Apologies for the sensationalistic thread title, but it seemed to sum up the direction these two magazines are headed in. Is it just me, or since GamesTM came out, has Edge been subtly changing its format, borrowing some of the better (or more successful) elements from its new competitor?
Viz the extended Retro sections, focusing on a collectible hardware format from the past... introduced GamesTM issue one surely? Yes, admittedly Edge's Retro series was there as well, but that was a magazine special, not a regular section of the issue.
Also, the "retro review" section, introduced in Edge around the same time as GamesTM's "classic game review" section. Or the pages full of screenshots (see every issue of GamesTM, and now Edge's awards page).
And it goes the other way too, with Steven Poole getting a few column inches in the latest GamesTM issue, and of course the numerous design and stylistic nods which Paragon Publishing surely borrowed from Edge when initially launching their title. Similarly, the initial features line-up of GamesTM was far more mainstream (it was all "Console Wars: which of the 3 is the best" and "Sex & Violence in Videogames") before fortunately taking a turn for the (Edgier?) better.
Mind you, I'm not complaining about this - I like both titles, and neither has outright plagiarised the other. It's just interesting to see how much they influence each other... Or am I imagining things? Has anyone else noticed this, or am I seeing similarities where there are none?
Viz the extended Retro sections, focusing on a collectible hardware format from the past... introduced GamesTM issue one surely? Yes, admittedly Edge's Retro series was there as well, but that was a magazine special, not a regular section of the issue.
Also, the "retro review" section, introduced in Edge around the same time as GamesTM's "classic game review" section. Or the pages full of screenshots (see every issue of GamesTM, and now Edge's awards page).
And it goes the other way too, with Steven Poole getting a few column inches in the latest GamesTM issue, and of course the numerous design and stylistic nods which Paragon Publishing surely borrowed from Edge when initially launching their title. Similarly, the initial features line-up of GamesTM was far more mainstream (it was all "Console Wars: which of the 3 is the best" and "Sex & Violence in Videogames") before fortunately taking a turn for the (Edgier?) better.
Mind you, I'm not complaining about this - I like both titles, and neither has outright plagiarised the other. It's just interesting to see how much they influence each other... Or am I imagining things? Has anyone else noticed this, or am I seeing similarities where there are none?
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