The internet isn't the only place to get gaming info. Plenty of magazines line the racks in the grocery stores. Which ones are worthy of your cash, or better yet, a subscription? In no particular order, here you go:
1. Play: This is, without a doubt, the best gaming mag in the US. It's elegantly put together on high-grade paper, the writers are almost all well known in this segment, and the design is simplistic and beautiful. It's the closest thing to the best gaming mag ever printed, Next Generation, to come along in some time. They do waste a bit of space with anime (not all gamers enjoy it, it's a bad stereotype) and DVD's, but most of the 'zine is packed with information and well written. It takes a LONG time to get through an issue as text overtakes any pictures. That's a good thing. It's run by Dave Halverson who produced the beloved Game Fan back in the 90's and Gamers Republic afterwards. Both died but not without a fight. Here's hoping Play sticks around. Grade: Subscribe
2. EGM: They've been around for decades now. It's a scary thought, but a true one. There has been a serious decline in quality since the mid-90's. The writing is mostly amateurish, aimed at times to young kids. Reviews are highly critical, and that's a good thing. They bow to nothing or no one. Features like letting younger kids playing classic games and claiming they make insane statements well beyond their years damages credibility. Still, it's a quick and easy read, laid out with solid graphics. It's a decent enough to be mainstream. Grade: Buy it off the shelf
3. Game Pro: This one has been around for nearly as long as EGM. Their style has never changed. It's aimed squarely at kids. The writing style seems stuck in the early 90's with cheap puns and occasional foul language that seems way out of place. The recent re-design is a good one, printing everything against white backgrounds as to not obscure any of the text. They have done an admirable job to move ahead. They simply need to quit focusing so young. Grade: Leave it
![Official Xbox Magazine [with DVD] (1-year)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61F34WZlp9L._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - Luke Ferguson
Nice, I've been looking for some sort of way to be able to tell what Magazine I should read.
I was told by a person in whom I trust told me something disturbing about Game Informer, a magazine that I currently subscribe to. He told me that this magazine puts a cap on their review scores, that the reviewers are only allowed to give their reviews a score withen a certain range, determined not by the reviewers themselves, but what they think the mass public will think.
I have no way of confirming if this is true or not, this is only what I've been told. The guy Im speaking of said that he was on the IGN boards, and that one of the members posted a link where one of the reviewers spilled the beans about it. The thread in which that took place was supposedly deleted.