My boyfriend’s younger brother is turning 16 next week and I’m trying to figure out which gaming magazine subscription to get him. He’s 16 but probably reads at 13-14 year level since he just moved to the U.S. two years ago. He’s also a pretty “young” 16 since he’s the baby of the family.
I haven’t kept up with the gaming world for the last decade or so, but I remember my sister getting magazines like EGM (which looks to be defunct now) and GamePro. Their sole console right now is the XBOX 360 but it looks like they might get a PS3 in the next half year or so. Which magazine is the current best multi-console magazine?
I’m not sure there really are any good gaming magazines anymore. I’m a pretty avid gamer and I could not think of a single one offhand - the internet has pretty much killed that business since they have better content (videos, demos, etc) and it’s more up to date, plus it’s free.
I haven’t read a gaming mag in years, but from what I can see it’s basically all official (insert console here) magazines, and then GameInformer, which used to be great. Though, as burnttoast said, most gaming mags have gone the way of the sabre tooth tiger for the obvious and aforementioned reasons
I agree with what the others have said about the internet killing off gaming mags, but if he really wants one, GameInformer seems pretty decent. I got a free subscription from GameStop for getting an Edge card, and I still flip through it when I get it.
PC Gamer UK (Note: UK) has a very high journalistic standard, employs very good journalists (Like Tom Francis) and is consistently funny and informative.
GamePro has gotten a new editor, John Davison, who IIRC used to work for PC Gamer UK, and was an excellent editor on OPM (Official PlayStation Magazine) for quite some time. I think it’s a very good magazine, if a tad thin - though obviously subscribing would be cheaper than buying per issue. They also have a strong online “presence” as well.
I get Game Informer and it’s OK. If your bf’s yb lives near a GameStop/EB Games, get him the Edge Card which comes with a free Game Informer subscription the Edge Card gets him a discount on used games too.
Right your best bet is essentially (platform) magazine. The publishers of PC gamer magazine just started a world of warcraft magazine, which appears to be good, though you’d obviously have to be a fan of the game to get anything out of it.
For the most part these magazines are a novelty item IMHO. Something to pass the time before falling asleep in bed, or going to the bathroom (YMMV). Cutting edge, at this moment, HD video, game reporting is free and all over the internet. For just getting your hands on gaming info you can’t beat that with a monthly publication .
Thanks for the responses! I was leaning towards GamePro before, but I’ll definitely check out Game Informer and PC Gamer UK as well if I see it. I’ll be heading to Border’s tomorrow to look through the different magazines just to get a feel for them first.
I’m not sure if the Edge card will be an option since he doesn’t drive or even buy games, he just mooches off his older brothers’ games.
I hear what you’re saying about the lack of good magazines, badlyburnttoast. I still remember reading Gamefan in the early 90’s with some fondness. The main reason I’m getting a magazine subscription is because the younger brother doesn’t really read much and his family’s been trying to improve his language and writing skills. I figure a magazine, despite being a shadow of its former self, would still be edited and proofread, right? Besides, I remember getting my own subscriptions as a kid and the joy of getting something sent to me in the mail.
We keep our Game Informer in the bathroom, where it serves quite the useful purpose. (We’ve got to start keeping National Geographic out of there or we’re going to get hemorrhoids.) It’s not bad, although I think it must have run out and we failed to notice.
Supposedly EGM and GameFan are both being relaunched later this year.
GamePro… unless it’s had a MAJOR overhaul in the last year or two, has pretty much been the bottom of the barrel since back when there really was a barrelful of magazines to choose from.
I like Game Informer,been getting it for some time now. The articles are good and the game pics are nice. I also enjoy the reviews,since they have been pretty much on the money most of the time.
If he has a Nintendo system,he might like Nintendo Power. It seems to be geared to kids and covers the Wii,Wiiware and the DS. It also has announcements and reviews. It’s a good mag if you don’t mind the screaming colors and the obvious kid-friendly platform. It’s kind of hard to find though,so if he wants it,you may be better off getting him a subscription.
Even cheaper is to subscribe to Game Informer through an online magazine clearing house. Best Deal Magazines offers a 1 year subscription for $6, and sometimes offers it on promo for less than $5.
I subscribe to the Official Playstation Magazine, formerly PSM. It used to be completely independent but in the last year or so they became official. However, their general style is of the same kind when they were independent and a lot of holdovers from PSM stayed, so I tend to trust their reviews. I enjoy their coverage of sometimes odd stuff in games, and occasional news from Japan.
I used to like EGM, but it became too kiddie. Don’t get GamePro for the same reason.
One way to tell who the magazine is marketed towards is to look at the letters and fan art section. GamePro’s fan art were from 8 year olds in crayons. EGM’s slightly old, while PSM’s used to have professionally made digital artwork worthy of someone paid to do this. Thus you can tell their magazine caters to an older and more mature audience.
Oh man this brings back memories. I haven’t read any gaming magazines for a few years now, but I used to read 4 or so every month. EGM/EGM2 (ExpertGamer… it had one other name), Game Informer, Nintendo Power, GamePro… and I had a few others I think.
My favorite was EGM2 (upon the edit, some searching reveals it was called Game Players) back during the Gazuga silliness era… I have to go heat my rocks… Watch out for the lizard men! Man, that editor was on crack! (that Editor was Bill Donahue. Dan Hsu worked there as well, and I think he later became the editor of EGM. )
Thanks everyone! So I ended up getting him… soda. At least it was sort of fancy soda. Maybe he could drink it while playing video games.
Anti-climactic, huh? I went to our local Borders and the selection was pretty paltry. They had GamePro, which was just as sad as everyone said, and PC Gamer, which was great, except a yearly subscription would be about 70 pounds a year and the kid doesn’t play much PC games. I didn’t see Game Informer there, and since I procrastinated till the last day, it was too late to go check it out elsewhere. I might end up getting a XBOX magazine subscription for him later since it’s their console of choice. That shouldn’t be awful, right?
