Remember that discussion about Mags getting ads yanked?

[ManciGames]

Just read this in Shoe's Editorial in the latest EGM (# 183):

QUOTE:
Game magazines need to get their acts together. Right now, some of them are being run by a bunch of amateurs [hey is he talking about Manci?! :) ] instead of journalists with a sense of responsibility and integrity.

Example: Recently, I was negotiating for a cover story with a big game publisher whose name won't be mentioned here. The company hit me with a clause: EGM could get the exclusive review only if we guaranteed the game would receive a certain review score or higher. I ended the discussion right there, saying that would never happen in a million years with EGM or any other Ziff Davis Media publication.

I later learned that another publisher's magazine wanted to take them up on the offer; I guess they were hungry for the exclusive.

END QUOTE

So, maybe the new heavies are threatening coverage instead of ads? At any rate, I find this editorial pretty timely in light of our conversation on these boards last month. Indeed, companies are still threatening mags in this day in age.

Poor Halverson. They're never going to give that guy his due.

[Vroomfunkel]

This kind of thing has been going on for years, and not just with Video game magazines. I used to write album reviews for a music magazine and they had almost exactly the same problem - record companies threatening to pull all their advertising if a high profile release was reviewed badly. There's nothing new under the sun - the entertainment industry is a filthy, low-down business and there's always someone trying to do the dirty like this.

Vroomfunkel

[ManciGames]

This kind of thing has been going on for years, and not just with Video game magazines. I used to write album reviews for a music magazine and they had almost exactly the same problem - record companies threatening to pull all their advertising if a high profile release was reviewed badly. There's nothing new under the sun - the entertainment industry is a filthy, low-down business and there's always someone trying to do the dirty like this.

Vroomfunkel

Amen to that. I could write a book about the magazine industry, and I only dabbled in it for 6 months.

[Ed Oscuro]

Hmm...this is the first time I've actually seen it acknowledged, which is kind of odd...

[Half Japanese]

In a semi-related note, the most recent (or perhaps the one before that?) issue of Play had an editorial about how magazines had to basically beg for information on some games due to the publishers giving exclusives to other magazines and how wrong he felt this was (and rightly so). It's the way the world works I guess.

[Kid Ice]

"or any other Ziff Davis Media publication"? Does anyone believe he actually said that?

I do agree that gaming magazines need to get their act together. Here's a good place to start; allow the reader to get an impression of the writer from the writing itself rather than these "wacky" pictures and profiles that desparately try to convince us how cool they are. You know, like:

NAME: Jeff
AKA: Kid Ice
NOW PLAYING: GTA San Andreas*, Resident Evil 4*, GigaWing**
LIKES: Atari (rock!), warm soda, cruising down South Street in my 5-80
DISLIKES: the Matrix sequels, racists, no Street Fighter Zero 3 on the PS2 collection
FAVORITE STAR WARS CHARACTER: Snaggletooth
PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE: Step 1 - Deny. Step 2- Deny. Step 3- Deny. Step 4- Demand proof.

*so cool, I'm playing games that aren't even out yet...
**...but I'm still in touch with my hardcore roots!

[Ed Oscuro]

I think "Likes Capcom" is a better credential these days than "is playing Giga Wing," sadly :(

[Sniderman]

Hell, this has been going on in the newspaper biz for years. Crooked car dealer found to be screwing customers. Sadly, same car dealer is also biggest advertiser in town. Dealer threatens to yank all advertising if story runs.

Yeah, "journalistic integrity" is great - in theory. But a small local paper could very well go under - or at the very least, many folks at the paper could lose their jobs - if that revenue isn't coming in.

[ManciGames]

In a semi-related note, the most recent (or perhaps the one before that?) issue of Play had an editorial about how magazines had to basically beg for information on some games due to the publishers giving exclusives to other magazines and how wrong he felt this was (and rightly so). It's the way the world works I guess.

Yeah, I was waiting for someone to mention that. I took Shoe's comments to be tit-for-tat, but maybe I'm reading too much into it...

[ManciGames]

Hmm...this is the first time I've actually seen it acknowledged, which is kind of odd...

EGM has mentioned things like this on a fairly regular basis over the years. And Halverson over at Play reguarly makes a comment or two that implies that these things happen.

[lendelin]

Interesting....very interesting! Exclusives are very powerful.

EGM has to be applauded. This gives us a hint in which difficult position smaller magazines unlike EGM are. (they are the true loosers when it comes to exclusives)

EGM has clout. The game publisher won't get a big coverage, at least not in this mag; and this means less sales not only for EGM but also for the game; and the publisher created certainly a bad atmosphere with EGM. To be pressured like this is unacceptable, it's bribery at the expense of players. Better game reviews mean more sales and more money, exclusives mean the same for the mag.

As long as we have three or four major mags with big marketshares, and as long as we have a diverse publisher landscape, this attempt won't become the rule because everyone competes with everyone and has choices and clout.

The big disadvantage for a mag going this route is the loss of credibility with readers. Won't happen overnight, but it sure will happen. I'm still reading the GI-reviews much more carefully since they recommended to buy Enter the Matrix and gave it inflated review grades.