Follow up on GI
Thanks for the comments on my Game Informer post.
I hadn't read EGM's column and just heard about the abstract -- specifically that EGM had been banned from Ubisoft becuase of their negative reviews -- at least that's the way I understood it. The GI editorial smacked of 'nyah nyah we haven't been banned,' and I just didn't think it was because of their good reviews, I thought it was because they were owned by GameStop. That may or may not be the reason, but the editoral (both of them including EGM) sounded pretty much like a teenager in a pissing contest. The problem I have with EGM was that why go public with that -- do you think that people will stop buying Ubisoft games because they don't supply EGM with reviews?
If I could get enough paying subscribers, the Consumer Reports model (no advertising, everything bought at retail) would be the best way to go..it would have to be online only because print takes so long but then there would be zero conflict. There would also probably be zero money. I will agree with GI in that the whole 'who paid you off thing' is silly. The writer of the article, even Gerstmann at GameSpot, was able to let the world know what words were his....well as much as the confidentiality agreement would allow.
Anyway, that was my gist there. I do like GI the magazine, it is a great deal at Gamestop for the 10% bonus/discount and the mag is better than some other stuff I've seen out there.
Contact Us
Riding the Pines Podcast
Search Amazon.com
What We’re Playing
Dan:
February 25th, 2008 - 02:51
I was going to comment on this earlier, but I had to fix some home internet problems.
Game Informer is owned by Gamestop, but the story is far longer than just that. Game Informer is the only major gaming magazine that does not originate from the Bay Area. EGM used to come from Chicago until they moved out west, Game Informer is still based here in Minneapolis.
The long story of Game Informer’s owner starts way back when Funcoland started up here in Minnesota. Game Informer was born in 1991 and was tied to bonus/discount much the same as it is today with Gamestop, but at Funcoland.
Gamestop started as Babbages and later went on to purchase Software, Etc. in 1994, but lived as separate entities. Both companies were then purchased by Barnes and Noble and B&N bought out Funcoland in 2000 and put Babbages, Etc. (the merging of Babbages and Software, Etc.) under Funco and the name of the company was changed to Gamestop. Along with Funcoland came Game Informer and that is why it is still Gamestop backed. In 2004, Gamestop spun off of Barnes and Noble in a stock swap and is now its own entity and later merged with EB Games obviously.
Amazingly, Andy McNamara has been with Game Informer since it first started. So, he’s soon to celebrate his 17th year with GI. I’m not sure how long he’s been EiC and I have met him here and there at events that somehow come here to the Twin Cities. As far as I know, Gamestop down in Texas has no hold over what the magazine does here in Minneapolis, they are two separate entities under the same umbrella so to speak.
Also remember that along with the tie-in to Gamestop as a company (and Funco before it) that GI is still the largest subscribed gaming magazine out there with millions of subscriptions per month. I also believe they have a lot of companies fly into here to show off their games versus them having to travel out west for everything (outside of the major press events that is).
As for EGM itself, as someone said earlier they have tried to bring controversy upon themselves. Ever since the Peter Moore interview by Shoe things have gotten downright nasty in his editorials at the front of EGM (calling out companies paying people to send them places whereas he and the staff pay their own way via 1Up/Ziff, etc.). I think he’s trying to be a straight shooter and letting the readers know what is going on, but many times I think it falls on deaf ears. It will be interesting to see what Mielke brings to the table in his editorials once he takes over EGM and leaves Shoe to a higher position in the 1Up company.