Game Informer Magazine

The Gameinformer (GI) magazine has been in print for years covering all gaming platforms. There are a lot of gaming magazines on the shelves today and some that just focus on a certain platform of the game world. Gameinformer has never changed their true format and cover a wide array of topics in the entire industry. I have personally had a subscription with then for about three years straight now. What intrigues me the most with this game magazine would be the humor and honesty throughout the all the contents of the magazine. It makes the reading a little more interesting.

Like all game magazines that cover all platforms of games it is a little pricey at $5.99 an issue on the stand. You can however get a yearly subscription for a lot less at GameStop stores for a low price of $10. This gets you a membership card with them and the subscription. This is the only way to go with me and if your were interested in this magazine I defiantly suggest going with the GameStop subscription.

Overall the magazine is well done and well written. You will find a mistake here and there in their writing and the magazine, in some areas, will look bulky. They do try to cram a lot of information in about 100 pages. Some of their humor may also not appeal to everyone and even I find myself saying "huh" at times. In all I think they do a good job with everything and I find it more interesting than other magazines that are out there.

Inside the Magazine
As you first get inside the magazine you will see the table of contents, and a little info about the staff. They have a DearGI section which is comments and replies to mails that they receive. These are always fun to read because you will usually ask yourself "where do some of these people come from?". Some of their replies are just down right hilarious.

The next section is called Connect. This is where they put breaking news, views, and technology in the world of gaming. This is the largest section of the magazine which does have some great information placed throughout. There is also some little side section like Loose Talk, Data File, and The Good, Bad, and Ugly. Some issues are better than others but everyone of them seems to have some interesting reading. Their is also a calendar showing release dates of games on all platforms for the month. Including some DVD's as well.

Also comes a cover story game and one featured game. These are in much more detail and are of games to be released at a later date. These are usually great reading and just make you realize how into games you truly are. This is because by the time I am done reading i usual say "I can't wait".

Previews
This section is where they give information on games that will be released at a later date. It is a great way to see games that are being made and to see where they are heading with these games. Gameinformer will get their hands on a lot of games in various forms and get an a good insight on them before they are released. They are honest here and will tell it like it is even if they are not completely happy with something. They show a lot of snap shots, release dates to best of their knowledge, and a preview of where they are at with the game so far.

Reviews
This is where they give you reviews on games that are already out or will be released in the very near future. They have already played all of these games in their entirety. The higher profiled games with have a more in-depth review compared to the lower end games which are basically just the bottom line. Their rating system is between 1-10 with 10 being the best of the best. There is also a quick comment about the concept of the game, graphics, sound, playability, entertainment value, and replay value (this is only for the high profile games).

The only complaint I have here is, I think they rate some games a little high. Even though i have only seen a handful of games they have rated a 10, I feel they are a little bias on their ratings for certain games. For example, a franchise title like a Madden NFL or a Super Mario game. If you see a game that really interests you after reading what they have you may still want to get more information. I honestly do a lot of reading right here in Epinions on games that I am interested in and just not sure about spending the money. I start in Gameinformer and finish here getting my final information.

Closing out the Magazine
At the end of the Gameinformer you will find a Chart showing the top selling games for the past month in the US and Japan. Also, a top 10 pick for GI. There is also reviews Archive showing past ratings for games in each system and computer. An easy way to look up a title if you forgot in a past issue the ratings score. of course they have their Secret Access section for codes, strategies, and hints for previously released games.

My favorite section the entire magazine is the Classic GI. This is where they talk about a classic game or game type and compare it to what is going on in game world today. You can find a lot of interesting facts that are just fun to read about. You will also find a few classic reviews for some older games. Showing their retro rating from then to now. Again, just a lot fun reading. At last, the Game Over section at the end of the issue you are reading. A quick trivia game with some fun breakdown statistics.

Conclusion
I do recommend this magazine to anyone that plays games on a regular bases. You don't need to be a die hard gamer to enjoy the reading. Despite having to many ads, small print, and bulky at times, it still is one of the best multi-platform magazines you can buy. With all the ads I wish they would just add a couple of extra pages to clear some of the bulky pages up. You can also check out their website if you wish.

Thank you for reading.