Electronic Gaming Monthly... Is it DEAD?

[E-Day]

The problem also seems to be that games don't seem to be available for review until a week before they are released. So websites have reviews a few days before the game is out, and magazines much later. Except if you are one of the three official magazines. They seem to have reviews in their pages for games that were just released a week or so before, or even for games that are going to come out in the next couple of weeks, which means they had to do the review at least a month before the issue hit newsstands.

Before the internet, magazines would have reviews for games that were still a month away from release when the magazine hit the newsstands. So the magazines had a copy of the game (whether complete or not), several months before the game's release. If I read a review in August for a game coming out in September, that means the magazine had a copy in June or July (maybe earlier). This doesn't seem to happen anymore, which is why magazines never seem to get the jump on reviews (unless you are Nintendo Power or one of the other official magazines), since web sites can get their reviews up within a day. Ditto for previews.

And everything is written differently these days. It's like the writers and readers of both web sites and magazines forgot that the coverage was about games, something that is supposed to be fun, and that maybe the writing should reflect that fun. But the games have changed too. They are for more serious and graphic these days. It's hard to do a whimsical review of a game where you are tasked with mass murder (80% of games these days it seems).

[partypooper]

I also loved EGM's honesty and integrity. They weren't afraid to say a game absolutely sucked but that's also part of the reason they died because of the backlash it caused. Developers and publishers started pulling ads and access. I saw the end coming when the issues came in the mail and they became thinner and thinner. EGM had balls, it was reviews I can trust.

[spoonman]

I have heard stories from many people very dissatisfied with their treatment from both EGM and GameFan.

My hope is that video game journalism doesn't get the reputation for using and abusing people just because

there are so many willing to sell themselves short just to get a foot in the door of this industry.

I left EGM after 5 years due to some major issues and pure exhaustion. Working 80-90 hour weeks

and being on fixed salary can make you a disgruntled worker no matter how cool the job.

Martin Alessi

Wow.. The Martin Alessi. I enjoyed your writing from back in the day. You helped motivate me to try my hand as a video game journalist.

Unfortunately I didn't get much further than writing reviews for Philips (CD-i World Magazine).. and we all knew that wasn't much of a gaming machine.

I had a chance to write for a few other magazines, but you're right, it's very hard work, and writing was not a skill I was born with.

In the end I enjoy the history, preservation, sharing aspect of gaming more.

Back in the early days, getting a new EGM or Nintendo Fun Club News/NP in the mail was a little bit like Christmas morning.

It'll never be like that again, and it's sad to see them all dropping out. People should at least experience what it's like to read a magazine or book made of paper.

[defaultuser000]

Cool site BTW, Spoonman

Did you get your issue #256 in the mail from a subscription or from a newsstand? Beacuse I haven't gotten anything yet from my subscription.

[spoonman]

Cool site BTW, Spoonman

Did you get your issue #256 in the mail from a subscription or from a newsstand? Beacuse I haven't gotten anything yet from my subscription.

Thanks.

I called the 800# and they shipped it out directly.

I've pretty much had to call each month.

[E-Day]

Thanks.

I called the 800# and they shipped it out directly.

I've pretty much had to call each month.

Do you have a scanner that you could use to scan the cover for the cover gallery? I have not received my copy yet, and in case it never shows up, I don't want to have that issue missing from the gallery.

[ctophil]

Do you have a scanner that you could use to scan the cover for the cover gallery? I have not received my copy yet, and in case it never shows up, I don't want to have that issue missing from the gallery.

I got my EGM issue # 256 the other day. I assume you'll get your issue eventually. I never had to call EGM to get my magazines. They just get to me really late most of the time. I can scan the cover if you need me to.

[E-Day]

I'll hold out and wait for it to arrive before I beg for help

Gone are the days that magazines got to you before the newsstands. Now if you get them the same week as the newsstand you're very lucky.

[Schloss Ritter]

This reminds me that I've got a pile of GameInformer from the last couple years that I've been meaning to go through for alternate covers to the ones scanned here. I also keep procrastinating on a growing project of scanning the back covers since the cover artwork continues onto them.

[partypooper]

Back in the early days, getting a new EGM or Nintendo Fun Club News/NP in the mail was a little bit like Christmas morning.

It'll never be like that again, and it's sad to see them all dropping out. People should at least experience what it's like to read a magazine or book made of paper.

Amen brother.

[spoonman]

Do you have a scanner that you could use to scan the cover for the cover gallery? I have not received my copy yet, and in case it never shows up, I don't want to have that issue missing from the gallery.

Yeah, no problem.

You'll probably receive it before I getit scanned.

If you don't receive it in a week or so let me know and I'll get it scanned for you.

[AaronDude]

OK, So I subscribed to egmmag.com about a day ago BEFORE I found this. I wish I found this earlier. I'm just a few hours too late. It sounds like I may have just been bamboozled. they gave me an error message too instead of the ipass code. So I'm just going to ask streight up again even though this has been somewhat answered. Are people actually getting their magazines from this company? What are the chances I won't get mine and I just wasted 25 bucks?

Also this is a bit off topic but what is with egm and their like five sites? They split everything up so much it makes it confusing. I don't know what does what. You got egmmag.com, egmnow.com and two others I think. Ok that makes four but you get what I mean.

I think this ipass might be fake, has anyone got it to work or actually recieved an ipass code?

[ctophil]

OK, So I subscribed to egmmag.com about a day ago BEFORE I found this. I wish I found this earlier. I'm just a few hours too late. It sounds like I may have just been bamboozled. they gave me an error message too instead of the ipass code. So I'm just going to ask streight up again even though this has been somewhat answered. Are people actually getting their magazines from this company? What are the chances I won't get mine and I just wasted 25 bucks?

Also this is a bit off topic but what is with egm and their like five sites? They split everything up so much it makes it confusing. I don't know what does what. You got egmmag.com, egmnow.com and two others I think. Ok that makes four but you get what I mean.

I think this ipass might be fake, has anyone got it to work or actually recieved an ipass code?

Well, when EGM first relaunched, the egmmag.com site had new issues come out like once a week or 4 times a month. As you can see, no new digital issues have come out for a few months. My ipass code still works. Not sure if new subscribers have any problems. As for the physical mags, they are currently on a bi-monthly subscription or once every two months. However, they have stopped putting the months on the cover since the last issue # 256. So technically, physical mags are still reaching people's mailboxes, albeit quite late most of the time. Send an email to customer service about your ipass code. They still respond to you but may be clueless about the current status of EGM.

[Phillyman]

I thought I subscribed, but I can't find a charge to my debit card anywhere. Very odd, as I remember subscribing to Nintendo Power and EGM at the same time. One month later I subscribed to RetroGamer, but I only have been receiving Nintendo Power and RG for the past 9 months or so.

[AaronDude]

Yeah I can't even get a response from customer service through email after sending three. I just get that auto reply message. It's only been a couple of work days but no outfit I ever emailed took more than a few hours.

[spoonman]

Yeah I can't even get a response from customer service through email after sending three. I just get that auto reply message. It's only been a couple of work days but no outfit I ever emailed took more than a few hours.

The best way to contact them is by phone, (800) 829-7830

They also have 2 email addresses:

egm@emailcustomerservice.com, support@egmnow.net

[spoonman]

Question of the month...

Anyone spot EGM Issue #257 yet?

Issue #256 said Display until 10/16/2012 so I assume they planned on at least having another issue out about now.

[E-Day]

I saw 257 on the news stands, labeled as November/December 2012, and I also got it in the mail last week. So it's out there!

[AaronDude]

I haven't got my first issue yet. The website egmnow seems to be in good health. I guess it can take 2-3 months to get the first issue. Looks like they don't care about that ipass stuff though. I can't get a response through email about that ipass code and I sure as heck aint calling them. I usually get jerked around a lot when I call outfits. Guess it doesn't matter too much anyway since they aint updating it ever.

[spoonman]

I saw 257 on the news stands, labeled as November/December 2012, and I also got it in the mail last week. So it's out there!

You're right. I just got this today. I'm so glad it made it here before the Hurricane hit.

[E-Day]

The January/February issue is out. It has multiple covers.

[spoonman]

The January/February issue is out. It has multiple covers.

Yep. it's officially outlived Nintendo Power..

[Areala]

Not quite. Nintendo Power started in 1988 (earlier than that if you count the Nintendo Fun Club precursor) and published monthly up until they closed up shop. EGM didn't arrive on the scene until 1989, later converted to a bimonthly format, and took a year off between 2009 and 2010. EGM's got some work to do if they want to catch up to Nintendo's sheer issue numbers. If you're just talking time frame, then they're still looking at another two years to go before they're even.

*huggles*
Areala

[spoonman]

Not quite. Nintendo Power started in 1988 (earlier than that if you count the Nintendo Fun Club precursor) and published monthly up until they closed up shop. EGM didn't arrive on the scene until 1989, later converted to a bimonthly format, and took a year off between 2009 and 2010. EGM's got some work to do if they want to catch up to Nintendo's sheer issue numbers. If you're just talking time frame, then they're still looking at another two years to go before they're even.

*huggles*

Areala

What I meant was EGM is still still producing new issues while NP is not.

I've been collecting game mags since 1981 and have full sets of EGM, Fun Club News, NP, Nintendo Power Flash, and I'm working on the pre-cursor to EGM, Electronic Game Player Magazine.

If you are talking longest running "related publications" (I.E. The content that matters most being the writers) I would have to say that goes to Bill Kunkel, Arnie Katz, and Joyce Worley (Electronic Games, Video Games & Computer Entertainment, and the return of EG.

[Jie]

To be fair, EGM did undergo a rather irregular publication period a couple of years ago (as Areala mentioned) while Nintendo has been rather regular in their issues. Man, I even bought EGM's supposed FINAL issue, only to find out that they'vew resumed publication a year or so later.