PC Gamer is a bunch of arse

Sloth · 18-05-2003 1:12pm #1

I've been steadily buying pc gamer less and less over the last year and I think this month's issue will be my final one. It's absolutely gone to the dogs, most of the reviews don't actually talk about the game itself for at least two paragraphs (instead preferring to talk about the reviewer's childhood or how his back hurts. Maybe it's meant to come off as funny but it definitly doesn't), articles like Game for a LOL, Ross on why and It's all over are so unfunny it's painful to look at them let alone read them. The recent features on stuff like violence and racism just make it come off looking like a cheap version of EDGE which I guess isn't suprising seeing as loads of them seem to write for EDGE as well. Their constant referral to consoles as toys also grates a lot, as though somehow what they're playing is infinitly better and more worthwhile. Having to put up with Peter Molyneus every five seconds also annoys me, the man just can't admit that his last game was complete bollocks.
Looks like I'm down to just two magazines now, EDGE and Games TM, here's hoping that pcg gets back on track now that it has a new editor.

Pugsley · 18-05-2003 1:27pm

It took you this long to find out how cr*p PCG are? shame on you

orangerooster · 18-05-2003 2:47pm

The magazine is way to bogged down on ethics,they accuse every war game made at the moment of being revisionist,and know their most entertaining writer has left the future is poor.Every game is not judged on it actual value that are important such as actual gameplay but now on how "offensive" it is or how ethically and politicaly incorrect it is a good example is their review of command and conquer the generals.It is nothing to what it used ot be.

Dooom · 18-05-2003 3:37pm

Originally posted by Sloth
Having to put up with Peter Molyneus every five seconds also annoys me, the man just can't admit that his last game was complete bollocks.

umm he has acknowledged all the flaws and stuff from his last game....he made a big announcement about it. thats why he's making a second one...

pc zone all the way!

Retr0gamer · 18-05-2003 3:58pm

PC Zone is only a little better. Eurogamer and Games tm all the way. And bring back Stuart Campbell!

nesthead · 18-05-2003 4:32pm

did i not hear on this very board that PCGamer are paid to give good reviews?

tis a ****e mag anyways, pczone is teh w1n!

Retr0gamer · 18-05-2003 4:36pm

It's the only explanation for SOF2 being game of the month. Most mags are offered money for good reviews and PC Gamer definitely take them. Whats the point in getting an exclusive that gets a crap score? Official mags are the worst for this.

Horsefumbler · 18-05-2003 8:27pm

Originally posted by Sloth
articles like Game for a LOL, Ross on why and It's all over are so unfunny it's painful to look at them let alone read them.

they are funny.

lordsippa · 18-05-2003 9:18pm

I remember when it was good. Stopped buying it cause my old pc got incredibly out-dated <went from a P75 to a PIII600 so just imagine the crapness of my last computer>. Tis a pity it's gone crap.

It was nothing to Amiga Power though...

Dcully · 18-05-2003 9:24pm

Why bother with game mags when you have the net?
If its for demos,mods etc they are usually out of date anyways.

Creamy Goodness · 18-05-2003 9:31pm

i think its more attractive to read outta a magazine plus it gives you something to get outta the house every month rushing down to the corner shop to buy and copy pczone + pcgamer (which is burnt!)

PCG is ****e PcZone wins!

Ryo Hazuki · 18-05-2003 9:59pm

The DVD is always good, and can save people with slow connnections a few euro's on their phone bill. Essential Patches, Newers Drivers etc.

In fact, If I want reviews of hardware, or games, I just get them online.

So the only reason I buy the magazine (rarely) is for its massive DVD content.

monument · 19-05-2003 12:11am

Originally posted by Retr0gamer
and Games tm

Just a little off topic, some guy just dropped off one or two copies of GamesTM in the E3 pressroom.

Any how, it was the first time I seen it and I can only say it looks good, I haven't had time to read it - but as I said looks good

Also I picked of Edge a few weeks ago (didn’t read any of the reviews) but the news etc was readable.

vasch_ro · 19-05-2003 2:02pm

Is it true about the money for reviews stuff or is this another urban myth ?
The magazine is funny and I do buy it every month ,but I picked up a copy of PC Zone for their pre view of Half Life 2 and I was impressed,
if you have a crappy 56 K connection like myself with a best connect speed of 48, then the DVD is a saviour for trying out demos. mods, direct x updates to name but a few ,
on the whole I have to say I do like Pc Gamer but I would be worried about the money for reviews allegations
I also enjoyed soldier of fortune 2 maybe I am easily satisifed

I think though on the whole every mag has its own agenda and its own angle, they are probably all much of a muchness

po0k · 19-05-2003 3:57pm

Why do ye even buy games mags?

Download the demos yourselves, play them and decide if you like the game or not.
Why rely on second-hand experience when making purchases?

vasch_ro · 19-05-2003 4:42pm

Have you ever heard of 56k dial up modems ??

Sloth · 19-05-2003 5:03pm

Aye many a year I spent stroking my sloth-like 56k but now well all I can say is woooooosh.

Retr0gamer · 19-05-2003 5:58pm

Well Shinji says that they accept money as do a lot of other mags and I've heard this a lot from other reliable sources. Also for an exclusive lots of mags promise good reviews for an exclusive review. As for SOF2 you may have enjoyed it but it wasn't exactly groundbreaking and didn't deserve a 85+ score (92 I think) and game of the month. In my opinion it played it too safe and ended up just plain average.

weemcd · 19-05-2003 6:57pm

i used to like pcg thats not pc gamer by the way but i think its gone down hill latley there used to be such class disks with it unbelievable amount of stuff they put on it, much better than the other magazines disks. pc zone is my favourite rite now but it varies

Ryo Hazuki · 19-05-2003 7:07pm

Download the demos yourselves

Not on 5-6 Kb Per Second you wont.

Retr0gamer · 19-05-2003 9:50pm

I have a good solution. I get Prae to download them in work with his DSL connection

Sloth · 19-05-2003 9:59pm

Who is this Prae you speak so fondly of all the time?

Pepe LeFrits · 19-05-2003 10:08pm

PC Zone gave Klingon Honour Gaurd 94%.

The fucking cunts.

Retr0gamer · 19-05-2003 10:10pm

Praetorian. You can see him on boards from time to time usually slagging me off.

saik · 19-05-2003 10:27pm

bring back c.brooker, he was cool till he got sick of himself. some of the rest of the older PCZ staff also wrote well. this PC PoliticialC thing has ruined all the mags, but it probably has increased their sales.

"the last bastion of british balls out gaming journalism" died long ago. dont waste your money on **** magazines. there are other ways to find out about games.

they gave it 94%, which game came out right afterwards and made it look terrible? i forget.

SantaHoe · 20-05-2003 12:07am

I just buy games mags for the cover DVD... I don't really care what one lonely, disfigured, greasy-haired, self-important games reviewer thinks about any given game.
I'll make up my own mind from the demo, thanks anyway.

Shinji · 20-05-2003 12:12pm

bring back c.brooker, he was cool till he got sick of himself

Last I checked Charlie was rather busy with a successful career as a comedian/satirist and unlikely to start writing about videogames again any time soon... Fans of TVGoHome and Brass Eye might have recognised his hand

po0k · 20-05-2003 1:27pm

Originally posted by vasch_ro
Have you ever heard of 56k dial up modems ??

Yes. And 28.8kbps ones too.
Have you heard of net cafés and CD burners? DSL? College students?

Not on 5-6 Kb Per Second you wont.

But on 500-600kb you will.

vibe666 · 20-05-2003 2:07pm

Originally posted by vasch_ro
Is it true about the money for reviews stuff or is this another urban myth?

Not 100% sure about PC magazines, but my brother used to date a girl who was the marketing director for a popular snowboarding mag, and their office was bogged down with free 'gifts' and stuff from all the major MF's of snowboarding gear. I don't think they ever paid for their 'many' flights to all the hottest/coolest boarding locations or any of their top of the range gear. And on top of that they were all getting paid a fat wedge of cash to go snowboarding and write about it!

One time they even went boarding with Jay Kay from Jamiroquai (flights/hotel etc. together too), so I know for a fact that it at least happens there, for them to mention the right gear, or get shots for the mag of the right people wearing the right gear. DOn't see why PC mags should be any different.

Praetorian · 20-05-2003 2:45pm

Yea I must agree, PC Gamer is now rubbish. My subscription ended 2-3 months ago. I didn't renew.

The net is the best source for reviews and demos etc these days, with or without broadband.

Lyconix · 20-05-2003 6:44pm

PC Zone - excellent reviews and articles, no bullsh*t.

PC Gamer - can't say I've read many issues, but I've got no reason to switch magazines.

For the record, PCZ were the only UK based magazine allowed to go to Valve HQ to write up their preview of HL2 (so they say) - which goes far to explain why PCZ's preview seems far more indepth than PCG's.

Sloth · 20-05-2003 8:02pm

Speaking of Half-Life 2 did anyone notice the alarming similarity between EDGE's preview and PC GAMER's preview right down to the comment about valve turning up the steam?

monument · 21-05-2003 9:26pm

Originally posted by SyxPak
Yes. And 28.8kbps ones too.
Have you heard of net cafés and CD burners? DSL? College students?

But on 500-600kb you will.

Often people live in places with out net cafés - SHOCK shock!

Retr0gamer · 23-05-2003 9:02am

The similarity is because edge and pcgamer are from the same publisher and so all the staff are in the same building and there is usually a cross over of staff to each magazine.

I'm a college student at DCU and while the connection is brilliant theres no Kazaa so its a pain in the arse looking for sites with roms and demos. Also can only use 100mb zip disks.

public_enemy · 24-05-2003 11:51pm

i like pc gamer quite a lot. i used to vary gamer and zone, but pc zone stopped being enjoyable and recently i've started buying pc gamer monthly. gamer is better because they only review games that are finished, and the games are always out. their reviews and comments are always funny and informative, and they never give a game a good score simply because of hype (eg, unreal 2: pc zone 90%, pc gamer 83%). and the devil's advocate column is always worth a read, although i do agree that the feature about mature content in video games was quite stupid. but for me its still pc gamer all the way

Shinji · 25-05-2003 1:28am

gamer is better because they only review games that are finished

I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but I'm SURE I've seen games reviewed in PC Gamer (usually "cover games") long before they actually went gold at the developer - so the review can't possibly have been based on final code.

Admittedly Zone are undoubtedly far, far worse offenders when it comes to this, but Gamer do it too I'm sure.

Oh, as for the Unreal II thing - really, was it worth 83% either? You're talking about a 7% difference in score, and that was a pretty rubbish game. Strikes me that BOTH mags bought the hype there, it's just that it was only PC Zone that adopted the usual lame magazine review WOW SUPER SMASHING GREAT NINETY PERCENT WOWZA! tone...

Retr0gamer · 26-05-2003 12:03pm

Neither are as bad as Eurogamer. Did you read some of the stuff from that reviewer Robb. He doesn't know what he's talking about. You'd swear he was a Smyths or Game shop assistant before he worked there.

PC Gamer is a bunch of arse

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