Anyone here read EDGE?

Len_007

Just wondering if anyone here reads Edge. It can be quite tough on games & constantly goes on about the constant (licenced) drival that hits the top shelves, but I gues, it's only telling the truth. What do yez reckon of it?

amp

I like the covers. And the name, and parts of the layout.

I don't actually read it though. I just cut off the cover and stick them on my wall and rub up against them in an excited fashion.





memo to self: never read 5 months of #fortress.ie logs in 2 weeks

RicardoSmith

I used to read it, but I think lately it has gone down hill a bit lately. I know its a industry mag rather than a gamers mag but it really harps on and on about the "industry" and every little fad way too much. Its looks like a serious mag but when you step back and look at their articles its more like a high brow (they'd like to think) tabloid. Its doing this more and more these days. I reckon it must have fewer and fewer reader these days, you hardly see it around.

Len_007

I've been getting it now almost 5 years now, I have it on order at the shop I work at. But I'd have to ask myself would I be going out specificly to get it if it wasn't coming in for me? I do like the articles they have, but I think you're right in that they do look down on everyone in the industry who has an opinion, even us consumers. Correct also is the point about lagging sales. If you look at their back catalogue page, none of the past year and a half have been sold out. Where as once, most of the back issues where unavailable. But, they are by fare, the best Video Games Mag out there, with honest, yes honest opinions on games. An average game deserves an average score, 5. not 7.5 like most other mags give it.

super_furry

I was a regular reader, but like others I feel it's gone downhill in recent times. Their approach to games in general seems to be far to cynical and jaded these days, and while I respect their reviews, their features have become far more insular and more focused on the mechanics behind making a game than the actual games themselves. The criticism of elitism that's been levelled at them in the past still rings true.

The problem was, up until recently there was no real alternative, but with the release of Games TM, Edge finally has some competition, and I for one have switched from Edge.

RicardoSmith

Most games mags these days have such poor reviews that I don't both with them. I get more information from the web than I do the magazines. The price of them is too much these days aswell. Some of them are over €10 which is waaay too much. I still pick up the edge in the shop when I see it and flick through it to see if theres anything interesting in it. IMO there rarely is so I can't remember when I last bought it.

shotamoose

Only really started reading it in the last year or so. The covers are indeed brilliant, but much of the content seems to repeat every few months. They have the odd very good feature, though - such as the recent one on games developers around the world.

It'll never match up to Amstrad Action, anyway :cool:

RicardoSmith

Thats true, it does seem to repeat alright. The printing is the best I think I've seen in a magazine and its not filled with six million ads either like all the other magazines are.

BLITZ_Molloy

I just love the mag. Art, layout, articles, columns, letters etc. are all brilliant. The reviews are well written but really inconsistant.. but I don't care. I just look for information on a game and judge it myself. I've learnt not to care if everybody agrees with me. :cool:

Liver-Lips

I would agree that edge is repetative, the reviews can be inconsistant, its highly pessemistic and that they should get down from their high horse BUT i've been over to len_007's house and seen that 5 year collection and you can be sure that its the most honest and accurate record of gaming over the past 5 years.
after seeing his mags i started my own collection around a year ago and enjoy making the trip from the shop each month readin away on the bus. its not the articles on their own that captures my attention but the snap-shot in time that whole magazine captures.

quaalude

I've just started to buy it recently, and I think it's really good.
It doesn't patronize and doesn't have those bullsh*t previews that clutter the first third of every other games mag.

Edge also has heaps to read, lots about retro gaming, and is really well designed.
In my opinion the attitude it adopts is in line with the age group of its readers - I guess mid-twenties to mid-thirties.

It's no Commodore User, though! Best mag EVER!!

theciscokid

wish the forums would get back up
:rolleyes:

Retr0gamer

I find edge love themselves too much and are so far up their arses they can touch their tonsils. There lack of humour also doesn't go down well with me. Games tm is the best mag at the moment. Hope it doesn't go the way of Arcade.

TommyUnderwear

I like the magazine alot, usually very good on the exclusives and the interviews. The layout is top notch also. However, they do sometimes sound a bit up themselves as far as their reviews go. But they do know their stuff, they have been in the industry for a long time. You have to respect their opinions. I would listen to them before the likes of any of the official mags, they are honest.

Dont be at yourself

EDGE has become terrible - a parody of itself - in the last year or so. They've given a few too many dodgy scores, that just smack of being controversial for the sake of being controversial. I remember they tore GTA3 apart, depite it clearly being the defining game of the last few years.

I'd pick it up now and again for their interesting features, but I couldn't care less for their news or reviews.

Captain Trips

They tore GTA3 apart? That's got to be someone taking a seriously pessimistic attitude on an almost universally acclaimed game (by both mags, online, chronic and acute gamers alike).

I suppose it's a method of generating controversy, which is good when some mags (e.g., OPS2) give far too many average games a 7 or 8 out of 10.

Game (TM) has me converted from Edge anyway. If Eurogamer was a print magazine I'd subscribe for a bloody decade as I think I use that more than any other mag or site.

Liver-Lips

Yeah Eurogamer is probably the best site around for gaming. IGN was good but then it got all insidery and you had to pay to see the same screenshots circulating every f**king site on the web!

still wont leave EDGE though. if i had bought a playstation when the N64 was going the way of the dodo then i would never have know the Gamecube joys of monkeys running around in balls. and thats a serious loss.
i look at edge the same way. stick with where your loyalty lies. when the next perfect 10 game comes along, no mag will make it sound so good as EDGE.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Liver-Lips
....Gamecube joys of monkeys running around in balls....

Wha's da?

Len_007

It gave GTA 8 out of ten, which is a very good mark by Edge's standtards. & I believe Liver-lips was refering to Super Monkey ball, a fantasticly addictive game I would not of bought only for the nag in question gave it such high praise.

Dont be at yourself

The GTA3 mark was revised* after an uproar from almost everybody though. And the actual review was very critical of it, I believe.

*A misprint they said. I say: Trying to save face, while refusing to admit that they got it wrong.

Ryo Hazuki

Whenever I read EDGE (whick is VERY rarely) I get the impression that they intentionally try to suck the fun out of gaming.

mystik

how much is edge?

Len_007

It goes for about €7. Steep mind

Len_007

Edge's ears must of been burning, has anyone read the latest issue?

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Len_007
Edge's ears must of been burning, has anyone read the latest issue?

Nope why?

Captain Trips

That's the Half Life 2 issue, yeah? What happened in it? I never bought it......

ObeyGiant

There's a couple of interesting articles in this Month's Edge. I'm assuming Len_007 was talking about the one that goes to great lengths to justify some of Edge's.. 'irregularities', when it comes to their style of reviewing games. It's a really interesting article, and goes to great lengths to explain the business, and art, of reviewing video games.

Also - I noticed that Shinji got quoted in this month's Edge (The PR article). Is that why he's been so quiet on this thread? He's usually quite vocal about the sour taste Edge leaves in his mouth

Or maybe he's just tired of this topic coming up.

Retr0gamer

If he starts working for Edge I'll never trust his writing again. Actually he has been quite cynical lately.

Or maybe he's enjoying himself in LA on a "Business Trip" (Play games and go to LA for free!).

Shinji

Yeah, I'm being quiet because I just got back from LA

I do have a big problem with EDGE because of the mag's attitude to games - you just don't get the impression that they actually enjoy videogames, which is a bit of a problem. And their reviews are laughable - they gave a higher score to the trashy, terrible Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball than they did to GTA3!

I actually get along okay with those of the EDGE staff that I know personally, I just have a major professional dispute with how they do things. I was particularly f*cked off with their "middle age of gaming" rubbish a few months back - just becuase YOU are cynical and jaded doesn't mean everyone who plays games is!

Retr0gamer

I can see how they get so cynical. For every ICO, GTA, Zelda and GTA there is another 50 SOF2s, Unreal2s, Midnight Club 2s and(insert woeful liscenced game here)s.

Shinji

I can see it, but I don't agree with it, and I don't believe that sort of attitude is conducive to producing a good magazine.

EDGE is cynical about the really good games as well as the poor cloned rubbish, and they're often prepared to laud terrible titles just to cause controversy (example being DOAXBV). Besides which, they really don't know enough about games or the industry to make the kind of comments you see them flippantly making.

And by the way, Midnight Club 2 is really good fun and is selling on the strength of good word of mouth rather than heavy marketing.