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Nifleheim7
10-06-2006, 08:13 AM
I'm not currently buying as many as i used to,mostly because i get almost all the news i need from the internet.
But i'm still buying Edge and Game Developer on a monthly basis because they have interesting articles.
From time to time i also buy Playstation2 Official Magazine but only if it has a demo that i want to try.
Also,do you buy magazines to keep you informed and read articles or just to play the demos?

ValkyrieWing
10-06-2006, 08:36 AM
Game Informer works really well for what I need.

Paro
10-06-2006, 08:54 AM
I used to buy PC Accelerator (PCXL) back in the day, I liked it because of it's Maxim-like humor and photography, and its last issue was dated June 2000.

Rostum
10-06-2006, 08:59 AM
None! I use the internet for any main news.

Roto13
10-06-2006, 02:18 PM
Nintendo Power, though I haven't read it in forever. :P I used to subscribe to EGM, but I started seeing a bit of a bias so I didn't renew. (At least Nintendo Power doesn't pretend to be Sony and Microsoft fans. :P)

XxSephirothxX
10-06-2006, 02:20 PM
EGM, because it is simply the best-written gaming mag out there. I think I got a subscription for Game Informer at GameStop, but it's not nearly as good a magazine, so I don't really care if it shows up or not.

Ashi
10-06-2006, 02:21 PM
I think they were mostly PSM and Expert Gamer. I don't get magazines anymore. My siblings used to get some Nintendo magazine but I don't remember the exact title...

Jowy
10-06-2006, 02:27 PM
EGM, Nintendo Power, and Game Informer. And I might pick up the occasional issue of Play at the grocery store and thumb through it.

JKTrix
10-06-2006, 02:30 PM
I pick up EGM regularly, and I'd get OXM or OPM (Xbox/Playstation official mags) if there's a demo I want to play. EGM does a pretty good job of staying fairly relevant, even in this age of 'get it all on the internet'.
Their rumour mill is a particularly interesting regular feature, because it's not just 'overheard on the internet' stuff... it's actual 'industry rumblings'. A lot of their rumours have been pretty close, recent example being the US release date of the DS lite. Most recently however, they've stated that Street Fighter 4 will be released in 2007, Rez will have a sequel, and that Wii Sports will have 30 different games. Will be interesting to see how accurate these are.

I started picking up Nintendo Power recently as well, I found a store here that sells them!

Mo-Nercy
10-06-2006, 03:18 PM
I get EGM sometimes. It's American though so sometimes it's not very relevant but its a good mag.

Out of the local magazines, I'd buy anything that looks like it has an interesting article/guide/review/whatever inside. I just flip through everything and pick out one. No real preference.

Polaris
10-06-2006, 03:21 PM
I use to read the official Playstation magazine but it was over in 2004 I think ^^" A bit later when PS2 arrived... Their critics were just amazing and when they rate the games me and my bro had great laughs!

The Devil Man
10-06-2006, 03:26 PM
I think there is a big difference between the magazines available in America and the ones available in the UK and Europe. I haven't heard of some of the ones mentioned here.

Without question I buy Games TM every month. I absolutely love that magazine and they have got me playing games I would never have previously considered. It is an extremely well written magazine and very easy on the eye. The reviews are pretty good.

I also but Retro Gamer here in the UK too. It's great for discovering old classics.

I can't stand Edge though. Far too pretentious with their articles and reviews and it is very off-putting. They dont actually seem to enjoy games at all, just analysing them to death.

Xander
10-06-2006, 04:17 PM
I buy Official Nintendo Magazine every month. I love that mag. Sure there's the internet, but I enjoy good old magazines, reading them over breakfast and in the bath. xD I like finding out what's going on with Nintendo, also the free gifts can be fun, and I dunno. I like looking back on magazines in a few years, like wow, that's when the Gamecube/Wii first came out.

ONM can also be really funny. It used to be very funny then Future Publishing took over but luckily they kept a lot of the same feel of it and also seem to be making more jokes lately, cos lots of people missed the silly NOM humour (I remember this one article about Charmander, it was hilarious..I don't remember the detail but whatever!)

They now have stuff like cliches for driving/racing/platform games which are amusing. But they have more regular-there each issue stuff, which bugs me cos it's a waste of space having exactly the same info in every magazine when you buy it each month, e.g directory of games at the back which barely change if at all. I kinda miss NOM but I still love ONM :)

Breine
10-06-2006, 05:58 PM
I mostly just use the internet (gamespot.com) these days. There is a Danish magazine called "Gamereactor", though. It's free and I sometimes tend to pick it up if I get the chance, but it's not often.

I used to buy two different PlayStation magazines every month some years ago, but after some time I just stuck with one of them, which had a demo disc - I actually miss trying out some games that you normally wouldn't. It was quite fun and you would see and try games that you maybe wouldn't even notice on the shelves. Hmm, maybe I should try and buy this specific magazine again... It's somewhat expensive, though. meh.

RiseToFall
10-06-2006, 06:47 PM
EGM - For Reviews
GI - For Previews

Dreddz
10-06-2006, 06:53 PM
Not anymore, there all biased. Like when there hypng a games for months, they'll always give it a good score, even if its a bad game. Like when PSM2 gave Driv3r 90% and when OPS2 gave Killzone a 9/10.

Nifleheim7
10-06-2006, 07:34 PM
I mostly just use the internet (gamespot.com) these days. There is a Danish magazine called "Gamereactor", though. It's free and I sometimes tend to pick it up if I get the chance, but it's not often.

I used to buy two different PlayStation magazines every month some years ago, but after some time I just stuck with one of them, which had a demo disc - I actually miss trying out some games that you normally wouldn't. It was quite fun and you would see and try games that you maybe wouldn't even notice on the shelves. Hmm, maybe I should try and buy this specific magazine again... It's somewhat expensive, though. meh.

Yeah,i know what you mean.
The best thing about mags with game demo's is not that you'll be able to get a glimpse of your favourite game before it's release(chances are you are going to buy it anyway) but to try games that you wouldn't normally buy.
But it's very difficult these days to be surprised with a game.Chances are you'll know exactly if it's your kind of game or not just by looking at it's cover.

edczxcvbnm
10-06-2006, 07:44 PM
They all suck. I stopped reading them because they all went down hill. EGM use to be good but not any more. The only mag I like is PLAY but not enough to drop cash on it.

EGM talks too much about how they don't do things other mags do...such as take money for better scores. They talk about it so much that I believe more than ever that they do.

Nifleheim7
10-06-2006, 07:56 PM
Well,i don't believe all this "conspiracy theory" thing.
If a game deserves a 5/10 no magazine can give it a 9/10 or 10/10 and vice versa.

Rainecloud
10-06-2006, 07:58 PM
N-Gamer and Official Nintendo Magazine.

They're both good reads, even the official one (surprisingly).

Ruskies
10-06-2006, 08:01 PM
Game Informer, PSM and Play are my favs.

Roto13
10-06-2006, 08:14 PM
Isn't Game Informer the magazine that gave Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door a 6 (or something) because it was too "kiddy"? I'm not sure what magazine that was, but it instantly loses all credibility as a review source.

Yamaneko
10-06-2006, 08:42 PM
EGM and Game Informer. I only get Game Informer because I have a membership at GameStop and I got a free one year subscription. The magazine is pretty terrible. EGM is the only one I actually read.

LunarWeaver
10-06-2006, 08:50 PM
I get PSM magazine because I ordered a year subscription off my brother's girlfriend's sister for some school thing. It's nice to read, but nothing too special either.

The only game scoring journalism I really look at is Gamespot, and that's free. I only like them best because I happen to agree with them almost all of the time. Even then I disagree with some scores they give. Scores are tough because it's so different for everybody...You never know until you try it for yourself kind of thing.


Isn't Game Informer the magazine that gave Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door a 6 (or something) because it was too "kiddy"? I'm not sure what magazine that was, but it instantly loses all credibility as a review source.

:jess:! That's hilarious to me if it's true -_-.

Roto13
10-06-2006, 10:20 PM
Isn't Game Informer the magazine that gave Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door a 6 (or something) because it was too "kiddy"? I'm not sure what magazine that was, but it instantly loses all credibility as a review source.

:jess:! That's hilarious to me if it's true -_-.

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/920182.asp?q=Paper%20Mario

Yuffie514
10-07-2006, 01:20 AM
i use to read Game Informer, but i cancelled subscriptions.

BustaMo
10-07-2006, 06:47 AM
The Official Playstion Magazine is really the only one I ever read, and it's not often. The Issue for August was a great one seeing as it had some in-depth coverage on FFXII and discussed FFXIII a bit.

Slicksword45
10-07-2006, 05:17 PM
I'm with GI.

Happy jokes, and I agree with most of their reviews :)


Isn't Game Informer the magazine that gave Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door a 6 (or something) because it was too "kiddy"? I'm not sure what magazine that was, but it instantly loses all credibility as a review source.

No. they gave it a 6.75 because:


Deamily, I think of the time I spent with the recent Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga and an embarrassingly goofy grin seeps across my face. What I wanted with Thousand-Year Door was a big console version of that experience. What I got was many of the bits and pieces that filled those shoes and a gaping hole where the most crucial part is supposed to be, i.e. witty, tongue-in-cheek dialogue that I’d reference in everyday conversation.

What this second Paper Mario has going for it, in my mind, is an exceptionally well-conceived art style and a nice (if a bit too easy for too long) combat system. This game’s look is nothing short of iconic and one of those wonderful instances where our favorite brand of entertainment shows unquestionable artistry. And it makes me very, very happy.

So I play through the prologue and chapter one, really excited about how the game looks and plays. Combat is easy to pick up (especially if you played the first game or Superstar Saga) and the audience participation features are nicely implemented, rewarding you frequently for impressive attack feats. I am sent to kill a dragon who holds the first of several Star Crystals, and the fight is bizarre in a very good way.

Then, something terrible happens. I work my way through (I’m not kidding here) 15 minutes of press-A-to-continue-the-dialogue vignettes whose highlights are witless, dull dialogue punctuated with groan-inducing banter. It’s terrible, and I’m crushed. I want this to be good, and fun, and rewarding. But all I can think about is "How are the bad guys already looking for the second crystal, but it’s impossible to find without the map, and yet they still really need to find Mario so that they can get said map? Huh? And why is a computer in love with Princess Peach?" Besides the actual plot points being too far-fetched to even make it on a daytime soap (something that I could easily deal with if the dialogue were good – it is a freaking Mario game and I can be quite accepting if there are other things to make me happy), there isn’t a single worthwhile line or quip in any of the exchanges throughout the rest of the game.

Before you fans start typing up those angry letters, let me say that I realize this is an RPG for the younger set, and therefore shouldn’t have Shakespearean dialogue, Ninja Gaiden’s level of difficulty, or Final Fantasy’s inventory system of epic magnitude. I fully accept this. But go out and watch Aladdin and let me know if kids’ entertainment can be funny to adults too. It can, and this isn’t. Then check out Pokémon and let me know if preschoolers can manage more than 10 inventory spaces and the ability to buy multiple items at one time (four mushrooms means four question and answer sessions with the shopkeeper. It’s frustrating to no end). Some of these are clearly lesser and almost nitpicky complaints, but they show a general lack of finesse in balancing the game so that it’s fun for kids, RPG newbies, and adults alike.

I know that some people will play Thousand-Year Door and have a good time, and I do not necessarily hate life for playing the title, but the cold hard truth of the matter is that this game falters in a big way. The art and combat are killed in their tracks by the game’s downright shameful dialogue.



and the second opinion was a 6:

I’m fully expecting to wake up with a severed Yoshi head in my bed after this review brands me a hater in the eyes of devoted Nintendo fans. Well, I’ve got news for you: I love Mario as much as you, I just don’t love this game. The graphics are admittedly great – this is one of the coolest looking titles I’ve seen in a long time. However, with a few minor additions, it’s exactly like the first Paper Mario. While a lot of you out there loved the first title, I thought it was boring and juvenile. Sadly, I find this one to be just as dull. The story is simplistic, clicking through hundreds of dialogue screens is a drag, there is too much backtracking, and the basic gameplay hasn’t evolved. Will any of this matter to Nintendo fans? Probably not – it does have its charm, and I’m sure younger gamers will love it. But for me, charm and interesting visuals aren’t enough to get me to play a game that feels the same as one from three years ago. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go check my car for Bob-ombs

Roto13
10-07-2006, 05:41 PM
Anyone who says PM 2's gameplay hasn't "evolved" from PM 1 obviously hasn't played both games. It's ridiculous. The battle system has at least four times the depth (assuming depth is measurable :P). And you never get to complain about the story in a Mario game. Ever. It's not SUPPOSED to have a great story. And, believe it or not, it actually is funny. To adults.

Anyway, I'm sure I read a response to a letter in a later issue where they harp on the kiddieness more than they do there (which is still too much).

ThundagAuron
10-07-2006, 07:45 PM
I've got a subscription to OPM, and to be honest, the past 2 or 3 issues were the only ones that held my interest because they had actual content.

It's kinda neat how you can see if the industry's in a drought because throughout summer, the magazines were barely 100 pages, (due to a lack of noteworthy games). The November one I got on Thursday is great, however. The Best one in, I'd say, a year.

However, EGM is also a great read and I love the sense of humour throughout each issue, I just don't find a need for a subscription because I just have a PS2.

:D

Ramza Beoulve
10-07-2006, 07:58 PM
I read a mexican magazine named Atomix, it is really cool and complete.

Araciel
10-08-2006, 05:48 AM
i use the WEEB...gamespot is the only mag i need...used to have a sub to EGM though

Kawaii Ryűkishi
10-08-2006, 06:21 AM
PSM and Game Informer have serious issues with balancing their tone between casual writing and professional journalism, which is pretty important where credible is concerned. For example, after the big MGS4 trailer at last May's E3, PSM decided that Raiden had become so much cooler than he was during MGS2 that they should consider MGS2 Raiden and MGS4 Raiden to be entirely separate entities. They then dubbed the MGS4 version "Awesome Raiden" and referred to him as such for the rest of the issue. I can't stand that stuff.

Nintendo Power is still trying to walk the line between "cool" and "kid-friendly," and the results are embarrassing, to say the least. I only read it when they have exclusive coverage on games like Metroid Zero Mission and Portrait of Ruin.

OPM is a Ziff Davis publication, so the quality of writing is there, and the demo disc included with every issue is a big advantage. Unfortunately, while competent, the staff seems to unanimously possess a huge bias in Sony's favor. Furthermore, since I'm not going to be an early adopter of the PS3, they won't be writing about anything in my interests for roughly a year.

EGM has no demo disc, but it's got all the Ziff goodness with none of the perturbing fanboy aftertaste. And it's headed by Dan Hsu, an integrious journalist and overall rockin dude. The best choice by far.

Galbadian Soldier
10-08-2006, 07:52 PM
I used to subscribe to PSM but when it became more and more apparent that they sucked Sony's ****, I stopped subscribing. I used to BUY every EGM every month(not subscribe) long time ago for like two years, during the N64/PS1 days but sometime during this gen. I lost my interest in the mag.

Though these past few years I havent gotten any magazines but when getting my mvp card thingies from Gamestop and Gamecrazy, I got a subscription for GI from GS and Nintendo Power from GC. So those are the only magazines I've been reading as of late. :D

Xander
10-08-2006, 10:48 PM
Official Nintendo Mag just had a free DS case with it and it's actually very good, better than the one I paid money for from Ebay, and got accidently sent two of... >_< They have good free gifts ^_^ Not just DVDs... (who needs those when the internet has plenty of trailers!)

Skarr
10-08-2006, 10:52 PM
I usually read EGM alot. Kishi said it best, Dan is one rockin' dude.