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Well simple question, What do you think of Edge? is is any good? Does it follow the industry well?
I got a subscription to it a while ago, but i was at lecture with one of the guys at Just Add Monsters, and he thought it was a bit crap. I guess it does have a kind of “Edge is always right” thing, but i love the columnist Mr Biffo,(Triggerhappy) Steven Poole, Red Eye and Nagoshi-san (of AM2).
What do u think, are there better mags out there?
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Its acceptable. I personally cant stand the reporting/writing style, but others who dont mind it seem to swear by the magazine. In short, I wouldnt buy it unless I was looking for a job :)
Dave
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In my opinion, EDGE is the best multi format mag you can buy, its reviews are usually spot on and its articles always make an intelligent read and do indeed reflect the industry well. We’ve a subscription here in the office and theres always a row over who gets it first.
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what about GamesTM, it makes great reading, but more in a nostalgic way
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I’ve been buying EDGE for over 5 years now and I think it really is the most professional (that’s probably spelt wrong!) magazine out there. At the very least it is one of a very small few that doesn’t appear to be written by illiterate work experience boys.
It did have a holy-er than thow attitide for a very long time, but after that last editor walked and the previous editor (Tony Mott – of channel 4 teletext GameCentral fame) took over, the magazine has come a little back down to earth.
Personally I love it, especially because of it’s reputation in the industry, a lot of developers respect the magazine and you can see that in interviews with people like Peter Molyneaux, and The Kingsley brothers etc.
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I’ve been in Edge 3 times in the 8 months
:pWas going to write an article from them once, but it fizzled out.
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Well, once properly…you got me.
1) There was an article on Dare when we won…guess that would have October or so.
2) There was an article on EIGF, guess it would have been September or so, and I was sitting in the picture of the after party celebrations ;)
3) And the obscure one….the same picture was used in the last issue, I think, in an article about games parties. It was blown up and you wouldn’t see it if you weren’t looking :p -
Edge deserves its praises, it was a breath of fresh air when it first arrived, a mature games industry mag, that didn’t give everything 8 out of 10 or plaster its pages with grimmacing photos and charactures of its reviewers. CVG was really losing the plot in this regard around the time Edge appeared.
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I’ve been collecting EDGE since I was aware of it (and could semi afford it) – issue 26. I haven’t missed an issue since , so I think that speaks for itself.
I think that new ‘GamesTM’ is very good, its what Future want Edge to be – more accessible.
I still like EDGE. Alot.
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When I started getting involved in this indusrty I was told to buy EDGE…. even the name was interesting,right??…..wrong……what a bore.
Good for jobsearch but on the whole I hate it, except maybe for the cover designs on occasion. Is this the pinnacle of game magazines? I hope not, point me in a different direction somebody.
I should point out that I’m one of those ‘females’ and I get the impression it’s a mag for men by men… just not for me thanks! -
EDGE is the best multi format mag you can buy, its reviews are usually spot on and its articles always make an intelligent read and do indeed reflect the industry well.[/quote:5aa1db52a6]
I’d have to agree with Pete and the other pro-EDGE-ers… it is the most mature of the mags and appears to have a lot of credibility within the industry (as opposed to the fans) while the other multy-format mags appear more targetted at (and often written by) fan boys… which while sometimes fun, can be grating
I get the impression it’s a mag for men by men[/quote:5aa1db52a6]
can’t say I’ve noticed this myself, as it’s one of the few (only?) review-type mags that ever mentions women – either as fans or as developers.
That said, it does appear to have fewer female reviewers than, say, PCGamer for example
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I’d heartily second Ronny’s recommendation re: ‘Develop’, which you can often pick up in branches of Game for EUR 2 – 3 or thereabouts
Other dev mags I’d recommend:
Game Developer – American-centric mostly & the source of much of Gamasutra’s articles (http://www.gdmag.com/homepage.htm )GameState – a free quarterly mag I came across at GDC; appears to be from Future publishing in the UK ( http://www.gamestate.net/ )
MCV – trade weekly; business mostly – also covers film and media, but mostly games industry focussed (http://www.mcvuk.com/
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‘Develop’, which you can often pick up in branches of Game for EUR 2 – 3 or thereabouts[/quote:6bddee7671]
i have a friend who works in game, ic if he can get me a copy. thanks -
Free subscription if you’re a uk resident :D
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I think Edge takes on a more mature approach to gaming. As far as most gaming magazines go, they are aimed at a young audience.
Edge, however, gets to grips with the fundamentals and issues concerning the video game industry, something you don’t find in your average gaming magazine.
:p
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I have to say I like Edge.
Not that I always agree with its view point – but it does forward considered points of view. Which is a good thing. I like Edges approach of saying their opinion straight and to the point – it challenges the reader. Which is always a good thing.
I also get the feeling that the people at Edge generally give honest reviews – and don’t give their review based on the drinks served on the site visits! Their style may be considered arrogance – but at least its credible.
Just on a foot note – ‘Develop’ and ‘Game Developer’ are seperate magazines – Game Developer is in my opinion a superior magazine to Develop.
Mike.
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Hmm. I’m reading this thread with great interest as I’ve been a reader of EDGE for many years and have both praised it and gnashed my teeth at different times.
What’s interesting is how it is perceived as ‘mature’ as it tries to write about games in a semi-academic manner. I don’t necessarily equate this with ‘mature’ at all and think people are confusing ‘slightly dull’ with ‘mature’.
As a buyers guide magazine its reviews are rather poor, rarely explaining why a particular game is or isn’t worth your money (surely the point of the exercise?) The slightly technology and future-obsessed nature of these reviews tends to mean they underscore genuinely interesting games such as Samba di Amigo and Wario World (surely Game of the Year 2004?) in favour of, say, Far Cry, because y’know, that has better water reflection effects.
The best games review magazines ever (IMO, Amiga Power, Super Play, Zero, Crash, Mega) all had reviews that were excellently-written, amusing, opinionated, unafraid and conveyed the experience of playing the particular game in question. EDGE does not, and never did, follow in this tradition meaning its reviews fall slightly flat. To replace this enthusiasm EDGE adopted the dry, literary approach which has been confused with maturity ever since. Magazines like AP made the game the star. EDGE makes the coders and publishers the stars. In my humble opinion, this is far less interesting focus (no offence!).
Also, interviews with hairy programmers tend to be dull, dull, dull. Unfortunately they seem to be moving away from the interesting feature articles of the past year or so back into this mode at the moment. Does anybody really need to read another Peter Molyneaux interview which totally oversells his next game? We already have previews to do that.
I spent the best part of two years reading about Republic: The Revolution only to find the final game was dreadfully designed and could be played from the map screen. EDGE needs to hang onto those interesting features about gaming minorities, women in games, etc. to remain vital. Unfortunately, with the recent staff turnover, it’s really a different magazine again so we’ll wait and see.
Incidentally, the staff left after an article exposing nasty publishers, not over a ‘mainstream direction’ change.
Now I still buy EDGE as, with the increasingly-desperate publishers sticking DVDs, sweets , fuzzy toys onto the badly-rewritten-from-a-press-release excuse for magazines that exist today, it’s a miracle a magazine of EDGEs quality still exists.
I wonder how long it can last?
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I would agree. For me, i would go for Edge over any other mag out there. There reviews tend to a bit biast and harsh but mostly i would thoroughly agree.
For example, a review recently- Medal of Honour: Rising Sun
In the Official Playstation 2 Mag, which i cannot stand, gave this game an overall score of 9/10.
I played this game, im a fan of the other two, but i was not impressed with the overall game for a number of reasons. Firstly, i aint too much of a fan of EA as i think they follow the wrong practices for game development. They churn out so many titles each year, many of which are developed with movie licenses. People buy these games because of the titles. Not because the JAMES BOND games are actually any good. If those games where called something else, they wouldnt sell nearly a third as much copies.Anyway, Edge gave Medal of Honour, 5/10. I would agree as the game lacked in every department, it was unfinished and buggy and all it really had going for it was some fancy FMV’s. Level design was poor too.
So it seems as if Edge still has its bright head screwed on unlike most of the drivel out there. It has some excellent articles about the happenings in the industry aswell. Its helpful if your looking for a job too!
Anywho, thats my two cents,
Paul
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The thing with Edge is you can take it seriously and get all pissed off when they tend to turn God-like or you can read on and take no notice of their tendance towards arrogance, honestly who really cares what Edge thinks of themselfs?. after all the Information which the Mag delivers is the important issue here, right?. regardless of what attitude is potrayed in the mag I myself prefer it to the Often embarrisingly childish approach taken by others, yes CVG GM and ALL! the official mags, I am pointing at you. Oh and here’s something the Edge staffers might like, 8/10, yes thats what I would award the publication.
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I played this game, im a fan of the other two, but i was not impressed with the overall game for a number of reasons. [/quote:eb327827f8]
the team that made the first too left EA (they made Call of duty) so it was a different team that made rising Sun!
you have to give a edge repect, they have been around for 10 years and give only 4 games 10/10 (one of which they have now changed there minds..GT2 i think). o know of some offical mags that give more 10/10s in year :p
but then edge has allways said that the score is only a rough guide, and u need to read the review to really c what the game is about. but i agree some of the short reviews don’t realy tell u enought aboiut the game.
still the best bit (for me) is the colum by Toshihiro Nagoshi (sega, F-Zero GX) good to hear the thoughts of a old pro (even if every second issue is about drinking.
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not a big fan of Toshihiro Nagoshi personally, as I don’t tend to find a high ‘useful content to drinking anecdote’ ratio in his column!
I think Stephen Poole is excellent though. His book Trigger Happy is a fantastic overview and source of info
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all the columists are good (biffo was very funny at digitiser and still is)
they all make a good point or do a “what if…” giving me ideas on a different way to view computer games or to make computer games. still i guess one day Nagoshi will say “Makeing a compter game is alot like making love to a bottle of Whiskey”
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Super Mario 64
Zelda OoT
Gran TurismoWas ‘Ico’ the fourth?
[EDIT – I remember it was ‘Halo’]
How come Ico didn’t get 10?
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Hhhmmmm….
Over the last number of years, for me, only a few stand out. Prince of Persia came very close. I really enjoyed the Legend Of Zelda: Ocrina of Time and Wind Waker, simply because I loved the 2d versions when I was younger. So they brought back some fond memories! But none of which would get a ten.
I always enjoyed the Final Fantasy series, particulary VIII, but i think they where just too long so they wouldnt score a ten either.
I do think that most magazines throw out too many tens. I remember looking in CVG a little while back, and i think about 3 -4 of its reviews recieved the coveted 10/10? I think Tony Hawks underground and Manhunt where amoung them. Tony Hawks was just a re-hash of the previous except this time YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET OFF YOUR BOARD and walk around.. I mean, WOW. It was real dodgy aswell!
The latter, which received a 3/10 in Edge, was justifyable. It was completely rubbish. Just plain rubbish.
I trust Edges scores as they review games for what they are. Not for what they sell and whats popular.
More mags like Edge please!
Paul
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Not a big fan of Edge, I have to say.
Writing is strong on style, weak on actual content.
Features are HEAVILY recycled.
Continually complains about the decline of the computer game.
(Beautiful graphic design!)
While writing for adult gamers & creators, could really do with lightening up!
My vote for best gaming magazine is Gamasutra.com Plenty of interesting articles on game design, lots of relevant information & lovely, lovely post-mortems on published games by the actual creators. Beats the hell out of Edge for content, with fewer fevered egos.
Yours,
–RoB
PS: In addition (and this is an important point for the student–) Gamasutra’s free. Ta-daa!
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EDGE is on magazine schedules (and apparently had to have as many as 5+ issues on the go at once) so they are allowed to recycle a bit.
I’ve never perceived them as going overboard with it though :p
I think Ocarina and Super Mario 64 are undoubtly 10/10. They are not games – They are Pure Magic condensed into silicon.
Ocarina of Time is hard to look at though since wind waker came along :)
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Oh, come on. Mario 64 was horrible.
The Zelda 64 games, however… they were, indeed, magical. I’m especially enamoured of Mask of Majora… some truely imaginative mechanics in that.
–RoB
PS: Well, okay, yeah, show me a magazine that doesn’t recycle a feature, fair enough. But you can’t tell me that Edge doesn’t have a number of themes that it Just Won’t Stop Going On About Year After Year As If They Would Disappear If Edge Stopped Talking On And On And On And On And On And On AND ON AND ON–
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You made my signature :p
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A couple of comments made there about Edge’s review policy, Ronny you are correct when you state that it is only your opinion, but is Edge not entitled to the same?, people shouldn’t rely on review scores to decide wheter or not they purchase a certain game, a lesson learnt well by many. And concerning the collumnist Nagoshi-san, I find his antics quite refeshing, and at least you can see the social aspect of game development through the eyes of a “pro”. Oh just one more thing the fact that Edge has only given 4 games 10/10 in the last ten years can be seen as either a very strict review policy stringently enforced or an effort to stand out(again this could be referred to as arrogance). But to me the four games that got 10/10 deserved it, whereas sorry Ronny GTA does not, in myopinion of course.
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One thing you could argue that Edge is definatly obsessed with is Fanboyism towards “TREASURE”. that is one thing that does tend to get on my nerves, although i have to admit Ikaruga was one of my favourite games last year,along with Metroid Prime.
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EDGE; “ITS NOT FOR EVERYONE”
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i loved Treasure, long before i even heard of edge. Treasure are one of the best game developers in the world, and i think the most original!
also i never really liked mario 64 (i thought it was a great game, but not the best game of all time that GamesMaster was saying at the time)
In addition (and this is an important point for the student–) Gamasutra’s free. Ta-daa![/quote:afcbb0bbd9]
i’ll have that then :D
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Heh.
kyotokid, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing but…
…cool. =)
I could rant about Nintendo all day. But… I’d never survive it.
G’night all!
–RoB
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I love Treasure too DarkSaviour, all i’m saying is that Edge simply loves them too much, as in when’s the last time you saw a bad review score of a Treasure game n Edge,hmmm maybe though Treasure are just too good to make a bad game.
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EDGE; “ITS NOT FOR EVERYONE”[/quote:736b8bafb0]
Okay, put that on the cover and I’ll buy a copy…! =)
–RoB
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I love Treasure too DarkSaviour, all i’m saying is that Edge simply loves them too much, as in when’s the last time you saw a bad review score of a Treasure game n Edge,hmmm maybe though Treasure are just too good to make a bad game. [/quote:2981aa25e9]
Um, Freak Out wasn’t very good and EDGE incorrectly rated it highly. And they have damned Treasure with faint praise in the past. Gunstar Heroes comes to mind there.
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Oh, come on. Mario 64 was horrible.
[/quote:bb0928c7be]“Horrible”? I’d be curious as to why you think that.
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Oh, come on. Mario 64 was horrible.[/quote:a78b567b67]
Aint so sure about that!
Hmm….
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Heh. Just gonna get squashed here, ain’t I?
I’ve never been a big fan of Nintendo, scratch that, I actively disliked their products up to the Zelda 64 games.
The Mario games have never appealed to me– I don’t like their theme, I don’t like how the game feels. I applaud Nintendo’s level design and their dedication to squeezing the last drop of originality out of their tired half-baked family-friendly franchises, but I can never summon up enough motivation to play out of enjoyment their games past the first ten or twelve levels.
(Every year I go back to a few Nintendo (grngh) classics and force myself to play ’em just in case I’ve missed anything, but the creeping frustration with the game mechanics and lack of Any Damn Reason (story or reward-based) to continue kill the games for me. Nintendo games annoy me, and make me stop playing them)
So, that extends to Mario (jumping pointlessness, some brilliant level designs and secrets), Zelda (wandering pointlessness, some brilliantly dramatic moments attached to… nothing really) & Metroid.
I really wanted to enjoy Metroid. And to be honest, I should– it has a story (well, relatively speaking– compared to most Nintendo games), it features honest-to-god combat situations and interesting puzzles… but the control system has left me cold.
And I hated Nintendo and then I tried (out of sheer bloody-mindedness) Zelda 64… Wow.
What a beautiful game. You can add your own plaudits. I felt it converted the good points of the Zelda games into 3D perfectly, it told a very bad story VERY VERY WELL (see Half-Life for another example of this… =), with some great changes in environments and characters and the control system, the reward system and the combat system meshed perfectly. Really, really brilliant stuff. Mask of Majora kicked it up several notches with that damn cool opening and an elegant devotion to its time-based world conceit.
Mario 64 was a load of jumping rubbish.
The Gamecube games I haven’t… But it was rubbish! Oh, alright…
Mario 64. Well, Mario in 3D, can anybody see why I might have a problem with that? =) But I’ll admit, I did enjoy jumping around quite a bit. In fact, I finished the game.
But you have to understand, I’ll finish games just for research. I finished In Cold Blood. I finished Silent Hill 3.
I finished Hitman 1 on hard. Ohhhh yes.
Mario 64 added nothing significant to computer gaming. The premise was childish. The mechanics were tiresome. The rewards were piddling. The graphic design was consistant… Hell, it was the first Mario game I could bring myself to finish. It was still rubbish.
I’m going to get berated for this, but: Tomb Raider 1 (NOT THE SEQUELS) was a more significant game.
This has been long. I’ll finish by giving you an idea of SOME of the games I enjoyed as I grew up for a reference point.
(In no particular order)
Syndicate Wars
Chaos Engine (1)
Monkey Island (1,2 & 4)
Lure of the Temptress
Flashback
Turrican II
Half-Life
Devil May Cry
Chrono Trigger
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill 1 & 2
Lemmings 2
Tetris & Super Puyo Puyo
Sam & Max Hit The Road
Legacy of Kain: Soulreaver 1 & 2, Defiance
Hostile Waters
Hitman 2
GTA, Liberty City, Vice CityI’m now a big fat target. Have at, mein freunds.
–RoB
PS: I also disliked Rez
PPS: This has nothing to do with Edge, I note. Please feel free to delete, Admins.
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In fairness, the main reason I’d buy Edge over another mag is that I hate the price tag of the covermounts, which are generally unplayable on my system.
It is interesting to get a completely different perspective however, which is another useful reason to dip into it occasionally.
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