View Full Version : Is PLAY MAGAZINE about to go under?
fishsandwich
12-21-2005, 12:30 PM
I just got this month's issue of PLAY magazine. It should have been a thick one with the holidays and the launch of the 360. Instead, it's less than 80 pages and is the skimpiest PLAY magazine I've ever read. Spotted several typos, too. I counted less than 15 ads. That's 15 ads in the ENTIRE MAGAZINE. That included ads for a movie and several ads for anime DVDs.
Anyone know if I should renew???
:/
Anthony1
12-21-2005, 01:36 PM
Wow, I guess Dave Halverson has a curse or something. Every mag he starts goes under at some point.
I'm absolutely nuts about Die Hard GameFan, so recently I decided to get a subscription to Play, and I must say that I'm pretty dissapointed in it. I was hoping that it would be a 2005 version of GameFan, but it's not even close. 60 percent of the magazine actually contains video game coverage but the other 40 percent is all kinds of bullshit that I can find in other magazines. If I wanted DVD reviews, I would get Entertainment Weekly. If I wanted all that Anime coverage, I would get a magazine that focused on Anime. If I wanted music coverage, I would get a real deal music magazine. If I wanted PC game coverage, I would get PC Gamer.
That's the biggest problem I have with Play. They waste so much freaking magazine space on all this other shit. I haven't even talked about the freaking action figure coverage have I?
It's like they are trying to be everything to everybody, and they end up being nothing to nobody. As for the actual section that covers video games, they do alot of interviews like GameFan used to do, which I enjoy, but they seem to skip alot of games and they only focus on the games they really care about. I'm not a big RPG guy at all, and they have a heavy focus on RPG's.
Want I really wanted from them was the have the exact same format as the old GameFan, except covering todays modern systems, and have a nice 10 page retro section at the back. That would be sweet. But no, instead we get this jack of all trades game mag. It's funny, cause Game Informer is actually the closest thing to what I'm looking for in a modern game mag, and I used to absolutely hate Game Informer because they used to be such out and out Sony lovers.
pacmanhat
12-21-2005, 02:02 PM
I got a renewal notice from them today, so if they're going under, they're being quiet about it. And since when is fewer ads a bad thing?
fishsandwich
12-21-2005, 02:18 PM
I got a renewal notice from them today, so if they're going under, they're being quiet about it. And since when is fewer ads a bad thing?
Fewer ads mean less ad revenue. Ad revenue is the driving force behind most magazines, not money from subscriptions. High subscription rates equals more ad revenue.
Or were you just joking? :hmm:
pacmanhat
12-21-2005, 02:43 PM
I got a renewal notice from them today, so if they're going under, they're being quiet about it. And since when is fewer ads a bad thing?
Fewer ads mean less ad revenue. Ad revenue is the driving force behind most magazines, not money from subscriptions. High subscription rates equals more ad revenue.
Or were you just joking? :hmm:
I was somewhat joking, yes. In principle, I would love a game magazine with no ads and all content, but this is of course unrealistic. I see where you're coming from, though...I'm not about to question their necessity. :)
Well, it IS called "play", maybe as in the "play" button on a CD or DVD player? Or maybe the action figures/toys to "play" with? If it were titled "Video games", then I'd expect nothing but video games.
That said, I also subscribe to play, & noticed the lack of thickness in the recent issue, but didnt really think much of it. It's Jan 06, just after the holiday season, when mags tend to be overstuffed w/ buying guides, best/worst of articles, & yes, ads. I dont look at all the anime stuff either, but IMO it's one of the higher-quality mags I receive. Not better, just more interesting.
Rogmeister
12-21-2005, 06:52 PM
I've tried a few issues of Play now and then and unlike many other people, I don't find it the best thing in gaming since Mario. I've always been disappointed, much of it because of the aforementioned coverage of non-gaming material.
ManciGames
12-21-2005, 09:25 PM
I was somewhat joking, yes. In principle, I would love a game magazine with no ads and all content, but this is of course unrealistic.
You got that right. LOL
zmweasel
12-21-2005, 09:27 PM
60 percent of the magazine actually contains video game coverage but the other 40 percent is all kinds of bullshit that I can find in other magazines. If I wanted DVD reviews, I would get Entertainment Weekly. If I wanted all that Anime coverage, I would get a magazine that focused on Anime. If I wanted music coverage, I would get a real deal music magazine. If I wanted PC game coverage, I would get PC Gamer.
The "angle" is that Play gives you such coverage from the perspective of a hardcore gamer, which Entertainment Weekly, Animerica, et al do not. (It also allows Halverson and crew to scam lots of free movie DVDs, music CDs, and PC games. Perk of the job.)
-- Z.
Mike Griffin from Play on the mags demise:
Naw. It's full steam ahead. We have some cool ideas for '06 as well.
I see a lot of rumors come and go every week in the industry, but I haven't seen this one about Play.
I wasn't aware that Play was going out of business. I know they did just lose/get rid of 2 editors. One being the super cute Ashley Esqueda. I'm doing an interview with her soon, i'll link to it once it happens. She's very nice and took some things I wrote about her very well.
As for the other stuff that Play covers, I don't like DVD/music coverage but most of the big print mags aren't "pure" either.
It'd be a shame to lose Play.
GarrettCRW
12-21-2005, 11:24 PM
(It also allows Halverson and crew to scam lots of free movie DVDs, music CDs, and PC games. Perk of the job.)
Bingo.
Anthony1
12-22-2005, 12:51 AM
Whatever the case may be, wasting that much space on all that other crap is ultimately a disservice to the core fans that purchase the mag with blind faith. The people buying Play are the same people that used to buy GameFan and Gamer's Republic.
Halverson has a fan base that will buy whatever magazine he comes out with. If Play goes down, I'm sure another mag will spring up at some point, and those same people will migrate to that one as well.
I think all that other crap is more ego than anthing. Trying to be on a higher plane than just being a "video game" magazine. F that. Stick to your freaking roots. Be a hardcore gaming mag, and nothing more. Do one thing, and do it right. There are other mags out there that cover that media much better. It would be one thing if the mag was a huge mag, and they could afford to waste all that space on other crap.
Six Switch
12-22-2005, 08:53 AM
so i like video games,and i also enjoy anime and movies,they don't spend too much space on the movies section,and its nice to have a little bit,i don't see why everyone is bitching.
anyways i love play,i hope they don't go down.
Whatever the case may be, wasting that much space on all that other crap is ultimately a disservice to the core fans that purchase the mag with blind faith. The people buying Play are the same people that used to buy GameFan and Gamer's Republic.
Halverson has a fan base that will buy whatever magazine he comes out with. If Play goes down, I'm sure another mag will spring up at some point, and those same people will migrate to that one as well.
I think all that other crap is more ego than anthing. Trying to be on a higher plane than just being a "video game" magazine. F that. Stick to your freaking roots. Be a hardcore gaming mag, and nothing more. Do one thing, and do it right. There are other mags out there that cover that media much better. It would be one thing if the mag was a huge mag, and they could afford to waste all that space on other crap.
Gamefan covered other stuff too. Play has a few great issues per year which is more than I can say about other mags. 3 months of Gunstar Superheroes coverage fucking rocked. They still got a bit of hardcore in em. Play is the best print mag around but it's not the best ever. Gamepro has gotten pretty good as of late too.
Anthony1
12-22-2005, 01:41 PM
so i like video games,and i also enjoy anime and movies,they don't spend too much space on the movies section,and its nice to have a little bit,i don't see why everyone is bitching.
anyways i love play,i hope they don't go down.
Ok, maybe I was a little too harsh, I just wish that people would stick to what they do best, and not try to be a Jack-of-all-trades. I could get a Steak dinner at Denny's, but that doesn't mean that I should.
If I was a hardcore gamer, with RPG's being my favorite genre, and I was really into Anime and action figures and whichever DVD movies and music CD's that Halverson is into, then I would be a big fan of the mag too. But I'm not. I am a hardcore gamer, but RPG's are not my genre of choice, and I have no interest whasover in PC gaming or Anime or their reviews of music CD's or DVD movies or the latest version of Ipod or whatever else they are covering in their latest issue.
But for the small number of gamers out there, that are highly interested in all of those particular categories, then Play is a dream come true. So I apologize to all the Anime and Action Figure fans out there.
ManciGames
12-22-2005, 02:46 PM
I think all that other crap is more ego than anthing. Trying to be on a higher plane than just being a "video game" magazine. F that. Stick to your freaking roots. Be a hardcore gaming mag, and nothing more. Do one thing, and do it right. There are other mags out there that cover that media much better. It would be one thing if the mag was a huge mag, and they could afford to waste all that space on other crap.
See, the first time I bought a Play magazine, I bought it because it had "all that other crap". I already had EGM and GMR, but I was missing a more mature mag like Next Gen used to provide. I stumbled across Play, could tell by the cover that it was aimed at an older market (Contra was on the cover!), but almost didn't buy it because I figured that I didn't really need another gaming mag. But then I saw the other things tucked in the back and figured I'd give it a shot.
I don't see how you can complain that their video game coverage isn't enough. It takes me longer to read Play's game section than it does for me to read EGM from front to back. And to be honest, I'm almost thankful that it ends when it does, just so I can spend my time doing something else.
On the other hand, I finally decided to start reading Edge, and now Play is becoming a little stale.
Six Switch
12-22-2005, 04:18 PM
you know they barley review music anymore,and the dvd reviews take up all of two pages.the hardware/"ipod" bussiness is two pages at the most,and is sometimes cut from some issues.anime and manga is what,ten pages at the most?
the magazine is still a video game mag,and it has less ads than others so you are most likely still getting the same amount of content on games.
The people buying Play are the same people that used to buy GameFan and Gamer's Republic.
Gee, I subscribe to play now & I've NEVER bought GameFan or Gamer's Republic.
Talk about a sweeping generalization...
Anthony1
12-23-2005, 01:31 PM
On the other hand, I finally decided to start reading Edge, and now Play is becoming a little stale.
You should also check out GamesTM. I think sometimes Borders will have them. They are pretty damn expensive, but a very high quality rag if you ask me.
Anthony1
12-23-2005, 01:34 PM
Talk about a sweeping generalization...
Yeah, instead of saying "The people that buy Play are the same people that bought GameFan and Gamer's Republic". I should have said, "A good number of the people that subscribe to Play, most likely also subscribed to GameFan and Gamer's Republic".
Sorry for the sweeping generalization :(
TheRedEye
12-23-2005, 01:38 PM
Play cracks me up, I think the entire purpose of that magazine is - like Zach said earlier - for the staff to get free stuff and be paid for it. They hail every new game as the second coming of Christ, and their reviews sound like love sonnets.
ManciGames
12-23-2005, 02:57 PM
You should also check out GamesTM. I think sometimes Borders will have them. They are pretty damn expensive, but a very high quality rag if you ask me.
I've browsed through it a couple of times but nothing really caught my interest. But maybe I'll buy a copy and check it out. If you've read Edge, how does this compare?
unwinddesign
12-23-2005, 03:57 PM
Gamepro has become pretty good as of late? My goodness, are you blind? Or just please tell me you're joking? @_@ @_@
It seems that every damn gaming mag has gone down the tubes as of late. The only one I can stand is Computer Gaming World. EGM, OPM, PSM, Gamepro, PC Gamer et al. really grate on my nerves.
ManciGames
12-23-2005, 05:40 PM
It seems that every damn gaming mag has gone down the tubes as of late. The only one I can stand is Computer Gaming World. EGM, OPM, PSM, Gamepro, PC Gamer et al. really grate on my nerves.
Hear, hear. I used to love EGM right up until they "re-designed" it when GMR and that other mag launced (can't remember the name...GamesNow or something like that?). I remember thinking that the GamesNow was for the little-tykes, GMR was going to be for the mature gamer (but that quickly went downhill), and EGM for for the "xtreme" 15 year olds that like crap like Seanbaby.
It has improved slightly as of late, but I am really feeling Edge. It's expensive, but it is worth it. I like to limit my gaming mags to 2 subs at a time, so I'm thinking of letting Play expire.
I haven't looked at a Gamepro in about 15 years.
Half Japanese
12-23-2005, 11:51 PM
On the other hand, I finally decided to start reading Edge, and now Play is becoming a little stale.
You should also check out GamesTM. I think sometimes Borders will have them. They are pretty damn expensive, but a very high quality rag if you ask me.
I'll second that. I haven't bought a GamesTM since games like PGR2 were gracing the cover, but from what I remember I was highly impressed. The bad thing is it's like $9/issue (being imported and on thicker paperstock).
Also, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks that Seanbaby has more than worn out his welcome as unofficial 80's nostalgia spokesperson. Geez. And get a real haircut, not that ironic "I'm so awesome I intentionally rock a bad hairdo" posturing.
Anthony1
12-31-2005, 03:19 PM
I just got the new issue of Play yesterday, and I must say that the original poster is right. This thing is as thin as a EBgames catalog or a copy of R Zone or the little Best Buy video game magazines that they give away. I can't believe they actually released a issue this freaking small.
Man this sucks. If they go under, I'm out some big money, cause not to long ago I signed up for a 2 year sub. Usually when a mag goes under, they send you issues of another mag to compensate, but I don't think this publisher does any other mags. So you would simply lose the money that you spent on the mags that you were supposed to get.
P.S. Do any of you guys put your Play magazines in poly bags? If so, where do you get Poly bags with the right width? Both Game Informer and Play use this weird oversized magazine size, that doesn't fit in magazine sized poly bags.
fishsandwich
12-31-2005, 05:21 PM
:(
The thing is that I'm starting to like PLAY magazine more. They have added a section on older games, and I've learned a bit about anime as well. I suppose that a lack of interest from game publishers while anime publishers buy ad space has something to do with it. You have to ad your focus on those that will fund your magazine. I hope they stay around. I miss GMR. Game Informer is ok. EGM has gotten tired over the years and Gamepro just smells shitty, but i'd rather have a a selection or mediocre mags then no mags at all. Man I miss GameFan and Next Generation.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/48/Cover1.jpg/200px-Cover1.jpg
:(
Anthony1
12-31-2005, 07:30 PM
:(
The thing is that I'm starting to like PLAY magazine more. They have added a section on older games, and I've learned a bit about anime as well. I suppose that a lack of interest from game publishers while anime publishers buy ad space has something to do with it. You have to ad your focus on those that will fund your magazine. I hope they stay around. I miss GMR. Game Informer is ok. EGM has gotten tired over the years and Gamepro just smells shitty, but i'd rather have a a selection or mediocre mags then no mags at all. Man I miss GameFan and Next Generation.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/48/Cover1.jpg/200px-Cover1.jpg
:(
GameFan and Next Generation are my two favorite game mags of all time. I miss them as well. Right now, I really think that Game Informer is clearly the best mag out there. At least the best mag in the U.S. And this is coming from somebody that used to hate Game Informer. Begrudgingly, I have to give them their props, cause their most recent issues have been extremely impressive. Whenever I get a brand new issue, there is always an excitement of looking through it for the first time. I really don't feel that with any of the other current mags right now. I get EGM and GamePro free, and I would have to say that both are pretty horrible. Especially GamePro. I would never pay money for the current edition of GamePro. EGM isn't that bad, but they use some horrible crappy paper. I hate it when the mags use a really cheap stock of paper. Same thing with GamePro and many of the other mags. The cheapo paper that they use really bothers me. I miss the old days of GameFan. Man that paper was think as hell. It had to be, to hold all that ink and color.
slapdash
02-17-2011, 12:25 AM
Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but I didn't see any newer ones with an appropriate subject...
It appears that the last issue I (and Magweasel, http://magweasel.com/2010/02/09/you-know-something-tells-me-that-play-magazine-doesnt-exist-any-longer/) received was the Jan 2010 issue, but Wikipedia says there was a Feb 2010 issue... Can anyone confirm that? Anyone got a cover image?
Wraith Storm
02-19-2011, 05:33 AM
It appears that the last issue I received was the Jan 2010 issue, but Wikipedia says there was a Feb 2010 issue... Can anyone confirm that? Anyone got a cover image?
The last issue I ever received was the same "Mass Effect 2" January issue. I have never heard of a February issue shipping or arriving on store shelves. It would be interesting to see if indeed a few issues had been shipped.
slapdash
02-26-2011, 08:52 PM
The Wikipedia page mentions a Feb issue, but the Jan one is the last I received as well.
The 1 2 P
02-27-2011, 02:00 AM
Add another "January was my last issue" to the list. What pissed me off was how I still had time left on my subscription and instead of giving me a refund or fulfilling it with issues of the new magazine they just took my money and ran. Which pretty much guaranteed I'd never support another DH magazine again.
slapdash
03-05-2011, 01:46 AM
Yeah... I'm currently debating risking subscribing to the new GameFan or not... They made it to 5 issues at least.
SpaceHarrier
03-05-2011, 01:53 AM
Yeah... I'm currently debating risking subscribing to the new GameFan or not...
heh.. just be sure not to renew after the point where Halverson promotes himself above editor-in-chief. That's the DH magazine death spiral.
Myself, I'll be eagerly awaiting the (probably never gonna happen) return of Nick Des Barres or Casey Loe to GameFan. Layout kings, I tell you!
segagamer
03-07-2011, 11:19 PM
Add another "January was my last issue" to the list. What pissed me off was how I still had time left on my subscription and instead of giving me a refund or fulfilling it with issues of the new magazine they just took my money and ran. Which pretty much guaranteed I'd never support another DH magazine again.
I agree with you 100%. The exact same thing happened to me, and when I finally got a hold of Play Magazine's customer service, they told me that they were unable to process my refund since they went bankrupt.
I have seen the new GameFan but have not and will not subscribe to it. I just go to their website to check things out instead. As for the new EGM, it actually took me four issues before I ordered my 1yr paid subscription.