Gameweek?

I got a letter in the mail today asking me to renew my subscription to PC Gamer magazine, and for the first time I actually threw it away. For three years I've been receiving the mag, and have been reading it for even longer. I have always considered it one of the better gaming publications out there. The demo disc has been home to many great trials, and the writing is always serious and balanced. Its not quite on par with the critical and classy pages of Next Generation, but when that magazine tragiclly keeled over, PC Gamer was the next best thing.

I decided, however, not to renew my subscription. PCG's quality is fading, and its not practical while away at college. For someone who has been reading game magazines since 6th grade, I thought the choice would cause some feeling of sadness, the kind you get when breaking a tradition that makes no sense to anyone but you. Instead it made me think about the state of gaming publications in the age of the internet. In their current state they are unecessary. In the age of the internet, gaming news changes every day. Even if most of it is of little importance, something big always comes around, but when a gaming mag reports it its usually old news. It makes sense considering they only come out once a month and are written far in advance (you December issue is probably started in October). It also makes sense to see that this is a broken system. No one wants to pay for old news after all. Not even the "Exclusive" features are worthing reading. Exclusives used to be the highlight of the isssue, something special, original, as if given by the gods to the chosen readers. These days and exclusive is usually a preview of a hot game that offer pages of speculation and basic information that has floated on the 'net for weeks, a few new tidbits that mean nothing in the long run, and no more than ten screenshots, just so the publication can say they were the first with the "Real Scoop". Their other form is in first reviews. It isn't odd to see a game's review a week before release, but it is when it comes from a magazine. How can something written a month in advance would be able to play final code of a game? All the controversy surrounding the early reviews of Driver 3 proved that they can't, and now its hard to trust that anyone with an early review actually sat down with the same game that would ship to retail.

The only redeming quality of magazines over internet documents is that a good publication will hire talented writers that offer a wit and wisdom not found elsewhere, as well as well written articles. Unfortunately, this is never the case in the world of gaming print mags. Do you honestly think the guys from Gamepro are masters of their craft?

So, is there a way to fix what was once the most coveted source for gaming news? Absolutely. If the media conglomorates like Future and Ziff Davis want to remian relevant, they need a weekly gaming news publication. Something along the lines of Time or Newsweek. I read these types of magazines whenever I come across them. By highlighting only the major events of the week, they aren't reporting old news, and are great for catching up on the stories you didn't catch or couldn't find more information about. The are also opinion articles that offer interesting takes on topics that would most likely be left uncovered by the press at large. This is exactly what gamers could use. Imagine grabbing a weekly gaming mag and checking out some new Final Fantasy screens you might have overlooked on a tired night, or reading about some new
announcements and press releases from a few days ago, without having to scour the web or sign up for a subcription service (aftar all, magazine subcriptions are generally the same price or cheaper). Its all there in one neat package, not too long (no reviews) and not crammed with cheats and tips no one reads. Some might think the idea is a little too serious for gaming, but all I have to do is point to how much money the industry makes and how much more it will grow to prove that gaming is even more legitimate than TV music and movies these days. Now it just needs a legitimate voice on paper.

That PC Gamer letter said my game would go to hell in a handbasket without their mag. Sorry, but I think my game will be just fine.

Ever since Kobe Bryant's case was dropped the only thing all the celebrity gossip shows can talk about is whether he'll lose all his sponsorships. I think Kobe would much rather loose some money that is now a drop in the bucket for him than go to jail for twenty years, loose his career and come out as a convicted sex offender. But that's just me.

In other news, my brother has made it a hobby of typing random words and phrases into the address bar and finding if they are actual web sites. I'm not sure what's more surprising, the fact that he has succeeded, or that he's only come across two porno sites. Anyway, here are a fe in case you're curious. I'm haven't explored them that well(all I know is that they aren't porn), so surf at your own risk.

www.whatthefuck.com
www.slammajamma.com

Have fun kiddies.

I only got one slice!!