Gaming The best video game magazine...

[2010DigitalBoy]

I first got into video games because during a fierce obsession with Pokemon, I subscribed to 3 years of Nintendo Power, causing me to be a Nintendo freak and in effect miss out on EVERY major gaming event up until 2004. Wow, I suck. Anyway, Now that Im a Game Informer subscriber I get a lot more neccessary informatioin. Sometimes, tthough, I see those XBMs and PSMs and all their bonus crap and think, "Should I subscibe to them?" Then, today I got an email from Nintendo Power allowing me to get three free issues and a chance to subscribe afterwards. I liked that idea to. Now I wonder, What is the best magazine to subscribe to? Yes, Game Informer gives a lot of info, but its always totally late. I don't know what to do!

[Bloodseeker]

Damn, its been ages since I even considered picking up a gaming magazine!

I used to subscribe to XBM (it must be a good two since then), and it really was underrated. Everybody was always ripping on it, but I always enjoyed reading every issue and being amongst the first to catch the Halo 2 videos and check out game demos. And its not terribly expensive if you subscribe to it...

PSM was crap though. I picked it up a few times, and not only were the editors anti-funny, their opinions sucked too. I don't remember what they reviewed exactly, but I do remember laughing at how bad their tastes were...

But if you want to know about the extra stuff, why not just pick up an issue from your local store? Most of the stores around here sell all of the gaming magazines. I doubt that that changes too drastically in other parts of America.

[OtakuSennen]

From my experience, console-specific game magazines like Nintendo Power and PSM are pretty much propaganda designed to make you want to buy most of the games that come out. I'd suggest a more all-around one, like Game Informer or Electronic Gamer Monthly. I paid for two years of EGM recently, and though it's not the greatest magazine in the history of the universe, I enjoy it.

Of course, you could always just go to internet news sites like IGN or Gamespot and get information a month before you see it on the shelves (This past E3 is the perfect example. Most sites provide day-by-day coverage, while you don't see that in magazines until a month or two later). You don't get demos that way, but it's a lot cheaper.

[Semjaza]

Nintendo Power has actually improved dramatically in recent months. They seem to be far more objective and are making an effort to attract older gamers. Their letter of the month a couple months ago, for example, was basically all about how Nintendo relies way too much on exisiting franchises in their games. That's certainly not something the old Nintendo Power would have printed.

At E3 they made a big deal about how they were revamping and redesigning the magazine. Their site offered me a free 3 month trial so I took them up on that. There's a Beck interview in there (I assume about the Hell Yes remixes) that I'm looking forward to.

Otherwise, I don't care about gaming magazines. They all get news late, they're often headed by people with bizarre ego trips and generally have a horrid sense of humor. With the internet there's no reason for that stuff anymore.

The worst magazine I can think of, however, is probably Game Informer. Why they brag about sales numbers when 90% of them are probably from Gamestop forcing them on people, I have no idea.

[boxybrown305]

[COLOR=DarkRed]A long long time ago i got Nintendo Power. This was back in the mid-late 90's when i too was a Nintendo freak. I liked it then, but it probably was all just a scheme to get people to buy buy buy! Which i did. I haven't seen it lately though, so maybee it's better. I've seen PSM, though never a subscription. I read one issue of it at an airport or something, and never again. The Official Playstation Magazine was better, but again times may have changed, i don't know. I never had or seen any Xbox magazine, so i can't judge there.

In general, i preffer magazines that cover all systems. You don't get as many bonuses, but it's a lot cheaper, and you get more coverage. I used to get EGM for a year or two. They have pretty good articles and interviews. For the past couple years however, i've been subcribed to Game Informer. I don't care what they say about sales or anything, i value their oppinion. They tend to deliver quite well on previews/reviews, it often sways my decision of weather to buy something of not. Lately though, they have been very late with their material, which obviously would already be slow in the first place. Chances are this is the last year i will subscribe to anything, due to the increadible convenience of the internet, there just isn't any need for a magazine any more.[/COLOR]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]I've been a subscriber to Nintendo Power since 2000, and they really have improved a lot. I'm liking the new design, too -- they're focusing less on walkthrough sections now, and more on news, previews, and reviews. Plus the special sections like Community, which had an article on the Pokémon competition in Seattle and that interview with Beck this month, are interesting. Overall, there's a lot more stuff I'm actually interested in reading now.

So I'd say Nintendo Power ranks as my favorite game magazine now. I had been subscribing to Electronic Gaming Monthly and Game Informer off and on, but when my subscriptions ran out recently, I just didn't really feel much incentive to renew. It was nice to get more multi-console articles, but I can get most of that online anyway. Nintendo Power, especially now after the revamping, actually has stuff I'm willing to pay for which I can't just get online.[/color]