Games Magazines

[communal toilet]

So....

With the interweb providing a whole host of sites with gaming news reviews and demos...
does anyone actually purchase any gaming magazines anymore?
and if so... which ones ?

Obviously working for Gameplay we receive all of them to see whats a going on in the world of gaming.

:)

[Blood_God]

I've got a subscription to PCGamer, altho I dunno if I cba to renew it when it runs out.

[Pixie Pete]

I used to read PC Zone, though haven't in over a year.

I'm completely out of touch as to what games are on the way - the only one I play consistently nowadays is Championship Manager 4. :cry:

[LieutLaww]

ive got Subs to PCGamer and PC Format i WILL renew and Comm gimme ur free subs :P

[communal toilet]

Is there any specific reasoning behind not buying mags anymore ?

like expense .. they're like £5 now aren't they
or is it down to content ?
or because you can get the info for free on the web ?

[Predator]

It's expense I reckon, I mean it costs a fiver to read something in a games magazine, yet we can read the same thing online for free... well not exactly free as we do pay for the net but ya know :)

[Blood_God]

subs copies = cheaper, only reason why i can afford to get it.

am tempted not to bother cos i hardly read it anymore and there's always the internet for demos and news (and its much faster at getting you the news too).

[communal toilet]

another good point,

webby gives constant news updates rather than waiting till the end of the month ...

[Tonster]

I usually buy PC Gamer for the reviews, and occasionally their list of the best games per genre (Big Game Hunt I think). As I spend so much time on the Internet it's nice to read occasionally. Also magazine layouts are far more user friendly then websites, and can be read anywhere (on the train, in bed etc) so are more accessible.

Having read games magazines for years I know what the ratings mean in relation to my personal tastes, so there's a kind of heritage there.

Recently though I take less and less notice of the news items as owing to print deadlines the news is always behind what I already know from being on websites. It's usually less informed too.

I don't know of a site which does only what PC Gamer does, all such websites try to do so much more, which usually leads to a confusing site.

Magazine reviews are usually far more in depth and better written, and I place a lot more credance in their reports. They also tend to have the latest games, whereas websites always seem to miss some of the critical ones.

Also, magazines don't have bloody annoying adverts all over the place, stupid sound affects, waiting times and all the other frailties of websites.

For people without broadband the cover disks are still the best way to get demos and patches. For people with broadband the coverdiscs are largely worthless.

[communal toilet]

I think screenshots in mags look better aswell,
I don't tend to search for screenies on websites

[Tonster]

I think screenies work better in magazines owing to better layout, whereas with websites it's, "Click here to see this image", then another window opens, you wait for it to load, then you close it, and then try t find where you were in the article. In a magazine you just glance at them.

That said, when you look at a screenshot in a mag you don't really know what it looks like on your PC. On a website you can see exactly what the game looks like to the nearest pixel.

Swings and roundabouts.

[edit]
Magazine layouts get more on the page, and websites are cluttered with adverts, navigation links, logos etc etc, so again I reckon magazines are invariably better laid out and more accessible.

[Bitty]

I buy Edge every month, provides me with decent reviews, interesting articles and a good standard of actual writing (i.e. no comments about Gaycubes, GayStations etc....). Reliable mag overall, and only 4 quid.

[Pixie Pete]

Personally, it's because I don't really play games anymore - barring Championship manager and the occasional multiplayer bash on HL.

If I were doing so, I would buy magazines I think... although where I may once have bought a mag on the offchance it had a demo I wanted, I'd now just download it.

:spin:

[[COMIX]VaMpIrE]

i have subs to pc zone and will probbly sub to pc gamer when i cba.
the one thing i used to like about all mags was there dedicate online sections now there allover the place.

[communal toilet]

I wonder if PC Mags would be cheaper if they didnt have the "free" demo gubbins disc on 'em.

If it would be they should just sell the mag cheaper without a disc and give you a link for demo dl's

[Monkee]

i have free subs to pcgamer, thats all i read

[khaz]

cleverly disguised market research combog but anyway.... ;)

yeah, started reading pcgamer again and past year or so have been buying edge as they really are a good magazine (except when they go to far up their own asses sometimes ;) ) and the layout and design of edge is superb...and besides with my thesis on video and computer games i suspect i'll be doing a LOT of magazine reading over the next 6 months and emailing them all for relevant issues, articles, etc.

nothing like reading, ya know? :) and yes, screenies do look better in magazines.

[communal toilet]

:P

:)

[Tonster]

Originally posted by khaz
cleverly disguised market research combog but anyway.... ;)
I thought it was pretty bloody obvious myself :P

[Mister666]

I've had a subscription to PC Zone since I worked at Gameplay back in 99. It's a really good mag with good reviews and previews and news and everything. The reason I subbed to it in the first place was that Zone has always been my fave PC mag since about 94/95, and even tho we got all the mags delivered at GP, Zone was always the first one to dissapear into someone's desk drawer, or be 'borrowed' by someone, never to be seen again. :)
So I decided to subscribe and get me own.

I like to have a magazine to read even though I can get most of the info of the interweb if I want. I just prefer it in mag form for some reason.