GamesTM and GamesMaster magazines to close

[QualityChimp]

Another GamesTM fan here.
I think the amount of time it has survived is telling of the quality.

Personally, the opportunity to sit around reading a magazine is pretty rare these days and I'd rather be playing a game, rather than reading about it.

I like Sketcz' Idea, though. Playing to the strengths of printed format, rather than playing catch-up with online.

I love it when someone talks about their favourite games and makes you investigate something you've not tried and our recent chat in the SoR thread had me thinking about the making of the first two games.

I've recently bought a couple of the Hardcore Gaming 101 PDFs (Castlevania and Konami Shooters), but I stayed late after work to abuse the work printer and have put them in a folder to read in the olde skool way.

There's definitely room for something, but it's breaking new ground.

Sketcz, you need to get on this.

[Neon Ignition]

Somehow I'd kind of failed to register Games Master closing as well - That one, well, other than CVG being better it takes me right back, I remember that first coming out and other kids reading it at Primary School

According to the notice, GM isn't profitable either yet according to Wiki it's a bigger hitter than EDGE which has to assure the writings on the wall for that mag.

[Dogg Thang]

The citation for that appears to be over 10 years old and a lot has changed since then. But yeah, it will be interesting to see if Edge can hang on. It’s a different magazine and might just serve more of a purpose as a physical magazine than GM does these days but I have to imagine it has been hit hard over the last decade.

[Atticus]

I still cherry-pick the odd issue of Edge but at £6 a pop I've become very selective. Maybe I'm stuck in the past but handing over any more than a fiver for a mag is tough to justify month in, month out.

[_SD_]

I’d be quite interested in more independent fanzines like Pink Bulletts or APWoT... Hyper Play looks awesome but I have no interest in JRPGs, unfortunately.

[Paddy]

I get the feeling you've suggested this in the past Sketz and its been shot down. Its a shame as its a great suggestion that already happens frequently with new film releases (the directors and writers talking to outlets about the directing/writing of Infinity War immediately comes to mind).

Its a shame that Games TM is ending and I enjoyed what issues of it I have read in the past. I'm interested in supporting one-offs or quarterly released magazines that cover a specific subject/part of gaming culture (and willing to pay more if the advertising and circulation numbers are lower). I always thought the collections that Imagine Publishing released were pretty great too.

[teddymeow]

I buy Edge when MyFavouriteMagazines have their £5 for 5 issues offer.

[Leon Retro]

I didn't like post-2000 EDGE. Between 1993-2000 though, it was a really enjoyable magazine that found a perfect balance between nerdy and enthusiast. It was simply a magazine that resonated with what I enjoy about the world of gaming.

I bought GamesTM for a few years -- but I never felt it reached anywhere near the level EDGE had achieved back in the 90s. I think I enjoyed the retro section more than anything.

Gaming magazines that I remember fondly are: The Games Machine; Mean Machines; Games-X; GameFan; Super Play; MAXIMUM.

The only magazine I have bought over the past 10 years is Retro Gamer -- it's absolutely superb.

[gambit6613]

Really gutted these two mags are going, Gamemaster more so as i have been reading this since the very first edition in 1993. Kind of feels like when CVG disappeared from the shelves i.e really easy to read and i genuinely have much affection for the mag. GamesTM too, i have been a reader of that mag for many years, similar to Edge but different, loved their features and Retro sections each month.

I love gaming mags, something quite satisfying in holding a physical paper magazine in your hands, its very sad that we could be nearing the end of a medium that has been so important in my own personal gaming life. But the real killer for me is the cost of magazines now, £5+ per mag is just far to expensive. I never understood when PC Gamer and the official console mags ditched the demo discs many years ago but still put there prices up, obviously the demo discs became redundant but the price never reflected this.

Due to the cost of paper mags, for the past year or 2 i have been a subscriber to Readly and pay £6 for access to all the gaming mags, not to mention hundreds of different genres too. I just hope Edge and the official mags hold out because once they are gone it will be truly a very sad day.

[QualityChimp]

I'd not heard of Readly, thanks.
You can't beat the feeling of flipping through a paper mag, though.

[gambit6613]

I'd not heard of Readly, thanks.
You can't beat the feeling of flipping through a paper mag, though.

Yeah Readly is fantastic, pretty much every magazine you can find on the shelves in newsagents is on there and not only UK mags, but mags from all over the world. Obviously you dont get any of the free stuff often bundled with the gaming mags for example but most of its tat and for £7.99 a month it saves a small fortune, especially considering the digital mags such as Edge, PC Gamer etc cost £5 each, and its all legit. Not to mention you can also download previous months mags too, truly a brilliant app.

[importaku]

Thought i wasn't going mad, yup there is still nintendo centric games mags out there. Nintendo dream is still going.

[wakka]

Sad to see these close, amazed Gamesmaster in particular kept going as long as it did.

The way forward for games mags has been outlined well above by others, especially Sketcz. The problem I've found with many fanzine type efforts is the design is often wonderful but the editorial quality lacking. That was the case with Scroll but I haven't tried the latest efforts yet.

[prinnysquad]

I’ve received an email saying my subscription has been transferred to Edge.

Great! That’s EXACTLY what I want. The most dour, faux-stylised borefest on the market, delivered to my doormat.

[Family Fry]

New mag launching in November about games development.

https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org

Wireframe is a new fortnightly magazine that lifts the lid on video games. We review video games, look at how they’re made, who makes them, and teach you how to make your own.

You can grab a free issue from the site whilst stocks last and all that, it’s got Gris on the cover so I had to order one.