PSM magazine is really sad these days. - http://www.mmcafe.com/ Forums

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Dr Baghead

1830th Post

Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive

"PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 14:27

I was reading PSM and they have a little "Rumor" section in which they take three of the hottest rumors (from 3 months ago since there's a delay in print time) and give it a precentage of how truthful it might be.

Like the rest of the magazine the rumors seem to be extremely bias towards Sony. (such as giving "DoA3 will be on the PS2 soon" a 50% when Itagaki has said it will never be on the PS2... or that Rare was getting ready to reveal Perfect Dark for the PS2, even going so far as to put a small picture of Joan on the cover with the clip "Perfect Dark on the PS2")

they also have rumors unrelated to the PS2 such as Microsoft buying out Capcom (which if I remember correctly was already dennied) and Nintendo going software only (which Nintendo did denny, yet PSM gave an insanely high 30% likelyhood)

It just seems so ridiculous that a magazine claiming to be "unbias" would run such slop.

Replies:

Mozex
89th Post

Occasional Customer

"Re(1):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 14:38

quote:
It just seems so ridiculous that a magazine claiming to be "unbias" would run such slop.

I'd have to agree with you there. My basic strategy for dealing with video game rumors is:
1) don't bother with it unless it's reported by multiple sources
2) don't bother with it if it's directly denied by the company in question
3) don't bother with if it's reported by a source that is biased towards a particular console (such as Nintendo Power or PSM)

Be kind to goblins.

Dr Baghead

1831th Post

Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive

"Re(2):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 15:00

quote:
I'd have to agree with you there. My basic strategy for dealing with video game rumors is:
1) don't bother with it unless it's reported by multiple sources
2) don't bother with it if it's directly denied by the company in question
3) don't bother with if it's reported by a source that is biased towards a particular console (such as Nintendo Power or PSM)

Well in all fairness if Nintendo Power had said "Nintendo is going software only" or "Rare is going 3rd Party" it would carry more weight since Nintendo themselves own and run Nintendo Power... but still if they report a rumor about a non-Nintendo company it should be taken as unlikely.

Why do videogame magazines even run a rumor section? With the popularaztion of the internet and the fact most magazines are writen months in advance to meet printing deadlines, you'd think they'd consider not running "Metroid 64 is in the works!" and "Tekken Tag on the DC?! You better believe it!" (and I've seen both rumors in some form in multi-system magazines) since it's likely been denied or the kid on the BBS who made it up has been proven wrong by the time it hits the newsstands.

Gojira

730th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member+

"Re(3):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 15:14

quote:
Why do videogame magazines even run a rumor section? With the popularaztion of the internet and the fact most magazines are writen months in advance to meet printing deadlines, you'd think they'd consider not running "Metroid 64 is in the works!" and "Tekken Tag on the DC?! You better believe it!" (and I've seen both rumors in some form in multi-system magazines) since it's likely been denied or the kid on the BBS who made it up has been proven wrong by the time it hits the newsstands.

Yes the internet is faster, but since magazines continue to exist in the face of the internet when they are obviously inferior, I doubt they will stop running a column for the same reason they should just stop running the magazine itself.

And BTW, Metroid 64 *was* in the works. The game was just moved to GC and a different team before the development got too far along.

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kaepora
64th Post

Occasional Customer

"Re(4):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 15:19

It's probably wrong to do so, but I assume that all sources that only focus on one company/system will be biased towards it. I try to avoid them for other "general gaming" sites whenever possible.

Dr Baghead

1833th Post

Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive

"Re(4):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 15:23

quote:
And BTW, Metroid 64 *was* in the works. The game was just moved to GC and a different team before the development got too far along.

Really?! Well that gives "Tips and Tricks" a bit more credit if it was in the works... but still they added "and will hit store shevles by the end of the year!"

talbaineric

4522th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(5):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 15:31

Well,video game magazines have gone DOWNHILL since the days when GameFan left our presence. Oh,I loved GameFan.

I don't even bother with them like I used to.

CLICK THE TAG! I DARE YA!

GekigangerV
211th Post

Frequent Customer

"Re(6):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 16:08

I hate PSM now. They were good a few years ago, with Banzai Chibi-Chan(was that his name?). They were not extremely biased back then, before I ended my suscription the magazine was almost unreadable.

I thought Nintendo Power was a rather unbiased mag. They don't really put in many rumors or insult rival companies often. However, their reviews are rather confusing to read. If only they would include Gamecube demo discs.

大すきなのはヒマワリのタネ

VariantX
140th Post

Regular Customer

"Re(7):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Fri 29 Nov 16:14

quote:
I hate PSM now. They were good a few years ago, with Banzai Chibi-Chan(was that his name?). They were not extremely biased back then, before I ended my suscription the magazine was almost unreadable.

I thought Nintendo Power was a rather unbiased mag. They don't really put in many rumors or insult rival companies often. However, their reviews are rather confusing to read. If only they would include Gamecube demo discs.

Magazines either need to have weekly issues or do some online thing... cuz having news weeks behind the internet isnt going to cut the mustard for too much longer

Freeter

3507th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"the bias card" , posted Fri 29 Nov 17:44

I was thumbing through my stack of old Nintendo Powers recently out of boredom. I never realized how much bias plagued that mag when I was young.

And why are you reading PSM? That mag is wasted paper. Stick to Game Informer or EGM.

GekigangerV
212th Post

Frequent Customer

"Re(1):the bias card" , posted Fri 29 Nov 17:49

quote:
I was thumbing through my stack of old Nintendo Powers recently out of boredom. I never realized how much bias plagued that mag when I was young.

And why are you reading PSM? That mag is wasted paper. Stick to Game Informer or EGM.

What kinda stuff did NP say? Maybe it was in the letters, because I never read those.

大すきなのはヒマワリのタネ

Freeter

3508th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(2):the bias card" , posted Fri 29 Nov 18:12

quote:
What kinda stuff did NP say? Maybe it was in the letters, because I never read those.

It's mostly in the Pak Watch section. They mostly bash Sega and such.

What's extremely funny is their huge 180 on the CD-ROM format. One minute they're praising it(SNES CD), the next they compare it to a snail("Project Reality" vs PS, Saturn, 3D0).

GekigangerV
213th Post

Frequent Customer

"Re(3):the bias card" , posted Fri 29 Nov 19:04

quote:

It's mostly in the Pak Watch section. They mostly bash Sega and such.

What's extremely funny is their huge 180 on the CD-ROM format. One minute they're praising it(SNES CD), the next they compare it to a snail("Project Reality" vs PS, Saturn, 3D0).

Well, SEGA has been one to play a few practical jokes on the competition and probably the best. But now that you mention it I got a video hyping Star Fox and the rumble pack. It had two middle age men portraying SEGA and Sony and kidnapped a Nintendo scientist or something to find the big thing about the rumble pack.

大すきなのはヒマワリのタネ

Dr Baghead

1835th Post

Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive

"Re(1):the bias card" , posted Fri 29 Nov 19:46

quote:
And why are you reading PSM?

Because a subscription is $12 a year...

Basically I like getting a game magazine in the mail and since they all rather suck I might as well get a cheap one.

Satoshi_Miwa

1698th Post

Tailored Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Member

"Re(2):the bias card" , posted Fri 29 Nov 20:47

Luckily for me the local Library has both PSM and EGM among it's perodicals, so I can read both without paying. Which in PSM's case is probably the best amount to pay to read it...

As for Gaming magazines, I'd rather they stay monthly and go with more indepth features on games and the industry. I'd find stuff like that would get me to subscribe to a mag, especially since it'd provide something different from the online news sources.

exodus

410th Post

Gold Customer

"Re(4):the bias card" , posted Fri 29 Nov 21:28

quote:

But now that you mention it I got a video hyping Star Fox and the rumble pack. It had two middle age men portraying SEGA and Sony and kidnapped a Nintendo scientist or something to find the big thing about the rumble pack.

hehe...I have that. very silly and stupid, but somewhat humorous as well.

But I think this trend is not limited just to mags, I believe that internet reporting is getting worse as well. IGN, Gamespot, etc. That's why I was inspired to make my own site. Well, I was also inspired by mmcafe and thegia (but in a good way).

Undead Fred
75th Post

Occasional Customer

"Re(7):PSM magazine is really sad these days." , posted Sun 1 Dec 18:40

quote:
I hate PSM now. They were good a few years ago, with Banzai Chibi-Chan(was that his name?). They were not extremely biased back then, before I ended my suscription the magazine was almost unreadable.

I've been reading PSM since the very second issue EVER, and I'm starting to hate them now. I've just about totally lost respect for their opinion in game reviews. I still get the magazine, but I'm starting to not like it anymore. I've been meaning to e-mail them to bring back the custom artwork for the covers... they've gone to what EVERYONE else is doing: just grab an in-game model or company-released graphic of the newest game character and slapping it on the cover, instead of getting someone cool to draw something. Sure, some of the covers were lame, but a lot of them were cool. Now they suck. They are VERY biased toward PS2... I'm not exactly sure why. I like PS2, but they give the other consoles absolutely no credit. They even went so far as to declare the console war as "over" and PS2 wins, of course (even though the XBox and Gamecube haven't been out but a matter of months when they said this...). Reader art sections are few and far between... I've seen some where some jackass sends a picture of the Rock or something and that gets the "Picture of the Month" spot or whatever, while much higher quality works are the size of a postage stamp.