Edge 189 scores

[Eight Rooks]

Not so much noticed that, but they do seem to me to write in cheesy metaphors as part of their "gaming is culture" wanky verbal diarrhea. The best example I can think of is when they reviewed Outrun 2006 on PSP. Other magazines would have written "This has great visuals and feels like the Sega of old" whereas Edge put it as "a gorgeous gift to the hardware's often neglected display and an idyllic blast of Sega-branded fresh air".

Guess I must be such a pretentious tosser, then. I'm thankful someone wants to write about games in any kind of intelligent, literary way - I mean, "iz ****in mint innit!!!1!!!!!!1!" is all very well, but sometimes I really need something more.

*shrug*

[JazzFunk]

When I was around 12, in the late 80's, I used to read Zzap! and it was chock-full of 'big words'. The reviewers often described games using words such as 'evocative', 'onus', and many other words alien to my young mind. Far from being perturbed by it, I considered it educational and far less insulting than the 'yoof speak' utilised by other mags. Granted, Edge often lacks humour, so the writing can appear pompously morose at times, but anything that increases the vocabulary is good in my book.

Knowledge is power!


(I'll get me coat...)

[Malc]

I agree with you Jazz. It's a good idea that when you see such new words, you pick up a dictionary and learn them. But why do Edge have to write all their articles like that? I highly doubt that the writers there can actually write them without having to stop and think of a more stranger analysis or wording to say something simple.

[Adam Stone]

I really like their writing style and i think its very likely the writers' words generally do just flow. Their writings rarely sound force to me, unlike many reviews i have read over the years where it is cringeingly obvious words have simply being attacked by a thesaurus.

I know when i used to write reviews here for Ntsc-uk, my reviews were slightly more wordy and abstract then other reviews may have been, and that was never to come across as clever or pretentious or whatnot... but rather was merely my writing style. I like how writers can describe an ordinary scene quite beautifully... and Edge often do just that. I don't think it is a matter of being pretentious at all. I think some of their views and attitudes most definitely are... but their writing is sound imo.

[Malc]

Brilliant post there Adam.

Maybe they do right like that, if so I must commend them for it. I do find it interesting to read, and the sophistication of it makes me buy it every month. It would be nice to here from an Edge staff member directly to see how they go about writing a review or feature etc.

[12-51-00]

Also remember Edge is more an industry magazine than a populist one. One should assume their target audience would be educated. Okay, I'll admit there is a distinct whiff of pomp surrounding Edge but in my experience journalists and magazine contributors usually do have a slight desperation to be taken seriously as "writers". Compared to publications like The Guardian however Edge is positively dumbing down. Plus if it's encouraging people to pick up a dictionary and learn new words I guess it's saving the English language. Oh how pleased The Daily Mail will be...

[Dogg Thang]

Remember Edge is more an industry magazine than a populist one. One should assume their target audience would be educated.

This is the games industry we're talking about.

[12-51-00]

This is the games industry we're talking about.

Touch?

[Sixty]

Someone sent a letter to Edge about their needlessly wordy writing a while back. I think it was about Doom 3, and a lengthy sentence that could've been replaced with literally a few words instead. They came back with a completely over the top, barely understandable reply, of course. The people on N-Gamer, also by Future, even takes the mick, where they suggest checking Edge for adverts for importers but "have a dictionary ready for the big words around them."

I really like it, personally. It's wonderful to see games taken so seriously and written about intelligently.

[prinnysquad]

It's important that they don't mistake verbose word-wankery for clarity, though.

[egparadigm]

I very rarely find a word I don't understand in there, but I do sometimes stop to wonder how mere mortals read it. Given the drivel that is found in most of games journalism, it is a wonder that EDGE ever came into being.

Interestingly, "monomania" seems to be their word of the year, atm. I've read it at least three times in recent months.

[prinnysquad]

If I'm not in the correct frame of mind, or really tired, I often don't understand what I've just read in Edge. I have to re-read it once, maybe twice. To me that doesn't necessarily constitute intelligent writing. A huge vocab doesn't always mean that what is being said is intelligent. Even bull**** can be written eloquently.

[Eight Rooks]

Admittedly I'm a Creative Writing graduate and a desperate, desperate wannabe writer, not to mention massively opinionated, so I have more tolerance for dem big wurdz. Never once read any review or article which caused me to groan out loud or wince or any such thing, though.

[DeathAdder]

Guess I must be such a pretentious tosser, then. I'm thankful someone wants to write about games in any kind of intelligent, literary way - I mean, "iz ****in mint innit!!!1!!!!!!1!" is all very well, but sometimes I really need something more.

*shrug*

Nope, nothing pretentious about buying the magazine you like best - you'd be silly to spend your money on anything else. To each his own.

Where I disagree with you and Sixty is that it is an intelligent way to write. I personally think it takes much more skill and intelligence to write clearly and concisely. I wouldn't read reviews written like text messages, but I do think Edge can be guilty of writing a lot and saying very little. Still, they seem to be satisfying their target audience, so fair play to them.

[Champloo]

I don't read Edge much, but I've found them clear and concise. A short 2-page review from Edge will usually tell me enough to decide if such and such a game is worth buying.

They write well. Dumbing down the vocab wouldn't necessarily make their articles more concise - clearer, maybe.