Electronic Gaming Monthly... Is it DEAD?

[KiwiArcader]

Bloody hell. I don't know why you guys persist with this crap. Write your subscription costs off as a bed debt and move on.

You put it quite succinctly .... a total cluster...k it most certainly is

[spoonman]

Bloody hell. I don't know why you guys persist with this crap. Write your subscription costs off as a bed debt and move on.

You put it quite succinctly .... a total cluster...k it most certainly is

I have been collecting since issue #1. It would seem silly to miss an issue now.

If they are over with...fine, but if they are still releasing new issues I want them for the collection.

[Phillyman]

I have been collecting since issue #1. It would seem silly to miss an issue now.

If they are over with...fine, but if they are still releasing new issues I want them for the collection.

I can totally understand that. I really hope they get it together, or change their name to EGW (Electronic Gaming Whenever)

[KiwiArcader]

Fair enough but seriously, they are giving the finger to paid up subscribers knowing all to well that people won't complain because they have already handed their money over. They think they have you over a barrel.

Personally I wouldn't give a company that treated me like that the time of day. Steve Harris should take one up the ass for the crap his company (he still owns it right?) is shoveling on their subscribers. It sounds like he's running a customer service company out of India like the one on Transformers. "Sure we'll put you through but if you pay more money we'll make more effort. Honestly"

Once I get my new scanner sorted I will start scanning all the issues I possess of EGM date restrictions be blowed. I call it the middle finger subscription.

[EGMFan]

Hey Guys,

I received a response from EGM today. The magazine is not canceled.

"We will be issuing more detailed information in the coming weeks but the print edition of EGM is not cancelled. One of our main distributors went out of business a few months ago which required a change in our publishing schedule but we have the EGM Buyers Guide out now and future issues being worked on now. The bad news is that we had an unexpected delay in publishing. The good news is that we are now distributing more copies to more locations with our new distribution partners."

Edited November 11, 2014 by EGMFan

[ctophil]

Well, if they had publishing issues of any kind, EGM should of at least e-mailed their subscribers. I e-mailed Customer Service over a week ago, and they still have not responded. They used to at least responded within 24 hours. Thanks for the update, but I still don't believe it until an issue lands in my mailbox. I have been optimistic with EGM for a long time now ever since they re-launched. But it is indeed getting ridiculous.

[Phillyman]

Well, if they had publishing issues of any kind, EGM should of at least e-mailed their subscribers. I e-mailed Customer Service over a week ago, and they still have not responded. They used to at least responded within 24 hours. Thanks for the update, but I still don't believe it until an issue lands in my mailbox. I have been optimistic with EGM for a long time now ever since they re-launched. But it is indeed getting ridiculous.

Is anything on their Twitter or Facebook pages about this? I can see them not sending out a mass email....but at least mention it on a Social medium.

[spoonman]

Is anything on their Twitter or Facebook pages about this? I can see them not sending out a mass email....but at least mention it on a Social medium.

Nothing on either. I've posted on both and the only replies I get are from confused and angry EGM subscribers wondering WTF is going on with their subscriptions. Steve Harris hasn't even replied to my personal messages and he used to in the past. I don't thing he really has anything to do with it anymore other than collecting a check (or not).

I've not heard back from the past 3 emails I've sent since mid October and I was told someone would call me last week.... never happened.

So if they are now sending out a "Buyer's Guide", what number will that be??

Also, if there was actually a Fall 2014 EGM issue, which they have claimed to have sold out, and which no subscribers or stores have actually receive, are they going to reprint them and distribute with the new publisher?

Any replies from EGM tend to bring up more questions than answers!

[EGMFan]

Just wanted to mention that I had first sent several e-mails to the magazine customer service (egm@emailcustomerservice.com) but I never heard anything back from them. I then sent an e-mail to contact@egmnow.com, which is listed under the contact information section of the www.egmnow.com website and that's where I got the response back from.

[spoonman]

Just wanted to mention that I had first sent several e-mails to the magazine customer service (egm@emailcustomerservice.com) but I never heard anything back from them. I then sent an e-mail to contact@egmnow.com, which is listed under the contact information section of the www.egmnow.com website and that's where I got the response back from.

I had the opposite experience with those email addresses.

It was the egm@emailcustomerservice.com which got me a response, but they didn't know what was going on and the last reply I received said she was going to ask a supervisor and get back to me.

That never happened..

egm@emailcustomerservice.com

Dear Mr. Henzel:

I apologize, I am looking into this with my supervisor and you will be contacted shortly. I sincerely apologize for the delay and frustration this has caused you.

Sincerely,

Shantel Tara

Customer Service

So this "EGM Buyers Guide" is being sent to subscribers?

There are still do many unanswered questions which they either seem to avoid or just don't know the answers to...

Is this new Buyer's Guide taking the place of the Fall 2014 issue, AKA #265

Was the Fall 2014 issue actually produced?

Was the Fall 2014 issue mailed out to ANY subscribers?

How many actual issues are they planning on producing per year from this point forward? I heard it was now down to 4.

Hopefully we can get some definite answers on this eventually.

With the information we have is anyone thinking of resubbing?

[ctophil]

I resubscribed last November 2013 for another 12 issues or 2 years, according to the resubscription voucher. Apparently, EGM is still on a bi-monthly schedule, but obviously it's down to a quarterly system with 4 issues per year. So, I have plenty of time to hopefully see a resolution (either EGM shutting down or continuing) soon.

I still have not received a response from customer service. It is now nearly 2 weeks.

[spoonman]

I resubscribed last November 2013 for another 12 issues or 2 years, according to the resubscription voucher. Apparently, EGM is still on a bi-monthly schedule, but obviously it's down to a quarterly system with 4 issues per year. So, I have plenty of time to hopefully see a resolution (either EGM shutting down or continuing) soon.

I still have not received a response from customer service. It is now nearly 2 weeks.

EGMFan has a much better outcome than any of us. Perhaps he's also a Chewly's Gum rep as well.

[spoonman]

Update #5

I called them again today (Thursday), and spoke to Trevor.
He claims the Fall 2014 issue definitely printed and has sold out. He said he doesn't have information on how many issues were actually printed, but he said he spoke to his supervisor and the issue was definitely, in fact, printed.

The EGM Buyer's Guide issue is now shipping. I highly suggest if you don't receive one in the next two weeks to call and request it before that is sold out as well.

That being said, if anyone is able to obtain an actual Fall 2014 issue (#265) PLEASE grab an extra copy for me. I will pay extra for your time/help.

PS: To the NeoGAF people reading this.. Please help me get unbanned. I'm "Spoonman" on there.
Someone lifetime banned me as a joke (?) and I haven't been able to get it removed. Thnx.
GAF thread here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=924832

[spoonman]

Update #7 (Setting things straight)

OK. I finally received an email from the editor of EGM and he explained everything much better than the customer service reps were able to.

So, it appears that the Fall 2014 issue was NEVER PRINTED. So anyone afraid that they missed out on this issue need not worry.
Also, as noted above by EGMFan, they did lose a distributor and are sorting that out now.

I was assured that they are still in business and working on new issues right now.
The Buyer's Guide is shipping now.

Here is the complete reply from Mr. Camron:

To: SpooNMan

Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 1:50 PM

Subject: Re: No longer receiving issues of EGM [<AD6149308>]

Hello Matthew,

We will be issuing more detailed information in the coming weeks but the print edition of EGM is not cancelled. One of our main distributors went out of business a few months ago which required a change in our publishing schedule but we have the EGM Buyers Guide out now and future issues being worked on now. The bad news is that we had an unexpected delay in publishing. The good news is that we are now distributing more copies to more locations with our new distribution partners.

Know that your account of remaining issues is only being deducting when issues are actually sent to you. We appreciate your patience and understand but also know that you can request a full refund for any unserved copies at any time by calling 1-800-829-7830. We hope that you'll stick with us as we adapt to these changes, but want you to be aware of this option.

So you know, issue #264 was actually the Summer issue that went out in June. The fall issue, #265, was pushed back, but we have a special Buyers Guide issue going out now which should arrive shortly.

Thank you very much for your support of EGM. We very much appreciate it.

Please let me know if I can answer any further questions.

Take care,

Marc Camron
Editor - Walmart GameCenter
Senior Editor - EGM/EGMi/EGMNOW
7484 Alcott. St.
Westminster, CO 80030
800-875-6298 x112
marc.camron@egmnow.net

[E-Day]

Good to know. I am glad they are still around, and that we didn't miss anything.

[ctophil]

Just as I suspected...EGM Issue #265 was never printed. I've learn to not listen to general customer service for the past couple of years. Because what they say has never come true. Don't believe it when they say an issue was "sold out." As I said in a post above, if an issue did not arrive in your mailbox, it was not published. Just wait and if EGM is still in business, it will come eventually.

I also know this because I was in customer service for many years off and on. When there is no answer, a Supervisor would tell me something that wasn't true, and I had to tell it to the person on the phone exactly as told, although I knew it was something to just "get them off the phone." It is not really their fault, however. It's that the customer service team may not have all the answers. But if we tell customers, "I don't know," the customer will get even more upset. We can't keep the customer on the phone too long because that will decrease production time. I know how it works.

But thanks Spoonman for the update. As always, glad that EGM is still in business regardless of the situation.

[kartracer3]

Just in case anyone is curious I did see the 2015 Winter Buyer's Guide in a Barnes and Noble book store this past week. There are four cover variants and it is labeled as "Winter 2015" on the spine, but is not given a proper issue number on the cover.

Edited November 28, 2014 by kartracer3

[ctophil]

Cool, Kartracer3! Thanks for the update. I'm glad to see the buyer's guide issue came out to retail. This means that we will get that in the mail soon.

[spoonman]

Just in case anyone is curious I did see the 2015 Winter Buyer's Guide in a Barnes and Noble book store this past week. There are four cover variants and it is labeled as "Winter 2015" on the spine, but is not given a proper issue number on the cover.

Thanks for sharing the pic.

The loss of issue # is a bit annoying. I'd rather see them not print the date than the issue #.

I wonder if they are ditching the numbering system for good.

[E-Day]

I think this is more like what they sent this time last year; special issues that don't count as part of the regular run.

If anyone who gets an issue can scan (or take an amazingly good, straight, large, close, photo the cover for the Gallery, that would be great.

[spoonman]

So, has anyone with a subscription received the Buyer's Guide yet?

[ctophil]

Nope. I did saw the EGM Buyer's Guide at my local Wal-mart magazine stand. They only had two copies left. I resisted from buying a copy, since they cost $10.00 these days. My patience is running thin waiting for my copy. But I'll hang around a little longer.

[E-Day]

I haven't gotten mine yet either. I saw them last week at a couple of stores. I didn't buy one simply because I wasn't sure which cover I would be getting when mine arrived. Yet again they have multiple covers.

[KiwiArcader]

So what everyone is saying is subscribers have gotten a bum deal ... again ...?

[Gewow]

So what everyone is saying is subscribers have gotten a bum deal ... again ...?

I think mag is done...