RUMOR - GameStop pushing digital copies of Game Informer ...

[robometal cowboy]

RUMOR - GameStop pushing digital copies of Game Informer magazine over print
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- print subscriptions doing well, digital doing poorly
- plan to push digital subscriptions to customers
- will now automatically sign up new subscribers for digital copies
- this will happen at time of purchase or renewal
- the only way to get print is if you ask for it
- GameStop will no longer ask which you want, but will default to digital instead

Link

[LegendofSantiago]

Game informer kind of sucks

[LithosTheHero]

To be honest, I'd rather have digital, I just never get around to switching it.

[speedychu]

They won't even ask? Just last week, a GameStop employee asked me if I wanted the digital or print version.

[EpicSauce]

I had to resubcribe mine back in March and they never asked me if I wanted digital or print, they just gave me digital and you know what, I'm fine with that. I barely even look at it anyways.

[gtt]

the people who would stay subscribed to a magazine over getting their news instantly from a million different view points with accompanying video and images probably prefer paper.

I love the logic in this, paper is doing better than digital = customers of our magazine generally prefer paper, but digital = higher profit margins so force our loyal customers into a format they don't want, that way they'll... what? not drop your sorry ass for the internet?

The hubris of the people who run companies in this country amaze me, we're making money, but not ALL the money, and not in the ways we think we should be, so fuck it, lets burn the world down.

[obishawn]

I work at Gamestop and we do in fact ask when it is time for cards to be renews. The register prompts us and we can't finish the transaction without the customer choosing.

I might could get in trouble for even mentioning this, but oh well.

[Rinku]

Not a rumor for me when it has already happened to me. A few months back I subscribed back and only got digital GameInformers, my main gripe with that though is that the digital version you can only see the magazine of the current month. Wanna see some old review or article for any reason? no can do.

[Mike_Intellivision]

When I reserved, they begged me (unsuccessfully) to take the digital.

Mike from Morgantown

[mmxforever]

Not true. I actually did switch mine to digital because I didn't want them to begin with and the guy said well now you can just ignore them

[masternater27]

Our magazine at work (@Gamer, Best Buy respectively) has us ask which they prefer. The corporate message was pretty stoked about having digital copies, but they haven't told us to push one or the other. Personally I prefer paper 'cause the only time I read 'em is in the restroom since I've already heard all the news/reviews contained within.

[Devil_Rising]

Here's a little history lesson for some of you younger gamers. Game Informer, as a magazine, has NEVER been any good. Not ever. Believe it or not, back in the early to mid 90s, EGM and GamePro (along with Nintendo Power), were all actually really excellent magazines. As in "must buy". Back then, before the internet age, all three magazines were totally worth buying and reading, because they had so much going for them. Unique (hand drawn) cover art, partial or even full strategy guides, great commentary sections, in-magazine exclusive comics (NP was especially known for this), and the real kicker, reviews and previews of games that were actually fair and UN-biased. I know I know, get out of here, right?

But it was true. I remember the reviews in both GamePro and EGM used to be reliable and enjoyable to read, because the people doing them weren't a bunch of a**hole trolls or annoying fanboys. They used to judge and rate games based on how good they actually were, and not go off on fanboy rants because they don't like the type of game, or they don't like the console it's on. Game Informer, on the other hand, while back then not NEARLY as bad as it is now, was still very sub-par compared to the others. Which is why, back then, EGM and GamePro also sold a lot more. The ONLY reason GI got so "popular" within the last decade, is specifically BECAUSE of their deal with GameStop. I bet you anything that their readership would be minimal if people didn't get subscriptions pushed on them along with "discount cards" at GS.


So just so you know, GI has never been a good mag, and now that's it's more or less the only game in town, they don't even have to TRY not to be crappy anymore. Sure, EGM came back, but they're not what they used to be (not run by the same people), Nintendo Power is still around, but very different (for the same reasons), GamePro apparently died last year, etc.

Sad, if you ask me. Those were some great childhood memories, going to the magazine section in the grocery store to check out GOOD gaming mags. Those were the days.

[FrenchFryGuy]

"- this will happen at time of purchase or renewal
- the only way to get print is if you ask for it
- GameStop will no longer ask which you want, but will default to digital instead"

There's more of that Gamestop charm.

[Faver]

I like being able to read at work, something I couldn't do without a mag. Sorry laptop, tablet, and smartphone, but your battery life and these lead walls just make you cumbersome.

[cobaltorange]

Here's a little history lesson for some of you younger gamers. Game Informer, as a magazine, has NEVER been any good. Not ever. Believe it or not, back in the early to mid 90s, EGM and GamePro (along with Nintendo Power), were all actually really excellent magazines. As in "must buy". Back then, before the internet age, all three magazines were totally worth buying and reading, because they had so much going for them. Unique (hand drawn) cover art, partial or even full strategy guides, great commentary sections, in-magazine exclusive comics (NP was especially known for this), and the real kicker, reviews and previews of games that were actually fair and UN-biased. I know I know, get out of here, right?

But it was true. I remember the reviews in both GamePro and EGM used to be reliable and enjoyable to read, because the people doing them weren't a bunch of a**hole trolls or annoying fanboys. They used to judge and rate games based on how good they actually were, and not go off on fanboy rants because they don't like the type of game, or they don't like the console it's on. Game Informer, on the other hand, while back then not NEARLY as bad as it is now, was still very sub-par compared to the others. Which is why, back then, EGM and GamePro also sold a lot more. The ONLY reason GI got so "popular" within the last decade, is specifically BECAUSE of their deal with GameStop. I bet you anything that their readership would be minimal if people didn't get subscriptions pushed on them along with "discount cards" at GS.


So just so you know, GI has never been a good mag, and now that's it's more or less the only game in town, they don't even have to TRY not to be crappy anymore. Sure, EGM came back, but they're not what they used to be (not run by the same people), Nintendo Power is still around, but very different (for the same reasons), GamePro apparently died last year, etc.

Sad, if you ask me. Those were some great childhood memories, going to the magazine section in the grocery store to check out GOOD gaming mags. Those were the days.

I still like it because internet gaming news can sometimes be overwhelming with news everywhere.

[Crow]

Oh comon
a PAPER is doing WELL, so they want to kill it?
It sucks to know before I die (assuming I dont meet an unexpected fate) ill have to buy an ipad/kindle/some other crap to be able read the damn news. I dont want to need to carry around a fragile piece of equipment with crappy battery life just so I can have a series of easily digested newsbits when im on trips, vacations, in lines, waiting rooms and taking a crap.

Not that I even read GI...Im just saying.

[Nintendude92]

Kind of scummy. I take print because everything in the digital is on print, and the rest of the news is online. There's just something nice about receiving the print. I have tried one issue of digital and it was clunky and unpractical.

[Devil_Rising]

I still like it because internet gaming news can sometimes be overwhelming with news everywhere.

I can see your point. I'm just saying that I think it's really too damn bad that at this point there are literally no better options anymore. And that there USED to be excellent better options, but no longer.......*sigh*