The Perfect Videogame Magazine

[Il Postino]

The problems with the current crop of UK videogame magazines have been well documented (I seem to recall GameCentral doing a piece on this a few months back; cheap plastic bags, A-Z cheat books, EXCLUSIVES!!! etc). Even so called ?classic? titles, like Maximum, have taken a bit of flak (on this very forum) in recent times.

With this in mind, how about some suggestions concerning what you think would make for the perfect videogame magazine (not that such a thing could ever exist, of course). Feel free to pinch ideas from favourite magazines of the past (or present), in order to create your own Frankenstein?s Monster of a publication.

[martTM]

It's impossible - you can't create the perfect games magazine because everyone wants something different. No one magazine can ever have the ability to cater for every market (format, young, old, casual, hardcore and so on), which means that someone will always have something to complain about. Plus magazines are a business, which means it's all about money, profit and circulation; as such, you have to pander to at least one audience if you want to even have a hope of surviving.

But then, you've already said that.

Now, if you'd have phrased your thought a little more specifically, I wouldn't have said anything - I'm guessing what you're suggesting is for thoughts on the perfect ntsc-uk audience magazine. But even then, I doubt you'll ever please all the people, all of the time.

[Crisp_Rapper]

super play.

end of.

[darkangel]

ODM

Now can we go please?

[VoyagerFX]

Its obviously Edge isnt it?

The early days of CVG was excellent as was Gamesmaster - but look how ****e both of these are now.

[Il Postino]

Originally posted by martTM
Now, if you'd have phrased your thought a little more specifically, I wouldn't have said anything - I'm guessing what you're suggesting is for thoughts on the perfect ntsc-uk audience magazine.

Nice guess, you win the coconut. I presumed (foolishly it would seem) that by posting on the ntsc-uk forums (and ONLY the ntsc-uk forums) I?d pretty much be addressing the ntsc-uk audience. If I?d wanted suggestions for the ?perfect magazine? for another audience I would have posted the message (using my own excrement as an ink substitute) on the walls of a public lavatory. Anyway, my sincere apologies to martTM for any confusion this may have caused.

To be more specific, what I?m really asking of you (that is, the ntsc-uk audience, NOT members of the Swedish Olympic Curling Team) is to provide ideas concerning what you (again, comments from the Swedish Olympic Curling Team will be ignored) think would make for a ?perfect magazine?.

Why? Well, having been a gamer for some time I recall, with a certain fondness, the excitement of picking up the latest copy of ?magazine Y? and rushing home to read about the latest videogames etc. Sadly, this is not the case any more and as an adult (I use the term loosely, see above) I no longer bother reading (let alone buying) most of the current magazines.

Factors such as the availability of gaming info on the Internet and growing up have played a part in my declining interest in the printed videogaming word, but these aren?t the only things putting me off these publications. The simple fact (yes, in my opinion) is that the vast majority of these ?specialist? magazines adopt an outdated and often immature approach, which fails to appeal (just look at the sales figures) to either the casual or dedicated gamers out there.

I don?t wish to invite a wave of criticisms aimed at the current magazines (as I said before, these criticisms have been made elsewhere), I?m just curious as to whether any of the people (many being in their late twenties/early thirties) on this forum have any interesting alternatives to the rather outdated news/previews/reviews format that has been in place since the eighties. It?s easy to rip stuff apart, but what would you do if you were in charge? If your answer is ?nothing?, then I?ll get back to my latest cubicle-based masterpiece.

[superkully]

It was Amstrad Action during the last months before its death.

It became more and more slender and the paper more akin to tesco-value bog roll than something magazines are printed on. But the writing had energy and a sense of bravado not too far from what one might imagine a group of soldiers trapped behind enemy lines, knowing they'd be found and slaughtered very soon could experience...

As for the original question... blah... it's like asking what the perfect pizza topping is.

[Il Postino]

Originally posted by superkully
As for the original question... blah... it's like asking what the perfect pizza topping is.

I believe there was a topic of that nature posted elsewhere on this site, quite popular it was too, unlike this one.


Anyway, my use of the word ?perfect? seems to have upset some of you, so let?s change the thread title and subject to the more catchy and specific:

?YOUR (the ntsc-uk audience) suggestions for what in YOUR (not anybody else?s, especially the Swedish Olympic Curling Team?s) opinion would make for a good videogame magazine?.

Actually, let?s scrap that and go with:

?Constructive suggestions for improving the quality of the current crop of gaming magazines?.

I don?t know, maybe I?ve just misjudged the mood of forum members/the nation/the Swedish Olympic Curling Team, but I can?t believe some of you folk out there haven?t got at least a few positive ideas about how to improve the questionable quality of the videogame rags sitting on the shelves. Perhaps you're all happy with the current selection of publications on offer and don't feel they can be improved in any way.

[MD]

Super Play was nice but it was a Super Nintnedo magazine that seem to like performing flute blowing on RPGs. So not quite the perfect magazine, if it was multiformat then maybe...

Early C&VG was written quite well and in a way that wasn't trying to be too youth and was writing about the games rather then drivel, it got worse and worse though, the last time I bought C&VG was around 1996. The writing of single format magazines can be good, see Your Sinclair for example. However being a single format means it doesn't reach an large audience.

Out of the multiformat magazines Edge, GamesTM, C&VG and Gamesmaster, all of them have their good and bad points. Gamesmaster is aimed at the yoof market and it shows, never bought.... C&VG seems to be aimed at the same market but tries to aim at a older audience too, although never read either for a long time now, last bought in 1996 but read earlier this year..... GamesTM tries to be aimed between the people between Edge and Gamesmaster, seems to be a jack of all trades, master of none magazine.... Edge is aimed at the older audience and it shows with some of the better articles and interviews however it does seem to be up it's on own arse sometimes, still better then nothing...

[Molloy]

Edge with more columns, features and two Making of..'s per issue. And I'd like it to be more up it's own arse than ever because it pisses off all the people without a sense of humour.

[Ady]

Consistency. That is all.

The currently heralded 'serious' gaming magazine in the UK (you know the one I'm talking about...) appears to be rapidly losing this. On the other hand, it's touted rival (again, you know the one...), appears to be gaining this (and I've recently warmed to this mag a lot).

Personally, I quite like the formal, but punctuated with dry wit written style that a certain mag has, but this only works if there's consistency. You have no business trying to sound serious and formal if you're trying to be an upmarket OPSM.

[the shape]

Amiga Power. I miss Amiga Power like Anna-Nicole misses demerol. Toiled upon by The Mightiest Beings Ever to Produce a Games Magazine.

I'd like Amiga Power, exactly as it was, but about current games. However, if it was still on sale and was still about old Amiga games, I'd still buy it. Even though I don't have an Amiga anymore.

It was, by the way, a magazine with attitude.

Those chaps had the right idea. Never to be bettered.

*goes to play Gravity Force 2 on MacUAE*

[TM]

You have no business trying to sound serious and formal if you're trying to be an upmarket OPSM.

You do realise, Ady, that this is all going on in your imagination, don't you?

[Ady]

Yeah, probably.

[TM]

Is there a section on here that explains emoticons?