Official Edge Thread - December

[Manta Ray vs Guitar]

This thread is awesome.

I found out that Gregory Horror Show rocks (when I thought it would be an alright game that I'd get regardless) and that it's getting a PAL release.

Edge sucks, though.

[nips]

Reviews really should be for everyone, not just some "Elite" group that is above a certain age and played a previous game in the series. It is fairly logical to suppose that not everyone has played every game ever in the history of mankind due to fairly obvious reasons.

In my opinion, I disagree. You mention how you believe EDGE is 'elitist, seperatist and pretentious'. It is my opinion that if the rest of the magazine is presented in that manner, then the reviews should be too so a level is coherence is maintained.

While I appreciate your comments on new franchises, and agree that it may be important to explain how they play to a reader so they may draw a well rounded opinion on whether this game is for them, is it really necessary to do this for ever iteration of a series. I say 'no'.

It is my opinion that it can be beneficial to the reader for the reviewer to distinguish between the play mechanics of older versions in a series compared to the review game, but no further than that.

If EDGE has played and reviewed a previous game in the series that has sufficient similarities to the reviewed game, then they should not waste time repeating the same points. So for example, they reviewed Mario 64 and then Sunshine, they needn't say anything beyond "Mario Sunshine plays similarly to Mario Sunshine, as they adhere to similar platform mechanics." One sentence, no more. They should not be expected to detail how Mario 64 played, because in my opinion, it should be assumed that either: A) The reader has already played the previous game. B) The reader has read the review of the previous game. C) The reader is able to use the internet or other resource to find a review of the older game.

EDGE is made for an "elite group" should you wish to call it that. It's not made for your average joe. It is made for people with an active interest in games beyond that displayed by 90% of other games mags.

Edge believes that many older people are beginning to give up videogames. If that is true, chances are they going to quit buying Edge soon.

Unless you work at EDGE, this is just conjecture. Have you any reason to back up this opinion? None that I can see. While I appreciate the sentiment behind this opinion, I can see little basis in fact which lets your whole argument down.

I don't see why EDGE should 'have to adapt soon' a surely they are creating a magazine that caters for a certain market. Should that market being to deminish, there is no reason why they should not choose to continue to aim towards that market, unless they really begin to fear for thier circulation.

In my opinion, the good thing about a niche market is that it is always there. The 'mainstream' is a wash of chaning attitudes, opinions and values, but the niche is rather more stable. So I don't believe that EDGE will automatically ostracize any younger readers, there will likely always been a certain type of person, from every age group willing to read thier magazine.

And hey, I'm 17, been reading EDGE sinse I was 15, and my friend used to read it when he was 12 (although how much he understood of it remains to be seen).

[nips]

December issue? I know shops already have Christmas cards in stock, but really?

I don't know if anyone else said, but this issue is probably early becuase EDGE do 13 issues a year, so the Christmas issue can come out around December.

[iloveannie]

XBox issue was my fave from Edge recently. Redeye column is the one from the PC issue. Daft twats

[Molloy]

Christ.. nothing but moaning every month when an issue comes out. I don't think the reviews are great but the previews section is a hell of alot better than anything you'll find on the net, or in other print magazines.

The only reviews I find interesting reading are the ones at insertcredit.com

[Magnakai]

Christ.. nothing but moaning every month when an issue comes out. I don't think the reviews are great but the previews section is a hell of alot better than anything you'll find on the net, or in other print magazines.

The only reviews I find interesting reading are the ones at insertcredit.com

I'm with you on both counts.
I don't understand why people like moaning about Edge so much... it drives me nuts. It's a magazine! Like it - buy it. Dont like it - don't buy it.

And yeah, the reviews at insertcredit.com rock.

[Ady]

So, anyone have any thought on the weird games article?

[iloveannie]

I'm with you on both counts.
I don't understand why people like moaning about Edge so much... it drives me nuts. It's a magazine! Like it - buy it. Dont like it - don't buy it.

Bit like me and Corrie/Eastenders. Moan like **** about how **** they are and then find I've lost an hour watching Dirty Den and Steve McDonald. Or rain/British weather. Soon as the sun is blazing at over 27C I'm saying how ****ing hot it is and running in for a shower. Yet don't go out in winter cause it's too wet and cold. Or how about "games aren't like they used to be" but having no ****ing intention of unpacking my C64 from the cupboard or playing Mame for longer than 10 minutes every 6 months. We're British and we like to moan. Well even if we don't like it we're bloody good at it ;-)

[Oh! My Car!]

so, all this current thingy about Edge and EA....did anyone else notice how in E130, SSX got 8/10, and was duely hyped up before release, yet only got a 1/2 page review

a little dodgy, no? A little unlike Edge also, even hyped up games that only got 4 (RS:III *cough cough*) still get at least a full page review.....and if they get a good score too ...hmmm???

[Bowser]

so, all this current thingy about Edge and EA....did anyone else notice how in E130, SSX got 8/10, and was duely hyped up before release, yet only got a 1/2 page review

a little dodgy, no? A little unlike Edge also, even hyped up games that only got 4 (RS:III *cough cough*) still get at least a full page review.....and if they get a good score too ...hmmm???

Yeah, fair enough that it'd be nice sometimes to have more explanation of the higher-scoring games. To be fair to Edge though, they have explained in the past that it's decided in advance which the "lead" game that month will be (so that gets the most pages, name-checked on the cover &c). SSX3, as the 3rd sequel in a franchise probably came lower down the list, so was assigned fewer pages.
Or maybe I'm just defending the decision because I can't get so interested about snowboarding games
Gregory Horror Show on the other hand... bring that on! If it wasn't for Edge & GamesTM championing its cause, I'd never have known about it. Enough of the bitching, I'm just thankful for magazines which don't write down to their readers. Long live both of them.

[Ady]

As soon as a game that isn't to someone's personal taste gets a decent mark, then all the bias conspiracy theories come out.

[Brats]

December issue? I know shops already have Christmas cards in stock, but really?

I don't know if anyone else said, but this issue is probably early becuase EDGE do 13 issues a year, so the Christmas issue can come out around December.

I know. Still seems a little odd for December's issue to be released in October .

[Oh! My Car!]

for sure....the release dates are totally wack

[Crispin]

Why did they call the cover "The Winter Collection". I mean Fable and BC ain't out for a while. Arghhh I'm so confused.

I didn't like their cover this month. The only cover I have possibly hated more is the Minter one. Shame, as they should be applauded for the DOAXBV cover! I am alone in liking that cover. After all, it was merely an enlargement of the PAL box art....

On the subject of covers and images, do Edge get official artwork or something from the developers/publishers for the covers. Both the Metroid and Girl issues had a raised cover. Sooo did that mean they got Ninty's and Tecmo's blessing.

Oh and another thing? How come their screenshots are better than all the other mags. I mean, the Edge Ninja Gaiden shots blew away those of OXM UK's (which had already been on the net for ages). Is it because of their prestige or something that they get these shots. I'm not complaining. Hell, I thought it funny they got Killzone before OPSM2....

[Moodmon]

I never buy magazines for the reviews. Honsestly. I tend to disgaree with even the most-agreed-upon-ever reviews, in any mag. I buy them for the articles. I like Edge. The articles are different to most other mags, and I personally find them interesting.

Although I like the lovely visual style (gotta love that art department) I do wish they would fill out things like the weird games article. A couple of paragraphs isn't a huge amount.

Thus endsthe article on the forum (a post) with the most occurences of the word 'article' in it.

Article.