When I was a little boy gamer I would spend a bit of my allowance on Electronic Gaming Monthly a great little gaming magazine. Unfortunately, young gamers will never understand what the industry was like twenty years ago. In a time before the Internet, the only place to get gaming news for a young kid was a glossy magazine. Today, EGM closes its doors and we’re losing a historic piece of gaming history.
Granted, there were other glossy magazines prized by young boys too, but we were old enough to purchase Electronic Gaming Monthly, now known as EGM by the hip and cool. Although EGM was founded in 1989, many adults between the age of 29 and 35 probably spent their youth flipping through the pages reading the reviews and editorials.
The days of the magazine are drawing to an end for many industries, with video game websites covering everything from truly hardcore to highly niche, we all demand our information as soon as possible. If a company like Ziff Davis is selling its properties, we want to know the minute it is announced, when 1UP is purchased by UGO we want to know the minute the ink dries. Why? Because we can.
January 2009 marks the last issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly. After Hearst Corporation (owner of UGO) purchased 1UP from Ziff Davis it was announced that EGM would be seeing its last issue. Sure, there was a chance this would occur without the acquisition as well but the sadness wouldn’t be any different. We’re sure the staff will find a great home writing for another publication or in the online world, but it is sad just the same.
Along with the sad news of EGM closing, we’ve heard a number of folks at 1UP have also been effected by Hearst Corporations purchase of 1UP which has many people out of a job during tough economic times. There has been rumor the 1UP podcasts being ditched as well, but we have heard nothing official yet (please comment with official stories if you hear).
Of course, 1UP is “officially” rejoicing at the news but we know this is part of the “smoke and mirrors” that is an acquisition. A few, now former, 1UP folks have been using twitter and game forums to voice their own “opinions” of the purchase.
This is a rough economic time for many people, printed magazines, online publications and others. The only shining light is knowing many of these individuals will find new places to call home or start brand new online publications to compete against their old company. Talent will not go restricted, they will no doubt group together to form new aged publications to show off why the big boys are flailing in the dark.
We wish them all well in their efforts to find success.
PS2 the most played
I’m rather puzzled by the hardware failures already at PS4/Xbone, seems like a lack of foresight to make sure their peripherals to work.
Jordan the Prince of Persia games are Platformers, not adventure.
QotW: My favorite Adventure game has to be Gabriel Knight, each game in the series was a dark thrilling mystery and the main characters were great to follow.
Speaking of which Activision is licensing out the GK IP to Jane Jensen for a remake. Thanks in part to the Kickstart project Moebius that Jane got funded. Along with other Adventure game projects inspired someone at Activision who had a passion for the GK series to convince the company to license out the series to Jane. What has me excited is seeing Adventure games get more notice as a viable product again by game companies, especially Activision.
@Xbox and PS headsets
Personally I don’t see this as a problem. As long as they provide a pack-in headset so that I can discuss my numerous relationships with my oponents mothers on Battlefield I will be fine. I can see how it is a problem for rich folk who blasted loads of cash on some shelled reptilian headset. But I am indifferent to the opinions if others. I fully support Democracy and believe that the opinions of few should be overlooked and they should all be quietly shot.
@Oh can you hear what the Rockstar is cooking?
As long as it’s not ONI 2 I will be glad to play anything Rockstar makes. To me they proved their development ability time and time again. I am curious what it will be. I am guessing it’s Bully 2 but it could be Red Dead as well. Redemption was voted as the best game of last decade so I would expect Rockstar to indulge us with as sequel.
@QOTW
Across my gaming life I played quite a few adventure games. But I don’t remember most of them. Broken Sword 3 was good. Recently I played Anna but had to quit because of lighting issues on my laptop. But my highlight was Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. I know that the prequel was better (never played it) but I quite enjoyed it. Another highlight was Beavis and Buthead game on Mega Drive. It was funny because the Beavis and Buthead IP was aimed at retarded adolescent teens but the game itself was hard as nails. It had puzzles so difficult that you would need a degree in critucal thinking to get to the end.