I've decided that there are some things out there that just bother me, having to do with gaming, and since they don't really affect us, I figure that we can have a decent discussion on them, unlike, say, a topic about wisping, or the avenger.

My ranting today is about...

The ripoff magazine I bought yesterday.

As some of you know, I decided to purchase an Xbox 360, and have been putting money on it for the last two or three months. Since I never got the original Xbox, I've never had the chance to really read any other magazine but my trusty Game Informer.

So, yesterday, while on my 45 minute lunch, I decided to head over to the mall, sit in one of their massage chairs, and buy a magazine to read. Now, firstly, the chair was not turned on, so that ruined half of this, but this is after all, a gamer rant, so I'll move on...

I went into the nearst bookstore and browsed for an interesting magazine, and I stumbled upon the Xbox magazine. I figured it would probably have some interesting content, and it also had a TES4: Oblivion video, reportedly about 20 minutes long. The magazine was about $10, which is quite pricey, considering that's how much a 10-12 month subscription to Game Informer costs.

Much to my dismay, I found that not only was this magazine filled with crap, and half-full of advertisements, this perceived gem of a demo disc that I'd found contained the six short (admittedly good) movies about Oblivion that can be found for free on the Elder Scrolls' website. Naturally, I had already downloaded and watched them several days before.

I sat there, in the non-moving massage chair, reading about crap, and wishing I had a copy of Game Informer, and eyeing my mostly useless demo/preview disc, wishing I could spend that $10 at the cheesecake store across the way. You'd think that for $10, they could fill a magazine with -interesting- content. If you want an awesome magazine, go into your local Gamestop, Babbages, or whereever else they sell them, get a subscription to Game Informer, and you get a 10% discount card for free on used games and trade-ins.

So, if you've gotten this far, you've likely read the entire post. While it may not have excited or delighted you, I just saved you $10.

...unless you went out and got that $10 subscription.

TTFN

Heh, if we're thinking of the same magizine, I have a subscription to that. I like it. Also, again if we're thinking of the same magizine, I described part of the video on forums. Shoulda read it and recognised it and saved yourself $10 Eh, such is life. Now you can watch the demo on a nice big tv instead of a computer monitor

Edit: Oh, hmm, thought I posted about it, but I can't find it. Hmph.

Off topic Ricky, but those Oblivion videos you sent me where hot.

They so were.

Having been reading gaming magazines for...um...almost two decades I have to say that most of them just piss me off these days. I've gotten stodgy in my old age, it would seem. I have read a couple Game Informers and they've never particularly impressed me. They're not usually as bad as SOME magazines out there, but they've not managed an exceptional issue yet either. Most useful thing I've ever gotten out of them...I can't remember, now that I think about it.

So what do I like? I used to like PSM a lot. Feels like they sold out though, and I dropped my subscription to them. I'd been with them since issue one, too. Bastidges. The most impressive magazine I've seen you're not going to find on store shelves, and as far as I know most people have never heard of it. Goes by the name of Hardcore Gamer if I recall correctly. Well put together, very few ads, great thick and glossy pages, and good content. Hard as all get out to find. Only reason I know of it is because a friend of mine brought an issue back from E3.

On a side note, while I want an Xbox 360 at some point, I won't be shelling out the cash for it at launch. I've been burned twice now by launch systems failing on me, I'm going to let this one drop in price and get the bugs worked out first. I don't know how many of you know what happened to launch Xbox systems, but they were little better than paper weights usually. I'm on my second PS2 and the bloody thing is starting to rattle at me, despite the care I've given it. Ungrateful piece of hardware. My Gamecube is the only thing that hasn't had a problem. Leave it to Nintendo to make invincible hardware. ::chuckles::

I'll get Oblivion for the PC when it's released anyway. Wait until Mistwalker comes out with a few games before I worry about the Catbox2.

I've bought probably 6-10 copies of the Xbox Magazine over the past 2 years, I've never really been dissapointed with it. I was a subscriber to PC Gamer for well over 8 years (until I switched to consoles), so perhaps I'm a bit biased because PC Gamer was loaded with ads. Truth be told though I always enjoy the adds; they're usually full of humor, decent art, and some screenshots.

My usual purpose for buying the Xbox Magazine was for the demo disk included. With Xbox Live Gold now though I'll just be downloading the demos on my 360 and reading the news online.

Heh. Whether or not you like the system and games, Nintendo does put out some tanky freaking hardware. I've heard stories of people chucking their SNES out a second story window and it still working. Only Nintendo system that's failed me so far is my NES that's almost as old as I am, and I can still get it working with about a half an hour of time to invest.

Richter, magazines are always more expensive on the newstand.

The art magazines I look at from Europe are close to $30 off the newstand, and the subcription is only $100 for 12 issues.

Never ever buy a magazine off the newstand... its a big waste of money. Unless your willing to over-pay for it ofcourse.

And all gaming magazines will have more ads then content. Industry magazines are the best though... you find out cool stuff from them.

go to www.gamasutra.com to get a hold of those.

Why buy magazines if you have the internet? (I know you were at lunch and your job will block 'em out.. so it's more of a general question)

I don't say it to be a smart ass, and I really liked my magazine subscriptions when I had them, but most information, especially if it's genre specific, can be found online somewhere. If you have a subscription and it's worth the money, however, I'd go for it.

Most of the time gaming information can be found around TGS (Tokyo Game Show) and E3 with small updates and in-between things being on websites (I'll try to get a nice list sometime for you), but otherwise yeah.. you're paying for ads and the occasional interview. Most freelance sites, if well-trafficed, do previews and reviews on games as well in a timely manner.

And yes, Mistwalker will own.

Why do people buy gaming magazines? Why not just read Gamespot?

EDIT: Heh, just realized KidHendrix posted the same thing.

There's the answer! Plus, I wanted to read something while in the crazy massage chair. That wasn't turned on.