GamePro, according to Gameinformer today, both the website and the print magazine will be closing as of December 5th. This news is not only surprising but sad. Under the leadership of John Davison; the magazine grew to be the best critical magazine on the market. Since Davison left the magazine last year; the magazine has dropped in quality significantly. While Davison is now moved on to bigger and better things; it is easy to see where the cart went off the rails.
Unfortunately, there are some really good people still working over at GamePro and while their last couple of issues have been lackluster to say the least; I figured it was more a problem of growing pains than the closure of the magazine and website. To close both website and magazine seems like a crazy move. The website has some very good, under-advertised content on it. In fact, before this story broke I linked to a good video story they did about Star Wars Old Republic. I have a lot of respect for the people who work at GamePro, even if their editorial choices have been somewhat suspect over the past two or three months.
GamePro closing may be a sign of the times. But I don’t honestly believe that Electronic Gaming Monthly, Gameinformer, and Edge Magazine can hold up the whole Western World of video games in the print market. I suppose, the argument is that there is no room for a print magazine in the 21st Century about something as ever changing as video games. I think this argument could also be made about print newspapers. But print magazines are not about timely information. They are about a contemplation and criticism that doesn’t appear to exist online in any form.
I love Electronic Gaming Monthly and Edge Magazine but to be the ONLY sources of criticism seems very dangerous. Because neither magazine is an old standard that cannot be broken. Edge is published by Future who is constantly losing ground in the magazine market. Electronic Gaming Monthly is barely two years old and while it’s digital format seems revolutionary; as time has gone on it feels more like a website than a webzine.
GamePro closing isn’t just the end of a very short, very brilliant golden age. But it is also a rallying call to all video game media outlets to up their game or die. If it can happen to the original EGM, GamePro, and countless others it can happen to you. So stop the nonsense(sending a whole team of people to cover a show your only going to have text content allotted to, for instance) and start making quality content. Or suffer the same fate. Because of this kind of thing continues all of us will lose; fans, writers, journalists, owners, developers, and the culture as a whole.
Here is wishing all the folks who work at GamePro the best of luck finding a new job and I really loved the incredible, contemplative discussion that you tried to bring us every month in the magazine and then every week on the website. I am very sad to see you go.
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