Jump to content

Game Informer: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Line 91: Line 91:
In the 2006 Horror film [[Stay Alive]], there was a brief appearance of a Game Informer Magazine with the title game from the movie. This was not a real issue of the magazine and was made specifically for the movie.
In the 2006 Horror film [[Stay Alive]], there was a brief appearance of a Game Informer Magazine with the title game from the movie. This was not a real issue of the magazine and was made specifically for the movie.


In an open-ended action game from 2009 developed by Radical Entertainment
In the 2009 video game [[Prototype]] the gamestop logo can be scean in many places in the game.
[[Prototype]] the gamestop logo can be scean in many places in the game.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 17:53, 17 October 2011

Game Informer
The July 2011 issue cover
Editor-in-ChiefAndy McNamara
CategoriesVideo game
FrequencyMonthly (12 per year)
Circulation3,500,000
PublisherGameStop Corporation
First issueAugust 1991
CountryUnited States
Based inMinneapolis
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.gameinformer.com
ISSN1067-6392

Game Informer (GI) is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations.[1] Today, the magazine has nearly 3 million subscribers, making it the highest circulated video game magazine;[2] and as of the first quarter of 2009, it has been listed as the 12th largest overall magazine.[3] Game Informer is now ranked among the top four magazines for reaching males 18 to 34.[4]

It is owned and published by GameStop Corp., the parent company of the video game retailer of the same name, who bought Funcoland in 2000. Due to this, a large amount of promotion is done in-store; this has contributed heavily to its subscription base,[5] which is now larger, as a subscription is included with the store's new Power Up Rewards Discount Card.

Game Informer saw a complete redesign of both its magazine and website in November 2009,[6] just prior to their 200th issue, in December of that year. In celebration of their 200th issue, The Legend of Zelda was awarded the best game of all time.

Staff

Current

  • Andy McNamara Editor-In-Chief: 1991[7]
  • Andrew Reiner Executive Editor: 1994[8]
  • Matt Helgeson Senior Associate Editor: 1999[9]
  • Matthew Kato Senior Associate Editor: 2001[10]
  • Adam Biessener Associate Editor: 2003[11]
  • Joe Juba Associate Editor: 2003[12]
  • Matt Miller Associate Editor: 2004[13]
  • Matt Bertz Content Manager: 2006[14]
  • Bryan Vore Associate Editor: 2007[15]
  • Ben Reeves Associate Editor: 2006[16]
  • Jeff Cork Editor: 2007[17]
  • Tim Turi Associate Editor: 2009[18]
  • Jeff Marchiafava Associate Editor: 2009[18]
  • Dan Ryckert Associate Editor: 2009[18]
  • Phil Kollar Associate Editor: 2009[18]
  • Ben Hanson Video Producer: 2010[18]

Former

  • Paul Anderson (The Pro Player, Game Professor): 1992–2001 (died 2007;[19] a message that reads "In Memory of Paul Anderson" appears in the Staff section of all current issues)
  • Elizabeth Olson: 1991–1994
  • Rick Petzoldt (The Video Ranger): 1991–1995
  • Marianne Morgan (The Game Master): 1991
  • Ed Martínez (The Video Wizard): 1991
  • Erik Reppen (The PC Jedi): 1996–1997, 1999–2001
  • Ross van der Schaegen (The Rebel Gamer): 1991–1995
  • David "Vinnie" Vinyon (The Video Vigilante): 1994–1996
  • Ryan McDonald (The Arcade Alchemist): 1995–1997
  • Jon Storm (The Greedy Gamer): 1996–1999
  • Robert Stoute (The Game Cassanova): 1997–1999
  • Paul Bergren (The Game Burrito): 1997–1999
  • Lisa Mason (La Game Nikita): 2002–2006[20]
  • Beaux Hawkins (The Arcade Assassin): 1998–1999
  • The Vidiot (Minister of Destruction): 2000–2001
  • Jay Fitzloff (The Gonzo Gamer): 1999–2002
  • Justin Leeper (The Digital Deviant): 2001–2004
  • Chet Barber (The Joystick Jockey, The Chronic Gamer): 2002–2003
  • Jeremy Zoss (Gamezilla): 2003–2006[21]
  • Kristian Brogger (The Game Dawg, The Video Viking): 2000-2003
  • Nick Ahrens Media Editor: 2005-2010
  • Meagan Marie (formerly VanBurkleo) Associate Editor: 2008-2011[22]
  • Annette González Associate Editor: 2009-2011

Recurring events

Game Infarcer is an annual spin-off of the normal magazine. Similar to GamePro's LamePro, it's released only in the April issue, as an April Fool's joke. In 2008, Game Infarcer received a new Chief Editor, DarthClark, who replaced Garnadan, and the cover game for the same Game Infarcer issue was a mix of both Assassin's Creed and Dawson's Creek, which resulted in Assassin's Creek. Another joke is the reviews in GameInfarcer almost never receive numeric scores, such as WiiNap (also a fake game) which got a score of "one penny".

In the July 2008 issue, Game Informer had its second annual Sacred Cow Barbecue (annual, in their case, means whenever they feel like doing it). Similar in style to a celebrity roast, the occasion is meant to "knock some of gaming's most revered icons off their high and mighty pedestals."[23]

Reviews

Game Informer currently reviews games on the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, 3DS consoles. The reviews of games for the Game Boy Advance and GameCube consoles were discontinued during 2007, primarily because the number of games for both systems were dwindling. Older games, three per issue, are given brief reviews in the magazine's Classic GI section (compared with the game's original review score, if one exists), though this was also discontinued in 2009 with the redesign of the magazine. The magazine's staff rate games on a scale of 1 to 10 with quarter point intervals. A score of 1 is considered worse than terrible; 10 is a rare, "outstanding", nearly perfect game; and 7 is "average", a decently playable (but flawed) game. The games that have received a perfect "10" include BioShock, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, God of War, God of War III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo 2, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metroid Fusion, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Resident Evil 4, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, with the latest being "Batman: Arkham City".

Some games received even lower scores, scores below 1: Batman: Dark Tomorrow received a 0.75,[24] Shrek: Fairy Tale Freakdown for Game Boy Color got a 0.5,[25] and the Xbox launch title Kabuki Warriors scored a 0.5.[26] In the latter review, editor-in-chief Andy McNamara said, "I literally won a match just by bashing the controller against my ass. I wish I was joking, but the score is seriously Kabuki Warriors zero, my ass one." This was confirmed by his fellow editors. Another game reviewed for Classic GI — Marky Mark: Make My Video for Sega CD — was given a 0. A recurring gag in every issue is in the review "table" (the magazine defines what each score means), the 1 score is always changed to a different joke.

Website

Game Informer Online was originally launched in August 1996, and featured daily news updates as well as articles. Justin Leeper and Matthew Kato were hired on in November 1999 as full-time web editors. As part of the GameStop purchase of the magazine, the site was closed around January 2001.[27] Both Leeper and Kato were eventually placed on the editorial staff of the magazine.

GI Online was revived in September 2003, with a full redesign and many additional features, such as a review database, frequent news updates, and exclusive "Unlimited" content for subscribers. It was managed by Billy Berghammer, creator of PlanetGameCube.com (now known as NintendoWorldReport.com).[28] Berghammer is currently the editor in chief of the EGM Media group [29]

On March 2009, the online staff began creating the code for what would be the latest redesign to date. The redesign was to release hand-in-hand with the magazine's own redesign. On October 1, 2009, the newly redesigned website was live, with a welcome message from Editor-In-Chief Andy McNamara. Many new features were introduced, including a rebuilt media player, a feed highlighting the site activity of the website's users, and the ability to create user reviews.[30]

Other Media

In the 2006 Horror film Stay Alive, there was a brief appearance of a Game Informer Magazine with the title game from the movie. This was not a real issue of the magazine and was made specifically for the movie.

In an open-ended action game from 2009 developed by Radical Entertainment Prototype the gamestop logo can be scean in many places in the game.

References

  1. ^ "10 Years of Game Informer" (August 2001). Game Informer, p. 42. "In August of 1991, Funcoland began publishing a six-page circular to be handed out free in all of its retail locations."
  2. ^ "Game Informer Announces Rate Base Increase".
  3. ^ "Game Informer is one of the top 15 magazines by subscriptions".
  4. ^ "Game Informer is one of the top 4 magazines for men".
  5. ^ Vargas, Jose Antonio (2005). "A Magazine Whose Lineup Is Always in Play". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Game Informer Issue 197 The Beatles Rockband
  7. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Mike Pohl
  8. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Andrew Reiner
  9. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Matt Helgeson
  10. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Matthew Kato
  11. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Adam Biessener
  12. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Joe Juba
  13. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Matt Miller
  14. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Matt Bertz
  15. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Bryan Vore
  16. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Ben Reeves
  17. ^ Game Informer.com - Staff - Jeff Cork
  18. ^ a b c d e Game Informer - Staff Bios
  19. ^ Paul Anderson, Long Time Game Informer Member, Passes Game Informer Online.com POSTED: 8/30/2007
  20. ^ Internet Archives - Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Lisa Mason
  21. ^ Internet Archives - Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Jeremy Zoss
  22. ^ Game Informer Online.com - Staff - Meagan VanBurkleo
  23. ^ Game Informer Issue 183 inFamous
  24. ^ "Batman: Rize of Sin Tzu review on GameInformer.com".
  25. ^ "Shrek Fairy Tale Freakdown review on GameInformer.com".
  26. ^ "Kabuki Warriors review on GameInformer.com".
  27. ^ "On the Web" (August 2001). Game Informer, p. 49. "Sadly, this ill-fated site was to last little more that [sic] a year, as gameinformer.com would fall prey to the massive meltdown of the Internet economy in February [of 2001]."
  28. ^ About Billy Berghammer, Managing Editor, Game Informer Online Game Informer Online.com
  29. ^ EGM Now hires industry vet Billy Berghammer as group EIC Multichannel.com By Larry Barrett – Multichannel News, 1/14/2009
  30. ^ Welcome To The New GameInformer.com GameInformer.com By Andy McNamara – 10/1/2009

Template:50 largest US magazines

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Game_Informer&oldid=456042719"