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.
Sorry I couldn’t be there with you guys. Had a 6 hour work project Monday and Tuesday. 🙁
Paul seems to swear more when I’m not there to calm him down… 🙂
@Civ2 Preorder: The first game I preordered was Shenmue for the Dreamcast from Software Etc. Awesome stuff. I also remember paying $65 for Harvest Moon 64. Weird times…
@EVE Panel: It seems like people are “Indoctrinated” and can’t think for themselves anymore. Someone must have known that this wasn’t right, just like other people in that fighting game tournament where the sexual harassment took place. The Nuremberg Trials show you’re going to be held responsible for your actions, so they might as well be your own. And that person should seek professional help.
@Paul’s swearing: Disney games need more profanity. Preferably in a British accent.
And thanks for the game! <3 Four men and a podcast? Sounds good.
Thank you very much for the game! On the podcast: Wow, Paul and Dan together can be a bit overwhelming. I think that Paul always wants to be the one who talks the most and keeps on chattering until he is out of breath (hate mail!).
@Congressmen want warning labels on all games: This would be really stupid if this actually happened. Unlike cigarettes, video games do not have a guaranteed health risk, and I have never known anyone who act aggressively because of video games. Hell, I think gamers are more likely to be peaceful in the real world.
@Rumor: Microsoft to release ‘Xbox Lite’ before next-gen: This isn’t very surprising since the next Xbox won’t be out for at least one and half years. Better milk it till it’s dry, eh?
Keep doing what you’re doing, this podcast keeps on improving every week.
I loved working with Dan! It was great to cyber-meet him and I can’t wait for him to come back 🙂
Dan: thank you for being a friend 😉
Jonah, I think the two chewed up your ears all the way to the skull …
@Congressmen want warning labels on all games
I agree with the congressmen!
They should also consider the following stickers:
“Exposure to TV can increase the rate of diet related diseases”
“Exposure to seats in congress can lead to disconnects with the people who voted you”
“Not doing anything useful during ones mandate can lead to a scramble to public yet futile initiatives during election campaign”
and the list can go on.
I mean let’s put stickers on anything.
@Console version of Diablo III will be “full Blizzard experience”
If the controllers can handle it, sure. I mean the whole inventory system, the shortcuts and whatnot, they all need to somehow be mapped to the console inputs. Not that easy.
@Grand Theft Auto V details allegedly leaked
Weight should be the same, be it the material being in liquid state or in solid state.
Feels more like a PR stunt. Too many details regarding the character to be wishful thinking.
@EVE Online FanFest Panel accused of “tasteless” behavior
Quite true regarding the dickwad theory. One thing that helped me evolving from a dickwad to normal person is to imagine that instead of writing/texting your reply, imagine you’re talking to the guy face to face.
As for depression and MMOs, well, Jonah is right, cutting all your connections to the real world and immersing yourself in an MMO will not help.
@Microsoft to release ‘Xbox Lite’ before next-gen
Dunno … it is very risky to them to develop two future platforms.
I say the Lite one will be an evolution of the current 360, oriented towards power saving an lower production costs (confirmed later on by the podcast, yay!).
Good point on the second hand 360; if the Lite one has lower performance than the 360, then the older console will outlive the Lite.
And yes, I do write the comment while listening.
Hello and many compliments for the show. I am big fan and I always listen to you guys every week. I’ll go straight to the point:
@4 men podcast: please No. I am not saying that the idea of a four men podcast itself is bad, but please not with this guy. It took me a while to like Paul but he is really like a “Paul^2”. Dan, in the last podcast, might have in fact reached levels of douchiness no man has ever reached before…
That said, thank you again and keep it up (without Dan 😉
hello guys,
@4man cast
the show was great w/o jordan, i mean, not that he is replaceble, but in the way that 4man cast, YES WE CAN! and he is as energetic as paul, so it will work.
@warning labels in games
WARNING – this game cantains large amounts of awesomeness and should be played right now
(i should really not do this 2nd one because i am not american, but….)
WARNING – congressman should STFU and GTFO, because ESRB is already doing their jobs and the warning label would be redundancy
@Diablo III console vers.
Jonah, when i said: “while one’s equipament still works (not fry out into oblivion)” while my motherboard/grapx card doesn’t fry (“expire”)
Good luck blizzard, but i could not care less, i’m getting on my PC
@EVE Online FanFest Panel accused of “tasteless” behavior
i once suffered of depression and i normally took shelter in PC online gaming as well, and i can imagine how that guy felt, being rejected from the only place he feels he belongs to…
i hope he is ok
@I_shoud_be_Working: you got it all wrong, hate mail goes to Paul … 😉