Retro Gamer, from the first issue too, but dropped it after they did a special about the Metal Slug games a few years back and the author of the article had a huge rant about how he personally disliked MS3 and people who were fans of it were stupid. Completely unprofessional and I was done with the magazine if they wanted to print opinionated trash and not "just the facts ma'am".
Click to expand...

IIRC, they did a piece on Metal Slug recently saying that MS3 was probably the best of the bunch, saying it wasn't quite as great from 4 onwards.
 
I still have subscriptions with OPM and XBM, but when they run out I won't re-up.
I have a subscription for EGM and I will keep it active until it goes out of print.
I've never dropped the money on anything portable to read on or surf the web, so real magazines still fulfill a need for me.
 
No. The last mag I got was a free subscription thanks to a GAF tip. I think it was Gamepro then the subscription changed to Wired once it went under.
 
I sub to Nintendo Power, was debating EGM but i haven't seen an issue in a bit to see if its something i'd read or not. what else is still printing here in the US?

LamerDeluxe said:
retrogamer66.JPG


Because of win.
Click to expand...

holy shit is that something i can pay for and have sent to my house that looks so good
 
I subscribe to Nintendo Power. There are very few sources to read when it comes to Nintendo consoles without insults being thrown about or reading comments from writers with condescending attitudes at best. It's actually why I went back to Nintendo Power a few years ago and why I look up Nintendo only sites instead of Nintendo sections on the larger sites. I was thinking about letting it lapse but then thought better of it considering I'll be focusing on the 3DS and Wii U along side my PC for the foreseeable future.
 
I used to get Play every now and then because they wouldnt shit text all over their covers; but then they went bankrupt so.... no.
 
IrishNinja said:
holy hell google says that is like $130 to send here to the states...goddammit.
maybe ill get lucky and find a stash on sale on ebay...
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with getting back issues!
 
I have a 2 year PC gamer subscription for some reason, I think because it was on sale on Amazon. But between them saying every Bioware game that comes out is the greatest game of all time and dedicating 50 pages of every issue to MMO crap I don't think I'll renew it when it's up.

I also have Game Informer from the Gamestop deal and it's a nice magazine. They don't normally score games below a 7 but I generally enjoy the new game reveals every month.
 
I still buy the new EGM from time to time. On a related note I've noticed most stores in my town (grocery, convenience, drug stores, etc) no longer sell gaming mags.
 
Moofers said:
I get Game Informer because of my gamestop reward card. I actually asked them if I could have them not send it to me, but in the end it was easier to just accept it.
Click to expand...

I had a Nintendo Power subscription a few years back for that reason. I've thought about starting up again since they aren't that expensive but then I remember I flipped through it for about 30 min the day I got it and that was that. No videos and the fact I already knew everything in it weeks earlier sort of makes it pointless.
 
Edge...

Been a subscriber since forever.

I dislike the redesign but the content has remained the same so no biggy...
 
IrishNinja said:
is this ios only or android as well? pretty good deal, that.
Click to expand...

Newsstand on iOS. I just searched the market on my Nexus and didn't find anything.

What I really love about magazines on iOS is that you can flip through the entire mag in low res before deciding to buy it.
 
The Internet has definitely made them obsolete for me.

But I do miss the good old days of EGM. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Wind Waker, Soul Calibur II, Metroid Prime 2....loved reading their coverage in EGM. Might just be nostalgia though.
 
I recently found all my old Nintendo Power mags, many dating to just prior to the launch of the SNES. I've had a blast reading through them
 
I subscribe to ONM in print which I don't think gets enough credit. It had a rough period but it's really picked up these past few months.
I subscribe to Nintendo Gamer on iPad too which is great but I think I will switch that subscription to Edge soon which I just pick up occasionally at the moment and really enjoy. I don't think I need two Nintendo magazines (and it wasn't a conscious decision, it just happens that I really like both Nintendo magazines).
 
Bending_Unit_22 said:
I had a Nintendo Power subscription a few years back for that reason. I've thought about starting up again since they aren't that expensive but then I remember I flipped through it for about 30 min the day I got it and that was that. No videos and the fact I already knew everything in it weeks earlier sort of makes it pointless.
Click to expand...

That's really the problem. If you are viewing websites it sort of makes the magazines pointless unless you are looking for specific content. I've found myself going to gaming sites less and less. Partly because they are blocked at work and also when I get home I just have no desire and don't trust them (a big part). So I stay up to date do to places like neogaf. So reading Nintendo Power actually does help as I do find out about games I wouldn't have otherwise paid attention to. I also like their interviews they have and like that they compare games on Nintendo platforms to other games on the platforms. At least it seems that way to me.

I also think mags cut out a lot of the bs and get to the point a lot quicker do to having deadlines and only coming out once a month. They have to present things in a way that make you want to pick up the next magazine in the face of all the other sources. Perhaps I'm wrong but it's like they are actively trying to get your attention with some degree of effort and quality. They can't half ass it. Compared to sites where it's all about the site traffic and will say one thing to be first and then maybe post a correction later. Pull that crap with a magazine and you might not get that buyer back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nvidia really doesn't seem to care about gaming GPUs anymore - Gaming GPU sales no longer reported
News  2 3
105
431
Dirk Benedict replied
Does your spouse also game? What does he she they think about gaming?
2 3
115
1K
Bondo replied
Does anyone else remember schools sending PlayStation consoles home for kids to use for educational games?
19
414
UltimaKilo replied
Does anyone here use crossover?
8
852
AnOldBrownie_67 replied
Help: How does a gaming PC work in terms of settings?
35
544
Cumulus replied
Top Bottom