Poll: Anybody still buy gaming magazines?

[Hosker]

In the days of the internet, is there still a market for gaming magazines? Have you ever bought them? Do you still?

Personally, I use to buy them. They were the only way I could see if a game was good or not, or see what games are coming out, and when. Since getting a decent speed internet, the need to buy them lessened drastically; there are multiple gaming websites with their own reviews, and a limitless supply of opinions in general. But I still bought them, despite this.
Not any more though. The main reason I bought them was for the reviews. When I checked out OXM's website, I realised they posted all their reviews on there(not the best idea, in my opinion). I then stopped buying them; I can just read the reviews on there and save myself £6 a month.
Oh, and demos can now be downloaded.

I am curious how many people buy them.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

Sometimes I grab one, not very commonly though.

Physical text is always better than anything digital.

 

[rockyoumonkeys]

I still have my subscription to Game Informer, but that's always been secondary to the Gamestop membership. I wouldn't just do the subscription itself. I flip through each issue briefly the day they arrive, then I never look at it again.

 

[Bigsmith]

I would possibly subscribe to one if I have the money.

 

[Marik2]

I still have my subscription to Game Informer, but that's always been secondary to the Gamestop membership. I wouldn't just do the subscription itself. I flip through each issue briefly the day they arrive, then I never look at it again.

Same here

 

[AvsJoe]

My brother was the Nintendo Power-buying one of the family. I didn't care about the hibbity-jibbety-pibbety-sqibbety of it all, I just wanted to play the games.

 

[Salem_Wolf]

I still have my subscription to Game Informer, but that's always been secondary to the Gamestop membership. I wouldn't just do the subscription itself. I flip through each issue briefly the day they arrive, then I never look at it again.

Pretty much this.

Now and then I buy an EGM but they used to be REALLY biased against the PS3, as a PS3 owner that puts me at odds with them due to inaccurate or horribly put-out articles on the PS3. I think that changed when their physical magazine returned, and I still love EGM but I just don't have a subscription or buy many of their magazines.

 

[Harlemura]

I bought an Xbox 360 magazine a week or two back. But that was just for the free Assassin's Creed poster.
Other than that, no. Unless it's got a game that takes my interest on the cover, I ignore 'em.

 

[Blue_vision]

I really don't find normal gaming magazines very interesting. I've noticed that the Escapist is rather different.

But if it's worth any discussion, I still get a science/sociology magazine once or twice a month.

 

[Sun Flash]

I've still got my subscription to Games Master that I've had for the past 10 years. I don't really need it (especially since most of the reviews are copy pasted onto Games Radar). But I like the writing and the features they do. It's also cool seeing your name and comment/picture/ideas in a published magazine. They printed one of my drawings once (I was pretty young at the time and it was the first time that ever happened). The pride and awesomeness that filled my chest that day was immense.

Also, as added nostalgia factor, Games Master the magazine was a spin off from Games Master the tv show, hosted by Dominik Diamond and had Patrick Moore as a disembodied head moaning at children wanting cheats for the Sega MegaDrive. Excuse me, there's something in my eye...


...So yeah, I do, regularly.

 

[Kiba The Wolf]

I have a suscription to Game informer. I sometimes enjoy their articles, I know I could just read them on the website but I need something to read in the bathroom

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Over the years, I've had subscriptions to PSM, OPM, and Game Informer -- and that's just the gaming magazines. I also used to buy the occasional individual gaming mag, usually a Nintendo Power. However, I haven't had a magazine subscription since the initial Game Informer subscription wore off; the Gamestop membership isn't worth it to me, since I almost never spend the $100 in a year that I would need to to break even -- at least not in Gamestop alone -- and I don't trade my games in, after a few bad experiences as a kid where I was offered way less than I was willing to take for the games. Besides, I don't own a current gen console, so I'm not really the target audience of any of the magazines I just listed.

The only gaming mag that even interests me at this point is PC Gamer, and not only is it next to impossible to find a copy, but on the rare occasion I have found a copy in recent years, it seemed that every article they ran wound up on the website, free of charge. This makes it really not worth the price of admission. If anyone is interested in why I came to the escapist in the first place, that's pretty much it; the articles remind me of the quality of the physical magazines from my childhood -- which makes me one of the few people who came to the escapist for the articles, instead of Yahtzee.

 

[MostlyHarmless]

I was stupid enough to subscribe for OXM when I first got my 360. As soon as it expires, I'm not re-subscribing. The reviews seem incredibly biased, and whenever someone mentions an 360 exclusive, they do nothing but praise it. I tend to like the Internet rather than paid informants.

 

[Zipa]

I still get PC Gamer.

 

[octafish]

PC Power Play, I like the columns and trust the reviewers, plus it's a PC mag, I have to know the latest benchmarks even if I'm not buying the hardware. I don't like reading off LCDs for extended periods of time.

 

[Simnic]

I pay per MB so i buy them.

 

[Ashcrexl]

thanks to gamespot's totally awesome powercard, yes! i love gaming magazines! every time i receive an issue of gameinformer, it is like a little bit of christmas in my mailbox.

 

[Vivace-Vivian]

I know I'm always shocked when we sell one.