Games for Windows mag is dead

[Vault Dweller]

Good fucking riddance.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3167296

This move does, however, mark the end of an era. Before Games for Windows Magazine was known as Games for Windows Magazine, it was Computer Gaming World, one of the longest running magazines about PC games (27 years). As exciting as the opportunity is to now refocus and expand upon the magazine's content in a new online PC gaming hub, it doesn't come without some disappointment to see such a print staple go. Our attempt will be to see its heart and soul live on here on 1UP.

If it was worth reading, it would still be in business.

 

[Lingwe]

But the 1UpToTheirBalls website will still remain. Still, good to see that it finally was scapped. I don't know what is up with people worrying about the decline of print media. Thousands of pages of paper chucked in the rubbish every day. This rise of the internet has cut down the rubbish generated by a huge amount.

 

[HanoverF]

Ads for Microsoft went belly up?

Ha Ha

 

[Saxon1974]

I don't like magazines transitioning to online only. I have like having the paper mag in my hands.

I agree with VD though, this mag has been crap for years now and I was an old school fan of CGW from when it used to be friendly to RPG fans. I cancelled my subsription a few years ago, looks like I was not the only one.

 

[RK47]

But the 1UpToTheirBalls website will still remain. Still, good to see that it finally was scapped. I don't know what is up with people worrying about the decline of print media. Thousands of pages of paper chucked in the rubbish every day. This rise of the internet has cut down the rubbish generated by a huge amount.

it's not always one way traffic Trash is also generated from the internet.

 

[Psycroptic]

Well, it's somewhat sad to see them go. I didn't bother with the recent issues. Seems like it was nothing more than giant screen shots with a couple paragraphs typed in white over the image. The reviews just weren't there anymore. I miss the old days when it was paragraph after paragraph of text accompanied by pitiful screenshots that were actual photographs of the game in progress on the monitor. (Apparently there was no way to capture the images back then?) And though it was often pretty amatuerish, it was at least entertaining. I think I have a lot of the issues from the 90's of this -- most of them in fact.

The magazine that was truly a disappointment to see go was Strategy Plus. Back when CGW, PCGamer, and SP were in their prime, SP was the best by far. They always emphasized the best genres.

 

[mjorkerina]

I thought when I saw the title of the thread (i missed the "mag") that it was about the death of the xbox-live style initiative Microsoft is trying to shove down the PC too. What a disappointment. Don't care much if a stupid mag live or dies, they should all burn anyway. Their only purpose is to be an advertisement platform, not write honest reviews.

 

[MetalCraze]

I thought when I saw the title of the thread (i missed the "mag") that it was about the death of the xbox-live style initiative Microsoft is trying to shove down the PC too. What a disappointment. Don't care much if a stupid mag live or dies, they should all burn anyway. Their only purpose is to be an advertisement platform, not write honest reviews.

no. Games For Windows is basically another microsofts retarded "standard". and if you want to be GfW compatible - your game must be installed in only a few clicks. i.e. this stupidity just forces your game to be installed into program files folder without asking you and obviously no one wants that so you do much more clicks in the end to change this retardation.
what's even more lol is that Starcraft ended up as GfW compatible.

 

[mondblut]

I saw a couple of issues back in mid-90s. It was a decent mag back then.

...hm, there is an awful lot of obituaries lately. 3 RPG-related dev studios and an oldest CG mag, all in just one month.

 

[Herbert West]

I thought when I saw the title of the thread (i missed the "mag")

For me "mag" turned into "rag". The Final Solution should be designed and meticulously applied to that abomination of gaming that GFWL is.

 

[Kingston]

Praise the Lord!

 

[Nightjed]

hot damn, i wanted to take a peek at the site and...bam! payup form.
they still want you to pay for this crap filled with mind controlling microsoft propaganda ?, jeez, i can get the same kind of bull for free from any other site

 

[Annonchinil]

Did anybody else notice that now a days 'standard install' does not allow you to choose the drive or the folder, that it is under 'advanced install' for most games?

 

[kingcomrade]

Yeah that makes me giggle sometimes. Of course, I've got a CS professor who is brilliant at programming, but needs our help to remember file names and windows hotkeys.

 

[MetalCraze]

Did anybody else notice that now a days 'standard install' does not allow you to choose the drive or the folder, that it is under 'advanced install' for most games?

that's what GfW standard requires.

 

[Disconnected]

It's an odd move really.
If I was creating an idiot-proof standard, I'd make sure the default dir was C:\Games, because how many idiots think "program = game"?
Same thing for the start menu. A "Show All Games" entry in the start menu would no doubt help the helpless navigate. Especially if shortcuts were placed under the actual title names, instead of being hidden behind the annoying brand-spamming of 2 publishers & 5 developers.
Likewise, many gamers aren't complete WinOS newbies, so a 1-click operation enabling them to specify where & how installs, shortcuts & all that shit is done, ought to be mandatory.

Then again, if I was creating a standard like GfW, my focus would be on establishing a minimal standard for user-friendliness. For example, allowing people to alt-tab without crashing/corruption, making sure savegames don't sneak off into dirs no sane person would ever look for them in, making sure users aren't bothered by needless advertising like "sign up now for no benefits!" or "create or log on to your new must-have GfW account", making sure savegames don't take up 50GB just because devs can't be arsed not to save an entire fucking instance of the game, assets & all, making sure every game has a gamma or brightness setting so it doesn't look like glowy neon on one monitor & black pitch on another, and so on.. You know, the usual things that makes users groan.

 

[WalterKinde]

How long did they last with the new name and publishing ideals before calling it quits?
These days the only reasons to buy printed gaming mags are
1) MMO freak and you just have to have that exclusive in game item thats available only from the magazine.
2) You love all those shiny ads and 3 line articles with screenshots that upon final release never match the preview you saw in the magazine.
3) Its actually a good gaming mag and the articles, previews, criticisms etc are spot on.
Something that isn't actually happening anymore.

 

[GeneralSamov]

For example, allowing people to alt-tab without crashing/corruption

Omg alt-tab g33k alert! Burn!

Tell me how many of the ones whom this kind of dumbing down is aimed at actually make use of multitasking? In the future, you're supposed to be a drone concentrating on ony one thing at a time! No mp3s in the background or other fancy crap anymore, I'm afraid

On a more serious (and slightly depressing) note, I noticed some programs don't even allow you to specify the destination folder at all, and some other (and this is just suicidal thoughts-enticing) don't recognize blank spaces in the destination folder (no Program files, I'm afraid; C:\ is for you!!), e.g. Bloodshed DEV C++. Wtf?

 

[Herbert West]

I wouldn't trust Microsoft even if they would set out to create standarts that would be of no [financial] benefit to them...

Look, here's the MS CEO!
He's probably saying: Give me your fucking money or I'll assrape you!!1

 

[GeneralSamov]

Ballmer. Gates' rottweiler.

 

[Fez]

Ding dong, the witch is dead!

It seems all the good magazines withered away long ago.

 

[Disconnected]

Omg alt-tab g33k alert! Burn!

... uhm... yes

Tell me how many of the ones whom this kind of dumbing down is aimed at actually make use of multitasking? In the future, you're supposed to be a drone concentrating on ony one thing at a time! No mp3s in the background or other fancy crap anymore, I'm afraid

While I don't know the percentage of the WinOS handicapped who makes use of things like multitasking, my point was that a standard shouldn't define user habits/work routines, because those vary regardless of how savvy the users are.

Not that MicroSoft ever understood this. With each successive installment of the WinOS, MicroSoft takes the battle against the habits & work routines of its users to new extremes. XP derailed my work routine to the point that I realised I'd not only save myself the constant grief, but actually save time by learning to use a different OS. Most users won't, of course. Many don't even realise they have the option. But that doesn't mean they find the railroading any less aggrivating that I do.

On a more serious (and slightly depressing) note, I noticed some programs don't even allow you to specify the destination folder at all, and some other (and this is just suicidal thoughts-enticing) don't recognize blank spaces in the destination folder (no Program files, I'm afraid; C:\ is for you!!), e.g. Bloodshed DEV C++. Wtf?

I've noticed too, hence the: "a 1-click operation enabling them [users] to specify where & how installs, shortcuts & all that shit is done, ought to be mandatory."

 

[Dark Matter]

Good fucking riddance.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3167296

This move does, however, mark the end of an era. Before Games for Windows Magazine was known as Games for Windows Magazine, it was Computer Gaming World, one of the longest running magazines about PC games (27 years). As exciting as the opportunity is to now refocus and expand upon the magazine's content in a new online PC gaming hub, it doesn't come without some disappointment to see such a print staple go. Our attempt will be to see its heart and soul live on here on 1UP.

If it was worth reading, it would still be in business.

If Torment and Arcanum were worth playing, Black Isle and Troika would still be in business.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Comparing apples and oranges, are we?

 

[Caveman]

R,I.P.

I liked them for amazing Dwarf Fortress article.


So what is the best mag/zin now?