[ Note ] = This article was originally a GPOW Message Board post.

Hello everyone. Seems like my view was agreed with foir the most part, and it's nice to hear. It's amazing to see and hear the news everyday about something and then have it hacked up into bite-sized pieces of useless lies by the media. Unfortunately, we can't even sit down, enjoy a cup of tea, and read a video game magazine anymore. I can go on and on about how ignorance and inadequate information plague the pages of magazines like GamePro and EGM, but the plain fact is that there is far too big of an audience that knows no better. This audience, which consists of the mass that buys systems primarily on price and hype, continues to support magazines that are just plainly media candy. Sometimes I can't fathom to look at even the cover of GamePro, it seems as if they gear their magazines toward a younger audience so that fat fuck "Scary Larry" can get an army of kids that don't know any better to buy a shit game like that Star Wars fighting game over the newest Capcom or SNK fighter. Him and the rest of his lot have about the IQ of a rock. It wouldn't be so bad if it was only GamePro, but now you got EGM; former reading material for me, now it is nothing more than hogwash about the newest, trendy, bullshit game that greed can buy. Just as Rinoa said, they try to stress that they "play" the game, when all they really do is demonstrate how they don't appreciate any of the games that deserve to be recognized. The same is with some of the sites too; how the fuck did IGN get all these sites like The Magic Box and GameFAQs? I don't know, I just can't beleive sometimes how greed-oriented things can get.

I can't blame the magazines for the author, right, but when a whole staff is made up of a collection of system biased, Soul Calibur pushing, narrow minded idiots, it's real easy to set fire to the magazine. Sure, GameFan may have one or two critical reviewers, but there's a difference because they actually know how to write not only a good review, but a bad one as well. Even if the rest of the media pushes a game aside for the next Metal Gear Solid or Soul Calibur, GameFan will still rate a game based only upon what it has, not only off of what other games have. Other mags (with the exception of T&T and GR), claim to rate game upon originality, when in fact, all we get is a lame comparison to an eye candy splendor like SC or MGS; there is no fair rating if different types of graphical presentations aren't respected. And to Crusader, thank you, I appreciate your reply. Hopefully you enjoy, and can relate to this post too. And just as the wise Ishmael explained, the reviewers try to rip everything apart except the newest trend games; take a look at how every fighting game sucks to EGM for sole reason that Soul Calibur surfaced with it "revolutionary" (yeah, ok guys, hmph) graphical presentation.

It's not about the game engine, because if it was Tekken and Soul Calibur wouldn't be selling as good as they are. Period. Shit, if the reviewers gave Plasma Sword a better rating than Soul Calibur, people would rush to stores like a collection of lemmings and buy Plasma Sword just because the magazine said so. Personally, I think Plasma Sword slaughters Soul Calibur, because the gameplay is deeper, the moves take more skill to master, there's more combos, and the counter system is better. But then again, that is only my opinion. To me, I don't think the "gorgeous (EGM terms)" graphics of Soul Calibur do not make up for its child-oriented gameplay and system of play. I mean, (religiously speaking), for god's sake, I have gotten over 30+ wins in a row using only ring outs on people who had been playing the game for months on end; this is called a skill oriented game? Skill, when you can win with all ring outs against plainly experienced players? C'mon, it never used to be like that when the founding games of the genre surfaced. In Tekken, I played for a week or two can could already perform juggle combos of less than 5 hits that knock off a good half of life, then do a skill-lacked throw to win the match and make the experienced opponent lose his mind because he wonders what he did wrong in his practicing. Well, he didn't do anything wrong, it's just that the game is too damn easy for anyone to win at. That's why those games are so popular and the magazines love them; because they are so soft, warm, and beginner friendly it automatically sets for a great "oh, EGM finally gave all 10's to a game, hooray" type of brainless review.And don't even get me started on GamePro again, I don't know how those assholes stay in business.......oh, no, wait, yeah do..nevermind.

Also as Ish said, the reviewers who can actually admit to fault are covered over and blanketed by the common casual type of wannabe hardcore gamer reviewer. Mr. Mort also made some great points as well; it seems that GamePro does nothing but point out obvious, worthless bullshit that in no way helps to inform the reader. And I do often contemplate about the definate possibility of EGM being paid in full by some of the jerks from Eidos or EA.....or dare I say Namco? There are also lesser-known mags like Next Generation, which just make me sick upon reading the boring, average views on games and what is "supposed" to be a good game. Throw it away. Then there's the system biased magazines like OPM, PSM, DCM, and whatever else M...but the point is that these mags are kinda lame because they are openly and are probably paid to be biased and shit on great games. In fact, I've really caught some terribly inaccurate info leaking from the pages of PSM. Then you got OPM; goddamnit, I can't win for losing! It's made up of EGM related affiliates! Shit! GouRyu says that English magazines have some really useless crap; he's completely right, for the most part. GameFan, Tips & Tricks, and Gamer's Republic are good mags....I really like GF a lot though, their editors and reviewers are actually cool guys. Jotaro stated a very good point as well, because you can really, actually correlate the decline of mags with none other than the rise of the information-rich internet. Yes. Thanks to everyone for the great replies and points. I appreciate it. Thank you.